Are you thinking about getting your very first horse? The prospect can be exciting, but also extremely daunting, as it can be difficult to know what to expect. It’s important to realize that owning a horse is never easy and is a learning process that will transform you from a total newbie to a capable and assured horse owner.
If you require some advice on what to be aware of before purchasing your very first horse, this blog will come in useful. From shopping for your first horse to caring for them, here are some useful tips that you may like to take into consideration.
Take an experienced horse owner with you
It is easy to fall in love with a horse at first sight, but if you have never owned a horse before, it can be difficult to know whether it is the right choice for you. Asking an experienced horse owner to visit the horse with you would be advised. They will know how to check the horse over before committing to buy it, to ensure it’s in good health and rides nicely. These two factors can be easily overlooked and may cause you serious complications later on down the line.
Understand the time commitment
If you have friends who own horses, there’s a reason why they don’t have much time to socialize. Taking care of a horse is near enough a full-time job, so you’ll need to be at the stables twice or even three times per day – and that’s without the extra time spent riding and training them.
A horse will consume a large proportion of your day, as it would be cruel to leave them cooped up in the stable for hours on end. One thing to consider is that if you struggle to make time to see friends, you may wish to reconsider owning a horse right now or perhaps shift your priorities around.
Training
As mentioned, horses need to be trained and ridden each day or multiple times per week. As a newbie horse owner, it can be difficult to know how to train your horse properly, but this all comes with education and experience. It would be best to spend time researching online tips and watching videos to gain natural horsemanship by understanding how to train and work out your horse.
Hot and cold climates
If your horse lives in a particularly cold climate, they will need a blanket to keep them warm when the temperature drops. A light blanket will be ideal if they have been clipped on, while a turnout blanket is suitable if the temperature plummets to freezing.
When the weather starts to warm up, it’s important to be aware of the signs that your horse is suffering from heatstroke. Horses that are overweight or in poor shape are most likely to overheat, which can be dangerous to their health. In this case, invest in a cooler or sweat sheet for when your horse starts to sweat after a ride, or simply throw a bucket of cool water over them.