At 19:15:45 on 08.07.11, minki31 wrote:
Hey, everything is sorted money and all that all I need to do now is buy and pick a horse and buy all equiptment. Any tips on buying and choosing the right horse and buying everything? Any thing will do! Thankyou

At 21:38:16 on 08.07.11, zoelovesanimals wrote:
When buying your first horse you need to be true to yourself, and to what your ability is. It really depends on ability and what your plans are but i suppose for a first horse the best thing to go for is, Something with a quiet/calm temperament, an Allrounder, Has been there and done that so something between 8 - 16years of age just so that it has had experience with shows, hacking, schooling, jumping etc etc. and something that is 'bombproof', Basically something that is as safe as a horse can get, that can still do alot, That doesnt necessarily need all the training to get to a certain level! :) But like i said it really depends on what your ability is :) Also when trying a horse, Make sure you can try it as much as you are allowed to, Just so you make sure its definitely the right horse for you! And with a first horse its sometimes worth getting it on a trial period, again to make sure that its right for you :) Don't know if any of this helps :) hope it does! this is all the things i thought of when i bought my first horse! going by how my ability with the horses was at that point!

At 02:36:51 on 09.07.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
i would say look at horses 10yrs+ but age doesn't mean too much, i know a bombproof, sensible thoroughbred that is 3years old who takes everything in his stride and a 20 year old arab X that is extremely spooky, strong and quite naughty at best lol so generally look for 'good first horse' or 'suitable for all abilities' for a first horse and if it says something along the lines of 'good to do in all ways but currently turned away and hasn't been ridden all summer' or something like that, it usually means the owner has lost confidence in the horse and put it in a field. Also as equipment goes you can only buy certain things prior to finding a horse, for example you can't buy a head collar without knowing what size you will need or rugs etc so just buy buckets for feed and water, hay nets, wheel barrow (if the yard doesn't provide them, we supply our own wheel barrows, grooming kit, first aid kit, mucking out stuff (depending on your choice of bedding choose mucking out equipment that are suitable for your choice) and thats it i think... There is always more stuff that you seem to need but you tend to buy it as you go along. Also don't buy feed or bedding from the shop, first see what feed the horse is on already and see if your yard where you plan to keep your horse supplies bedding and hay etc because some yards don't allow you to take your own bedding/hay in. Have fun :)

At 10:56:17 on 09.07.11, NoraPieterse wrote:
It is very easy to visit your first horse and think you've found 'the one' because you are so excited. visit as many horses as you can and make sure you have a real think about it. When I got mickey, I admit I rushed into it and I did regret it for a while. I fell in love with him even though he is a naughty 4 year old and he needed a lot of work. I was not able to give him the work he needed. Now we get on well and I love him to bits but it took atleast a year and I often wish I'd looked at some other horses before I picked him because it is not entirely fair on him that he was not given the best training. Make sure you have a horse on a trial week before you buy it and try to find out as much about its past as possible. Even if its owner seems nice, don't trust them fully because some people lie to get rid of their horse. As for equipment, a lot of horses come with their tack but it is important to make sure it all fits. Also get the horse vetted (checked over by a vet) if you are interested. Best of luck xx

At 20:21:14 on 09.07.11, minki31 wrote:
Thanks everyone !!

At 07:20:52 on 14.07.11, louky wrote:
I like to arrive a little earlier when I go to look at a horse and then you get to see how the horse is to catch and saddle. Alot can be learnt by watching how the horse and owner intereact with one another as well as not giving them the time to work the pants off the horse! Lou

At 20:26:48 on 19.07.11, Loes and co wrote:
hey Minki31. Have fun. It may get a bit challenging but don't give u. I have been told it is par of the course. I had a tough time but gained so much coming through it with my 1st horse Chazbo. Main thing is that you remain realistic about you and your horses abilities and GIVE IT TIME! A lot of people underestimate how unsettling it may be for your horse to be loaded and moved to a new home away from what he knows and his friends etc. Have fun and keep us posted

At 04:16:37 on 21.07.11, WhitneynDonte wrote:
Sorry, haven't read any of the other posts so sorry if I repeat, I'll read them a little later :/ sorry. But here are my tips: 1. NEVER EVER buy a first horse thinking you're going to fix it(whether medical issues or personality issues), it's just a bad idea for your first few horses. 2. ALWAYS bring someone you trust and who knows A LOT about horses and the discipline you want to ride. 3. Don't just settle for the given price always ASK if they'd consider a little more than a 1000 to 2000 dollars off the price, it's just to save money for the Vet/Farrier bills in the very near future. 4. look at pictures of 'good' horse hooves on the internet/friends horses/farrier sites etc. and compare them to the horses feet your looking at. 5. Get the horse vetted if it's anything above 8,500 dollars, typically just the legs. 6. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE HORSE DON'T BUY IT!! If you don't trust/like the horse when you see it and ride it, don't buy it no matter how perfect the horse moves or barrel races or what ever is so amazing, because chances are, you won't like it when you take the horse home, and if you're having trust issues at the horse's barn, it will be magnified by at least 10x worse when you get the horse home-new surroundings can be very exciting :))- 7. if the horse isn't built conformational wise for your discipline, don't buy it it wouldn't be fair. 8. LAST GOLDEN RULE!!!!!! NEVER EVER! EVVVER! Get on any horse without it's owner or rider or trainer or SOMEONE getting on it first! It will save you a lot of trouble and pain. Good luck with the pony!! btw what discipline are you looking for?

At 22:44:06 on 29.07.11, minki31 wrote:
The discipline I would want it for would be eventing my main event is cross country :) thanks for your help!