# Pros and cons of getting a horse



## livtheponylover (9 November 2014)

Hey I am looking to buy a horse and I just wanted to know what the pros and cons are of getting one? Thanks


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## PorkChop (9 November 2014)

There are no cons at all


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## NeilM (9 November 2014)

LJR said:



			There are no cons at all 

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What, other than the fact that you will never have any money / time to call your own, ever again!


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## Apercrumbie (9 November 2014)

Pros: great fun, you no longer need friends, only your best equine bud!
Cons: say goodbye to having a life, smelling good and any money you have.


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## Shutterbug (9 November 2014)

Taking on a horse is not a hobby, its a lifestyle choice.  You will be skint.  You will smell.  You are feeding an obsession and it will take over your life.  On the plus side, you will be happy, get lots of fresh air, and exercise and learn more than you ever needed to know about feeding a large animal


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## oldie48 (11 November 2014)

Pros Get the right horse and you will be happy, poor and obsessed
cons Get the wrong horse and you will be miserable, poor and obsessed


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## Elsbells (11 November 2014)

oldie48 said:



			Pros Get the right horse and you will be happy, poor and obsessed
cons Get the wrong horse and you will be miserable, poor and obsessed
		
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Love this.........how very, very wise.


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## 9tails (11 November 2014)

Oldie48 has the perfect answer.


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## baran (12 November 2014)

LJR said:



			There are no cons at all 

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Not true. If you have been at a good riding school and are used to riding a variety of different horses, you may find only riding your horse limits what you can do and how much you can learn


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## NeilM (12 November 2014)

baran said:



			Not true. If you have been at a good riding school and are used to riding a variety of different horses, you may find only riding your horse limits what you can do and how much you can learn
		
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What you can do, possibly. 

What you can learn, never. I have been riding the same horse for the past six years and there is always something new to learn.


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## numptynoelle (12 November 2014)

From your other threads, at 14, I'd imagine the people you really need to consider convincing are your parents :wink3:

So pros for them: you will happy (if it's the right one, and doesn't get broken)

Their con list may be along the lines of these things:

You'll need to convince them that you can manage the care for an animal without it impinging on your education (including if you have to get a part-time job to help financially support it), bankrupting your parents or leaving them with an expensive mouth to feed if you lose interest/too much school work/go to uni in a few years time. :smile3:


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## Alec Swan (12 November 2014)

Owning and being responsible for a horse,  is a privilege and shouldn't be taken or considered lightly.  They aren't toys.

Alec.


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## baran (14 November 2014)

NeilM said:



			What you can do, possibly. 

What you can learn, never. I have been riding the same horse for the past six years and there is always something new to learn.
		
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Yes and no. I have seen people struggle with a new horse because they have had the same horse for so long that they have forgotten that each horse is an individual and needs to be treated as such i.e forgetting that their old horse might have walked through fire for a carrot while new horse will run a mile!


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## Arizahn (14 November 2014)

Horses are many things. At the top of the realistic concern list would be these terms:

Time consuming
Expensive 
Dangerous
Dirty/smelly
Fragile
Unpredictable 
Yard politics/drama - I hate that this is on the list, but it happens far too often to ignore it.

On the other hand, they do teach you about time management, hard work, disappointment, forward planning, budgeting, compassion and responsibility. Everyday costs include insurance for third party (minimum) and possibly for veterinary treatment (sensible), livery (I have paid from £15 to £65 per week per horse for this!), hay or other forage, additional feed, bedding, wormer, jabs, regular care of hooves and teeth, saddler, physio etc, rugs, tack, hi-vis, riding wear and other items. And travel to and from the yard, if it is not within walking distance. Additional costs include lessons, membership and competition fees, and transporting the horse if required. Have an emergency fund - this should include the cost to PTS and dispose of the horse, should the worst happen. This is not an exhaustive list btw.

I own two - one is not yet old enough to be backed, the other is approaching twenty and semi-retired. Neither was expensive to buy, both have cost me a small fortune since then. Obviously you won't buy a youngster - DO NOT BUY A YOUNGSTER AS YOUR FIRST HORSE - but he has had very bad luck where injuries are concerned. It remains to be seen if he will ever be more than a field ornament. This can happen to any horse. The older horse is a nice animal, but went through a phase of testing boundaries with me. At one point I wondered if I had made a dreadful mistake buying him. Thankfully it was simply a case of new home jitters, but again, this can happen to any horse. They are not machines. They will have off days, they will test you, and they can all spook! 

