When did you feel like you were “ready”?

[phosics]

For those who didn’t own your first horse until adulthood, when did you feel like you were “ready” to go down that road and purchase a horse of your own?

I would love to eventually start looking for something, but I am worried that I will forever dissuade myself with conditions like “well, I need to learn x first” or “I need to be riding at x level” “finances need to be at x place” etc etc. I also fear that I will act too quickly, thinking I am ready, and get way in over my head - specifically the finances part. I am in a rather comfortable place financially right now, no debt, living with my long term partner, solid work compensation, but I worry about the what ifs.

I rode for 8-9 years in lesson programs as a kid and came back to the sport in adulthood and have been back for about two years. Mostly half leasing in that time and riding wise I’m nothing amazing but just a pretty average part time ammy

Would love to hear experiences and how anyone has navigated these waters before!

[wsmoak]

One of my vets says that her professor in vet school told them “Horses are born, and then they commence trying to kill themselves.” In order for horse ownership not to be a giant ball of stress, the first thing you need is a savings account that can handle Yet Another Vet Bill for the latest “How on earth did THAT happen” incident. You can also buy insurance to take the edge off. Then hopefully Murphy’s Law will kick in, and you won’t actually need it.

Unless you are planning to keep your horses at home, or you live somewhere that vet care is hard to find, you don’t need to know THAT much about the health/medical side to begin with. You will pick that up as you go. Read some books, try to be there for vet visits, ask for clarification on why any treatments/medications are being given and what they are expected to do.

Whether or not to buy is totally up to you. You sound “ready” but do you really want to be a horse owner, or are you fine half-leasing where you have much less responsibility (but also less control?). Do you want “your own horse” and to have control over his care, shoeing, etc.? There are pros and cons to each side.

Edit because I didn’t answer the question. I was never not ready, I was one of those kids who yelled “HORSIE!!!” and plastered my face against the car window every time I saw a horse. As soon as I got out of my own and could barely afford it, I bought a horse. (See above… it is much better if you can definitely afford it.)

[phosics]

Thank you! If anything, it does help me to remember that nobody else exactly has it all figured out, but they make it work.

And on your last point, that’s the fence I kind of teeter totter on regularly. I do enjoy the reduced responsibility that comes with leasing especially when thinking about things like long term injuries and retirement. However I would also really love to be involved more than 2-3 days a week and also be able to invest more wholly in a horse rather than just the riding experience. Things like training and long term development and general well being. You are definitely right, there are pros and cons to both and I suppose I am still weighing what they each mean to me in the long run.

[Scribbler]

Find a situation where your horse expenses are not a significant burden on your income and the travel and care cam be fit in your schedule. Obviously this is different for everyone.

As far as riding ability I would wait until you can ride well enough that you can buy a nice horse with scope to do what you want not a beginner friendly packer. You may be at this point already.

[J-Lu]

I would look around to potential boarding barns or your own home. What will this cost? Add shoes, vet stuff.

I was never ready for horse costs. I started riding again in grad school and rode horses including a young WB horse that was fantastic. I can say that I never paid for a horse and worked my way to better quality horses. My first horse was available from a family that supported me but was moving. They gave me their WB because we were a great pair and they wanted to see her progress.

Progress she did.

You’ll never think you’re ready. I had horses in grad school. Not ready, yet I learned so much about riding from carting them around the country and working with great trainers and judges.

My current horse, Sir SpooksAlot, has turned into a wonderful partner in the saddle and on the ground.

[phosics]

@J-Lu living in an apartment, so boarding will be a must. I’d like to maybe check in with trainer on what her current board prices are. I don’t stay up to date on them because my lease is based on a flat fee but I know the current market is causing boarding costs to shoot up drastically.

