Best Breeds for First-Time Horse Owners

Last week I shared the horse breeds I WOULD NOT recommend for new horse owners. This week, I'm sharing the top horse breeds I recommend for new horse owners!

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[dardenyerkes]

I am a late in life rider and ride a handsome, 19 year old, cheeky chestnut quarter horse. He started life as a ranch horse and hated the life. His owner purchased him at 6 years old, he took her daughter and granddaughter prelim and qualified for nationals. All while teaching young kids to ride and now supporting me in my riding journey. He is super stable, on the rare occasion that he spooks he makes sure I am still on before wanting to take off (he has never taken off, just thinks about it). I have known a few other quarter horses and they were the same. Steady, reliable and lots of fun. Great for a first horse, or late in life horse when hitting the ground hurts more than it used to.

[tracyjohnson]

Tennessee walkers are usually pretty placid and very smooth. She didn't mention Rocky Mountain horses but they're gaited, very easy keepers and tend to be wide bodied.

[RoBA]

While you talking it would be great to have the images shown of the different horses in question with this nice information! Thank you for the video!

[Conny]

I am 63 and just started riding I have an handsome fjord I love him so much❤❤❤❤❤

[mahdrescher]

it's very interesting to hear which breeds are popular in America! I always saw quarter horses and paint horses as rare because there's barely any where I live

[kevinyoung]

You might also look at a Morgan. They will do anything, have very good disposition and are fairly easy keepers. Plus, they can be very classy movers.
I have to say though, that the appaloosa that I've owned could stay butterball fat on just very little feed and also had a good disposition.

[mrsmacshome]

I have a Gypsy Cob with the sweetest temperament, definitely recommend as a first horse or like me getting back into riding after a 30yr break.

[beccavaughan]

You left out Welsh breeds, the Welsh mountain pony, Welsh pony, Welsh cob and Welsh pony of cob type, which are all amazing first horses, or for getting back into riding after many years. I started getting back into horses again a few years ago, after 23 years break. My first pony as a child was a Welsh mountain pony and I started back there to get going again. I got him as a 2 year old gelding, bonded with him as he grew and had him harness trained when he was 4. He's a beaut little pony and also great for a lead line pony for my grandkids. At one point he took a whole year off and then went straight back into harness for a drive without lunging or anything, when I needed to work him but I had a broken foot and couldn't lunge or ground drive him. Since getting him, I have acquired 2 Welsh ponies of cob type, a Welsh cob, and bought another traditional Arabian, plus hubby owns a quarter horse. My Welsh ponies are my favourite, they have the best temperament for the whole family, from my youngest toddler grandkids to my elderly mother that I care for at home. A Welsh mountain pony is a solid build and can be anything from 10hh to 12hh, the finer built Welsh pony and the very solid built Welsh pony of cob type are both usually between 12hh and 13.2hh and the Welsh cobs are also a solid build and anything from 13.2hh and above with no upper limit. Although it's uncommon for them to be much taller than 15hh you do find the occasional one above that height. They all share a similar temperament of being calm, kind and intelligent, easy to train and willing to please. They're one of the most popular breeds worldwide for first time horse owners, young riders, older riders and anyone who wants a calm and easy to work with horse or pony. They're also great as a grade pony, even crossed with a Thoroughbred or Arabian, because they usually retain much of the Welsh temperament and make a great sports horse or competing athlete when crossed with a finer build.

[timallen]

Standardbreds are simply lovely to have. Retired harness racers are ridiculously easy to retrain.

[mhdb]

it's a nice video and me as an Syrian equestrian i get more knowledge about American horses
but i hope next time if you include some photos of the horses you talked about like you did in other two videos.
here in Syria we only have Syrian Arabians and they are so good and easy for most people

[kimberlirae]

My Roxy is a Missouri Fox Trotter. She is my first horse and I bought her for trail rides. I am in love with her

[theresevanbarneveld]

I have an Icelandic horse, they are common here in Sweden and I love the breed. On the ridning school where I learned ridning they had only Icelandic horses. Eydis is my first horse and she was 25 when I bought her. I wanted someone older and calmer. She is just perfect . Sweet and lovely to handle❤. I can recommend this breed.

[RobertTremblay-qr]

I’m an American living in Germany and buying my first horse Tennessee walker. Awesome to hear you mention they are the best for first time owners!

[Faithreins]

Love this! It makes so much sense and helpful if you are getting your first horse. I just got a Quarter horse and I LOVE him.💖

[martyp]

Looking to purchase my first horse sometime this year (likely Spring/Summer), been taking a couple of lessons a week for about 10 months now and have gained a good bit of confidence and now looking to continue to develop with my own. Have just purchased your course, and will be getting in to stable management to get to grips and be confident with that side of things too.

[introvertedequinesamsara]

Gaited horses can also do any discipline not just trail riding, but dressage, jumping, barrel racing, reining, EXCA, etc. Champagne Whatchout was a TennesseeWalker who made it to FEI level dressage.

Not to mention there's alot of gaited disciplines aswell, such as Gaited Dressage, English Pleasure, Speed Pacing/Rack, Style Pacing/Racking, All day pleasure, Country Pleasure, Trail Pleasure, Lite shod, Park, etc. That all are extremely fun and usually are pretty beginner safe (All day pleasure was specially made for green riders and horses).

[bigredd]

I’ve watched several of your videos so far, and thank you for making them. Your videos are so informative and great for the new/novice.

[Gygy]

Im thinking about having my first horse ever, and your videos are helping me a lot

[meganw]

Thank you for these videos.
I have loved working my way through some of these, even though we don't live anywhere close to land enough, nor have money enough to get horses, just to know for if I ever go riding or to better understand the horses that extended family have talked about
Thank you for your educational content and guides and coaching and such!!

[edgaro.]

I'm 6'4 and 210 lbs, so that made finding a horse to ride that could hold my weight and have some speed to them. I found a beautiful, unregistered shire stallion named Riot at my neighbors farm and he has made an amazing horse that has insane speed and endurance for a horse of his size and build and can outrun most of the other horses on their property aside from the owners' daughter's quarter horse, and an akhal teke that they are boarding for someone. He is a beautiful animal that I have finally decided to buy from them so that they never get rid of my favorite horse. So keep in mind for any new riders, yes some breeds are beginner friendly and some aren't, but even a breed like a shire, made an excellent first horse for me to learn to ride on in my early years of riding. So take everything with a grain of salt, because it does come down to each individual horse. Some extremely calm breeds will have a one of crazy horse that is borderline un-ridable and other breeds that are naturally stubborn and hotheaded and almost impossible for a beginner to do well with, will have a one off easy to work with gentle giant that makes the perfect horse. So keep that I'm mind.