New Owner Recommendations

Have you ever felt like you don't know enough about something to even ask the right questions?  I felt that way when I was investigating applying to graduate school, researching mortgage lending, and choosing my religion.

Recently I've had a few people ask about buying their first horse, and what they should know in order to be good stewards of these magnificent animals.  This is a great question, and one EVERY person should ask prior to purchasing a horse.  There is SO MUCH to know about horses and taking care of them.  I learn new things daily!  This post discusses some basics I like to address in these preliminary conversations, and while these are good basics, it is important to remember that specific recommendations within all these topics will vary between horses, between disciplines of riding, and between humans.  The most accurate prediction I can make is that any horsey question you have will be answered by 12 different people in 12 different ways.  They will all be correct, for some kind of circumstance.

New Horse Owner Recommendations

First of all, get some horsemanship instruction, and riding lessons.  Learn how to take care of a horse, what they eat, where they live, learn their body parts and how to explain what is where.  Learn what is involved with feeding, cleaning up, what is normal and what is sickly, what a horse requires mentally and socially, figure out what kind of riding you want to do.  Discover IF you want to ride, and if not, what kind of activity you'd like to do with your horse.  There are many fun things to do with horses that don't include sitting on their backs!  Learn how to navigate the treacherous aisles of the feed store, and above all, learn how to handle a horse safely.  

 Line up your professionals.  If you are brand-new to the horse world, you will need a veterinarian, a farrier, and a trainer/riding instructor.  There are many ways to select the people who will make up your "team", but that is a topic for another blog post.  We'll call that one "20 Questions", though maybe we should call it "120 Questions".  But in the beginning, know that you will need these three people.

Provide adequate equine living quarters.  Your horse(s) will need somewhere to live, and there are several options to consider.  A boarding facility, a pasture, your backyard if it's big enough and equipped for a horse....   Get someone knowledgeable to go with you to assess potential living sites for your horse.

Feeding.  A horse will generally eat about 2% of their body weight in forage/hay daily.  It varies depending on breed, metabolism, the horse's job and workload, and many other factors.  But generally plan on the horse needing 15 to 25 lbs of good quality grass hay daily.  A salt block and unlimited fresh water should be available at all times.  Some horses need additional nutrition, so plan accordingly. 

Cole snacking

Other things to note:

• Upon entering the horse world, understand that EVERY horse person has an opinion on EVERYTHING equine.  Every horse person will tell you her opinion is absolutely right.  In time you will come to form your own opinions about what works best for you and your situation, but in the meantime choose someone knowledgeable, of whom you are comfortable asking questions, to help you in the path to horse ownership and guide you through all the waffle and loud voices 
• Understand that horses are expensive, dangerous, and a LOT of work.  If you don't really love the lifestyle that comes with them, they are not worth it.  Learn about this lifestyle before you commit to owning a horse.  

What are some things you'd like to know about horse ownership?  Looking back, what would you tell your past self about getting into horses, i.e. "I wish I knew then what I know now"?