Preparing for a horse - were you ready?

Melrose

Melrose

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Jan 23, 2012
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Well as some of you know, I've been hoping to get my own horse for the first time in the near future, but I haven't been sure when that would be - however, turns out, it may be sooner than I thought and I should have the money in Dec/Jan time!

The thing is, I know horses are a BIG commitment and I'm wanting to know if all of you with your own horses, were as prepared as you could have been.

  • Is there anything you wish you'd have done or got before your horse arrived?
  • Anything in particular you would/wouldn't have gone for when looking for your 'perfect' horse?
  • Was the commitment bigger than you had thought? Did you have to stop other things to look after your horse?

I'm quite a party animal you could say ;) and go out most weekends, though I'm very quickly getting bored of going into town and most of the time end up having a few drinks at my house with friends and end up staying in which is fine! But I couldn't imagine ever having time to do this after finishing work at 6pm, then seeing my horse, and going home getting ready etc.. I used to do that a few years ago with my share horse, but I'd be done at the stables by 7 and that was without riding - so the circumstances were quite different. I know you can make time for everything if you want it enough, but after a day of working in a nursery I don't think I'd have the energy to go out and party! :redcarded: So I'm guessing that's a good thing that I'm not as bothered to go out anymore? Maybe I'll appreciate the odd night out I do have? (I feel like I'm having a baby or something! :giggle:)

I'm actually really looking forward to getting my own horse as I think it will put me into a nice change of lifestyle. I've had a good few years of spending all of my money on drinking and nights out, and am looking forward to just putting my hard earned money into something that's worth it, and with a fresh head in the morning too! :giggle:

Sorry for the lengthy post but if any of you have any tips you could pass on I'd really appreciate it. I'm 20 years old so am far from knowing all I need to and would be greatful for the experienced advice! :smile:
 
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As far as the going out thing is concerned, I wouldn't worry. I have had at least one horse at home, so no help, right from being 11 years old, throughout my teens and early 20s (prime 'partying'/ uni time!) and now in my 30s where admittedly the going out is a little less frequent but I still manage a good 'ol drink Fri and Sat night and out most weekends. I find that getting out to my horse in the mornings clears my head and blows away the cobwebs!

Good luck with the search!
 
As long as you've not got a hangover & are unable to go down to your horse after a night on the town I really can't see what the problem is. Just as long as you know that your horse's care is in your hands 24/7 365 days a year it will be just fine & if you can't do that you'll have to go full livery,stop worrying girl it will be fine :smile:
 
No I wasn't ready and I am glad I wasn't!!! If I'd realised how much my life would change (don't drink much now as have to drive to the yard) and how much time she would take up (getting home any time between 8 & 9 after work weekdays) it might have put me off...as it is I would give every second up to keep her and my new life :biggrin:
 
Just be realistic about what time and money you have to spend.

I personally put more thought into whether to buy a horse than whether to be a mother. I just assumed I wasn't a worse than average human being so motherhood would be ok.

I think if you have the time and money then the key thing is to get in at the right yard initially till you find your feet, then take it from there.

Many people in the horsey world seem to think its desireable to be an expert in all thing horse before you're ready. Personally I see it as no different from anything else, just know your limitations and recognise when things seem not quite right so you can call in the appropriate professional. That's it!
 
I'm not sure that you are ever ready, but if you want a horse enough you will make it work. You can still have a life and a horse - it's often just a case of planning ahead and being organised.
 
Your first horse is like your first child when it arrives if it farts wrong you get worried after a while you get so tired you just go with the flow. Dont worry it all works out and you learn as you go.
 
I got my first horse at the age of 35 - a tb mare with a few 'problems' under saddle - mostly in her head!! She always got me back to the yard in 1 piece but boy was she a handful! No-one else wanted to get on her....but my young daughters could walk under her belly in the stable and lead her around the yard like a dog! :smile:

I wasn't ready and had no idea what I was taking on - I still rode as i had been taught in 1973...it was a steep learning curve to say the least and I have no idea how she survived me - but she did and we had a good relationship but i eventually admitted defeat and sold her as a brood mare.

:frown: I thought one saddle and bridle fitted all horses, all horse rugs were the same and you fed whatever everyone else on the yard fed!! As i said - a very steep learning curve!

I'm glad to say that i have spent 16 years learning more about horses with each one I've had and wouldn't be without one - and I love mares! :inlove:

Horses change your life, empty your bank balance and steal your heart -

Life is NEVER the same - owning a horse isn't a hobby it's a way of life that non-horsey friends can never understand!

You don't have the same kind of relationship with anything else in your life and it beats mountain biking hands down...!

