Horse and Pony Care

1 Choosing a horse

The decision to acquire a horse or pony is one of the biggest that you will ever make, and therefore it is very important to consider all the issues involved before you even think of buying one. Try to resist the temptation to ‘fall in love’ with a horse and then resolve that you must have it. Before you do anything else, you must decide what sort of horse is suitable for you. Look at and ride several horses and do as much checking as you possibly can before you part with your hard-earned money.

Buying a horse

The golden rule when buying a horse is that the onus is always on the purchaser to ensure that the horse is what they believe it to be and that it is suitable. This is known as caveat emptor – let the buyer beware. You should never take the seller’s word for it when they say that the horse is sound, fit, healthy and suitable for you.

Do your homework

While many people in the horse world are honest and want to sell the right horse to the right owner, unfortunately there are some unscrupulous ones out there whose primary aim is to make money, regardless of the problems that may ensue. You should always keep this at the front of your mind throughout all your deliberations and make the necessary checks that are outlined in this chapter before you purchase a horse.

Buying the right horse is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. However, acquiring an unsuitable horse – one that may be difficult to handle (even with patient and devoted care) or with an on-going medical condition that means it spends long periods out of work – can be heartbreaking.

You should do everything you can to avoid this situation, which will not only be emotionally draining but could also create financial problems for both you and your family. So make sure you do your homework before you are tempted to buy any horse or pony if you want to enjoy trouble-free ownership. At the very start of your journey to horse ownership, you should consider the questions in the box (left) and try to answer them honestly.

Ask yourself

• Can I afford to own my own horse?

• Do I have time to own a horse?

• Will I keep the horse at livery or look after it myself at home?

• Is my riding sufficiently competent to manage alone?

• Is my knowledge of horse care adequate to ensure the horse’s wellbeing?

• If I am buying my child a pony, are they committed to the project?

Making time

You may love the idea of owning your own horse but before you rush out and buy one, consider the following issues and think about your answers carefully and realistically:

• How many times a week can you ride? If it’s only a couple of times, then perhaps you should consider the possibility of having a sharer (see page), or riding at one of the BHS approved riding schools.

• Can you undertake DIY livery yourself? Do you really have enough time to look after your horse on your own without any help?

• Can you take the time off work to attend visits from the farrier, vet and dentist? These professionals will rarely call at weekends or evenings.

• At what level of fitness will you need to keep your horse if you want to compete him at shows? Do you have the time to work him regularly and to maintain that level of fitness?

Cost factors

The costs of owning a horse in the first year could exceed what you pay for him. Keeping a horse at livery anywhere in the UK could cost £3,000–5,000 a year in fees. And that does not include equipment and tack, farrier, veterinary and dentistry bills, show entry fees and travel, if you want to compete. Another major financial outgoing is the cost of regular lessons with a qualified riding teacher.

Riding proficiency

How many of the following activities have you done?

• Riding a horse bareback.

• Jumping a short course of fences of 0.7–0.75m (2ft 3in–2ft 6in).

• Hacking out on a cold day.

• Walking, trotting and cantering with no stirrups.

• Getting on a horse that you have never ridden before without feeling worried or apprehensive.

• Riding a friend’s horse while they were on holiday.

• Learning to cope with a spook, disobedience or a buck on a horse.

• Riding forward in open countryside.

Someone who has done most of these things would be considered a bona fide novice rider. If several of these things fill you with fear, don’t worry, but do put off buying a horse until you have dealt with them. Confide any concerns you might have in your current riding teacher and work towards tackling them. If you are worried about riding an unknown quantity, how are you going to cope with trying out a prospective purchase?

Looking after a horse

If you are considering buying a horse, then your knowledge of horse care should be sufficient to ensure that the horse is looked after properly.

• Do you know the basics of feeding?

• Can you bring in and turn out a sharp horse on a cold day?

• Can you muck out economically and swiftly?

• Can you tack up and untack?

• Do you know how to check whether tack and rugs fit?

• Could you confidently administer first aid to a sick or injured horse until the vet arrives?

If you are thinking of buying a horse, you must ensure you have adequate time to look after him properly on an everyday basis.

These questions are worth thinking about; perhaps before you take the plunge you could work regularly (for free) at a local riding school or livery yard. You will pick up many valuable skills, will probably be offered some free rides (which should complement regular, paid-for lessons) and improve your practical knowledge of horses.

All this would be good preparation for when you have sole charge of your own horse. It will also give you an invaluable insight into what horse ownership entails.

It is also worth considering the halfway house of sharing a horse for a year or so, prior to buying your own. The financial outlay and risks are less serious and it will help you decide if you really want to take the plunge. But remember to draw up a written agreement if you are going to share a horse, to avoid confusion and keep things straightforward.

You can get yourself some valuable experience of stable management by working for free at your local riding school.

The next step

Once you have satisfied yourself that all the key commitment, know-how and financial concerns have been met, you should consider your particular circumstances further.

Will you be keeping the horse at home or at livery? If he is going to be kept at livery, how much will you have to do outside of the agreement? Some livery services do not include hard feed or tack cleaning, and there may be some days that they do not offer certain services. Your stabling and turn-out facilities may have an effect on what type of horse you buy.

Horses for novices

As a novice, you need to find a horse that is suitable for the type of riding you want to do and with the character you are looking for. Don’t get bogged down with the breed you prefer; it is more important that the horse is obedient, reactive to your forward aids, feels comfortable to you, and is uncomplicated to care for.

