When my husband and I bought our first pony we really didn’t have a clue. Neither of us was experienced with equines and didn’t know what kind of pony we should get. We specified a gelding but got a stallion, expected him to be around five or six but he was only two. Because the pony was only saddle broken, he was difficult to train and frustrating to ride. The pony needed extra work and had to be ridden everyday. He was often stubborn, disobedient and not very forward going with a moody temperament.
We love this pony but working with him has been stressful. After much consideration, my husband and I are going to sell him to a place where he will be put to good use; a riding school where he will be brought on and developed until he matures, with people who have more skills to handle him. So we’re going looking at another equine, this time a horse.
When you’re going to buy a horse I would suggest bringing someone with you who knows a lot about them, ensure the animal has a passport – identification, this will show the correct age of the horse, get an equine vet to do a vetting on the horse; this should cost an additional 80 euro or 120 if you want an official certification and ask for a trial period. Make sure you have enough space to keep a horse, that you have the time to take care of them. Check their hooves regularly and horses need to be wormed. Take care that you do get the right one – experienced riders may choose a young horse for racing, hunting, eventing etc, a novice or nervous rider may wish to own an older and more experienced horse – 10 years plus. Don’t make the same mistake as we did. Just take your time, seek advice and you will have a horse for life.
