Home › Community › Horses & Riding › HELP! Need Tips On First Horse
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Feb 29, 2004 at 12:00 #473108
P.S. Some breeds to avoid are ones like TBs (usually a bit more highstrung, high maintenance, and proned to leg injuries) and other big athletic sporty horses of that nature.
Feb 29, 2004 at 12:00 #473111Oh, and any name suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Feb 29, 2004 at 12:00 #473109Also, make sure that your friend finds a horse in a good price range for her family. To sum up everything (even though it feels like I am missing something): (not necessarily in that order) 1. Seek professional help 2. Find the right breed 3. Find the right height 4. " " " " " age 5. " " " " " discipline 6. " " " " " prices If you find a "professional," they can usually steer you in the right direction in terms of buying a horse. Good luck and keep us updated!
Feb 29, 2004 at 12:00 #473110Okay. I’ll start with a breed. It is usually about preference, but a good STURDY horse would be an arab or a Quarter Horse. They are usually always great, and QHs are almost always super calm horses. How tall is your friend? The way I like to judge if a horse fits you is that the horse’s withers should be at least at your nose. I take it that your friend doesn’t know a whole lot about horses. If this is so, your friend must seek the advice and guidance of a professional. It will make life a whole lot easer. Since your friend isn’t especially experienced, an older horse would be best, but at least one that is at the minimum age of 10 (though sometimes you can find some dead silent horses under 10). Usually, the older the horse is, the calmer it becomes. What discipline is your friend interested in? You should find a horse that has the same discipline that your friend wants to pursue. When you and your friend actually find a horse, you should take an experienced adult horse person/ professional. Sadly enough, people drug horses to make them calm and say that they are "sound" when they are really not. If your friend likes the horse the first time, come back another time with a vet. They will check for lameness or other health problems.
Feb 29, 2004 at 12:00 #473095My best friend is finally getting a horse!;D But because she is not the most… intelligent 😉 of people I want to help her out as much as possible. Do you have any tips on buying or keeping a first horse? Any reccomended breeds, etc.? Please Reply! ???
Mar 2, 2004 at 12:00 #473107She is about 1 1/2 metres tall and enjoys jumping but isn’t going to ride profesionally. She does have profetional help, our riding instructor. What do you think about gender? I heard geldings generally have better temps. than mares but does it really matter? thanks for all your help so far!
Mar 2, 2004 at 12:00 #473106Well, usually mares can be more tempermetal. When they are in heat, they can get very grumpy and agitate other horses, especially male horses, very much. They can also be very grumpy when ridden. Geldings (obviously) don’t have problems like that. But some geldings can be grumpy too. It all depends on the horse. So your friend can jump? That sounds pretty experience to me!! Or do you mean that she is not experienced in buying horses? Explain your friends riding abilities a bit more. Thanx!
Mar 2, 2004 at 12:00 #473105The horse your friend gets should definitely be calm. I would have to agree with Horse Obsessive that your friend should avoid bigtime sport horses like TB’s. They were bred for energy and speed, not soundness and disposition. I would go for a stock horse breed like QH’s and Paints, possibly a percheron/QH cross. They’re generally pretty calm. My personal preference is Paints. The one’s I know are very versatile, calm, sound and athletic. I own a Paint, and she’s just great. She’s a FANTASTIC jumper, too. My friend show’s paints and often takes them into the jump competition, and does pretty well (you can tell I’m into jumping, huh?). My horse goes well western and english and is a level headed trail horse, along with the other paints I know. QH’s are similar to paint’s so they have pretty much the same athletiscism capabilities. Appys are good too. My biggest suggestion is don’t let your friend get breedist. Don’t steer around a breed because a) she meets a horse she doesn’t like that belongs to that breed, and b) she listens to someone’s perspective on a particular breed and doesn’t like what she hears, and takes it for fact. I’m not saying to tell her to go out and buy a horse because she doesn’t like the breed, just don’t exclude a breed because of someone’s opinion. Just because they’re prof. doesn’t make them infallibly correct. Not all horse’s of one breed have the same personality and soundness factors. Take Seabiscuit for instance, he was short, not well conformed and generally calm (from what I hear). Nearly opposite of most members of his breed. Yeah, have your friend find professional help, it make’s life easier. -Anna
Mar 3, 2004 at 12:00 #473104I agree with everything she said. 😉 And yes, jumping is GREAT fun!!
Mar 13, 2004 at 12:00 #473103thanks! knowing her, she might do that. :-
Mar 15, 2004 at 12:00 #473102But also keep in mind that horses that don’t have very good conformation (those horses sometimes don’t look all that great) could be a bad horse to buy because sometimes their bad conformation will limit their abilities when you ride them, and they won’t fit your discipline. Keep us updated on the horse search!!
May 6, 2004 at 12:00 #473101:- Well she’s got a horse. It is a 15hh 6yo golden dun Connemara part Thoroughbred mare with 4 stockings which just happened to be the first horse she saw. Bad choice. – too young. she’ll probably still be quite green :'( – part Thoroughbred. might be flighty or highstrung 🙁 – mare. It depends on the horse but geldings tend to be better tempered :- – 4 stockings. she will probably have light hooves. I asked my friend if they were light and she said "I dont know, I didn’t look at her feet much" 😮 I haven’t seen the horse yet but i can’t imagine all the faults she might have.
Aug 25, 2004 at 12:00 #473100A tip on getting your first horse. What ever you do don’t get a mare an Arab none the less! They are very high strung and sassy! I would get a gelding thats about 10 to 12 yrs in age. I’m speaking from experience! Good luck!
Sep 12, 2004 at 12:00 #473099i agree with bear…but mares are good as long as you know how to ride…sometimes mares can be very calm and willing…but most of the time mares get very…well,MARISH and thats when they are so called "brats" and JUMPING IS AWESOME!and arabians are very good horses…but with all horses you need to know what you are doing,and what you shouldent do…arabians do tend to get a bit hyper…as well as thoroughbreds and warmbloods…appendixs…u know them horses.i would sudjest either a qh or something along that line…a very laid back,calm,and willing,good listner horse/pony…it depneds…all horses are diffrent in some way. even appaloosas are calm and gental!
Sep 13, 2004 at 12:00 #473098Go to my forum the one called Need advice on getting a new horses of just look for my username on the username bar. Say you need advice. The reason is that I can get you info if you put it in my forum cause I have some special software plugged up to it. Ok Thanx
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