Buying a horse can be a very time consuming endeavor, with all the different horse breeds and skills to choose from. The more you become familiar with the process of buying and selling horses, the better your chances will be to end up with the horse to fit your needs. There are many avenues to look for the horse you want, like a local barn, tack shops, newspaper classifieds, and now you can go online and look through thousands of horse for sale classifieds. Take your time and don’t get to overwhelmed. If you make the selection process in a hurry, you might make an unwise purchase. Plan to take from one month to one year to find your ideal horse. Understandably, if you are without a horse, one year mite sound like a very long time, but you can use this time to become more knowledgeable about what you want by taking lessons.

The first thing you must determine is what you really want from a horse, and to what extent you will be using him/her. Will the horse be a trustworthy companion or wonderful Dressage prospect? Buy taking the time and comparing the different classified ads presented to you, will help determine your priorities. Be sure to use the advanced search features each online classified horse website has to offer, this will help you to narrow down your search results.

Once you have found the horse you want, its always a good idea to get a professional opinion when you are buying a horse. Whether or not you use an agent to help you select your horse, you should always have a basic veterinary pre-purchase exam performed. When you seek out professional advice, pay for it and then listen to it! When your instructor or veterinarian cautions you about a horse, it is for a reason. When seeking advice, it is best to a well-respected professional that has no vested interest in the horse sale.

Here is a breakdown of what to look for when a horse is for sale:

* does the horse fit your needs
* what skills does the horse possess
* does the horse have a good temperament
* do comparisons of other similar horses
* does the horse fit the selling price
* get professional advice
* are there any lessons with the sale
* make sure to have pre-purchase vet exam
* can you afford the upkeep on a horse (such as boarding, feed, and veterinary care.)

Stay focused. Keep in mind that you are selecting a horse for a particular reason or desired skill. There are many decisions and compromises lying ahead, so it helps if you set your priorities clearly at the outset.

If the overall purpose of the horse is to teach you how to ride rather than to carry you to the winner’s circle, then the selection process will emphasize different traits to fit your needs. If the horse is intended to be a long-term project rather than a stepping stone, you may need to invest more time, effort, and money in your purchase. Remember to take your time and use the tools at your disposal, such as online horse classifieds, you will thank yourself in the end.

Buying a horse is actually the simple procedure of exchanging dollars and cents for an animal of your choice. But buying an animal suited to your abilities is a difficult task. Before looking for a horse decide what use and purpose the horse will serve, for pleasure, for breeding, or for showing. Each of these is in a different category and requires a different kind of animal. However, you may be fortunate enough to find a combination of all three attributes.
Consider these tests before you buy a horse:
1. Look at him from a distance and examine his build as a whole. This is called conformation, and each breed of horse has certain characteristics that identify him by form. The animal should carry his head well and be neatly put together.
2. Check for soundness. Run your hands up and down his legs. Look for an unexplained lump or sign of soreness.
3. Test his vision. A horse should blink when you wave your hand in back of his eye.
4. See whether or not he leads in or out of the stable easily.
5. Watch saddling and bridling. See if he is uneasy when cinched. Some horses are afraid of a girth, caused by too tight a cinch. Notice whether or not he is bridle shy, touchy about the ears; whether he opens his mouth to receive the bit.
6. Have the owner ride the animal so you can see how he handles. Watch whether he stops easily, reins well, backs, and has an easy gait. Have the owner work the horse to a gallop. Try to determine if he is speed crazy. The owner should guarantee the safety of the animal as to training. Also, note whether or not there is excessive breathing, noise with the breathing, and flanks that heave spasmodically.
7. Most important! Ride the horse yourself. Is he smooth in the walk, trot, and canter? Does he shy? Is he spooky? Can you start and stop him? Is he too spirited for you to handle? Does he switch his tail constantly? Can you ride him away from the stable? A tail-switcher means that the animal has been pushed too fast in training and indicates nervousness. Usually a horse that has been trained by a woman will not like a man rider, or will be uneasy with a man on his back. Sometimes this works in the reverse. Many times it is because of the handling of the reins. A man is normally heavier handed than a woman. However, this depends on the horse and the rider in the main, but it is something to consider in buying a horse that has been privately owned by one person for some time.
8. Don’t buy a stallion. He may look good in the movies but is not practicable in real life. He is likely to be unpredictable and should be managed only by an expert horseman. He belongs, mainly, on the breeding farm. You’ll find just as much spirit and animation in a good mare or gelding and far less trouble.
No horse is perfect, but whatever faults are present you must decide whether or not they may be eliminated with some training. Many times all a horse needs is work. Horses also respond to owners. They have their likes and dislikes. Personalities clash just as between people. Whole personalities have changed with ownership.
Be sure the animal is suited to your own capabilities. And, once again, don’t buy the first horse you see. Some­where there is a horse suited to you. Two things are important: the age of the rider and of the horse, and the experience or lack of it in both rider and animal.
One must equal the other, rider and animal, because no matter how well trained the horse, if the rider does not understand this training, then the horse will not work well. And a good horse can soon be ruined by a poor rider.