[eightpondfarm]

When i bought my first horse, i boarded in a barn. What was so good about that was i was surrounded by a ton of people who knew everything. I learned basic horse care there. My apartment rent was fixed, and i lived like a pauper. Never bought clothing, didn’t eat out. 1/3 of my income went to my horse. Then, i got a much much better job, and was pretty much home-free! Luckily my first horse was a mustang, and she was never ill until the end…mid-20s. I had her shod but looking back she really didn’t need shoes, trims would have worked just fine. We had so much fun that mare and i. It was heaven. i say: DO IT!!!

[Gardenhorse]

I think you’re ready when you’re comfortable riding (at least on the flat) on your own and you want more than you can get out of leasing (the “more” could be more riding time, more showing opportunities, more control over horse’s care, etc.). You say that you currently ride 2-3 days/week. Is that all in lessons or do you get to ride lease horse on your own sometimes?

For financial planning, you should think about the initial purchase cost of the horse (this includes horse cost, PPE, trainer commission, any tack/blankets/equipment you’ll need to buy), routine monthly costs (board, farrier, routine vet, training/lessons, supplements, insurance) and showing costs. You also need an emergency vet fund before you buy the horse, and need to continue putting aside funds for this monthly. You should definitely ask your trainer about board costs. And make sure you understand what is included in board - is it comprehensive or are there extra services you’ll have to pay for if you need? Also ask about the range of farrier costs - they can be surprisingly high if your horse needs something beyond basic shoes.

[phosics]

@Gardenhorse this is a great breakdown especially on the dollar side, thank you for sharing. Riding wise, I am very comfortable riding on my own. Typically one of my rides a week is a lesson but my work schedule as of late has been wacky so I don’t always get to lesson that frequently. Costs is definitely a little bit more of an unknown with me; I pay 1/2 of all routine costs for lease horse which is helping me to get a good idea of vaccines/dentist/full set of shoes run, but I find that most people don’t really openly discuss the actual vet bill dollar values beyond “really expensive.” But I know that cost can vary SO much depending on what the actual issue was.

[marmarmar]

Just putting in my 2 cents, I purchased my first horse last year at the age of 23. It was a lifelong dream for me that I had worked hard for through my teenage years and early 20’s, working 2-3 jobs while going through undergrad and grad school. I never felt as if I wasn’t ready in a riding/care sense, as I had had several full care leases prior. My only hangup was finances. I think it took the fact that I had a solid understanding of the cost, as well as the risks involved, in order to finally take the plunge. I’m also a spreadsheeter - line up all your expenses against your income and decide how much you’re willing to spend, plus a “what-if” buffer. Having a good chunk of “what-if” savings was necessary too, for me.

I will say, I recently moved across the country for work. I’m now paying 2x what I was for board previously. Obviously this is more than I had originally budgeted when I purchased my horse, but I had enough buffer to absorb the cost. Now I’m just left putting that much less into savings per month, which sucks but that’s how it goes.

Also, paying the couple hundred per year for equine insurance has done wonders for calming my nerves about my horse trying to kill himself. I haven’t needed it yet, but just knowing it’s there, just in case, really helps.

[Posting_Trot]

I think the other thing to ask yourself is, what do you want to do with the horse? The answer to that question will also lead you to answers about how much it will cost to own a horse and enjoy it.

For example, if you really want to show, then a horse will be more expensive–in terms of the price you pay for the horse initially, training and lessons, transportation and fees for the shows themselves, etc. Potentially also in terms of upkeep and veterinary costs–supplements, vet fees, chiro and bodywork (maybe for you and the horse!), special shoeing, etc. All of this is more expensive but there are a lot more professionals involved too which, as a first-time owner, you might find helpful and reassuring.

If you don’t care much about showing, your costs can come down considerably. But as you choose a boarding barn, you still might consider not just the physical amenities of the barn but also the quality of the staff and your potential relationship with the barn-owner or barn-manager. If you trust the people who run the barn, life is so much easier!

So, part of the answer to whether you’re ready or not is whether you can find a place to board that you can afford, that allows you to do what you want to do with the horse, and that you feel is safe and reliable.

