Finding Your Perfect Horse- How To and Tips

How to find your dream horse. Where to look, how to start and most importantly, are you ready?

by Karen Prell

Okay, now you’ve read that title and you’re scratching your head, thinking “There is no perfect horse”. Well what I’m talking about here is finding your perfect horse. You know he’s out there somewhere (or she) but you have no idea where to look. Or, maybe you’ve been looking for a long time and still haven’t found him. Searching classifieds can get old, but networking with your instructor, riding buddies and even boarders at the barn where you take lessons at are all valid places to hunt. Hopefully this article will give you a few more options in your quest for the perfect horse!

Take heart. There is hope, and it might just be that you’re looking in all the usual places and not going to those places you would least expect to find your dream horse.

 

Are You Really Ready to Own a Horse?

The first thing any horse lover absolutely has to do is to be brutally honest. You may want that fancy upper level dressage horse with the extravagant movement and looks to die for, or maybe it’s that spectacular reining horse who can slide for a mile with his butt in the dirt, but if your riding level it not up to these horses or a little beyond it, both you and the horse will suffer the frustration of not being right for each other. In this scenario, it is usually the horse that gets hurt, rejected and sent on down the road to an unknown fate.

Whatever your riding level, the first thing to do is ask a knowledgeable horse person to assess your abilities and make some suggestions. If you have a riding instructor with whom you are happy and who you trust, ask him or her if you are truly ready to take that big leap into horse ownership. If your instructor says you are not quite ready, don’t take it personally and listen to what he says. Your instructor's years of experience and knowledge of your riding abilities could save you money and heartache down the road.

As a riding instructor with many years of teaching under my belt, I have always advised any of my students (and parents) that it would be wise to wait at least six months to a year after they start riding to even think about getting a horse of their own. I believe it takes most folks at least that long to see if riding is going to be a lifetime commitment for them or just an occasional thing that they fit in when there is time. Some of my students think I’m trying to scare them by emphasizing the work and expense of having a horse, but I would rather lay it out in the bluntest terms that I can, so that they are armed with the best information to make an intelligent decision on horse ownership.

My Dad used to tell me that getting the horse was the easy part, keeping him (expense wise) was much harder. Boy was he right! But that the subject of another article. For now let’s just concentrate on the many creative ways there are to find your horse.

Creative Methods for Your Horse Search

Whether you are a baby boomer who is looking to fulfill a long put off childhood dream or you are a youngster not so silently begging for that “first” horse, it pays to look at all of the alternatives available out there.

If you’ve honestly assessed your situation, talked with horse people you trust and you want to gallop forward into the heady world of having your own horse–– Tallyho!

In no particular order, here are some of the ideas you should investigate before opening your heart to a horse of your own.

Lease a Horse

I am a big fan of leasing a horse as a first step towards ownership. This is a way of putting your toes in the water so to speak before you actually dive head first into the pool.

More than a few instructors and trainers are quite willing to do an “on site” lease of one their lessons horses to an existing student. This is often a good deal for both parties. You get more riding time on a horse you already like, and the trainer gets financial help with their expenses. If you have been riding a certain horse and the two of you seem to be a good fit, ask your trainer if they would consider this.

Since all leases are structured individually, no two are alike. In general, you get “first consideration” on lesson time and are given a more liberal amount of free time riding. Your equine friend will still be used for other riders, but unless you are going to be riding everyday for hours at a time, this could be a good option for you.

In the past, I have let a couple of my students lease one of mine just to see if the family would be able to fit a horse into their lifestyle before they made the decision to buy one. Since none of my horses were for sale, they had no pressure or obligation to buy. This can be another plus of leasing. I structured it so that the student could ride anytime that I was also present at the barn, and as long as the horse was not needed in another lesson. The student also got to go to shows if they desired, and for that they had the horse for the entire day.

In all my years of teaching I did have one horse that I sold to a student. It was a match made in heaven. My spunky little (only 13.2 hands) Arab mare, Sox had a very high opinion of herself and was a great little jumper, but only if you did not try to tell her how to jump. She was my “aim & jump” horse. As long as you got her to the center of the jump she would get anyone to the other side safely. My student, Amy, started riding her when she herself was only about 8 years old. Amy was the kind of rider who would try anything you asked her, but she’d never put herself or her horse in any trouble on purpose.

