Buying a horse: where to even start?
I get a lot of questions about where to start when buying a horse. Finding the right partner for your equitation adventures can be a daunting task! So I’ve gathered my top five most important things for you to consider.
1. Make sure that buying a horse is actually what you want to do. Many people mistakenly think that if they want to start riding, they need to buy a horse first. In fact, buying a horse should be the last thing you do! First, take some riding lessons. See if riding is something you enjoy as much as you thought you would, and if it’s something you’d like to stick with. Then consider leasing a horse. Leasing a horse will give you a great sense of what is required in horse ownership without the full commitment. Many of the suggestions below apply to finding a good horse to lease as well. Then ask yourself the following questions:
a. Can I afford to keep a horse? Check out my “Horse care beware” blog.
b. Do the right facilities exist near me to stable and ride my horse?
c. Do I have the time to ride at least three times a week?
d. Is riding something I want to do for at least the next five to ten years?
If you answered yes to all four questions, and the lease has gone well, then you can go on to starting the search for a horse to buy.
2. Decide what kind of riding you would like to do right now. You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing what kind of driving you need to do. It’s the same with a horse. If you want to jump versus ride Western pleasure, you’ll need different skills in your horse. Do you want to show? At what level? What kind of horse can you handle right now? If you are a beginner rider, even if you have ambitions to be a top show jumper in ten years, you should make sure you get a horse than you can safely ride right now.
3. What kind of riding would you like to be doing in the future? If you are a young rider, you may want to consider getting a horse you can grow into. Ponies are great for very young or small riders, but if you are 14 you could have outgrown a pony in a year or two and be back to the drawing board. You still have to consider #2 above, and not get a horse outside of your ability, but you also want a horse who will be able to keep up with you. Also, if you are considering a horse with one main ability, make sure that is the sport you want to keep doing in the future. As a beginning rider, it’s usually a better idea to get a more versatile horse–you probably don’t know for sure what kind of riding you’ll want to do as you get better.
4. What are your most important characteristics you need and want in a horse? No single horse will have every single possible trait you could want. You will have to figure out what are the non-negotiable aspects, and which ones you could compromise on. For example, if you are a bit of a nervous rider, you should be willing to sacrifice amazing movement to get a calm, even-headed horse. If you really want to jump high, you might end up with a horse who’s not great on the trail or a bit weak in dressage. That’s why it’s so important to know ahead of time what you want to do, and what you absolutely cannot live without in your horse. Maybe people ask me about breeds, but I feel that the individual characteristics are more important than breed. Breeds can give you a starting point, but you never really know what you’ll find in a particular horse.
5. What is your budget? This question will influence #4 as well. The more you can and want to pay, most likely the more of your top traits you can get in your horse. If you have a relatively small budget, you will likely have to make additional compromises. One of the most common trade-offs is buying a young and untrained horse who has good prospects. This trade-off is usually not a good idea for beginning riders. I would suggest going for an older, experienced horse who may not be able to compete like he used to. Schoolmaster horses are invaluable in helping new riders, and often can be found for reasonable prices as their current riders are moving on to more competitive mounts.
In this video, I address the question, “What breed should I get?” I stress again that it matters most what the horse is like, and what you want to do!
Many happy trails to you :)
-Ali
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Comments on Buying a horse: where to even start?
I’ve been taking lessons for a year and a half and I’m looking to start leasing soon. I’ll be getting my driving license in the next couple months so I’ll be able to visit the barn I ride at, at least 3 times a week like your top 5 list suggests. Thanks so much for the help Ali!
this vid is great! PS. Noah is a beautiful boy.
Hey Ali,thanks for all your help! After emailing you with my questions, I wasn’t expecting to see a blog on all the information I needed. Thanks for this blog, it’s a great guideline to buying your first horse. Thank you!!
This was great! Thank you so much!!
Hey Ali! So, I watched your video and noticed that you said that the less experience you have, the more experienced you want your horse to be. I am an intermediate rider, and I am starting to go horsey shopping. I just watched the video today, and earlier, one of my horsey friends said the same thing. Anyway, I was just wondering what age to aim for. I want to ride western pleasure, so I was just wondering if you knew what age to aim for there. Thanks so much!
Hi Ali,
If my horse was a field pony would it still be essential to ride it 3 days a week?
regards
Amani
I love your videos thanks so much
Hi, Ali!
I’m not dissagreeing with your video above. But I have to stand up to my Arabians. Not all arabs are hot and spooky like people think that they are. Yeah, okay, they may not jump over something that is big and bright, but most horses have to be trained to do this and Arabs are just the same. Yes, I do agree with you, Arabs are hot. I should know! My first horse was a 5 year old arab who had walk, trot, and a tiny bit of canter training. I’ve seen some really hot colts and yearlings that I wouldn’t even pet. But then I’ve also seen stallions who were so calm I thought that they were geldings. All were arabs. Also, Arabs are smart, too smart! They can learn things at almost the same rate as humans, so I’m discovering! But this also means that they can pick up bad habits quickly too. You just have to teach them that no they cant do that and eventually they learn. So again, I’m not dissagreeing with you. I’m just defending my arabs. Thanks for making these videos so informational!
