Posts Tagged ‘horse advice’
How to Buy a Horse
Want to know how to buy a horse? Finding the perfect horse is not an easy task. Every Equestrian have made some easy tips on how to buy a horse.
I have been there and done it. Making that first step to purchasing a horse can be a bit nail biting. I have listed a few suggestions that might help you out when getting ready to purchase a horse.
Things you should ask the owner:
- Confirm the information you see in the ad; age, height, color, breed etc
- The horse’s history and breeding
- Ask if the horse has show experience and if so how much experience (show results)?
- What is the medical history?
- How well the horse travels
- Any vices or bad habits (kicking, bucking, biting, spooking, and cribbing)
- Reason for sale
- Ask as many questions as possible to avoid wasted trips to view unsuitable horses.
Visit the horse at least twice:
On your first visit you should arrive a little earlier than scheduled to catch a glimpse of what the horse’s environment is like and what the horse’s behavior is like. You should come with your instructor or an experienced friend. Typically the owner or your instructor will test ride the horse first to see if it is safe and worth your time. After you have ridden and decided if you like the horse you should have a second visit. You should visit again and have another ride. Feel free to visit the horse as many times as you like. Remember, your the one who is buying! If all goes well and you like the horse the best advice is to “sleep on it”. Don’t just accept the horse and hand over the money. On the second visit, maybe try negotiating the price.
Final steps in purchasing:
- Tell the owner if you want to buy and negotiate on pricing. The most important first step in buying a horse is to getting a vet check. Having a vet check is a must, you never know what kind of problems you could be dealing with down the road. If the vet approves the horses overall health you can then proceed to taking your dream horse home.
- Find out what the horse has been fed. If you are going to change the horse’s diet you should change the diet slowly over a week or two.
- Insure the horse before you transport him.
- Prepare a safe area, either a stall or a paddock. Get any basic equipment for feeding, grooming, traveling and blankets for the winter.
- Find a way to transport your horse to your horse’s new home. If you don’t have a trailer you can hire someone to trailer your horse.
- Allow your horse to settle in peacefully, and be careful introducing it to new horses.
If you have any questions with the processing of buying a horse feel free to contact Every Equestrian on How To Buy A Horse.
Good luck and enjoy your new companion!
Dani Nelson
Author: Dani Nelson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Choosing the Best Beginner Horse For a Child
Every little girl and boy who takes horseback riding lessons from me wants his or her own horse. Sometimes their parents are amenable to such an investment, and sometimes they are not, but if you think you might like to buy a beginner horse for your child, it’s important to think this decision through. Too often, I see parents run out and buy the first pretty piece of horseflesh they find, only to discover later that is was the wrong choice.
For one thing, most parents of horse-crazy kids aren’t very knowledgeable about horses in general. They don’t know how to safely shop for horses, and they don’t know what qualities to seek out. Consequently, they come home with a dangerous or ill-mannered or incapable horse that send their child home in tears every night. To avoid this, it is important to follow a few guidelines for selecting an appropriate beginner horse.
1- Get Advice
Reading this article is a great first step toward choosing the best beginner horse for your child, but you need more than words on paper if you don’t know the first thing about equines. A trainer, instructor or equine professional can make your buying experience much more pleasant, and you’re far more likely to choose an appropriate animal. In most cases, the trainer at your barn will be more than happy to assist you, but may charge a commission fee for their time.
Even if you don’t know a qualified individual, however, there is guaranteed to be someone in your city who knows about horses. Look through the Yellow Pages under “Riding Academies” or “Stables” to find equestrian facilities near you, then contact the owner to see if he or she can help. Again, you might have to pay a small commission, but it’s worth it in the long run.
2- Buy Close to Home
It is sometimes beneficial for an experienced equestrian to look for horses across the country, or even on the other side of the world. When you’re buying a beginner horse for your child, however, look in a small radius, and don’t buy a horse you can’t visit beforehand. Not only will this give you an opportunity to “try out” the horse before purchase, but it is a lot harder to get scammed by someone who lives virtually in your own backyard.
Additionally, you might also try to buy from someone you know, or based on a referral from a friend or family member. Working with people you know and trust will take much of the stress out of buying a horse, and you’re almost guaranteed to get what you asked for. Unfortunately, the scams in this country aren’t limited to credit card fraud and identity theft; they also extend to the equine industry.
