Buying a Horse - Our First Web Page - Jacquelyn Geyer & Amberleigh Million

Horse shopping is an easy task that many people make difficult by not paying attention to the obvious. Many people get one particular type of horse in mind and when they find the horse, without any second thoughts, they buy it. This often leads to disappointed owners, and neglected horses.

Choosing a good horse is simple if you know the right things to look for. The first question one should ask themselves is what gender of horse do they want. Most people want geldings since they are calmer than stallions or mares.

Once this is decided, you should carefully examine any horse you consider. Many sellers find easy ways to cover up the faults that their horses might have, but there are several things that they can’t hide. Things that will tell you whether or not you want the horse you’re looking at. If a horse lays back it’s ears when it is approached this is a bad sign that the horse may have a foul temper, be spoiled or be barn soured. If it perks it’s ears up this is a sign of a well tempered, alert, friendly horse. Another sign of a foul tempered horse is whether or not it stands still when being approached, or looks for ways to get away. You may even keep a close eye on the handler. If he or she seems uneasy or overly cautious around the horse, this probably indicates a horse that bites, rears, or kicks. Another thing to be aware of is a runny nose or cough. A sick horse is not a good horse to buy. Look at the health records of the horse, to see if vaccinations are current. Vaccination is extremely important to determine health of a horse.

Feet and legs are also important in choosing a good horse. A horse with a limp or crooked legs is worthless and you should never consider buying a horse with bad legs. You shouldn’t buy a horse that favors one lead over another. A way to determine this is by standing directly in front of a horse and comparing it’s chest size. If one side is larger than the other, then this is a sign that the horse favors that lead. Sight is also an important thing to consider. One way to determine whether or not a horse has good vision, is by watching his eyes when it is lead into the light. If the pupils dilate this is good. The most important and one hundred percent sure way of determining how good your horse is, would be to ride it. Pay attention to how it handles the bit. Does it need a lot of urging? Is the horse overly sensitive? Another important thing would be to test how smoothly it changes gaits. Always remember, it is not fair to judge how a horse rides by only riding it once.

Be objective in your evaluation of the horses you’re considering. If you have any doubts look at other horses. Always keep in mind that no horse is perfect. With lots of patience and practice, minor problems can be worked out. If you remember these tips and don’t rush into anything, somewhere out there you will find the horse for you!!!!

We certainly hope that you will keep some of these things in mind when looking for your horse. Speaking of looking for your horse, if you check out our Links Of Other Interest, you will find many places that have horses for sale and lots of other neat stuff.

Good Luck Horse Hunting.