Having a horse is a major responsibility which should not be taken lightly. When deciding to buy a horse there are many factors to consider. It is a good idea to talk to current horse owners about their experiences, and even take riding lessons so you are more experienced with basic horse husbandry.

There are many places you can buy a horse from. These can include auctions and private owners. No matter where you buy your horse from it is important you get a thorough history from the owner, as well having a pre-purchase exam done by a veterinarian. Doing these two things can save you a lot of money and stress.

When choosing the type of horse to buy, there are over 350 different breeds of horses to consider. But the main thing to look for is the temperament of the horse. If this is your first horse you should choose a horse that is calm. It would also be best to buy a horse that is already trained.

The age of the horse is probably not as important as the temperament. But the age is an important factor to consider. Horses can live up to 30 years. Choosing a horse that has had several years of training is probably the most important factor.

Once you have purchased your horse you have to decide on where to board your horse. If you are lucky, you have a farm to keep the horse at. But a lot of people will have to keep the horse at a boarding stable which can be costly.

Another consideration you need to think about before buying a horse is how much time do you have to devote to the horse. Horses need to be fed twice a day, stalls need to be cleaned, and training needs to be done. Having a horse, or any pet is a major time commitment. Please give this serious thought before buying any pet.

Money is a big factor in deciding to buy a horse. There are many costs that people may not think about before buying a horse. Boarding fees, stable fees, feed, and tackle can add up to a big bill. Also, do not forget that if your horse gets sick you need to pay a large veterinarian bill as well.

These are just some of the considerations you need to think about before buying a horse. By doing research before you purchase a horse you can save yourself a lot of time and money.

Nicole asked:

My best friend’s 15.2 horse had a filly who is expected to be her mother’s height when she is full grown. My friend wants me to saddle train the colt since she is away caring for another horse. The filly is 8 months old and has known me her whole life. She is already halter trained. I know I still have a while to really start her training, but I want to be completely prepared. How should I go about saddle training her? Does anyone know how to teach her to jump after that?

When trying to sell a horse, it can be terribly difficult to know what to say to potential clients. Sellers are terrified of saying the wrong thing and scaring off a buyer before they even see the horse. Because of this, horse selling has become a tangled web of truths and untruths.

You hear it all the time: buyers bemoaning the lack of honest sellers. They go to look at a horse advertised as 16.2hh only to discover that the horse is only 15.3hh. They try a horse that is supposed to be well trained over fences only to discover that the horse stops at anything bigger than a cross-rail. How can any buyer trust a horse seller if this is what they encounter?

On the other hand, how many buyers turn away as soon as they hear that a horse is only 16hh? They refuse to look at anything advertised as less than 16.2hh because they know that everything will in fact be around 16hh - which is just what they are looking for. And yet, the honest seller who has measured his horse is penalized by the buyers who won’t even go see the horse.

