Advice-owning my own horse.

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and seeking some advice :) Having posted in the wrong place I am going to start my thread again :) I currently live with my partner in Northamptonshire with our four Guinea Pigs/piggles :) I am a massive fan of horses and thoroughly enjoy riding. However, I am not a confident rider and feel that I would get more out of owning my own. Before we moved I had access to the inlaws horses and was fortunate to go riding with them. I know that a horse is a lifetime commitment and so I need to be sure that everything is in place before adding an addition to our family. We don't own our own land and so I would like to hear about those of you who use the local livery yards. I have a million questions haha. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Kym.

Just to add a couple of questions:

1. What is it like having to travel to and from the livery yard each day? The inlaws horses are on the property and so I am not used to this.

2. How tall would my horse need to be for riding. I have been working with 16hh but feel they are too tall. I am around 5.6ft and weigh about 10 stone.

3. Could anybody please summarise the cost of care for their horses per month? For those using livery yards.

4. Please add anything of use/relevance.

Thanks,
Kym.

I think that since you aren't sure about the whole thing you should take lessons at a barn for a while before deciding to get your own. It'll make you a better rider, and it'll do you and your new horse a lot of good if you decide to get one. When you take lessons you can decide if you like the setting and the people in it so you know what you're bringing the new horse into. There's a million good things that can come from taking lessons at a barn before purchasing a horse. A coach may even know of a good horse that is up for sale that you could buy.

Thank-you for your reply. I have been riding for a five years now, at local centres and with Dave's parents horses. However, I travelled quite a lot with university and college etc... and that is why I feel I was not able to bond as I would have liked to. Also Jane and George are quite challenging horses. Now that I am settled in terms of where we live and financially. I know that I am ready to be taking the next steps and am in a position to choose the horse that is right for me. I will continue to ride at local centres. However, I don't always get to ride or spend time with the same horse and so it is not the same.

I agree with ilovepie32. If you're buying a horse, moving it to a new place, and getting used to the new place yourself, that's 3 big adjustments going on at the same time. However, if you're already familiar and comfortable with the stable (or "yard" as you Brits call it :P), that eliminates one of those adjustments at least! Also, as for the size of the horse, the height of the horse doesn't as matter as much as the build. I think that most horses (rather than ponies) could carry your height and weight easily. But just to be safe, maybe take someone knowledgeable (perhaps one of your inlaws) with you to look at a possible purchase, or ask the seller what they think about the horse's ability to carry you comfortably. Height-wise, pick a horse whose size you're comfortable. Hopefully, if the sale is a success, you'll be getting on and off many times in the future so you'll want to be comfortable doing it! :)

Good luck!!!!

Just realized how many times I used the word "comfortable" in that post! Haha

To be honest fuel for my car going back and forth is my biggest weekly horse cost, and I don't really live far away at all. It's going to depend on your situation but because I do self care I have to go out twice a day to rug and unrug.

You can pretty much have whatever size suits you. I'm taller and heavier than you and my horse is about 14.2hh. If you're going to go for a smaller horse you want it to have a more solid build, like a Quarter Horse or Cob. If you're going to compete you'll want to make sure that you don't look too big on your horse, so small horses with a larger barrel will take up your leg more. I always had big horses until this one, but I love her small size. I feel so much more confident and everything I do with her is so much easier. Although, I believe the UK is much more "weight conscious" than most other countries when it comes to horse/rider ratio so I'm not sure what is normal around here. I know here in Australia lots of men ride Australian Stock Horses, or that general type, and they're tall and heavy, but the average stock horse (15hh) doesn't seem to have a problem. I think its a similar situation in North America.

Costs are really going to depend on where you keep your horse and your local prices. Do a ring around and find out:

- How much it costs to keep a horse at your local yard
- If that includes hard feed, hay, rugging and general care
- What their paddocks are like - the more grass they have the less hay you feed
- Call around feed stores inquiring about hay prices, and hard feed
- Find out how much a farrier will cost (needed every 6 - 8 weeks)
- Find out annual vet care and dentistry costs

Then work out how much driving you'll have to do, if you're required to go out once or twice a day or if you don't need to at all. There will still be the costs of the horse and tack, and emergency things, on top of that, but they are the general costs to look at.

Hi everyone,

Thank-you for your replies. I am glad you mentioned a cob! I absolutely love them! There are lots of things that we need to think about and I will continue to do my research. My confidence was knocked a while back in an accident when we were out on the horses. I was thrown, nothing too serious but it certainly shook me up! I know it sounds ridiculous but I have felt uncomfortable with horses of around 16hh ever since. Hence me not being able to bond so well. This is why I asked about the height as I am always put with the tallest horse when I go riding. I will continue taking lessons, however, I know there is a horse out there somewhere that is right for me. Thank-you again for your replies :)

Well it is important!

I agree with the girls.. if you don't have confidence now.. buying a horse is not for you.

Stick with lessons; find a good barn and then see once you get some confidence if they'll let you lease. It's about 2/3 the cost of owning in my experience, but it all depends on the program.

Best of luck!