horse help

[pslchb]

Hi everybody. My daughter has been going to a horse camp almost all summer - this is her 5th week and she has 2 more to go. She's doing really well and fell in love with a horse that just came in about 2 weeks ago - we thought at first that the owners were going to sell and we were prepared to buy her once Raechel was able to ride her - she needs some training. Well, the day after we told her that she could probably have her, we were told that they decided not to sell her. She's still quite bummed about it, but we're still wanting to get her a horse of her own. The woman that runs the camp said that she can lease a horse to ride every day after school until she finds one of her own - has anyone done this? Also, we're wondering what the best breed and sex and age would be for an almost 10 year old. I've heard young, older, male, female, but no particular breeds. She is so dedicated and determined to keep this up as well as her school work, etc... Can anyone help me out here? Thanks, Dee

[horsefeather]

(i keep editing this because i keep thinking of things!)

my question is how much experience does your daughter have. is this her first summer or has she been riding a while.

since you havent mentioned any prior experiece, im going to assume that this is her first summer with horses.

dont rely on what the books tell you. there is so much i learned that the books never mentioned. im tempted to write my own called Real Horse Ownership.

my biggest suggestion is that she take lessons for a year, then lease a horse first just to make sure its something she wants to pursue. if shes only started this summer and hasnt any prior experience, DONT BUY A HORSE!

you said you almost bought a horse before your daughter has ridden it? that is probably the biggest mistake you could make. if she cant ride the horse now, how do you know she can ride it later. or that it is a comfortable ride for her. always have the person who is getting the horse ride it before hand. every horse is different and what may appear to be a lovely horse in the pasture or stall can be a night mare under saddle.

ive seen way too many people buy horses for thier children because they had fun at the camp, only to have the kid lose interest after school starts, or not want to take on the responsibility, and theyre stuck with a horse that they might not be able to sell for the amount they paid. im not saying this is going to happen to you, but be prepared.

what sort of things are she learning. if shes doing the work, and can handle it, then she may be ready to start lessons. dont buy a horse until she can confidently handle the horse on the ground and in the saddle.

remember that horses like to eat twice a day and have thier stalls clean. and they really dont care if its freezing rain or 2 degrees, or that you have dinner plans or are going to an amusement park.

and boarding is expensive.


owning a horse is not like owning a cat or dog where you show up the the pet and hand it over to the kid. horses are big, strong animals who can easily break one of your bones before you even realized theyve moved. and they require ALOT of time and commitment.

but if you are set on buying a horse,
for a first horse for a novice, i highly recommend 12+ yr old GELDING between 15 hands and 15.3 hands. those are good sizes, she wont outgrow him in size although maybe by experience. dont buy a horse because you like the color. this is a mistake ive seen too. color doesnt mean anything but what his genes did to him.


mixed breeds are great for first horses. they arent as expensive as registered horses but are just as good. you should be able to find a good child safe horse for about 1000-2,000 dollars. sometimes youll get lucky though. Askim was 850. hes now a champion competitive trail horse.

preferably something with quarter horse or appaloosa is good. if there is arabian or thoroughbred, keep walking. those 2 breeds are just nuts.

for example, Askim is a 24 yr old mixed with appaloosa, quarter horse and just enough arabian to make him a challenge. i had been riding 4 years before i bought him, so i was able to handle the arab, but he still was a bit much for me at times. he still can be.
he was my first horse and although he is a little smaller than i would like, he is probably the best horse in the world.

but you definately want a gelding.

stallions are WAY too much horse and mares can be tempermental too because of hormones. geldings are fixed horses so they arent ruled by hormones.


in one year of owning my horse i spend about $7,000 on his care--this only includes board, grain, hay, farrier care, veterinary care, and bedding. this doesnt include all the equipment that is required.

im not trying to discourage you, i just dont want you to be shocked about how much it costs to own a horse.

riding helmets run about 45.00. for safety sake do not let her on a horse without one. theyve saved my life about 16 times.

just remember the cheapest part about having a horse, is buying the horse.

good luck and please consider the lessons-lease-buy option. its saved a few friends so much money and sanity.

[pslchb]

wow - thank you so much for all of your information - I'm planning on printing it out to keep and to let my daughter (Raechel) read. This summer hasn't been the first time she's been around horses, but it has been the most consistant time. She's always expressed an interest in them and has ridden here and there. She had one camp a couple of years ago, but that was only for a week and more fun than anything...This time around, she has to clean the stalls and their feet along with everything else. Once the summer's over, it'll be 7 weeks that she has chosen to go. I don't know what possessed me to even think of buying a horse that she had never been on and I guess it was a blessing that the owner decided not to sell. The good thing though is that she will be boarded at this same ranch and Rae will eventually be able to ride her when she goes out because she will only get better and better. Right now, she is wanting to go every day after school once school starts again and the best bet is going to be to lease a horse for that. If she pays by the day, it'll be $20, if she leases, it'll be $250 a month - which is the same price as boarding her own (once it happens). It'll give her the chance to learn even more, get more comfortable, and (like you said) she if she really and truly is going to stick with it. It'll also give us the chance to find the "perfect" horse for her. I really hope to keep communicating with you and really appreciate you responding so thoroughly already.

Dee