# Am i ready for my first horse and what breeds are better than ot



## Sarah04 (7 December 2013)

Hi,I am a novice rider have been riding a few years can walk,trot,canter and started a bit of jumping (very low jump). I have lessons twice a week in an outdoor school we seem to do the same things each week and i find some of the horses hard to move (lazy) and there is no where to hack . My overall aim is to have my own pony for hacking. We live on a farm have paddocks,stables and plenty of land to hack out on which is all i really want to do as to be honest to much trotting,cantering irritates my lower back. I am prepared for the time ( have plenty as i dont work and my children are at pre school and school) I am prepared for the expence (already own a dog,ducks and pygmy goats so understand daily requirments) I aim on having a qualified instructor to give me lessons at home and hack out with me till i am settled with the right horse. I have many friends with horses for advice and help...Do i sound ready to own a horse? Also what breeds are better than others? Thanks


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## MadBlackLab (7 December 2013)

I find that a certain breed does not make a better horse. Also if you planning to keep your horse at home you will have to get a companion as horse's are herd animals. When you say you have paddocks how many acres is it? It's not just time you need to think of money to as we all know horse's aren't a cheap hobby


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## Sarah04 (7 December 2013)

We have 3 that would be suitable the largest been quarter of an acre. I am prepared finacially have done my research and plan on taking out horse insurance. I Know horses like companionship so what do you recommend?


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## mrogers (7 December 2013)

many people will say a cob. Coloured cob yes, welsh cob absolutely not!!


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## be positive (7 December 2013)

The right pony could be any breed or type. it is finding one that can be happy to do the job and suits you that is the main criteria, a native breed could be ideal if you are happy to have a pony, New forests, dales, fells, connies all make good hacks and an older pony looking for a quieter life could be suitable.
When you want to start looking get someone to advise you, either the instructor or an experienced friend who knows how you ride.
The pony may be happy with the goats for company otherwise you will need another equine, possibly a friend who can keep theirs with you so you have company to ride with would work well.
The only issue is the paddocks, 1/4 acre is not enough for any more than a mini pony or for a small turnout area, it will not sustain a pony properly or give enough space for them to move around and get real exercise, you may need to find other options for grazing.


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## MadBlackLab (7 December 2013)

As I said in previous post, there is no certain breed that makes a perfect horse for what you looking for. You should look for a horse suitable for a novice, be it a cob, native, TB, Irish Draft.


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## Sarah04 (7 December 2013)

Sorry the smallest is 1/4 acre the largest is 4 acres! So a 12 year Fell cross maybe suitable . Most of my friends have there own farms/ stables maybe i could get the kids a nice shetland.....My partners going to love me!


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## MadBlackLab (7 December 2013)

Sarah04 said:



			Sorry the smallest is 1/4 acre the largest is 4 acres! So a 12 year Fell cross maybe suitable . Most of my friends have there own farms/ stables maybe i could get the kids a nice shetland.....My partners going to love me!
		
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You won't know unless you see the horse and try it out. Take someone experienced with you like your current instructor that knows your experience and ability. You said you have lessons but have you had stable management lessons. If not, it would be worth getting some too


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## viola (7 December 2013)

Sarah04 said:



			Hi,I am a novice rider have been riding a few years can walk,trot,canter and started a bit of jumping (very low jump). I have lessons twice a week in an outdoor school we seem to do the same things each week and i find some of the horses hard to move (lazy) and there is no where to hack . My overall aim is to have my own pony for hacking. We live on a farm have paddocks,stables and plenty of land to hack out on which is all i really want to do as to be honest to much trotting,cantering irritates my lower back. I am prepared for the time ( have plenty as i dont work and my children are at pre school and school) I am prepared for the expence (already own a dog,ducks and pygmy goats so understand daily requirments) I aim on having a qualified instructor to give me lessons at home and hack out with me till i am settled with the right horse. I have many friends with horses for advice and help...Do i sound ready to own a horse? Also what breeds are better than others? Thanks
		
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Hello Sarah04, please don't take it the wrong way but in my opinion you don't sound ready yet. My advice would be to find a riding school near you that has good hacking, then loan or share one of their horses whilst caring for him/her yourself. Find an instructor who understands what you like about riding and who will prepare you well for having your own horse. Hacking pony requires you to have a good basic seat to protect their back from pain and strain - finding a tuition that suits your personality and needs is the key so don't give up just because your current riding place doesn't tick your boxes.
When you have you loan horse, make sure you care for him/her yourself with help of the staff so you know how much physical work it requires and if your own back can deal with it. 

Build your riding fitness up too, your horse will need more than a hack twice a week (with your instructor) to remain fit and healthy riding horse himself. 
I would also recommend doing a course in horse management, either part-time at local college or riding school or online.

Regarding a breed, type etc - try riding many different horses until you have more of an image of what type of horse's personality suits you best and go for that in any breed you look at with your instructor. 

Once you are ready to buy it might be a good idea to also speak to World Horse Welfare or other re-homing organisation and see if they might have a suitable companion horse for your horse.  

Good luck


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## Sarah04 (7 December 2013)

Thank you that sounds a really good idea. If the riding school doesnt have any to loan i wonder if i could keep one there so ive got there help and Im  can have lesson on the horse till i have enough confidence to keep it at home. Im very keen to do horse management courses and any other courses i can do ill have to ask at my other riding school. Im going to help my friend with her ponys/horses to get some more experience other than just riding as when i get to the stables the horse is already tacked from previous rider.


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## Sarah04 (7 December 2013)

When i do find a suitable pony i will most definately be taking my very experienced friend / riding instructor and anyone else willing to come it needs to be right !