Well these two got along like they were made for each other, and in retrospect, I think they were. Her parents and I conspired to make Sox a Christmas present for Amy and on the appropriate day when Amy came to the barn to have a lesson, we presented Miss Sox to her with a big ribbon around her neck. It worked out so well that today Miss Sox is still around at the age of 32 and looks great! My student went on to college, become President of Florida Future Farmers of America and now has her own little rider-- her son. So I daresay Sox has another generation to introduce to horses.

The downside to leasing is, of course the fact that the horse is not yours totally and is shared with other riders. I have found that the riders using the same horse all seem to get together and swap ideas and experiences. Often the horse is the beneficiary of their own little fan club and the riders get to work through their riding problems with input from others riding the same horse and getting maybe a little different performance out of it.

Overall, leasing a horse could be the way to go for busy baby boomers that maybe is just getting back into riding or fulfilling a long held dream. Think of it as horse ownership “iite”-- the pleasures of ownership without the total commitment.

Visit a Breeder

This is probably the method that comes to most minds when thinking of buying a horse. For the riders out there who are looking for a specialist of a specific discipline (Dressage, Endurance, Reining, Cutting or many other Show disciplines) this is the place they usually start in their quest for their perfect horse.

The only downside to this particular avenue is that the horse you need may not be available at the time you need it. Perhaps the breeder only has young stock for sale or older more finished horses that may be out of your price range. You have to make some calls and see what is out there. Maybe it is a breeder whose horses you’ve admired at shows and you like the way they perform. It can’t hurt to approach the breeder at a show and let him know what you are seeking.

Be honest about your price range, your abilities and what you are seeking. Sometimes what you are willing to pay and what you want don’t necessarily go together and you might have to compromise on either side to get the horse that is right for you.

A lot of breeders will do payment plans with a predetermined down payment. The registration papers will then be transferred over to you once the terms of the contract have been met. If you are not comfortable with a credit type of arrangement on your horse, then this would not be for you.

Adopt a Rescue!

Of all the methods to obtain your own horse, this is my favorite! Not only are you saving a life, but you may very well find a “diamond in the rough” that others have overlooked.

Every breed has its own rescuers, so don’t think you can’t find the purebred you prefer by way of adoption. It’s definitely do-able. Most people are aware of the many rescue programs for Off Track Thoroughbreds (OTTB’s). I strongly urge anyone who is looking to show to put one of these rescues on your “go see” list, even if you never thought of riding a Thoroughbred. There are many of these former racehorses that were not a success at the track that could be perfectly suited for going around the show ring or down the trail.

Bahamut, an OTTB adopted by Raina Paucar, standing at the mounting block.  ©Edgar Paucar

Every state in this country has at least one rescue group and some of them specialize in specific breeds, so there is no reason you could not find the horse of your dreams by going and looking around at any of the rescues.

Many times breeders themselves can be another resource for adopting a horse. The majority of reputable breeders will make sure that if a horse they bred is not suited to its original purchaser, that person can return the horse to the breeder to make other arrangements.

For anyone who might be interested in adopting a rescue for your next horse and don’t know where to start, please feel free to email me and I will do what I can to help. Bottom line is that you are saving a life when you adopt!

Whether you are looking for your first horse or your next horse, there are many creative ways to get that horse. A little soul searching and homework on your part will go a long way to making this a mutually beneficial long term partnership!

About the Author: Karen Prell, aka "Triple Crown Karen," came from a very non horsey, working class New Jersey family and started riding at age three. With over thirty years experience as a riding instructor, Karen is passionate about developing beginners into confident riders and compassionate horse owners. A favorite expression heard often by her students is "It's ALL about the horse!" A lover of all things "horse," she is especially passionate about promoting the retraining of retired Thoroughbreds and adoption and rehoming of unwanted horses. Her ultimate dream would be to see the US Equestrian Team mounted on these great reclaimed athletes. Her career in media focuses on the everyday equestrian adventure and how a horse lover of modest means CAN make a difference for even ONE horse.