5 Top Tips For Buying A Horse
Before you pick the phone to book a viewing, and even before you begin trailing through adverts to find your ideal companion, we have picked out five things that will help you set out confidently on the path toward a great relationship with your new horse. Buying a new horse can be daunting, but it can also be a rewarding and enjoyable process. Take a look at our tips to help you get started.
1: Make a list. The action of writing down, helps us clarify our thoughts. Start off with putting down everything that you would like, then pull out the 3 most important points for you. For example; quiet, 14hh- 15hh, gelding. Next examine each of these and see whether they really vital, or if you could move on them. Gelding – you may have always had geldings, or have previously had a moody mare, but by only looking at geldings you are discounting roughly half the available horses on the market.
2: Be realistic. Assess yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? If you don’t feel you can evaluate yourself accurately (this can be very difficult, as we tend to either think we are better or worse than our actual ability) ask a friend, or professional for help. Constructive feedback can be really useful in helping you make a good decision.
3: Consider your future horse’s living arrangements. What are the turnout, stabling arrangements at your yard? Will your horse be able to live out, or will the turnout be restricted? This is worth considering as while some horses are very adaptable, some are less so, and may struggle with moving from living out to living on a yard with limited turnout.
4: Be realistic (again). If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. If you have a limited budget be realistic about what you are likely to be able to afford. It is possible to pick up a bargain, but it is probably sensible to not to expect to do so.
5: Be practical. The horse of your dreams is advertised 200 miles away. Check up on its registered name on the internet, before you travel the distance. By all means go and have a look, but bear in mind the cost in both time and money of viewing, and if you do purchase the cost of transporting your horse will need to be considered in your budget.
Buying a horse is a massive decision. If you feel worried at any stage of the process, ask someone that you trust for advice. If you start off with a clear idea of what you want and what your absolutes are, you will increase your chances of going to view the right type of horse to suit you.
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