3- Ride More than Once
You should never buy a beginner horse for your child without riding it first, but I advise at least two or three rides before you offer up a check on a silver platter. One ride might be stellar, but your child might discover in subsequent rides that the horse is harder to handle than he or she previously thought. Other issues, such as lamenesses or bad habits, can surface after “meeting” the horse several times.
In fact, I recommend putting a down payment on the horse and taking it to your barn for a week to “try out” before paying for it entirely. Most reputable horse dealers are more than happy to accommodate this request, and it simply adds another layer of security to the process. Generally, you’ll need to give the seller at least 50% good-faith deposit before you take the horse from their property, and you’ll need to return the horse in seven days if you don’t intend to buy.
4- Conduct a Vet Check
Just because your trainer says that a beginner horse is the perfect one for your child doesn’t mean that this should be the end of the road. Horses, like people, are susceptible to injuries and illnesses that often don’t materialize for months or years. A thorough examination by a veterinarian will turn up things like navicular changes and parasites. Have your veterinarian conduct this examination (called a vet check) prior to buying the horse.
If you’ve driven far to buy the animal, however, you can always write a check contingent on a clear vet check. This needs to be placed in writing so that you can return the horse if there are any significant health problems uncovered by the veterinarian.
5- Pay Attention to Demeanor
Unscrupulous horse dealers will actually drug a horse before showing it to potential buyers, creating an extremely dangerous situation. When you’re buying a beginner horse for your child, you want an animal that won’t try to hurt anyone, and drugs can make the feistiest, wildest, most unmanageable horse seem like a school pony. Therefore, horses who are overly lethargic or dull-eyed should raise a red flag.
If you think that something “just isn’t right”, don’t buy the horse until you’ve called out a vet. After the vet check, ride the horse again to make sure that he wasn’t drugged the first time you tried him.
Laura Thompson is a freelance writer and equestrian consultant from Houston, Texas. She provides assistance to equestrian professionals who want to enter or who currently work in the equestrian industry, and also conducts clinics and seminars in Texas and surrounding states. Her web site, MICA21.com [http://www.mica21.com], provides not only information about her services, but also free resources for equestrian professionals.
Author: Laura J Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What are the laws in Florida regarding leasing a horse out to be used in a lesson program at a barn?
What are the laws in Florida regarding leasing a horse out to be used in a lesson program at a barn? Do I need to purchase equine liability? Do I transfer ownership of the horse to the barn? Any advice is appreciated. The horse is not for sale and I do not want to lose the horse if unfortunate circumstances arise. Thanks.
What do you personally look for in horse conformation + when buying a horse?
What do you personally look for in horse conformation + when buying a horse? Some advice tips, pictures and/or videos would be highly appreciated. When I ask conformation I’m asking for Quarter Horse conformation. What movement do you look for in lets say western pleasure and hunter under the saddle?
Is there any special techniques you use when testing out a horse or watching it move?
Horse Advice – Taking Care of Your Horse The Right Way
The simplest way to form a relationship with your horse is by spending as much time as you can with it. These animals are really smart and they can show plenty of love and even make a bond. In the animal kingdom there are 2 significant animals that are truly faithful to men : horses and dogs. Many legends and stories that have been told across the ages obviously support this claim.
If you want to practice horse care you must make sure your animal is healthy both physically and mentally. as your horse is experimenting well being you are caring for your horse in the right way. Horses are beautiful animals that may leave anyone with their jaws on the floor thanks to their unique properties. Ages gone when horses were wild they groomed for themselves and were very healthy. Today the domesticated horse is extraordinarily conditional on the human for its looks and general well being.
It’s imperative that owner looks out for his horse by feeding, grooming, and exercising it with horse training techniques. All this may be done on a day basis. It all boils down to how much cherish and care the owner expresses for their horse when they take a horse ride. Horses are actually sensitive to expressions of love and love by their master.
You should have a well provided stable for your horse, here is where you will sponge, clean and comb it frequently. Horses seek for the interaction with their master extremely much like the dog does. Spending time with your horse is an absolute must if you like to form a bond with it. Horse boarding stables may be a good option if you don’t have the time.
When you leave a horse alone for too much time it may become actually aggressive and short tempered. You may want to talk to it slowly and lovingly if this is the case, they can reply to this impulse straight away. In brief horses need human love for their well being.