The horse’s age

This is an important consideration: a novice rider is not the best teacher for a young or inexperienced horse, so you should opt for one that has ‘been there and done that’ and is in a position to teach you how it’s done. You should probably rule out any horse that is younger than seven or eight, and certainly include those from eight up to fourteen or fifteen years.

Nowadays, horses routinely live into their mid-twenties, so it is worthwhile for a novice to consider the fifteen- to twenty-year age range. In this bracket, the likelihood of a veterinary problem is higher, but that may be a risk worth taking for an experienced animal with an illness-free track record behind him.

A horse’s age can be assessed approximately by examining the incisor teeth. Don’t attempt to do this yourself; ask an experienced person or your vet.

All owners want to have a really rewarding relationship with their horse which can last for years.

Size

Beware of buying a horse that is not the right size or does not have the suitable weight-carrying ability for you. The horse must not be too big for you — he will look imposing, but not with you dangling from his neck when he starts behaving badly because you are too small to ‘keep him together’.

Which breed?

It is misleading to generalize about temperaments and to say which are characteristic of certain breeds. Many riders have happened upon incredibly lazy Thoroughbreds while Cobs can often be quite sharp. Here are a few pointers to help you.

General advice

• All the native breeds are always worth looking at.

• Natives which are crossed with Thoroughbreds are generally adaptable all-rounders – lighter in build than a pure native but able to winter out if necessary.

• Pure Thoroughbreds can make good hacks. Avoid a horse that has been raced professionally, as it may not be ready for a family role.

• Warmbloods have lovely temperaments and can be very rideable. The top dressage and show jumping horses are predominantly Warmbloods, but there are plenty of ‘riding horses’, bred for non-professionals.

Connemara ponies are renowned for their versatility and good natures. They are an excellent choice for young riders.

Breed terms

• Cob: A sturdy, weight-carrying horse of no more than 15.3hh.

• Hack: A lightweight horse of Thoroughbred type, usually ranging from 14.2–15.3hh.

• Half-bred: A horse with one parent a Thoroughbred.

• Hotblood or Fullblood: Applies to Eastern breeds, such as Arabs, and to Thoroughbreds.

• Thoroughbred: Horses registered in the General Stud Book which trace their ancestry in the male line back to three Arab stallions.

• Warmblood: Horses with a mixture of blood used for riding and driving.

Points of the horse

When people talk about horses and their conformation and anatomy, they will use a wide range of technical terms with which you must familiarize yourself.

Examining a standing horse

The rear end is the engine for movement. It is important that the hindlegs sit well under the body and do not trail behind when the horse is stood up on a hard, flat surface. Viewed from behind, the point of buttock should line up with the centre of the hock and create a straight line through the back of the cannon, fetlock and hoof. In the loin area it is desirable to have a good amount of muscle, making it easy for the horse to connect the momentum from the hind legs over his centre of gravity – giving a nice, balanced ride. The horse’s ribs should be nicely rounded and just visible.

The shoulder also plays an important role in the quality of the horse’s movement. Ideally, it should slope 45–50 degrees from a horizontal line. This angle should be mirrored in the angle of the pasterns, too. An upright shoulder will normally result in short paces and make it difficult for the horse to lengthen his stride. The top line of the horse stretches from poll to tail and is a good indicator of his fitness. The line should be smooth, and the withers a little higher than the croup. Examine the way the head is set onto the neck. You should be able to fit two fingers into the groove behind the mandible.

Examining a moving horse

When a horse is moving, look for a good four-beat walk and a two-beat trot. In the trot, there should be a definite moment of suspension. If the horse over-reaches or forges (you will hear a clanking noise as the hindleg hits a front shoe), he is demonstrating that he is not well balanced – this may be because the pace is too fast.

Weight

The horse should neither be too thin nor too fat, as any excessive weight can disguise the outline, making it difficult to visualize what it would look like if he were fit.

Conformation

A trained eye is needed to assess the strengths and weaknesses in a horse’s conformation and movement. It is imperative that you take an experienced person with you to viewings.

Watching the movement

Ask to see the horse walked and then trotted in hand. Look for regularity in stride length and the absence of tripping. Watch out for dishing (swinging the front legs to the side as well as to the front in forward movemement) and plaiting (the hind or front legs being put down in each other’s path). View the horse from behind and watch if he pushes off with his hind legs to develop forward movement.

Where to buy a horse

Before you start looking, think about the horse’s height, age, health, character and experience. Breeding and competition record are of secondary importance. A fit, healthy horse, which you can ride effectively and enjoy, is what you need.

Advertisements

For the first-time horse owner, look at the ads for horses for sale in the equestrian press and in local horse publications that you can pick up at your tack shop. Advertisers should always offer the following information on any horse or pony that is for sale: its age, height, breeding details, health information and details, such as ‘good to shoe’, ‘box’, ‘traffic’ or ‘clip’.

Studs

Many studs will buy and sell horses. While they may be their own progeny, they may also do some dealing as part of their establishment. Studs will often sell youngsters that may be backed or ready for backing, but as a novice rider these are not the best sort of horses to start with. If they are selling older, established horses, then take the same precautions as with any dealer.

Word of mouth

This can be a good way to find a horse, but exercise extreme caution. Don’t rush into buying one that a friend of a friend thinks is perfect for you. It won’t do any harm to go and try it, but does it measure up to what you really want? Look at several other horses that are advertised through other media.

Buying a riding school horse or pony for a child can often seem to be a good option, but there may be pitfalls.

Teachers and trainers

Buying