How to know if you’re ready to buy your first horse.

Buying a horse is a big deal. I can't deem you ready (or not) BUT if we were friends going out for coffee, I would be asking you these questions to help you determine if you're ready to take the plunge into horse ownership.

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DISCLAIMER:
Thank you for visiting my YouTube channel! This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am not a horse trainer, veterinarian or equine or medical professional. Any content on this channel must never be considered a substitute for advice from a professional. Horses and horseback riding can be dangerous, you make any choices at your own risk and I am not responsible for outcomes. I may include links to other products or pages but these links are neither an endorsement nor guarantee about these products, services or companies. I make no warranties about the accuracy, usefulness, completeness or suitability of the information contained on this channel.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:20 QUESTION 1
2:38 QUESTION 2
4:08 QUESTION 3
5:33 QUESTION 4
6:32 QUESTION 5
7:49 QUESTION 6
9:32 QUESTION 7
10:21 QUESTION 8
11:25 QUESTION 9

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[brendayawn]

Great advice! I'd add that a cheap horse never ends up cheap. And a good trainer is worth their weight in gold, but there will be a lot of trainers that aren't right for you. Don't be afraid of backing away when you see red flags with a trainer.

[Janet-mwpc]

I spent 6 months on Facebook and it was not a good experience. I finally reached out to the barn owner where I was taking lessons and asked her to find me a horse. she is hauling a horse in for me for a 2 week trial period. I will pay to board for 2 weeks but okay with that. hopefully, this horse is the one! i'll meet him on Monday

[bluenovacorgi]

Im age 28 getting a late start on a childhood dream of being a cowboy n wanting to learn to ride a horse n work with cattle, ive only ever really been on trail rides 😅

[Jordynfire]

Thank you for the info, as a complete beginner I’ve always stood by the idea that I won’t jump in buying a horse until I am more comfortable. I am going to be taking lessons again when I move and I’m going to take some more riding lessons, maybe in about a year or two I will be comfortable and jump into buying my first horse!

[margaretmayekar]

This is awesome info. Also agree with @Carolyn Harmon about emphasizing the not fun parts.
I haven’t been able to ride my horse since last August while we are rehabbing an injury. Whoever said “healthy as a horse” never owned one. They can get in trouble easily, and the recovery can take a long time. Not to mention the expense.

Weather is getting nice now, and someone just asked me about trail riding. Yeah, not sure when that will be able to happen. I’m very fortunate to have the good support team you mentioned. People really need to understand it’s not all hop on and gallop into the sunset. Even with a healthy horse, more time is spent on non-riding activities than people think.

Thanks for all your great content!

[Kathrinethekitten]

I like tall horses as they feel like a rocking horse which is cute and I just love the idea of having a tall horse that was mostly affectionate and nice as a jumper and trail preferably a bay or chestnut also like grays

[carolynharmon]

Great video! If you're not truly ready for all the parts of horse ownership, it's not fair to the horse. Maybe make a video that shows you actually dealing with all the not so fun parts of horse ownership, might take a while to piece all that video together but we have time, we can wait. Thanks 🐎

[krisillus]

This is great! I'll have to reference back to this when I'm ready to horse shop in about a year. I haven't shopped or purchased a horse in 10 years (my sweet boy who I had for that long passed last September 😓), so I'm both excited and nervous to be looking again in the future.

[kezronthedragon]

Thank you! I'm not planning to buy a horse for a couple years yet but this will definitely help me determine when I'm ready.

[briehoblin]

Such good advice❤. I'm just starting to look and the last three questions especially were relevant for me. I would just add that I think it's good to have some ideas of genetic issues / health issues specific to the breeds you're looking at. I only recently learned about progressive lymphedema and feather mites for drafts. Others may not know that there's PSSM 1-8 genes which can be very tough to manage. Additionally if someone did buy a horse that turned out to be metabolic or have PSSM could they manage it wherever they plan on keeping the horse? I also tell beginners to read up on hoof care so they would recognize an abscess or stone bruise, and to understand the different kinds of colics, as well as the more common horse illnesses like West Nile.

[taralorraine]

Thanks for this great video Stephanie!!

[Niyx_editsxxxx]

I’m 15 and started riding about half a year ago. I’m not sure when to get my own horse though and I get mixed opinions from people. My trainer right now says people should only get horses after 5-6+ years of riding under saddle but I’m not sure I want to stay on lesson horses that long cause I might not be able to improve as much as if I owned a horse. Can someone please give me some advice? :)

[normal]

For me the final thoughts about being able to walk away from a horse that’s not a perfect fit. I’ve never had a horse but hope to one day.

[emeraldsword]

For gaining experience with horseback riding, would you recommend starting with school owned horses?