|
Five Horse Buying Mistakes
|
|
|
Horse shopping is very exciting. If you're looking for your first horse (or second, or nineteenth), you want to choose wisely so you can stay safe, while still having fun. Here are some very common mistakes people make when buying their first horse.
Buying a Young Horse
For the experienced rider, bringing along a young horse is a very rewarding experience. Some may choose to train the horse themselves, while others may send a young horse to a trainer. However, a young horse might not be the best choice for a beginner rider. While many youngsters are willing and obedient, they lack the experience that helps them cope with the mistakes new riders inevitably make. Young, (or older, trained-late-in-life) horses are generally not as predictable and new riders are better off with an older, been there, done that type that they can enjoy right away.
Related Article: It All Starts Here - A Visit To A Racehorse Auction
Related Article: The Five Dollar Horse In The Shed
Related Article: Careers with Horses - The Bloodstock Agent
Passing Over Older Horses
While you don't want to buy a horse that is ancient, an older horse, in its late teens and early twenties can provide many years of safe fun and learning for a beginner. There is an exception for every rule however, and some horses are too hot for a beginner to handle no matter what their age. But, generally, older horses are more predictable and dependable.
Buying at Auction
It takes a keen eye and cool head to pick a good horse out of an auction ring. Things like unsoundness, poor health and bad manners can be masked. We'd like to think that practices like that are a thing of the past, but the reality is, unscrupulous sellers still do things to make undesirable horses look placid and well trained. Green horses and horses with behavior problems can appear better than they are in the small confines of the auction pen, leading a beginner to believe they are well-trained and quiet. It's wise to remember; most horses end up at auction for a reason. An experienced rider may find a diamond in the rough, but a beginner is wise to steer clear of auctions.
Buying a Horse for Its Color
'You don't ride the color' is an adage to heed when buying a beginner horse. You might dream of a pinto or spotted coat pattern, or a solid black or white, but color really should be the last consideration when choosing your horse. If you have two horses to choose from, and both are perfectly mannered and well trained, then of course, choose the one that is attractive to you. But, make manners, training, soundness and conformation your priorities.
Buying a Young Horse for A Child To Grow Up With
Some people like the idea of buying a young horse, even a weanling or yearling, for their child to grow up with. But, horses aren't like puppies, and a child will have much more fun with a horse they can learn to groom, saddle, bridle and ride right away. They'll also be safer with an older horse.
Image Credit: © Alain Lauga | Dreamstime.com |
|
|
|
|
 Related Horse News
|
|
September 6 was the date of the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association annual yearling auction. Each year, the very best of Washington bred yearlings (plus some incomers form out of state and some mares and older ...
|
|
Indy is our seven year old Paint mare. Until we purchased her at auction she had a rough life. She was a gorgeous brown and white Paint that my Grandma just had to have. When we got her home from auction we put her a stall, but un ...
|
|
Horse shopping is very exciting. If you're looking for your first horse (or second, or nineteenth), you want to choose wisely so you can stay safe, while still having fun. Here are some very common mistakes people make when buying ...
|
|
The problem with having a horse dealer in the family is that the horses they bring through can be a terrible temptation. Such was the case when a little grey Arabian arrived at the barn. He was shipped to a meat auction because he ...
|
|
I’ve seen horses that were drugged - and I knew that because I knew of the horses before they got to the auction. And I’ve seen horses I didn’t know were drugged, but saw after the auction when the drugs wore off. Drugs can be use ...
|
|
A popular slogan amongst pet rescue groups is adopt, don’t shop. As someone who has adopted several dogs, and is currently working to rehabilitate a badly abused puppy mill survivor, I’m inclined to agree with the sentiment. But w ...
|
|
Horse auctions attract sellers and buyers, but they also attract spectators with no intention of either. When one man saw a tiny pony being dragged around, he knew that he was going to make the transition from spectator to buyer. ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
Karen Polle was born in Japan, but moved to the United States when she was very young. She rode for the U.S. competing successfully in North American Young Rider Championships. In 2014, she started riding for Japan with a goal of ...
|
|
The Space Force has a new recruit. Currently The United States Space Force has a personnel of about 16,000, but it’s membership has just increased by one. Ghost, a five-year-old grey Mustang is its newest recruit. Unlike his fello ...
|
|
Could horses help treat Covid-19? Immune therapy research being done in South America suggests that antibodies produced by horses when injected with part of the coronavirus might help fight the virus in people. Horse blood contain ...
|
|
A new PonyBox record has fallen with an offspring out-earning their sire. And a new horse sits in the top PonyBox spot. ...
|
|
Many equestrian events have been cancelled, but with some ingenuity, others have made an attempt to carry on safely despite COVID-19. Each year, the Extreme Mustang Makeover offers a chance for young trainers to prove their horse ...
|
|
Freckle Butt the pony clearly believes he’s entitled to all of the comforts of home. That includes access to soft rugs, snacks and back rubs. This house horse lives in Michigan and has only one regret - no fingers or thumbs to use ...
|
|
Top Ranking horse for the end of the first week of August is 3P *Overjoyed*. This 12 year old Standardbred mare is a diminutive 12.2 hands, but has a best jump of 91” and earnings of 509,800 PB. She has a performance score of 443 ...
|
|
Lucy Worsely’s 2015 “Reins of Power” documentary, available on YouTube, is the perfect addition to your rainy day or quarantine binge watching playlist. The doc peeks at the royal family’s horse obsession, and explores the roots o ...
|
|
|
