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So You Want to Own a Horse, Part II

by Whitney Weston

After reading Part I of this series in the March/April issue, I hope you eager new horse shoppers have assembled a quality team of vets, farriers, dentist, trainers and barn owners. Now you are ready to pounce should the perfect horse come across your path! In the industry, we call the perfect horse a “unicorn.” Let me walk you through the steps on how I help my clients find their own unicorn.

First, have a sit-down with a spreadsheet. Let’s identify a few parameters for your unicorn.

Budget: There are wonderful horses at every price point. You don’t need to be a millionaire to purchase a horse, but there are some correlations to observe with price. Usually a more trained and beginner-safe horse can cost more. Showing experience and good placings up the cost of any horse. Does your horse need to know to jump or are you looking to practice Dressage? The discipline the horse practices and barn it is sold from can vary the price greatly. Are you looking to do local trail rides/competition, or are you planning to travel and show aggressively on a circuit? This is a conversation to have with your trainer to identify your needs and what budget range those unicorns are found in.

Personality and Breed: Are you a nervous rider that needs a laid back horse to gain confidence? Or are you a bit of a wild child and don’t mind going fast and living on the edge? These are two different rider personalities that require two very different horse personalities. I have seen the wrong match many times and it’s not fun for anyone!

This can become a bit of a “nature vs. nurture” situation. Horse breeds, like dog breeds, have been meticulously created over (often) centuries. Hot blooded horses like thoroughbreds are born runners and jumpers, typically intense and excitable, and need exercise 4-6 days per week. If you enjoy athleticism and responsiveness in your ride, and are able to keep up with the thoroughbred schedule, then this might be a breed for you! But if you are more of a “weekend warrior,” you need a dependable mount that doesn’t mind being worked a couple days a week and can relax in the paddock until you get there. A cold blooded draft horse, a mix, or a quarter horse might be more your speed. You wouldn’t pick a working dog blue heeler to live in a small apartment in NYC, would you? We have many different breeds at my farm, and clients find it helpful to take lessons on each type, to learn what personalities and breeds might suit them.

Here is the nature part: Not all thoroughbreds are hot headed, not all draft horses and slow and dependable! Super cut and dry right? Some thoroughbreds who are trained and race well might be worldly in attitude and not surprised by anything. I have known some ill-mannered draft horses who were untrained and unsafe. Refer to the trainer on your team to help suss out each specific horse before you try them.

Age: This is where I see new owners miss the mark the most. They want young, so there are many years left to ride. Yet if the horse is young and untrained, will those be quality, fun and safe years? In my experience, no. If you are a rider who has ridden all her life and has trained young and green horses in the past and enjoy that adventure, then great! If you are a first time owner, don’t do it! Caveat: I have had and sold well meaning and young (6-8 years) horses to amateur clients. This works only if the trainer is heavily involved, which will make monthly expenses higher, and the owner is willing to go slow. If you are wanting a horse that is ready to compete with you next weekend, this is not the adventure to sign up for. If you find a dependable horse that fits all your requirements, but is healthy and happy at 15 years old or higher, go for it!

Height: This is not as simple as it sounds! Besides how tall you need a horse to be for your height (are you 5 feet tall or 6 feet tall?), make sure to look into the horse’s build. A 14.2 hand pony who is wide-barreled and big boned will be able to carry a small adult in addition to a child while a 16.3 hands is fairly tall, but if the horse is slight in build, the rider’s leg falls lower on the horse’s belly and might seem much smaller. In that scenario, a tall rider should not discount a smaller 16 hand horse that has good bone (perhaps a part draft breed), as he might fit the rider even better.

Now that we have your ideal unicorn written down on a spreadsheet, it’s time to get started in the search! Happy Hunting, and stay tuned for Part III where I’ll address test riding a horse.PL

Whitney Weston is a professional horse trainer with more than 30 years of riding experience and competing at the international level of eventing for 15 years. She trains out of her Southern Pines farm through Valkyrie Sporthorses, and runs Southern Pines Riding Academy.

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