Also weather. Winter is very hard, and there is no grass. Spring is still hard, and there is some grass but too much sugar. Summer is better, except there will be too much grass. Autumn is a time of reasonable grass with random spikes in the sugar levels. Visibility is never ever good enough when riding out, regardless of season. Wear hi-vis. Wear a hat. Wear a body protector. Replace these items as required - be aware that the more urgent the need for a replacement, the more expensive it will be. The same rule applies to tack and rugs. Farriers run to their own clock, so do most vets. Where there are liveries there will be drama - don't add to it, and don't enable it. Poo pick daily and check fencing/water troughs etc. If the stable is too dirty to sit down in whilst wearing your best jeans, then it is not clean enough for the horse. I could go on, but I won't.

If your parents are fully aware of the realities and still willing and able to allow you to own a horse, congratulations. Although technically they will be the ones who are the legal owners, due to your age. They will also need to sacrifice their own free time to supervise, and that's a big ask. It may be more practical to loan or share a horse initially, as this will let you and your parents experience ownership with the option of returning the horse if it doesn't work out as expected. 

Still, regarding buying. Take someone knowledgeable and trustworthy with you to look at any potential purchase - your parents should be able to ask your instructor for advice on this. The same applies to selecting a livery yard. It is best to have a place reserved and paid for at the yard before you look for the horse, as if you can't afford the livery before the horse arrives then you can't afford the horse. And have the horse vetted - if a mare, it is sensible to have a pregnancy test carried out too.


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## sarahann1 (18 November 2014)

Arizahn said:



			Horses are many things. At the top of the realistic concern list would be these terms:

Also weather. Winter is very hard, and there is no grass. Spring is still hard, and there is some grass but too much sugar. Summer is better, except there will be too much grass. Autumn is a time of reasonable grass with random spikes in the sugar levels. Visibility is never ever good enough when riding out, regardless of season. Wear hi-vis. Wear a hat. Wear a body protector. Replace these items as required - be aware that the more urgent the need for a replacement, the more expensive it will be. The same rule applies to tack and rugs. Farriers run to their own clock, so do most vets. Where there are liveries there will be drama - don't add to it, and don't enable it. Poo pick daily and check fencing/water troughs etc. If the stable is too dirty to sit down in whilst wearing your best jeans, then it is not clean enough for the horse. I could go on, but I won't.
		
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I read this particular paragraph to the Trainspotting tune....

I'll leave now...*side steps away, back to the wine, depressed in the knowledge the OP probably has no idea what I'm on about*


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## Jenny Wrenny (19 November 2014)

sarahann1 said:



			I read this particular paragraph to the Trainspotting tune....

I'll leave now...*side steps away, back to the wine, depressed in the knowledge the OP probably has no idea what I'm on about*
		
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sarahann1 I know what you mean!


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## roz84 (28 December 2014)

sarahann1 said:



			I read this particular paragraph to the Trainspotting tune....

I'll leave now...*side steps away, back to the wine, depressed in the knowledge the OP probably has no idea what I'm on about*
		
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Choose life!


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## stormclouds (4 January 2015)

sarahann1 said:



			I read this particular paragraph to the Trainspotting tune....

I'll leave now...*side steps away, back to the wine, depressed in the knowledge the OP probably has no idea what I'm on about*
		
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Haha! Same.

In addition to everything that Arizahn has said (who pretty much summed it all up perfectly), think about the next few years. I rode with a really close group of friends at your age, all horse-mad, spent all our time at the yard. However, when we started turning 15/16, a lot of the girls lost interest due to boys/school/shopping etc. I'm not saying you can't balance it, but it's hard and definitely something to consider. Especially with school work increasing/wanting to go out with friends etc., having a horse means you often have to say no to seeing friends (or boys!) because you need to spend your spare time doing homework when you're not at the yard. I got a lot of my rides between 14 - 17 due to other girls losing interest and ponies needing to be ridden. 

How much experience do you have with the non-riding side of horses? If you haven't already, why not try a loan/share first, or see if you can get some experience helping at a riding school?


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## lizziebell (4 January 2015)

roz84 said:



			Choose life!
		
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Always wear sunscreen ..


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## roz84 (4 January 2015)

lizziebell said:



			Always wear sunscreen ..
		
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Different song, but ok! -

Do one thing every day that scares you.

(Gone off on a tangent!)


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