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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
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Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:50 pm
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Choosing your Horse
The process of choosing and buying a horse is a very exciting one since it involves a series of tasks, which determine what you actually want and what are the needs. A number of questions have to be asked prior to making a decision. It is advisable to spend considerable amount of time in research before such an important decision is made.
Horses can serve a number of purposes. One of the most important tasks is to determine the purpose that one wants a horse for. As we know different people have different needs, and it is very important to analyze these needs before one goes out to shop for a horse. Some people use horses for sport, some want to use them in shows, or some might just need them as pets or for light riding practices, considering them as companions.
An important factor would be affordability both in terms of costs and time. Buying a horse may be easy in terms of money, but could result in high expenses in proper maintenance and rehabilitation of the horse. Horses are large and require considerable amount of space to be kept. Daily care would also take up a lot of time. A lot of additional expenses would include facility management, veterinary expenses, feeding expenses, expenses on equipment etc. An untrained horse would require proper training in order to make it useful to the maximum for the purpose it has been bought for. A proper affordability analysis should be done prior to purchasing. Purchase price of horses ranges from $1000 to $5000. Boarding and lodging would range from $200 to $600 depending upon the size of the horse and the quality of food. Apart from this, average cost of medicines and the vet would be around $200.
Apart from the money to be spent, the other factors that determine the quality of the horse are its color, age, breed, gender, height and background.
If you want a good-looking horse, you should bother about the color. However, color does not determine the performance or characteristics of a horse; it is merely an exterior property.
Age is an important factor while buying a horse. While buying a horse, one should keep in mind whether the horse is going to be used by beginners for riding purposes, or by trained professionals. If it is going to be used by young beginners the age group of the horse should be anywhere between 6 to 18 years of age. The simple reason would be that by this age, the training for the horse would have completed. A horse under this age would not have been trained properly, and could result in trouble for beginners. However, age cannot always determine the nature of the horse. Therefore one should be careful not to judge the horse completely by the age.
A number of different breeds of horses are available. They can be broadly categorized by the type of use they are put into.
- Riding Breeds
- Working Breeds
- Racing Breeds
An ideal choice, when it comes to gender, would be a mare or a gelding. Stallions can be beneficial if one has to practice breeding. Height, just like color, does not determine what a horse can deliver in terms of performance or job fulfillment. It is one’s personal preference. The background of the horse plays a major role when it comes to choosing a horse. The age, training history, previous behavioral record etc. contribute a lot to how the horse will perform. A well-trained horse would be a pleasure for both beginners and experienced people. A poorly trained horse might come cheap, but end up adding to costs related to training. Temperament of the horse should suit with the rider. An expert rider might require a horse that is highly responsive to his commands. Whereas, a novice should have a much milder horse.
A few tips:
-It is always good to buy a pre-trained horse, no matter what your requirements are. If money is the consideration, buy a horse during the winter season. Boarding and lodging costs are much higher in winters, and thus professional people are less interested in buying horses.
-It is better to spend time with a horse before buying it. It would help in building a relationship between you and your future horse.
-Always consult experts. Since horses are big and expensive, proper advice should be taken from experts.
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