Before buying a horse, it’s wise to consider a few things – especially if you’re a beginner! In fact, before you consider the array of, often complicated, agreements around purchasing or leasing one, you might benefit from taking some regular lessons to get familiar with different horses.
Procuring a horse is widely recognized as an expensive trade. Horses have almost always been a powerful commodity, from being traded for war campaigns 5000 years ago to being used widely in World War I. The fact that horses have been so powerful and popular throughout history makes it no secret that there are many quality bloodlines going around – some horses even go for up to 70,000,000 dollars at auctions.
There are ways to budget around buying a horse, though you can still expect a fair amount. Luckily, horse lease agreements exist, making it possible for you to purchase one over time and actually use this time to gain experience riding him/her before investing completely.
Here’s what you should consider before buying a horse:
· Accommodation and care
Finding proper board for your horse requires some research into your local equine community. Before paying for and committing to a stable space, find out exactly what services are included in the price. Unless you’re lucky enough to have both the time and funding to accommodate him or her in your own stable, do yourself a favour and make sure you don’t rent stables that are too far away!
· Preparing for competitions
If you’re going all-out with buying the horse you love, you might as well perform in some local, or even national and international competitions! If you’re not only riding your horse regularly for the fun of the experience, make sure that you get quality instruction and lessons for both you and your horse.
· Keeping your horse healthy
Regular farrier fees and veterinary costs can become quite hefty, but making sure that your horse is healthy is a necessary expense of every horse owner. Getting your horse the vaccines and deworming medication they need annually can be covered by medical insurance plans for horses.
· Getting the right gear
Buying a horse is one thing – making sure that you’ve got the right stuff to ride with, however, is something completely different. Invest in quality horse saddles, bridle and other riding gear from Trident Saddlery and you’ll save you and your horse the pain of riding with ill-fitting equipment!