[Texarkana]

Life is short. Buy the horse.

I’ve had horses my whole life, so I’m probably not the best person to be giving advice on this topic. But if I can get through college and my broke 20s owning multiple horses, you can make this work!

The best advice I can give is to learn as much as you possibly can. A strong knowledge base can save you heaps of money. Prevention is always cheaper than the cure.

[SharonA1]

Since your finances and other aspects of your life are stable (no pun intended), the only thing holding you back is the habit of saying “not yet.” What if it’s wonderful? What if it’s better than you ever imagined? What if it teaches you all kinds of great things about horses and about yourself? What if it saves or changes a horse’s life because you bought that horse?

Eyes up, leg on, and go. It’s going to be great.

[phosics]

@SharonA1 that last line of yours admittedly brought a smile to my face and even a little tear to my eye! I love that so much. Thank you.

To make the situation more fun, trainer let me hop on another horse at the barn since my lease mare has been out for a couple weeks on a minor injury. Little mare I rode is cute as a button, a fun ride, and a canter like sitting on a couch. I actually really enjoyed her. Just did some basic flat stuff and she was a gem. Lo and behold, she is there as a sales horse - and I am feeling awful tempted to ask for her details. Don’t want to rush into anything of course, but it can’t hurt to ask right?

[LilDunFilly]

I decided I was “ready” once I started getting annoyed that I was basically paying lesson fees to school the lesson horses. I’d been riding for a few years and topped put of my lesson barn’s horses abilities. Decided that I could buy a nice horse for what it would coat to lease for a few months. Set up a budget, window shopping all the while (also spent time researching common seller tricks/scams/questions to ask and things that trip up first time owners). Ran my budget and requirements by my then-trainer. Wound up getting a wildly different type of horse without them, but that had nothing to do with me feeling like I was ready.

[SharonA1]

@phosics

trainer let me hop on another horse at the barn since my lease mare has been out for a couple weeks on a minor injury. Little mare I rode is cute as a button, a fun ride, and a canter like sitting on a couch. I actually really enjoyed her. Just did some basic flat stuff and she was a gem. Lo and behold, she is there as a sales horse - and I am feeling awful tempted to ask for her details. Don’t want to rush into anything of course,

It seems to me that you’re not “rushing” anything, and that in fact this is more a case of, “a great situation fell into my lap.” It is a sign! Follow the sign!

[eightpondfarm]

in a word: YOLO

[joiedevie99]

Think hard about what your goals are. If it helps, write them down. 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year. Very rough rule of thumb, but it’s reasonable to think about buying once you’re at a point where your one year and three year goals can be accomplished on the same horse.

If your one year goal is to learn to canter, and your three year goal is to show over fences - those are probably different horses. You should stick with lessons/leases at that point, because realistically, most people would struggle to sell that first horse when they outgrew him after a year. Or they would overshoot on the first purchase, and buy something unsuitable for where they are now - which often results in them never reaching any of their goals.

Also, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the buying process - and things that truly matter little (age, sex, color, height, does tricks, etc.). What leads to long term success is buying a horse that can do what it is that you want to do. If you haven’t identified what that is before shopping, things get hard.

[eightpondfarm]

And, it’s perfectly FINE just having a beautiful rideable horse as a goal.

[quietann]

The owner of the horse I was part-leasing told me that her daughter would want the horse full time in the spring when conditioning for eventing season started. I’d been thinking about getting my own, anyway. I could afford it, I had my basic riding skills back, and I’d always wanted a Morgan. I had a couple of months to look, and eventually found Feronia.

Oddly enough, when Miss F proved to be just a bit too green and reactive for me, the daughter and I swapped horses for a while; I got the nice, slightly quirky old gelding back, and she went off and had a blast with Feronia. Eventually we swapped again, I put Feronia into full training, and that was that – although I did continue riding the gelding some.