We're all a little crazy :tongue:
 
Loads of fab tips, ta guys! :happy:

I shared my first horse when I was 14.. 3 days a week, so it gave me a strong basis of what it was like to have a big commitment - attending parties or friends houses had to wait until my pony had been sorted, and my friends didn't understand of course they didn't, they told me just to 'do it tomorrow' - I kept schtum, smiled and went to the yard, no point in trying to explain to them! :biggrin: think this was what you were getting at Di'nDora! I had a share horse of 3 days a week from then on, up until a year ago when my personal circumstances changed, and i've had 15 months off.

I feel now, i've become more secure in my job, home life and financially that I would be able to fund a horse of my own.

I have the funds to pay for one (funds for nout else but who needs to feed themselves?! :biggrin:) a LOT of love and passion for a horse, and time. I think that's all I need? :redface:
 
I actually find having the dog was more of a lifestyle change/commitment than having a horse! (I wouldn't change either of them for the world)

Also, what ever your budget is for keeping a horse, add at least an extra £100 a month on it! :D

I still manage to have a social life and a horse, although if I know I'm having a big night out I will ensure someone else is scheduled for the morning shift if needed, not because I'll be hungover but because you can still be over the limit if you'd had a long night.
 
Lot1983 said:
Also, what ever your budget is for keeping a horse, add at least an extra £100 a month on it! :D
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I try to have a rough estimate in my head of how much a horse will cost each month but I won't ever know until I have one! :redface:
 
SOMEONE PLEASE STOP ME LOOKING AT HORSES FOR SALE! I HAVE JUST FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ONE, AND I WANT HER NOW. :frown:
 
pinkheather said:
Your first horse is like your first child when it arrives if it farts wrong you get worried after a while you get so tired you just go with the flow. Dont worry it all works out and you learn as you go.
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I totally agree with this. No amount of planning ever prepares you for your first horse and a lot of hard work and time goes in to it. However you can have a life outside of horses, just sometimes you have to sacrafice things for them. If it is something that you truly want then other things in life don't matter as much. I am another one who works in the childcare sector. I'm a deputy manager at a Pre-school and also currently studying for my level 4 in early years. It can be hard work sometimes juggling it all with a horse but i wouldn't be without him now.
 
I probably wasn't ready but made it work, and as I got more responsible after learning the hard way there were quite a few nights out when my friends were nagging me to stay but I knew I had to go home earlier than 6am! (I was a very big party animal)

The thing that STILL gets me is families/friends lack of understanding of having horses and assuming you will just do something. "Be free for a family do this Sunday lunch" then you get there and actually you are needed there (food being served e.g) quite late and people moan when you say you can't stay over. Maybe that is just the lack of communication by my family. I do feel like I quite often have to say "I need to do the horses".
 
You know what I wasn't ready for, was the amount of people who tell me I should sell my horse, that having a horse is a waste of money and all the countless glue 'jokes' I hear every day.

I live in london and no one round here seems to like horses, which is annoying as no one understands how much time they take up. I don't go out anymore really, which is sad as I'm 22, but I've missed so many meet ups and don't really have much interest in going out and getting w*nkered when I have to be up early and would rather put effort into my horse than being too tired to ride etc. I've lost friends, it's put a strain on my relationship with my family and my bf and I am nothing like the person I used to be (confident and bubbly etc) When my horse is sick it causes me so much stress, and I worry alot about him. Most my money goes on him so saving for the future and holidays/ going out etc are very limited. But my horse makes me happy, when I achieve something with him, and trust me its been a long road, it makes everything seem worthwhile. I may at some point lose my bf because of my horse, but then I would move somewhere where horses are more accepted in society and everything will be good :) The thing I don't understand is I show interest in everyone else's interests, I listen to my dad telling me about trains and my bf telling me stories from when he's drunk, but as soon as I try to show people a picture of my horse doing something cute everyone calls me sad or boring :unsure: sorry this turned into a bit of a rant..
 
Mine was at the yard I was wokring at anyway, so he just bacame no 30 to fit into the routine.

Then when I left there and took him to DIY it was bliss.
 
In all honesty, I've wished for a horse most of my life, but I am jolly glad I didn't get one until I was 35!lol. I was far too much of a party goer etc until I reached 30 - and even then I was a big drinker / smoker / stay up later!!!!!! My life changed when I started getting more exercise and calming things down a bit - and of course packing in the heavy drinking. It all happened for me at the right time and I don't regret it one bit - I hate drinking now and can only manage weak lager! I never eat out (I have an eating disorder which makes me extremely nervous eating in front of other people to the point where I avoid it anyway) and I don't stay up late - because I have discovered this past 8 years that there are two 6 o'clocks in the day!!!
 
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