The Equestrian world is not cheap a good sound horse can
cost you a pretty penny. However most Equestrians will tell you it is not the
horse that is expensive it is the up keep. As an experienced horse person I would
suggest for someone who has very little experience with horses, or for a young
child who is showing an interest in horses that you find a facility that
provides horseback riding lessons. Many of these lesson programs start at the beginner
level and will not only teach you about riding the horse but also how to care
for the horse. After a few lesson if you or your child is still interested in
furthering your equine knowledge, it could be beneficial for you to lease a
horse. Typically when you lease a horse from its owner you will be agreeing to
pay a monthly fee or simply paying for the animal’s board/vet/and fairer bills.
This is a good trial run for yourself to see if you can afford the up keep of a
horse and to see if you or your child is truly interested in the equine sport.
Most lease contracts last one year, however depending on the owner you could
have a contract for a shorter period of time. Either way by the end of you
lease agreement you should be pretty confident in weather or not you truly want
to own your own horse. You will have also met a handful of experienced equestrians
with a great deal of knowledge who will be able to help you find the right
horse. You will want one of these people to help guide you through the process
of purchasing your first horse. There are many questions you should ask yourself
before buying a horse
The very first question is where will you keep this horse?
Do you have land? If so, you want to make sure you have
enough land for your horse. They should have plenty of room to be able to
stretch their legs. Do you have proper fencing? You want to be sure that the area
you plan to keep your new horse is properly enclosed and there are no sharp
objects and the perimeter is secure so your horse can not get loose. Typically
it is said that you should have 1 acre per 1 horse. However they can live in a smaller
area, I would suggest that you exercise them on a regular basis.
Do you have proper shelter for this horse? You will want to
be sure that you are providing proper shelter for your horse during inclement
weather. Many people do not have a barn with stalls, however you would at least
need a proper building that is always open for the horse to stand in during,
rain, sleet, or snow, and during the hot summer months they will need a nice
shady place to get out of the hot sun.
If you do not have enough space or proper accommodations for
your horse on your own property, you will need to board your horse somewhere. You
need to find the facility that best suits the needs of you and your horse.
Does this facility provide full care boarding or self-care
boarding? This is a very big factor when searching for the correct facility. Full
Care means the facility management will be taking care of your horse on a daily
basis this normally includes feeding, watering, cleaning out the stall, and
turn out. The amount of monthly board is normally higher. Self-care typically
means the owner of the facility is only going to provide a home for your horse
and you will need to take care of the horse every day. Board at this type of
facility is normally a bit cheaper. It is very important that you research 3 to
4 different horse boarding facilities in your area and set up a meeting with the
owner/manager of the property, visit each property and ask what type of care
they provide. You will need to decide what is going to be best for you and your
new horse. You need to know where you will be keeping the horse and how they
will be cared for before the purchase of a new horse.
Click here to view our store For all of your horsey needs!
