How to Choose Your First Horse

The day you get your first horse is one of the most exciting days in your life! You'll hardly be able to contain yourself until he's home, or at the stable, and you can start spending time with him. But before that day comes, you have to choose which horse to take home.

I believe a beginning rider should choose an older horse - at least 5 years old. Now that horses have an easy life and good nutrition and veterinary care, it isn't unusual for horses to be ridden well into their twenties, so don't be afraid to buy a horse who is already 10 or 15 years old. He'll know more and be less apt to do silly things than a young horse.

I know the idea of raising a foal is exciting, but it has drawbacks. For one thing, you won't be able to ride that foal for 2 or 3 years. Do you want to wait that long? For another thing, it takes a lot of know-how to train a baby horse. You either have to know what you're doing or have someone to help you every day who knows exactly what to do.

The first thing you should look for is a horse that's easy to catch. If you go to a farm or ranch to see the horses and the one they want to show you is already saddled and ready to go, it could be because it takes a long time to catch that horse! It could also mean that the horse doesn't stand still well to have the saddle and bridle put on. It's better to see the horse brought in from the pasture or taken from the stall, and then to watch while it is brushed and saddled.

A horse who runs to the fence to meet you is a lot more fun that one that gives you twenty minutes of exercise running around the pasture trying to catch him! It also shows that he likes people and wants to be around you.

Before you get on any horse to "try him out," let the owner ride while you watch. Then you can see how the horse moves - make sure he isn't limping - and you can see if he cooperates willingly. Watch for things like head tossing or nervous tail swishing that show the horse isn't happy. See if he stands still when stopped or if he fights the bit and wants to keep going.

When you finally get on, pay careful attention to the owner's instructions. Different horses have had different training with regard to hand and leg signals, and you don't want to give backward instructions!

Now pay attention to how you feel when you're on the horse. If he is relaxed and happy, you will feel it. If he's upset, you can feel that too. This is a good time to pay attention to your own "gut instincts."

Don't be too disappointed if you have to meet a lot of horses before one of them feels right. It's not a good idea to buy the first horse you meet just because you're in a hurry.

How tall should my new horse stand?

Your size and the size of the horse isn't very important as long as the horse will stand still while you get on. Remember, you'll grow taller, but the horse is finished growing. So if you need to climb up on stool or the fence for a year or so, it won't matter once you're on. The size matters less than the personality, and you want a friend you can trust.

Quite often ponies are not a good choice for beginning riders. Many of them have had poor training and have been ridden by children who let them get away with bad habits. I've known ponies who would suddenly decide to run home and nothing their young riders could do would stop them until they got to the barn. They'd been "taught" that they didn't have to mind. The other drawback to riding a pony is that you'll outgrow it. Even if that pony is your best friend, minds you perfectly, and you love him dearly. When you're 5'6" and the pony's back is only 3 feet off the ground, you'll need a bigger horse.

By the way, horses aren't measured in feet and inches. Horses are measured in "hands." Each hand is 4", so a 15 hand horse stands 60" at the withers.

To see where the withers are, see the drawing of horse anatomy here.

Consider a Rescue Horse