Author: Margarethe De Clermont

You have been

Dreaming of buying a horse of your own for ever, and now that you finally have some money, you can simply go out and buy one, right? Not exactly. A well-trained, sound horse isn’t as simple to get hold of as a cute little puppy or a kitten, especially not a good horse.

Before you buy a horse, you will need to find a place to keep it. In addition, you should be aware of how much money you will need to spend to keep your horse. Budget very carefully before you fall madly in love and buy a horse you cannot afford to keep.

Having said that, most horseback riders are willing to give up a lot of life’s little luxuries to be able to keep our horses and we never regret a single one of them. Most horses need to be shoed every 6 weeks (even unshod horses need to see the vet every 2 months), they need to receive vaccinations and they need to be fed.

You will need to spend a substantial amount on bedding, grooming supplies and equipment as well as tack. However, the most important thing you will need to do is to be sure you will recognise a good horse when you see one (and a bad one too!).

Green Horse, Green Rider  Depending on your own experience, there are lots of horses that you shouldn’t buy out there. Some have bad habits like biting, kicking or cribbing (chewing on the edge of a stall door). Others are not well trained yet. Although they may know some of the basics, they are still very green, meaning they may be willing to wear a saddle, but do not know all of the signals that a thoroughly trained horse knows. A green horse and a green rider are the worst possible combination.

Further, some horses may be unsound or unhealthy. A serious problem with hooves or legs can render a horse worthless for riders. Owning a horse that can only handle a slow walk around the ring with a child on its back when you were hoping for an animal that could compete in shows is heartbreaking for a new horse owner.

Check his background, not just his pedigree Now that you are aware all of the things that could be wrong with a horse, how do you find the perfect horse for you? You should be careful about buying horses at an auction or through the newspaper. A better idea is to ask around at horse shows, competitions or other events. Serious competitors often move up to more challenging or flashier horses as they gain experience. Their old, dependable beginner horses are perfect for people who want a first horse.

Should you find a horse that you are interested in, ask around before you hand over your cash, especially if the horse has competed in horse shows and competitions. Other horse owners will have heard if that horse has a nasty disposition or always balks at the flagpoles. They may even know about health problems the horse had experienced.

Full Vetting Once you have investigated the horse’s background, call in your veterinarian. Your vet will test your prospective horse’s eyesight, hearing, heart and teeth. If you aren’t sure how old the horse is, the vet can even estimate the animal’s age by inspecting his teeth. Most importantly, however, your vet will take a look at the horse’s legs and feet. He will be looking for swollen hocks, leg splints or thrush, which is a dangerous hoof infection that often is caused when a horse is left standing in dirty, wet bedding for long periods of time.

Finally, it is time to see if the horse is YOUR dream horse. Tack him up yourself to be sure he doesn’t have any unsavoury habits, like refusing to take the bit or kicking and biting. Mount the horse and put him through his paces. Be on the lookout for flaws such as the inability to change leads or the refusal to back up on command.

Some of these behaviours can be corrected with the help of a good trainer, but you will want your first horse to be well trained and well behaved. In fact, if possible take your instructor with you to view the horse. And remember, keeping a horse can cost anything from $4000-10 000 a year!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/buying-a-horse-how-to-find-your-dream-horse-343766.html

About the Author: Discover the exclusive equestrian magazine I Want A Horse, based on an easy-to-understand-and-implement strategy enabling techno phobic horse people to earn enough money online to buy the dream horse/equestrian boots/saddle/trailer they always wanted at I want a Horse Equestrian Magazine

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Submitted by enelra

While auctions might be a convenient and cheaper way of getting a horse, it might not be safest. Careful consideration should be taken before participating since the horse, at the beginning, might seem like a bargain, but, after some time, might become more than what buyer bargained for.

One of the things that buyers should be aware of is that some horses are drugged before the auction to make them appear calm during a bidding war. Unfortunately, once the effects subside, the horse may become very difficult to manage and may also become a danger. Another reason that sellers will drug horses is to mask its health issue, and real medication to treat the problem might be costly.

