Tips About Purchasing Your First Horse.
As exciting as the purchase of a horse is it is equally DANGEROUS! I have found that some horse people are not honest about their horses and do not represent them truthfully. Suggestions that I would make:
Never go alone for a look at a prospective horse. Take another horse friend or a trainer if you can.
Have the owner send pictures of the horse. Ask them to take a straight on front shot, back end shot, both side shots and pictures of the feet. Share these pictures with your trainer or horse friend who will be helping you with the selection.
Ride the horse at least twice before purchasing (if it is a ridable horse). Ride on two separate occasions.
Vet check the horse! It is worth the money. This will help uncover issues that might not be obvious.
These are just a few tips. When I was "shopping" I just wanted to buy the first horse I found. I love them all so I can make it work right? Not! My first horse almost killed me! This could have ruined my whole "horsy adventure". Remember that all horses no matter what the owner tells you ARE NOT BOMBPROOF!!!!!!!!! These are prey animals and they have strong fear emotions. Take your time. It will pay off in the end and your horse adventure will start out on a solid footing.
Nutrition!
I am going to keep this simple. If you feed your horse good hay you really do not need to supplement otherwise. I do, however, feed a Organic grain in the winter to help ward off the cold. After quite a bit of research here is "my opinion" about feeding.
I approve of and use Orchard grass, Timothy grass and Brome grass. I do give my horses a treat each day of 1/8 flake of Alfalfa. I only do this for flavor and the protein. If you feed your horse correctly the results are obvious! I will also say that for you that board your horses it is better for them to have 3 smaller meals than the 2 big meals. In nature horses eat all day long. Also turn outs are very important. If you cannot get to the barn during the week PAY to have someone turn your horse out. It is not fair to them to stand in a stall all day.
Natural Horsemanship
I have been a "clinic junkie" for the past 4 years. I find that Pat Parelli is my favorite teacher. His foundation of the 7 games and the emphasis on ground work has saved me. I have had several trainers and not one of them did much ground work. Just put a saddle on, lunge them and go!! Not! I don't care if it is a seasoned horse. You need to find out about the horse. Do they have a tendency to be reactive? If you take the time to learn about your horse before climbing up on their back you will be amazed. Also, they have bad days just like humans. So if you take the time to find out where their mind is you will have a more successful interaction with your horse. I want my horses (I have 11) and I to have a partnership. A relationship. My horses make me smile no matter how bad the day is. So take the time, bond, communicate and learn! One of the most simple explanations about this communication is that if you are speaking English to a Spanish speaking horse do you think they will understand? But the day you start speaking Spanish guess what happens? I know this first hand. Cisco my 11 year old Appendix/Quarter horse has been my challenge. He has knocked me down almost unconscious, drug me through an arena, kicked me, bit me, bucked when he was upset, and bucked me off more times than I care to count. I had bought the Parelli DVD's but was only taking them mildly seriously. I decided one weekend to go to a clinic of Parelli methods run by Darlene Williams. At the end of the clinic I was proudly talking to her about my horse. She asked me if I wanted her opinion. I gladly said "yes"! She said politely "Your horse is the boss". She explained that he has made a list for me. These are the allowable items he will allow me to do. If I ask something of him that is not on HIS list he punishes me with a reaction I do not want (such as a buck, bite, kick etc). She also made me aware that I had become fearful of my own horse. That was day one. I studied under Darlene for a year and want to thank her for her leadership. I now have a very polite horse who is respectful of me as I am to him. He never offers to buck or bite me now.
Tips & Hints