Age matters a little less than attitude–I’ve know totally chill 6 year olds and wacko 20 year olds… so you want a horse with a good temperment. Age matters most because young horses will be inexperienced (even if they are calm) and old horses can have health issues. As an intermediate rider, I’d recommend a horse around 10-15–young enough to be fit for you but old enough to have the right training! But obviously, you need to check that they have the right temperament and schooling. Happy trails!
-Ali
So glad it helped! I try to make blogs that help answer people’s questions ;)
-Ali
Thank you so much!
-Ali
So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing :D Happy trails,
-Ali
Indeed :D I love Arabs, as Morgans are part Arab! They are amazing horses. Thanks for sharing!
-Ali
thanks your videos really helped
Would a thorough bred be okay for a beginner even if it is EXTREMLY calm and well behaved??
Oh and middle aged around 15 yrs old?
Dear Ali,
I love your web page so much! It’s been really useful to me. I’m from Mexico, I’m 32 years old and after craving it my entire life, a month ago, I finally bought my very first horse, Tristan. He is a 10 year old AQH gelding. When I was 12, I started taking riding lessons. I loved it and even got to start jumping low obstacles. But despite my mom’s efforts to help me fulfill my dream, that had to stop abruptly because it was too expensive for my parents to keep paying. So 20 years had to pass in order for me to be able to realise that, as an economically independent woman, with no children, I was now in a more likely position to make my dream come true. Last January I resumed those riding lessons! Suffice it to say I had to start all over again, learning from zero. I had a bad fall in May (I broke a finger that has taken 4 months to mend) but I decided that it was high time I payed myself the debt of giving myself what I know I’ve wanted all my life. So now, I have Tristan, it’s true it’s very, very expensive (horse expenses sum up to a third of my monthly salary), but I think it’s worth it. Sometimes I feel sad about being 32 and not 16 or 24 anymore, but this is how my life has been. That’s why I want to make the most of it, and I feel grateful for having a chance to finally experience this! Some days I can’t even believe it’s happening! There are so many things that I want to do already! Like cantering in control of Tristan and feeling safe while enjoying it! I want to learn join up! I want to create confidence and have him take me as his leader… But I know these things take time and require patience! So, your videos and website have helped me a lot to understand many things that were unknown to me. I m learning how to be a horse owner!!! Thank you, Ali, you are an inspiration! Best wishes from Mexico! Hilda (& Tristan)
Hello, my name is Liset Gutierrez in 12 years old my mom knows i want a horse but she wants to know what is the best breed for a kid thats good with kids easy to take a bath to also calm good trail horse like a smart skilled horse please send me a email because i really want a horse and its going to be my first one i would be so happy also i have loved horses since the moment i could see no kiding my mom put me to watch horses shows so i love them i started to ride at like 10 because my mom never really let me but i did ride ponys taken by people but never by myself so please email me as soon as u can because to know there is someone that loves horses like i do menas alot THANK YOU.
Liset–
I sent you an email, hope you got it!
-Ali
The email got returned to me, here’s what I said:
Liset–
Thank you for your comment on my website, “Help my daughter loves horses.” To answer your question, there is no one breed that is better than others for children all the time. Some breeds, like quarter horses or Appaloosas, are known for being calm more often than not, but I’ve known a number of crazy quarter horses. The best idea is to look for an older (at least 15 years old), well-trained (maybe used to be a lesson horse), and calm horse, no matter what breed he is.
Good luck!
-Ali
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story! I wish you and Tristan the best :D
-Ali
So, in my video about “what breed,” I talk about how it’s much more important to look for the characteristics you want, rather than the particular breed. After all, some Morgans are absolutely nuts and others are steady as rocks. I agree, middle-aged (around 15) is a great beginner horse age. I’d go for good training in the sport you want to do, and an even temperament. You can even try “spooking” the horse that you are considering with plastic bags, etc, just to see how he responds.
-Ali
hi ali,
i’m trying to get a horse, and i’m trying to get money for everything i need.
i’ve been looking at websites that say i need fly masks and fly spray, buckets and tack and bridles and dewormers and all that. i’m REALY confused i have NO idea what i’d need!!!!!
please help!!!!!!
Katie
x
Katie–
Start with the list I have in my blog here. This is the core of what you need for the horse. If you are keeping your horse at your own stable, then there are a lot more things that you will need. It would be best to talk with a professional if you are planning on keeping your horse yourself, to make sure you are prepared.
-Ali