I had my own horses when I was young but due to family issues, my horse had to be sold when I was about 15. For many, many years I yearned to have another equine friend. After sharing a few horses, the craving for my own became too much to bear. Basically, I was going to have my own, no matter what. Five years ago, after looking in the UK, I finally went to Holland with a respected trainer and found a beautiful horse. The only problem was that I didn't do my List and I was not strictly objective (oh, and I had a 4 month old little girl!) Now, my beautiful 17.3 KWPN Dressage horse is on loan with a view to sale, because I really didn't have the time or the lifestyle to meet his needs and to fulfill my dream. I spent most of my time moving from one livery yard to the next and mucking out in pitch black darkness. I couldn't afford my training due to no job and being Mum to little baby girl. My bank balance is still reeling after forking out a small fortune for my horsy habit! So, I am now horseless again and very sad about it too. Writing this has been a little bit cathartic maybe, although, I just want to grab a horsebox and go and pick him up. Just devising my plan for buying the next one, one day. This time, I will do The List before I go horse hunting! Please read on and if you know of anyone about to buy their own, please ask them to read it too!
Horse Dreams - Broken Dreams
The real cost of owning your own horse is not just time and money - you must plan ahead before you buy or you could be without an equine friend.
Do you dream of owning your own horse?
Have you really, I mean really, thought about it - objectively? Forget romantic notions of rosettes, winning dressage competitions, learning new ways to communicate and just spending time with your equine friend. Stand back and look at the 2 key realities of owning your own horse - because once you have him/her in your life, letting go again can be very hard and expensive! Are you truly ready for the commitment, both financial and time, which owning your own horse involves?
Owning a horse will change your life immeasurably
It will offer you an amazing opportunity to bond and enjoy a relationship with a sensitive, affectionate and intelligent animal who, provided you respect the fact that he is a horse and not an equine machine, will become one of the best friends you have every had. But, besides the enjoyment you should have from your new friend, you must be prepared for the commitment that owning your own horse involves. They will become a way of life - a focal point for both your time and finances and not everyone in your life may appreciate this!
Which horse to buy?
Starting from the top then. What sort of horse/pony do you want and what can you afford? What do you want to do? Are you a happy hacker sort, who just wants a quiet friend to hack out, groom and do the odd fun ride and competition? Do you want to take part in Pony Club activities, or are you even ready for the big move to a serious competition horse with show jumping or dressage in mind? This is a very, very important point. Again, ignore romantic notions of what you want to do, and consider very harshly, what you can afford to buy, to keep, to maintain and really, what are you actually honestly capable of dealing with, and (an easy one to overlook) what are you going to actually have the time for. Don't pretend to yourself - you will do yourself and any horse you buy an injustice. A happy hacker will be fine with the odd ride and you will benefit from the occasional lesson. However, a competition horse, like a KWPN DW, will be wasted if you planned to compete but spend all your time mucking out (because you cannot afford help) and juggling your family commitments at the same time (speaking from experience on this point!) Think about it a lot (and then think about it again, and again).
Which breed of horse/pony?
Different breeds of horse have varying personalities and needs which will all add varying requirements on your finances and time. What is your true level of knowledge with regard to stable management, horse management and welfare, horsy first aid, feed & nutrition and your riding skills - are they really up to the job? It is very easy to be seduced by thoughts of high-grade competition wins on your beautiful steed. But, be realistic. There's no point buying something that you cannot cope with - you will spoil the horse and just spoil your dreams! So think very hard. Forget what you want - look hard at yourself and without emotion, write a list of what you really know are your abilities (get some friends to do a list too), what are your goals and realistic timeframes for achieving certain milestones. Then think hard about what horse/pony to buy. What is your lifestyle - what sort of horse/pony will be happy with the life, attention and training you will be able to afford him? Ask a friend to video your riding and look at it objectively.
Age of the horse matters, think long term
The main point about age of your purchase, training needs & your abilities aside, is resale. If you only want to keep a horse for a few years, then you need to ensure you buy an appropriately aged horse for your abilities, so that you have a sellable horse in a few years time. Horses can live a long time. Well past the point when they are able to compete, jump big jumps and perform technically correct dressage moves. You must have a plan for an older horse once his needs are different to yours.
