Thinking of buying a new or your first horse? Its an exciting time but there’s a lot to think about isn’t there?
So we thought we’d put our top tips together for new and first-time horse owners to help you navigate this like a pro!
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that owning horses isn’t for the faint-hearted!
There are the early morning starts and late night finishes at the yard, in ALL weathers…
The cost of food, bedding, tack, rugs, farrier and vet fees, clothing, worm counts and worming…
So let’s make it easier for you…
Before You Say YES to the Horse
Before you even get your horse, you need to consider and budget for the set-up costs.
Where will you keep your horse? If you don’t have your own suitable land, do you need to buy or rent a field, or pay for a livery yard?
If you opt for a livery yard or similar, it will likely have most of what you need already… i.e. stables, field shelter and good fencing.
But if you’re using your own land, do you need to…
- Build stables, a tack room and field shelters?
- Lay concrete for stables and outside areas?
- Erect fencing?
Saying Yes to the Horse!
If you’re anything like me… You may want to bring every horse you meet home!
But that’s not helpful if you’ve only got limited space!
But before you load them into the box you need to make sure you and the horse are RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER.
Make sure they’re right for what you want from a horse
Have a list of what you want and what you don’t want!
Is there a specific breed or conformation you need?
Are they the right size for you?
If you can Ride the horse and spend time with them to make sure you’re comfortable with one another.
Take someone with you when you try the horse who can be a level head for you and knows what you are looking for in a horse.
It’s not just about riding. You need to make sure you can handle them on the ground too!
Ask the current owner for as much information as possible about their past. Including any previous or existing health or behavioural issues, they may have. (Even better if you can ask mutual friends about the horse!)
Ongoing health problems can be expensive, especially if they’re not covered by insurance.
So do get the horse vetted to check if there are any problems before you commit.
It’s better to walk away or take time to think than to commit to a horse you aren’t sure is right for you
Bringing the horse home.
All new horses should be isolated from others on the farm for 2 – 4 weeks in case it has an infectious disease like strangles. (this doesn’t always show up for a while)
You can arrange for someone to transport your horse or you can collect it.
Make sure you have travel equipment such as a tail bandage or tail guard and protective boots or bandages if you need them.
You should be given the passport with the horse. (even if it is on loan to you the passport stays with the horse, not the owner).
Also, make sure you get as much history from the previous owner as possible, such as:
What they are fed on and how much;
Their worm count and worming records (if they’ve got copies they can give or send you that’s awesome!).
When they last had flu & tetanus injections, as well as dental or physio treatment.
Then, if there are any issues, you can start working with your SQP straightaway to iron them out.
Have a worm count done for your horse as soon as you bring them home. And follow the advice given by your SQP with regards to wormers.
Be Prepared to Budget & Save
There are the regular costs of things like food, bedding, feed buckets, water troughs, tack, rugs, and fly protection. And YOUR clothing. As well as vet and farrier fees, worm counts and worming, and insurance!
You can budget most of these into your monthly outgoings.
But then there will always be unexpected costs. If your horse throws a shoe, gets sick or injured, paddock repairs etc.
So try to also save a little money each month for these!
One way you can help to spread costs of worming and testing is to get your horse on the EFECS worm count programme or annual subscription.
Having regular worm counts done ensures that you know if, and when, your horse needs a wormer. It will help you to build up a picture of what your horse’s health is and what is normal for you horse. As well as getting support and guidance from Clare.
Good luck with your new horse