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## viola (7 December 2013)

Sarah04 said:



			Thank you that sounds a really good idea. If the riding school doesnt have any to loan i wonder if i could keep one there so ive got there help and Im  can have lesson on the horse till i have enough confidence to keep it at home. Im very keen to do horse management courses and any other courses i can do ill have to ask at my other riding school. Im going to help my friend with her ponys/horses to get some more experience other than just riding as when i get to the stables the horse is already tacked from previous rider.
		
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This sounds like a good plan, most riding schools will now have a share scheme where they let riders part-loan horses but if yours doesn't have it then yes, you could always find a loan horse and keep it at the school. Definitely go for the right place where you can do what you like most (i.e. hacking) and get plenty of help on hand  

You might also find that the horses you ride only feel "lazy" because they are tired from previous lesson, try to sometimes ride them on their first ride too, maybe you'll even find your perfect horse right at your doorstep.


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## MadBlackLab (7 December 2013)

Sarah04 said:



			Thank you that sounds a really good idea. If the riding school doesnt have any to loan i wonder if i could keep one there so ive got there help and Im  can have lesson on the horse till i have enough confidence to keep it at home. Im very keen to do horse management courses and any other courses i can do ill have to ask at my other riding school. Im going to help my friend with her ponys/horses to get some more experience other than just riding as when i get to the stables the horse is already tacked from previous rider.
		
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You sound very sensible. Good luck in your quest


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## Booboos (8 December 2013)

It's also worth being very specific about what you want. Write a list of your requirements. Try to avoid unimportant things like colour or breed, and focus instead on what you want to do. For example, you say that you want to mainly hack in walk but want a responsive ride. Already that sounds difficult to find. Many horses need more work than just walking, they need a trot/canter ride 3-4 times a week. You can find a horse that is happy to walk but it would be an older horse ready to semi-retire...unlikely to be very responsive to the leg then but you wouldn't want it to!

Before you buy a forward going horse make absolutely sure you can ride these types of horses in the RS, in the arena and on hacks. I appreciate that it can be frustrating when you have to work hard to get a horse to move, but the problem with a forward going horse is that you have to know what you are doing to get them to stop. Unless you get a feel for how to do this, a forward going horse can quickly become very scary.


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## Sarah04 (8 December 2013)

How much exercise would a Steady 12 year old roughly need per day/week?


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## Booboos (8 December 2013)

12yo is not really that old for a horse, it could be in 'proper' work, i.e. one schooling session a week and 2-3 hacks? It really depends on the horse and what you mean by 'work'. For example, one person's idea of a hack is a 20 minute walk around the village, someone else could do 1,5 hours of walking/trotting and some cantering. I think if you really don't want to trot/canter that much you need a seriously elderly horse that is ready to semi-retire, so 20-ish? Maybe something with arthritis that would benefit from regular but very steady work?


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## Sarah04 (8 December 2013)

Im planning on having 2 hour long lessons a week and hacking inbetween (mainly walking and a bit of trotting and cantering) To be honest i tried a pony today hacked her round the busy roads,trotted her a little bit and she felt a lot nicer to ride than the riding school ponies just because she went when asked and stop when asked. So if i do chose the right horse i may not have a problem with my back doing a bit more


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## ClobellsandBaubles (8 December 2013)

As a fellow sufferer of a bad back I find it is possible to increase the amount you do riding wise if you work up to it and also make sure that the horse you buy has comfortable paces some cobs can be very bouncy and some ponies can have a short jarring stride. I know it sounds obvious but trying something for a short time and hacking it out for a hour can be a whole different ball game so be honest when you go and try. Also little habits like head tossing/shaking or pulling can all affect the back. Oh and also make sure you are happy handling on the ground as some cobs/pony types (any horse really) can be rather bolshy and opinionated darlings and getting dragged to the nearest juicy patch of grass won't help either.


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## Sarah04 (9 December 2013)

Thank you for your reply. I would never buy anything from first viewing I am going back to See/ride the pony again with my experienced friend. She was been lead round by an 8 year old who has also been riding her. Yes my back gets bad if I stop and start things if I continue things on a regular basis it does seem to strengthen it.


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## Booboos (9 December 2013)

Take your instructor with you because she is the person who knows you best and can best advise you on what kind of horse might suit. Also I'd be weary of buying the first horse you sit on, why not try a few to have a better idea of what is out there?


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## Sarah04 (9 December 2013)

Hi this isn't the  first horse I have seen, I have seen a few and I did feel very safe on this particular horse (fell Cross,14hh,used as a riding school pony then a happy hacker). It is a huge thing buying my first horse I won't be making any quick decisions!


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## FestiveFuzz (11 December 2013)

You sound like you've given this lots of thought which is great as I feel too many people rush into buying their first horse. 

That said I don't think you sound ready to keep a horse at home yet. For instance would you be able to spot lameness/colic/laminitis etc? Even after 20 years of riding and owning I find my YO's input invaluable. 

If I were you I'd look to keep your horse on a livery yard until you've got to grips with the care side of things and then you could look to move it home.


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## Sarah04 (11 December 2013)

Hi that is what i would ideally like to do just struggling finding somewhere at the mo but will keep looking! My father in law who lives next door and my sister in law used to keep/ride point to point horses so ive got there help close at hand. Ive always worked in vets with small animals wished id done a bit of large animal now!


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## IAmCrazyForHorses (29 December 2013)

Cobs, Irish drafts, new forest?


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## Cowpony (30 December 2013)

I would thoroughly recommend having a horse at a riding school first. I had been riding for years and although I knew I was by no means an expert I thought I knew enough to have my own horse.  I loaned some short-term and did some of the BHS exams, but it's only when you get your own that you realise how much you still don't know! Luckily I had the sense to keep mine at the riding school where I had lessons and I've learned loads.


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