The age of the horse you buy is pertinent when purchasing
Consider how long you will want/be able to keep this horse/pony? What are your abilities? What training can you afford? How much time do you have, realistically, taking into consideration all your other commitments. How often will you be able to exercise him? Trainers? Do you have a box (for competing)? All of these questions should be considered and answered objectively before you go looking and ensure you have budgeted, realistically, for all the training, livery and help that you will need. W ho will help you if you are away / on holiday (consider the extra cost implications). There's no point wanting to compete, if you cannot afford the transport to get there.
Once you have your horse, selling may take time. The market may be reduced; he may be too old; not experienced enough; not fit enough; not competed enough; not advanced enough for his age. For these reasons buying the right horse, for you at this moment in time, not just your abilities but what you are really going to have the time to keep, manage and maintain. Because, like me, you may simply not be able to bear the thought of selling him and not having him in your life, even when you know deep, deep down that you cannot fit him into your life at the moment.
An older vs younger equine friend
An older horse/pony could be harder to sell on if kept for a long time, whilst a younger horse if you were to keep for about 4 years and provided it's been well trained and looked after, would perhaps be a quicker horse to sell on. Really, the point being to just consider the longer term effects of your horse purchase, as like a dog, they are 'not just for Xmas'. They are a long term commitment for your time, finances and once committed, to your heart strings!
A younger horse requires a considerable amount of training expertise and time, whereas an older horse will be easier in some areas because of their experiences and training (provided, of course, they are good ones). A younger horse, if you have the experience, time and a number of good trainers, will be very rewarding if you do it properly. You will not have to spend time undoing others poor and possibly detrimental training methods. However, you don't want to be the one that applies them either. A well schooled, competed (if that's what your looking for) / more mature horse, could enable you to progress slightly quicker than if you had a young horse needing to be trained. But it all depends on so many factors. An older horse may be slightly easier simply because he is more mature and confident. But of course, it all depends on the past experiences and training which will not always be evident initially.
The age of the horse vs your experience & expectations
At the end of the day, the age of the horse you purchase should fall in line with what you are capable of now, what you will be capable of in the near future and allow sufficient time for you to achieve enough so if necessary, you can sell him on, well trained and happy, in a few years time. Or, ensure you have long term arrangements in mind to keep him in a field with a few pals, happy for the rest of his years (there are some special equestrian centres that offer a retirement liveries).
What you expect vs what will happen
Owning a horse will be full of surprises. You cannot plan what will really happen. The experiences that you will have will far outstrip anything you imagined. What do I mean. Well, when I bought my horse I wanted to take dressage very seriously. Firstly, this was totally impractical given that I had just had a baby girl and we run our own companies so time limited and funds need to be invested in other things that hay and horse feed!).
What I actually learnt was a) how to muck out a lot and split myself into eight b) horsey feed/nutrition c) managing a big 17.3 KPWN e) natural horsemanship works f) how quickly you can move a horse to a new yard when you have to g) how not to be bullied by mean livery owners h) the tact of dealing with yard mangers/owners.i) I will never have a horse again until I can keep it at home j) I can move 20 hay bails really quickly now k) everything I have written in this and the other articles to follow.. plus... it's endless. Dressage - no, didn't really have the time to take my dressage any further but I have nevertheless, learnt a lot of very useful information that will be used in a good and positive way when the time is right for me to get another horse! There are a lot harder lessons I could have had to learn, so I thank God really that all the lessons I did learn are positive ones which will make the next experience easier (and yours too, if you take heed of what I am writing here)!
Just because he does it with current owner, doesn't mean he will do it with you
Don't think that by buying a horse that has already competed a lot and jumps or 'does dressage' very well with its current owner, means that the story will be the same for you (or not at the beginning anyway). It takes time to learn to respect each other and you will have to start at the basics and build up your knowledge and trust in each other before you embark on the big steps forward that you are looking for. You may never get there - sometimes it doesn't work out! I can almost guarantee that whatever you are expecting from your new equine purchase, the journey and adventure you will have will be completely different. However, you will learn so much (just look as this article I am writing!) Maybe because you didn't really write your list objectively, or simply because life changes; also, horses have accidents and can be ill - things do go wrong, or not as expected - so, expect the unexpected!
