they say this is the only way to keep the horses from trotting with their inexperienced riders. I have worked at three other barns and have never encountered this so I am curious to know if this is legal, moral, or normal
I am looking at putting an offer in on a house in a very horse friendly neighborhood. I'm not rushing into getting a horse again for myself but it does have a little 2 stall barn. The property it's self is just over an acre with half an acre dedicated to the barn and pasture. There isn't an arena on the property but there is a community arena accessible by trail a few minutes ride away.
There is also a big state park with 25 miles of riding trails a few minutes in the other direction. Also accessible from the property on community trails with only one road to cross to get into the park.
Long term, I expect I will have horses again, but in the meantime I thought I could board out of the little barn.
Would it be a deal breaker that the actual riding isn't onsite? Also, I would totally feed morning and night, muck the stalls and pasture and turnout. But I do have a job and wouldn't be onsite during the day. Is that a deal breaker?
Just gathering info and ideas. Curious to see your thoughts!
Hello all,
First time poster, long time lerker.
I'm looking for advice on buying my first horse, I've been riding over 20 years, though I've been very off again for the last 10, doing occasional trail rides with (public) trail horses. However the past month I've been part boarding a relatively green horse (prior trail horse, sat for 2 years in paddock, restarted 4-6 months ago), and I feel pretty confident with her. Overall I consider myself a novice rider, and I still have much to learn in terms of horse care and maintenance. I feel pretty confident in the saddle, so no issues there. In future I'm interested in doing some western pleasure or barrel racing, but mostly just trail rides and relaxation. Horseback riding is a great escape for me.
I am currently a graduate student so I have at minimum 4-5 days a week free for riding. I'm starting my PhD in the fall so this schedule will stay the same for the next 4 years at minimum. Barns around my area are $300 (outdoor board) and $500-600 (indoor board).
Now on to my questions:
Which type of board is better overall, or does it depend on the horse?
How much typically does a horse cost a year? (I found this online, is it reasonable?
What should I be looking for in a horse?
Is there a good book you would recommend for everything horse care to get me started (signs of illness, minor wound care, etc)
What are good questions to ask the seller about the horse before purchasing?
Is it typical to get some type of guarantee for a horse?
Good horse insurance plans?
I think that's all for now, if there's a question I'm missing please feel free to let me know.