However, a horse can be examined by a veterinarian for drugs, prior to the actual purchase. Buyers should also note that horses may not be as well ‘broken’ as they appear to be. Though the horse to be auctioned might appear well-mannered in the middle of the ruckus and noise found in auction houses, it only remains quiet as it is familiar with its handler. And so, when introduced to its new owners it might need a lot more training from a professional to turn it into a horse that will interact properly with a rider.

Also, horses may have behavioral problems that the sellers will not disclose, such as cribbing, weaving, stall walking, refusing to load on a trailer, biting, kicking, etc. Lastly, buyers of auctioned horses are seldom given the chance to try before they buy the horse, and unfortunately, ethics that oversee private sales and auctions are completely different, so be careful and critical before bidding.

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What You Should Know Before Buying a Horse

Author: Art Gib

Buying a horse is a huge investment in both time and money, and there are some things you’ll want to know before you start searching for horses for sale. Buying a horse can be compared to buying a used car.

Unscrupulous horse traders will alter the appearance or behavior of their horses for sale to fool you. Even among the honest horse traders, most wouldn’t purposely mislead you, but they may not tell you the whole story about their horses for sale unless you ask. Ask the seller some questions that relate to what you are looking for in a horse. Some of the following questions may help you decide if the horse you’re looking at is right for you.

Why are you selling this horse and how long have you personally owned this horse?
Does the horse have any medical problems? Has the horse ever been lame?
How are the horse’s teeth? Have you ever had the horse’s teeth floated?
Has the horse ever foundered?
What type of worming program are you using?
What type of riding do you do? (Trail, English, Western, Three day Eventing, Barrel racing, etc.)
What do you feed the horse?
How is the horse kept? i.e. in a pasture, in a stall, in a small paddock, alone or with others.
Has the horse ever hurt anyone?
What type of training has the horse had? Does the horse have a trainer? Can I call the trainer?
How is the horse with the farrier? Can I contact the farrier?
How is the horse with the veterinarian? Can I contact the vet.?
Does the horse load into a trailer easily? How about unloading?
How is the horse with water? i.e. bathing, walking through it.

Ask the horse owner to show you what his horses for sale can do. Have the owner pick up the horse’s feet. Watch to see if the owner can touch the horse anywhere on it’s body, inside the ears, above the tail, on the flanks, legs, and belly. Watch the interaction between the horse and the owner to see how the horse behaves. Remember that if something bad is going to happen it’s better to have it happen to the guy who’s trying to sell you the animal!

Watch the horse move at liberty. Look for anything that is a sign that the horse may have medical problems, lameness, or a bad attitude. Watch the head when the horse walks, excessive bobbing of the head might signal a problem. Pinned ears or a swishing tail all of the time in horses for sale can indicate other issues.

As a rule, don’t get on any horse first – have the owner ride the horse first. If the owner won’t get on, there had better be a good reason. Ask the owner to bring the horse into a walk, trot, canter, change leads, etc so you can see all the paces. Watch for lameness, length of stride, range of motion, problems with the right and left lead, etc. If the horse doesn’t look safe, don’t ride him.

There are many other things to consider when buying a horse, such as whether you prefer a Mare or a Gelding (we never recommend buying a Stallion unless you plan on using him for breeding purposes, and have appropriate facilities to accommodate a potentially aggressive and dangerous horse).

You will also want to consider the ages, level of training, and constitutions of any horses for sale before making a purchase, and how these characteristics relate to your purpose for buying a horse in the first place. Be careful not to get carried away with a horse just because it’s beautiful, and buy a horse that won’t meet your needs. Remember, the most important thing is how a horse behaves and performs not how it looks in the barn.

Good luck as you search for horses for sale, if you find the right match, you will have made a very good investment to bring you satisfaction for many years.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/what-you-should-know-before-buying-a-horse-479698.html

About the Author:
Shopping for horses for sale ( http://fullspectrumstables.com/) can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for. Asking these questions will help you make a good investment. The author Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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