With horses, you really never know what's going to happen!
The main thing when you buy your horse, however much he cost you, is that you buy him/her because you simply Love Horses. If you are not really besotted with horses, simply for Horses Sake, then you are not in the right game! (However, don't let this adoration cloud your purchasing judgement, please!) At the end of the day, to take part in horse ownership and anything horse oriented you must truly love them from the bottom of your heart. Anything else that happens is just a bonus! The true horseperson knows that the real point of horses is their beauty and their company; learning how they speak and speaking back to them in the same way. It's not about control, showing off, having the latest designer gear, the best looking horse (although it's does feel good!), the most success. It's really just about understanding each other and enjoying each other's company.
For the Real Horse Person: Love is..
You must love mucking out; love early mornings; love late nights in the freezing cold; love wet winter feet; love mucking out to the lights of your cars 'cos you don't want to put money in the meter; love schooling in the dark (ditto); love jumping down with frozen feet that tingle with pain when they hit the tarmac; love coming back from a hack with your hair stuck to your face from the pouring rain; love being stuck in a foot of mud when you take them to the field in the morning; love falling in mud as they decide to move, anyway; love the hypnotic munch of hay; love ripped new rugs; love mud all over; love freezing-freezing mornings; love frozen hands and fingers; love Summer showers that tingle on your nose; love the way they chuck all their carefully measured out feed on the floor; love it when you just manage to hang on; love it when you don't; love it when you win, love it when you lose; love it when it all works (finally!); love it when your horse says 'thank you'; love it when he understands; love hot breath from warm muzzle; love that special Horsy cuddle! (The list here is endless by the way).
It's funny, whilst I love the riding aspect of equine engagement, the really great memories are the little ones like icicle noses on a winter morning; frosted winter muzzles that gently poke you for a polo; the happy sound of your equine friend as he whinnies when your car pulls up - we like to think he is happy to see us, but really he just wants his breakfast!
Have excellent, regular training
A good trainer is vital. Just having someone who tells you how to grab the rains, hang on and get the horse over the jump; or someone who forces the horse in an outline until his muscles are so pronounced he appears to be holding himself when actually, there's no power going through his top-line and he is almost deformed by all the gadgets - No, this is not the answer. The key to success on your horse/pony is your ability to ride them in an effective, efficient and considerate manner, being part of their movement.
The key to a good trainer - Train the rider, not the horse
The horse has not chosen to do jumps or dressage. He would quite happily eat grass all day with his pals. He only knows how to be a Horse. You, on the other hand, have chosen to invite this horse into your life and you, being superior in intelligence (presumably!), have the ability to learn his way of doing things. You need to meet him at his level. The term, as you may well be aware, of natural horsemanship, applies here. If you don't get to know your horse on his level, at ground level - inviting him to understand and respect you, because you have made the effort to understand and respect him as a horse and not a machine, will pave the way to a much easier ridden relationship. Horses, by their very nature, want to please, provided you give them the mechanism to trust you because you now, understand them. There are many good, well known methods and trainers and you should go out of your way to find a trainer who does not put the blame on the horse when it all goes wrong - and absolutely, won't let you! It is almost never the fault of the horse.
Give a child a piggy-back
This is one of those 'light bulb' moments! Sounds funny, but this is very important for the future development of both you and your horses relationship together. If you have a little cousin, sister, brother, niece, you may well have given them a piggy back (either whilst you stand, or if they are very convincing, been on all fours racing around the living room).
Next time you see them, offer to do this once again (watch the big smile on their face). If you don't have one to hand, try this with something quite heavy (like a loose back pack filled with some apples/potatoes... basically, things that will move around). Try the following list of exercises whilst standing up and on all fours (with your chosen rider)!
1. Walk in a straight line, turn around, and walk back again - without dotting all over the place;
2. Move around in a circle in a balanced, consistent movement;
3. Try a little jog whilst keeping your balance;
4. Try jumping over a small obstacle, keeping your balance and without knocking anything down;
5. Try to lift your back upwards, tucking tummy in
6. Try again... and again... and again!
Do you see my point! What we expect and ask from our equine friends whilst we wobble and bump around on their backs!
