Choosing The Best Beginner Horse For Your Child

Every little girl and boy who takes horseback riding lessons from me wants his or her own horse. Sometimes their parents are amenable to such an investment, and sometimes they are not, but if you think you might like to buy a beginner horse for your child, it's important to think this decision through. Too often, I see parents run out and buy the first pretty piece of horseflesh they find, only to discover later that is was the wrong choice.

For one thing, most parents of horse-crazy kids aren't very knowledgeable about horses in general. They don't know how to safely shop for horses, and they don't know what qualities to seek out. Consequently, they come home with a dangerous or ill-mannered or incapable horse that send their child home in tears every night. To avoid this, it is important to follow a few guidelines for selecting an appropriate beginner horse.

1- Get Advice

Reading this article is a great first step toward choosing the best beginner horse for your child, but you need more than words on paper if you don't know the first thing about equines. A trainer, instructor or equine professional can make your buying experience much more pleasant, and you're far more likely to choose an appropriate animal. In most cases, the trainer at your barn will be more than happy to assist you, but may charge a commission fee for their time.

Even if you don't know a qualified individual, however, there is guaranteed to be someone in your city who knows about horses. Look through the Yellow Pages under "Riding Academies" or "Stables" to find equestrian facilities near you, then contact the owner to see if he or she can help. Again, you might have to pay a small commission, but it's worth it in the long run.

2- Buy Close to Home

It is sometimes beneficial for an experienced equestrian to look for horses across the country, or even on the other side of the world. When you're buying a beginner horse for your child, however, look in a small radius, and don't buy a horse you can't visit beforehand. Not only will this give you an opportunity to "try out" the horse before purchase, but it is a lot harder to get scammed by someone who lives virtually in your own backyard.

Additionally, you might also try to buy from someone you know, or based on a referral from a friend or family member. Working with people you know and trust will take much of the stress out of buying a horse, and you're almost guaranteed to get what you asked for. Unfortunately, the scams in this country aren't limited to credit card fraud and identity theft; they also extend to the equine industry.

3- Ride More than Once

You should never buy a beginner horse for your child without riding it first, but I advise at least two or three rides before you offer up a check on a silver platter. One ride might be stellar, but your child might discover in subsequent rides that the horse is harder to handle than he or she previously thought. Other issues, such as lamenesses or bad habits, can surface after "meeting" the horse several times.

In fact, I recommend putting a down payment on the horse and taking it to your barn for a week to "try out" before paying for it entirely. Most reputable horse dealers are more than happy to accommodate this request, and it simply adds another layer of security to the process. Generally, you'll need to give the seller at least 50% good-faith deposit before you take the horse from their property, and you'll need to return the horse in seven days if you don't intend to buy.

4- Conduct a Vet Check

Just because your trainer says that a beginner horse is the perfect one for your child doesn't mean that this should be the end of the road. Horses, like people, are susceptible to injuries and illnesses that often don't materialize for months or years. A thorough examination by a veterinarian will turn up things like navicular changes and parasites. Have your veterinarian conduct this examination (called a vet check) prior to buying the horse.

If you've driven far to buy the animal, however, you can always write a check contingent on a clear vet check. This needs to be placed in writing so that you can return the horse if there are any significant health problems uncovered by the veterinarian.

5- Pay Attention to Demeanor

Unscrupulous horse dealers will actually drug a horse before showing it to potential buyers, creating an extremely dangerous situation. When you're buying a beginner horse for your child, you want an animal that won't try to hurt anyone, and drugs can make the feistiest, wildest, most unmanageable horse seem like a school pony. Therefore, horses who are overly lethargic or dull-eyed should raise a red flag.

If you think that something "just isn't right", don't buy the horse until you've called out a vet. After the vet check, ride the horse again to make sure that he wasn't drugged the first time you tried him.

Laura Thompson is a freelance writer and equestrian consultant from Houston, Texas. She provides assistance to equestrian professionals who want to enter or who currently work in the equestrian industry, and also conducts clinics and seminars in Texas and surrounding states. Her web site, MICA21.com, provides not only information about her services, but also free resources for equestrian professionals.

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