As you look around at message boards or horsy joke sites you see lists of cliché statements that sellers make and what they “really” mean. Statements like “needs an experienced rider” are taken to mean that the horse is a maniac, or “free jumps over 4′” means that the horse is an escape artist and jumps out if his paddock. So, what can you say that will not be taken as exaggeration, or even as fiction?

It has come to the point where sellers have no idea what to say. On top of this there is the difficulty of pricing a horse. If a horse is well trained, easy to ride and otherwise a great animal, how do you price it? If you price it too low, everyone wonders what is wrong with it that you are not telling them. If you price it too high, buyers compare it to horses selling at half the price with the same claims to fame. Strangely enough, the same price can have totally opposite reactions from different buyers, one feeling it is far too little, and the other feeling it is far too much.

Buyers feel that the honest horse seller no longer exists. The seller feels that it doesn’t matter what he says - no one will believe him. How can these two ends meet?

There isn’t an easy solution. Ideally a seller should be honest about his horse, telling potential buyers the truth about the size, type, training, personality and even vices that a horse may have. Buyers should take this at face value and be willing to look at a horse even if it might fall slightly short of what they are looking for.

Far too many buyers ignore perfectly good animals that are honestly presented by their owners only to go out and spend thousands of dollars buying a horse that turns out to have serious issues. Add to this the escalated prices demanded by coaches and trainers on the take, and neither the buyer nor the seller have a fair shake at things.

Buying a horse isn’t easy, and neither is selling one. With buyers complaining of not being able to find a good horse, and sellers complaining of not having a market, somehow both ends need to meet. What can we do to fix this critical fault in the system? How can we make horse buying and selling honest?

Can you answer the question in the title?

Some fashion magazines, writers and movies will tell you that diamonds are a girl’s best friend – but not in my case and here is why…

Hi, my name is Linda Shute from New Jersey, and here is why riding horses is one of my greatest passions in life…

As a child I think I was born with horses on my brain, they’ve always been in my life and very close to me in many ways.

Before I was old enough to drive I was very mobile because of my horses.

My uncle gave me my first pony Trotter, his color was chocolate palomino, he had no pedigree to speak of just your above average pony.

Trotter was very dear to me until I out grew him. He would perform under saddle or in harness. I started out riding western because it was the most popular where I live.

Sometimes I would ride bareback and jump over small obstacles in the yard.

Self made fences like two columns of a few baskets or boxes piled up with a broom across the top. Not much to look at, but creative enough for an eight year old kid and it served my purpose besides Trotter didn’t care what it looked like.

Mom wasn’t to happy a few times when we miscalculated and broke the broom handle then she had to go buy new broom to sweep the floor.

Trotter took me all over, sometimes I would ride him and we would go out roaming around for four or five hours we would travel ten or fifteen miles from home.

I would cut through farmers’ fields always careful to stay on the edge as not to harm their crops that were growing. My favorite ride in the summer was towards the small town of Swedesboro through the peach and apple orchards.

A diamond can’t take me to the orchards or share a piece of fruit with me.

As a small girl of eight or ten nothing was sweeter than a fresh apple or peach eaten on top of my pony. I would take a bite and give the rest to him, then pick another. I felt like the world was at my finger tips.

Trotter gave me freedom to explore the world he fed my sense of adventure.

Sometimes I didn’t feel like riding or a friend would go with me, since I didn’t want him carrying two us for that long I would hook him up to the cart and harness and drive him.

The only way a diamond can provide freedom is if you sell it for a high price and use the money to escape from something.

How can a diamond feed your sense of adventure? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t like diamonds. They do have a big sparkle and look nice. They can also be very expensive

As I got older I out grew Trotter and sadly had to sell him for a bigger horse.

