Mummy, I want another pony!

There comes a time in every equestrian's life where they decide they want to buy a horse. This may be decided after leasing a horse or after having riding lessons or just being horse crazy for a few years, but that does in no way stop it from being a massive decision. Buying a horse leaves you with a long, permanent commitment. The only way out is to sell up, but we all know how long this can take! There are many things to consider when looking to buy a horse, including what you will use your horse for, how much you are prepared to pay and how committed you are.

All horses are only good for certain things. You can get a showjumper that is no good at dressage, a ex-racehorse that can't canter or a pacer that can't trot. The is so much variation in a horse's abilities and their strengths and weaknesses that you truly have to know what you want to do with your new horse before you even start looking. If you want a showjumper, you have to look for a showjumper and when you trial it, you have to jump it and do a course of jumps to test the horse's abilities.

Another extremely important thing to consider when looking to buy a horse is your budget. If you have $5,000 to spend, you spend $5,000. If you have $1,000, you spend $1,000. Some owners will be willing to consider a payment plan, but you have to make the call when you trial the horse if it is really worth the amount it is advertised for, and be critical as humans tend to talk things up, buy them and then regret it.

Commitment is a big factor when it comes to buying and caring for a horse. You have to ask yourself 'Do I have the money to look after this horse?', 'Do I have enough time each day to go look after this horse?', Am I going to lose interest in the next few years?'. All of these questions are so important, because if you own a horse but get over-committed or lose interest or have to sell it for another reason, it could take months to sell and it is not hard to get burdened with an unwanted horse.

Buying a horse is a big decision that should in no way be a spur of the moment thing. You have to consider if you are committed enough and have the time to care for this horse. You have to consider what you want to use this horse for and look specifically for a horse that excels in that area and you have to consider you budget. The absolute worst thing to happen would be for someone to get burdened with an unwanted horse because they weren't critical enough with themselves and the horse when looking to buy one.

Until next time
-KaimanawaKim