I’m looking into buying a horse. What are the basic horse care things I should know?
Your question is very broad and books have been written on this subject, but to narrow it down, where will you be keeping the horse? What do you want to do with the horse, trail riding, participating in horse shows, keeping it as a pet (as in a retired horse), driving it (having it pull a cart or wagon), endurance sports, etc.?
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I’ll be showing the horse, English riding.
Have you been taking lessons with a trainer? That would be my first recommendation: find an instructor you trust that has a program with riders working their way to show in your chosen discipline. Some programs even offer lease options where you can really experience horse management before leaping into ownership.
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The first thing you should do is not buy a horse.
Go to a good riding stables and take lessons for a year. After a year try to half lease a horse that you can take care of. If that goes well, then in another year consider buying a horse.
If you keep your horse in a full board barn then the basic feeding and stall cleaning will be done for you. If you keep it at home you need to know a lot.
Horse care is not rocket science but it does take experience. You need to be around other people who know what they are doing in order to learn.
We can’t possibly tell you everything here.
A good basic resource is the Pony Club manuals for the different levels. Start with Level D.
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Needs to apprentice with the foal buying 15 year old.
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I took lessons with a trustworthy, knowledgeable trainer for 10 years and spent lots of time in the barn doing chores, feeding, mucking out, cleaning tack, you name it, before I bought my horse. Even after all of that, I didn’t realize that there was still SO much I needed to learn. Please, do yourself and your future horse a favor and find a reputable lesson program with a good trainer, a vet, and a farrier before you even start shopping for your horse. Having experienced, knowledgeable professionals to help guide you makes a world of difference. Don’t rely on Internet forums to supply the bulk of your education - you need hands-on experience under the supervision of a seasoned horse owner or trainer. Period.
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Can’t tell you how quick a good, safe, gentle horse can become a PITA bully with an inexperienced owner – really, do find a trainer and take lessons for awhile to get your feet wet. In addition to doing so, you’ll start to make horse connections that you will need as a horse owner.
For the basics, you can’t beat the Pony Club manuals. I bought them as an adult getting into horses just because they were comprehensive and clear and focused on horse care rather than a particular sport.
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Where will you be keeping the horse?
The OPs other posts suggest a young child, and a beginner beginner. Who is in lessons. OP be guided by your instructor and learn as you go.
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Another option is to volunteer at a local horse rescue or therapy program. You won’t be able to ride there (unless the rescue needs riders to exercise the horses) but you get lots of experience mucking out stalls, helping feed, watering, moving horses, and catching horses; plus, you’ll be helping out the community. Or volunteer your time to muck stalls, feed, etc. at a local barn in exchange for lessons.
I’ve volunteered at a therapy program for two years and have gained so much experience and confidence around horses (though I already was comfortable around them, and had ridden my whole life). I am just now looking for a horse to call my own, and I feel completely ready. It really helps having outside experience first. Not to be rude, just a word of advice: For your sake and the horse’s, don’t just jump in with both feet - be prepared. 
As far as basic horse care, it is a broad subject like someone else mentioned, but I would recommend doing a lot of research and reading online and in books written on it. You want to be well versed in all aspects of it, for the safety of yourself and your horse. There’s a lot that goes into horse ownership and being well educated beforehand keeps many unnecessary mistakes or issues from occurring.
Wish you the best with whatever you decide to do. Good luck!
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There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to buy a horse, bring it home, and get started on your journey. You don’t need to take lessons for years.
Just find a reputable trainer, ask them to help you find a beginner safe horse, and take lessons with your new baby. Its not rocket science, but there is quite a bit to it - all of which you can learn. Don’t fall into a trap of buying a pretty horse, or a young horse so you can “learn together”, or a hot horse that is too much. Get an older, been there/done that horse who will teach you and help you be safe. You can even lease something that fits this bill while you prepare. Good horses are out there - but they can be hard to find, so ask for help.
Cherry Hill has several great books on horse-keeping to get you started. Boarding at first may be better as you will find yourself surrounded by knowledgeable horse people. The right barn environment will encourage you in your new journey and help you succeed.
Don’t let anyone scare you off of pursuing your dream under the illusions that you can’t do it. You can. You just need to be smart about it. Find and build a network of support.
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There is nothing wrong with leasing a horse before you buy one, which I highly recommend. I lessoned for 3 years, leased horses for 5 more years, and I am just now looking to buy my first horse! Leasing a horse gives you enough responsibility to learn basic horse ownership, but not so much responsibility that you have to make important decisions that could have a negative impact on your horse.
That being said, buying a horse as a beginner is fine IMO as long as you have a good trainer. As a beginner, to riding AND horse ownership, you are going to rely very heavily on your trainer, your vet, and your farrier. You can read all of the books, articles, and online forum threads on horse care that you want (which I do encourage doing!), but at the end of the day, most of your knowledge is going to come from professionals who work with horses for a living.
At this stage in your riding career, I would not do anything without asking advice from your trainer first, ESPECIALLY when you buy your horse. I would never horse shop without my trainer, who knows exactly what horse I need and my skill level better than I do.
I would absolutely look for an older, dead broke horse. They may not seem as fun as the speedy, hot-headed horses (preaching to my younger self here!) but you will have the most fun on a horse that can face any situation in the world and not bat an eye.
If you are serious about learning basic horse care, PM me and I will answer as many of your questions as I can.
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Thank you!
If OP is as young as she sounds, she may want to bear in mind that many equine nonprofits have a minimum age limit for volunteer roles that involve handling horses (usually for liability/safety reasons, but also frankly bc supervising beginner kids can be more labor intensive for staff/leaders than the actual work the volunteers are meant to do).
In any case, OP would do well to find someone to learn basic horse care from in a hands-on context before thinking about becoming a horse owner. There’s a lot to know that can’t be effectively taught via forum posts.
Buy. Insurance. Seriously. Unless you are able to set aside a whack of cash in case something goes wrong, get insurance. I don’t know about other areas but where I am, you can only get medical/surgical with mortality. I really don’t care about mortality insurance anymore, now that mine is retired from showing, but I get it anyway for the medical. Stuff can start adding up fast.
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