I still remember the person that bought Trotter coming to the house to pick him up. We loaded him into the back of his pick-up truck and Trotter was screaming (whinnying) and kicking he didn’t want to leave, my heart was being ripped out, yet I couldn’t keep two animals and I needed a bigger mount.

It was a hard lesson learned.

Horses also taught me responsibility because they needed to be fed and cared for everyday morning and night. Equipment and stables had to be taken care of and cleaned daily. Horses eat hay and we had farm land to raise hay. This meant harvesting. When I was in my teens sometimes I could be found driving the tractor raking the hay fields or using the baler, other times I may be on the wagon behind the baler stacking the hay for my horses. Then it would have to be transferred from the hay wagon into the barn.

Since then I have bought, sold and raised about fifteen horses. One of my favorites was Friday’s Anthem. As a girl of sixteen I won the “Rookie of the Year” award for the “Girls Rodeo Association” Eastern Chapter. One of my prizes was a free stud fee to a quarter horse stallion. I bred my mare and the colt was born on Good Friday. I named him Fridays’ Anthem. I trained him for English and Western riding and showed him at local quarter horse shows I eventually sold him for $2500.

The horse shows taught me to strive to achieve more. Observe the competition and see what they are doing, what does the judge like, who is being pinned higher than we are. Train your horse different get him to perform different or better.

A diamond can’t teach you that.

I lived in the country and our nearest neighbor was about 3/4 of a mile away.

My relationship to my Horses was the same like that of a close friend.

They each have their own personalities and temperaments just like people.

They show their feelings in their eyes and ears. If they’re having a bad day when you go to the stable you may find a tail in the doorway instead of a face. When you enter the stall you may find ears laid back on the neck instead of pricked forward you learn to read their body language.

They have dreams just like we do. I remember this Standard bred race horse I was taking care of, a trotter named Noble Tryst. He was good enough to race in The Hamiltonian. He would take a nap every afternoon he would stretch out in his stall and sometimes have dreams. He looked like a big dog he would kick his feet and make noises. You don’t see this very often in horses. I never saw a diamond with a personality.

One day when I was working on the race track I was standing in front of this filly and yawned. Then the filly yawned, the one in the next stall yawned, and so it went down the length of the barn – just like people do.

When you’re riding or working a horse and ask for more they will give you their best and then some. How do you ask a diamond for more and receive it?

If you’re having a bad day you can wrap your arms around your horse’s neck and hang on to something and they can turn their head toward you and wrap you into their neck like a hug. I’d like to see a diamond do that!

They’ll listen until you’re tired of talking or crying which ever the case may be.

Horses can be expensive, the initial cash outlay for the purchase and the ongoing upkeep. Now you can go out and buy a grade horse, buy that I mean your average run of the mill un-registered horse for around $500- $1000. But, if you want high quality pure bred stock with a pedigree you can be talking big bucks just like in diamonds

Warmly with a big smile,

Linda Shute

Buying a horse can be a very time consuming endeavor, with all the different horse breeds and skills to choose from. The more you become familiar with the process of buying and selling horses, the better your chances will be to end up with the horse to fit your needs. There are many avenues to look for the horse you want, like a local barn, tack shops, newspaper classifieds, and now you can go online and look through thousands of horse for sale classifieds. Take your time and don’t get to overwhelmed. If you make the selection process in a hurry, you might make an unwise purchase. Plan to take from one month to one year to find your ideal horse. Understandably, if you are without a horse, one year mite sound like a very long time, but you can use this time to become more knowledgeable about what you want by taking lessons.

The first thing you must determine is what you really want from a horse, and to what extent you will be using him/her. Will the horse be a trustworthy companion or wonderful Dressage prospect? Buy taking the time and comparing the different classified ads presented to you, will help determine your priorities. Be sure to use the advanced search features each online classified horse website has to offer, this will help you to narrow down your search results.