Learning balance and centered riding
Whether you want to jump, 'do dressage', or just ride out on long hacks and have fun - the true art to good ridden horsemanship and mastery is balanced, centered riding. That means - YOUR balance and YOUR centered riding - not the horses! He is most likely to already be well balanced until you sit on his back! Good centered and balanced riding is not gained by your forcing your horse into an outline with gadgets and tight reins. He must have good top line to hold you comfortably but without good riding he will not be able to do develop his top line correctly.
Finding your balance and developing centered riding
Don't be afraid - your balance is not something mysteriously hiding inside of you! It is there - you just need to establish it. There is, however, one point I need to stress here and that is body shape! This is a harsh point that you may not appreciate but it is very relevant and true. I have had to face this exact point head on. If you are over weight, unfit and not particularly well proportioned, being a really good rider will be hard. (Look at the good riders - they do tend to be well proportioned and fit). If bits of your body are waving around in ways you cannot control or you cannot sit straight and long because other parts of your body are rebelling against the saddle and sides of the horse, you really will find it hard to find your balance and develop centered riding! But do not fear - there is any easy solution. Mucking Out - yep, I got so fit doing this so off you go and get rid of some puppy fat and develop your stamina! I don't mean you need to be a waiflike, streamlined athlete. But muscle tone and strength is important for riding. Riding is an energetic sport - although most non-horsey types think you just sit there like a sack of spuds and won't understand why you are so tired after your 3 hours down the yard of 'having cups of coffee' and 'chatting to all your mates'!
How do you find your balance and develop centered riding?
Patience, time, lots & lots of riding, steer with gentle shifting of your weight and arm movements and take off the stirrups (make sure you are in a safe place for this). Some of you will find it quite easy (the more natural horse people); others will slowly develop it; many of you may give up finding it. But, if you can persevere it is really worth it. A good trainer will help you to establish and develop this. I won't go into how I found mine at this moment. It will be what distinguishes you as a good rider amongst the many poor ones.
Suffice to say, whether you are just hacking out, show jumping or eventing, establishing good balance and centred riding is vital - I cannot emphasise it enough. It is not just for those patient and elegant horse people that 'do dressage'!
Why is it so important? Well, if you are hacking down the road and your horse spooks, the well balanced, centered rider is most likely to still be on afterwards. The unbalanced rider will be on the floor - maybe with the reins in their hands, but most likely their steed will be legging it down the road in a panic. See my point? If you are jumping 4" fences, the well balanced, centered rider (watch Mark Todd riding) will excel against other clumsy riders. Yes, horses can jump, but it is not enough just to get them over the jump - it's the strides and the turns in between and how horse & rider cope with these movements together that will pick out the poorer riders from those that have mastered the true essence of horsemanship. Needless to say, if you want to 'do dressage' you won't get anywhere without a good balanced seat and confident, centered riding! I am surprised to see some dressage riders, after a ridiculous amount of lessons, still bouncing around on the back of their horse in sitting trot, whilst their trainer tells them to reel the horses head down in an attempt to create some kind of control! The right trainer is paramount - you will be restricted to low grade dressage if you don't crack your balance from the onset. Make it your main priority and other movements and riding will be so much easier for you, because you are making it so much easier for your horse.
Other people do it differently
The few, true horse people out there realise that your horse is an animal. Not a machine. Not an equine-XBox. He is a living creature. So, sticking living creature in loads of gadgets, slamming your legs round him, gagging him in hard bits, tightening fixed hands on tight reins. It Won't Work no matter how much you paid for the lessons!
He's not an Equine-Xbox
Your horse will try his hardest for you... but if you don't push the right buttons for both his mind and his body, it won't work in the end for either of you - he is not an Equine-Xbox. If you should be lucky enough to realise this, you will be in the minority. Finding and crafting the art of true horsemanship, both ridden and on the ground - requires time, effort, considerable patience and understanding at the beginning. You will reap the rewards further down the line when everyone else's horses have said "Forget it, no more".
In the meantime, whilst you are being more patient and taking the time to establish ground work and master basic riding technique, you may meet with criticism and cynicism from other less patient and educated horse people. Many will see your 'Equine-Xbox' as an object to be dominated and forced into doing it now. You will just have to ignore them, somehow. Don't be pushed to push yourself and your horse into cracking on with harder moves when all you really need to do is establish the basics. Without good basics (balanced; centred riding; a supple horse and rider; in hand respect & good groundwork), the rest will be hard to attain.
Gizmos and gadgets
I don't propose to know much about all the gadgets out there. Many are well thought of when used in an appropriate manner by a trained and knowledgeable person. The problem is that many are abused, as are the horses being forced to wear them. Get good, sensible advice. Imagine you have to wear it and do whatever it is you are expecting your horse to do in it, first. The tricky bit is really knowing who knows what. This is why a natural, less-is-more mind set can be the best approach. Speak/read/watch training methods in use before you use them. I had a 'knowledgeable' person look after my horse for 5 weeks whilst I was on holiday. I had asked them to lunge him and develop his muscle and top line whilst I was away. It turned out she had been putting a pesoa on him almost every day- quite tight. He was not happy - when I got back and attempted to lunge him with his saddle on, he went ballistic. So, care needs to be taken when using training methods and when asking for help - people don't often know as much as they think they know! And be clear about what is and is not acceptable to you, the owner. Remember, it is your horse, your money - and if you listen to your horses voice, you should be making the best decisions for your horse.
Buying your horse - where should you look?
A big and extremely important decision. Be very careful. There are a lot of time wasters advertising horses which do not fit the true reality of the horse. Depending on what you are looking for, there are a number of different options and avenues. If you are just looking for a happy hacker, speak to local riding establishments, friends, trainers, go to tack shops and get the word around. Word of mouth is good -you could find a lovely friend who you could even try out first, either by helping the owner out for a few weeks or perhaps having the horse on loan for a few weeks or months with a view to purchase.
If you are keen to compete and take it all quite seriously, I suggest a couple of lessons with a high quality trainer and their horses. Explain your intentions and aspirations and ask them to give you a very honest opinion of your ability now and what they believe your future abilities could be. You may need to travel to someone new for this and it will cost a bit, but it will be worth it. Listen to what they say, even if you don't really like the reality of it. Try out some friends' horses, if you can. Before venturing out in to the big wide world of 'horses for sale', ensure you have your list: What I can do; What I want to do; What I can afford to buy; What I can afford to keep & maintain; How long I will have the horse; What style of Livery will I be offering. Then start. It may take a very long time to find the right horse. Options are local papers, again word of mouth, ring up trainers and training yards (ie dressage / show jumping yards); contact equestrian centres and studs locally and further a-field. Also, you can look abroad - but ask around.
Look around - Ring around
There is no harm contacting trainers and breeders in the UK who you may not know and asking if they ever go abroad and if they can recommend any yards abroad. But also be careful. It is always better to see any horse with a trusted, able individual who can objectively look at the horse, and you when you try it out. Search the web as there are many horses on line here - even if its simply for research purposes. Best to take a trainer, I think, rather than a vet. A vet will be able to check that the horse is fit but not necessarily whether it is the right horse for the job you want it to do. Do be aware however, that some of the prices you pay abroad will be higher simply because you are from the UK - hence, going with a trusted, well known individual who really knows the true value of horses in today's market really makes sense. They will charge - but it is better to pay them what they are worth and what the horse is worth, rather than paying over-odds for your equine friend.
More to come in next article:
Horse dealers; buying a horse abroad; Share vs Loan; Managing your horse once he is home and lots more...
This article is written and submitted by Vanessa Moctezuma who lives in Shropshire (without a horse at the moment, unfortunately). I run an online jewellery store offering up to 6000 items of high quality jewellery including earrings suitable for the discerning rider and competitor. http://www.jewelleryedition.co.uk/. Visit Jewellery Edition online high quality online jewellery store offering a wide range of collections. Rings, Bracelets, Earings, Bangles, Diamonds - Elements Gold, Elements Silver, Catallina Diamonds (high quality diamond jewellery collection), Fred Bennet and other quality jewellery collections at excellent prices. Jewellery Edition UK online is owned and managed by Edgar and Vanessa Moctezuma.
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