Once you have found the horse you want, its always a good idea to get a professional opinion when you are buying a horse. Whether or not you use an agent to help you select your horse, you should always have a basic veterinary pre-purchase exam performed. When you seek out professional advice, pay for it and then listen to it! When your instructor or veterinarian cautions you about a horse, it is for a reason. When seeking advice, it is best to a well-respected professional that has no vested interest in the horse sale.

Here is a breakdown of what to look for when a horse is for sale:

* does the horse fit your needs
* what skills does the horse possess
* does the horse have a good temperament
* do comparisons of other similar horses
* does the horse fit the selling price
* get professional advice
* are there any lessons with the sale
* make sure to have pre-purchase vet exam
* can you afford the upkeep on a horse (such as boarding, feed, and veterinary care.)

Stay focused. Keep in mind that you are selecting a horse for a particular reason or desired skill. There are many decisions and compromises lying ahead, so it helps if you set your priorities clearly at the outset.

If the overall purpose of the horse is to teach you how to ride rather than to carry you to the winner’s circle, then the selection process will emphasize different traits to fit your needs. If the horse is intended to be a long-term project rather than a stepping stone, you may need to invest more time, effort, and money in your purchase. Remember to take your time and use the tools at your disposal, such as online horse classifieds, you will thank yourself in the end.

chrischris6565 asked:

I am getting a western saddle for my TB mare and I want to know what the best saddle pad would be!!!! I am looking at The Western Legend series which look nice, does anyone know much about this pad and how you like it? Also are there any other suggestions on what saddle pad would be good?

There is so much excitement and anticipation in the very art of buying a horse. It is certainly a task not to be taken lightly. A horse is certainly not as easy to drop off at your local shelter as a cat is. When you buy a horse it should be genuine, not a spur of the moment whim.

The biggest consideration when buying a horse is where to keep him. Investigating local stables and yards, finding out the fee and what you are paying for is an important step to make the transition easier. I have yet to find a stable that pays for horse shoeing, unless it is on their horses!

Once you’ve settled on a place to keep your horse, you can then indulge yourself in finding a good horse. Horses are easy enough to come by, but not all horses are alike. We know that all horses bite, it is a fact horse owners rarely think about. However when buying a horse it is a tidbit to keep handy.

Some horses due to cruel handling, neglect or an aggressive streak will bite. Biting is a bad habit called a vice, horses that bite do not make a good first horse purchase. There is fact in the saying “once bitten twice shy”!

Read up on vices so you know one when you see one and if the current owner says the horse crib bites, you’ll know what that means and whether it is a vice you can live with. Remember the horse is yours and will be your responsibility once you purchase it.

Like humans you have horses in good health and others in questionable health. Some owners will try to sell a horse when they find out his health is less than perfect. The horse could have been in a field and cut his leg. Seems like an every day possibility but depending on where and how severe the cut, he could have done permanent damage. He would thus have a weakness and be prone to lameness.

It is always a good idea to have a veterinarian inspect the horse you want to purchase. That way any possibility of ill health can be brought to your attention and you are in control of taking on the responsibility or not.

Find out if people know about the horse and let them tell you their view of the horse. What is he like on an every day basis when a prospective buyer is not looking? Some horses are lunged to tire them out before a buyer comes to ride…

Yes, riding is sure a very important step when buying a horse! I was so desperate to buy my first horse that I overlooked this step and regretted it every day of the two years I owned the horse. Sometimes you can simply get sold by the look of a horse…

Make sure you buy a good horse that is right for you. The best way to do that is to read and gain knowledge of horses. Take a trainer or experienced horse person with you, but be sure to trust your instinct and have the knowledge to make the best decision for you. Turns out the person I took with me to buy my first horse was really looking for something they wanted.

proverb31gurl asked:

I am looking at some saddles on ebay and I was wondering how I could know what size tree I need for the saddle to fit my horse. Or how to tell what kind of dementions to be looking for on the info for the saddle.