Some good advice

Horses are big animals that require a certain amount of space to run and move around in. Yet many times, there are folks who don't understand what is involved and in some cases, don't care, they simply want a horse and that's that! They go to the local sale barn and buy the first horse that looks “pretty” and the heartache begins! First, the often most overlooked aspect of buying a horse is the hoofs. Most or rather, many folks don't understand what they are looking at when they see a horse's hoof. If the horse can't carry itself properly, it won't be able to carry a rider on it's back properly.

Hoofs can look “good” to the inexperienced eye and from the limited space at most sale barns, the horse may appear to move fine. One of the things that fool many is when someone that picks a horse's leg up and not “trapping it”, only picking it up while standing to the side, this is often seen as the horse will stand for the Farrier . It is not true ! Many horses will allow their leg to be picked up from the side but when one picks it up like a Farrier would, the result can be very different. This may be the result of poor training, being trimmed by those who use abusive restraint tactics or skeletal / joint related problems. Another commonly overlooked aspect is the look or confirmation of a horse. Many folks think the “confirmation” is how the horse looks from an aesthetic point of view alone and in some sense, that's correct but not any where near all of the conformational points that horse owners should be aware of when looking to purchase a horse, especially for the first time horse owner.

Leg confirmation, is the horse over at the knee? Is it sickle-hocked? Or does the leg appear to be bulged in the Cannon area? This may be a sign of Tendon problems and for the first time horse owner, it is not worth it to buy a horse if there are any sign of past injuries that may also pose a future problem. Hoof condition, are the hoof walls cracked or show signs of flaking or broken off pieces? Is the horn quality good? Does the horse limp when turned to the right or left? These are important things to observe and many times, if someone rides a horse or leads one into the sale arena, look to see that they turn the horse right then left. Some horses with joint related or past injury related problems can't turn to one side or the other without exhibiting signs of lameness. If your planning on buying a horse from a sale barn or anywhere for that matter, take the time and do it smartly. Pay a local professional trainer , farrier or a working vet tech to go with you and help you get the most for your money. Avoid relying on those who hang around at sale barns and try to have folks believe they are working there or are somehow involved in the management there. Attend some sales prior to actually buying a horse and observe how the horses are treated and kept while waiting to be shown. This will tell you much about the operation of the sales facility and if any horse is being handled in a detrimental or abusive manner and the management is aware of it, this isn't the place you need to buy your horse from.

Most reputable sale barns have guidelines as to how horse sellers handle and present their horses and handle them “in the back”. Horse sellers do not have to give you the “30 day money back guarantee” as commonly thought by many folks. It is totally up to the seller to offer this and many who think that if they don't, then something is wrong with the horse, isn't true at all. Some sellers may have to sell their horse because of financial hardships or other viable reasons, so use your common sense and don't assume anything, ask questions!! When you are ready to make the purchase, make sure you get a copy of the Coggins test within the last 6 months, tetanus or booster and all vaccination records. A record of all previous owners can be very helpful also.

If the horse does not have any of this, you are taking chances especially if you plan to turn out your new horse with others you already have. Should you plan on purchasing a horse with no records, quarantine the horse for a minimum of 30 days and make an appointment with a Veterinarian as soon as possible. Trailering a newly purchased horse should be handled in the same manner as bringing a new born baby home from the hospital. Leg wraps or shipping boots and a skull cap are recommended, a trailer with a light colored interior, good floor board condition and a trailer that isn't a rattle trap will provide the horse with a good experience. There are many other aspects and they can be learned by using the local professionals in your area. Don't simply do as others do , be your own judge and use common sense!!

When you get home with your “new horse”, resist the urge to toss on a saddle and go off into the pasture. This is a good way to find out the hard way, that your new horse isn't in the mood to be ridden right away. Allow it to settle in and keep it separate from your other horses if you have any. Horses that are moved to new homes need time to re-adjust, become familiar with fence boundaries, you and the new surroundings. Fools are the only ones who would jump on a newly purchased horse just to “see what it'll do”. Use common sense, I use that phrase often and with good reason. Many inexperienced or new horse owners do not use common sense. The excitement of the moment soon overtakes them and in no time, they are in a situation that could have been avoided. And just to be clear, if you purchased a horse from a private seller, such as a friend and maybe you have rode that horse before and are familiar with it, then maybe, it would be ok to take it for a test ride. But you must have experience rather than simply a desire, to properly determine if it would be safe to do so.

I have answered many a farm / ranch call where someone bought a horse and after only a few days, figured the horse was doing good and decided to saddle it up and ride it. One in particular I recall, the owner got her newly acquired horse saddled up and when she was stepping into the stirrup, the horse took off and we found it a few miles down the road! It turned out the “dead broke” horse she bought from a sale barn turned out to be a horse that had been sold several times because of it's ability to outrun it's riders! I re-trained this horse and it was so accustom to running off, that when I even acted like I was going to step into the saddle, off it went. It took 2 months of training to finally teach this horse to stand quietly and not take off on it's own. Why this horse came to be like this we never were able to find out, everybody we spoke with said the same thing, “he always did it”.

Today, “Nevel” is a quiet and willing horse that his owner would not take a million bucks for but it goes back to what this article is about, knowing what your buying and how to determine what you are getting, will only be accomplished by knowing some basic aspects of the horse and learning some advanced aspects won't hurt either. But you must seek those who are qualified to teach you these types of things, and remember that folklore remedies, “secret” theories and forceful ways are not the way to go about solving problems. Positive attitudes and authoritive advice from established professionals will be your best bet every time. Bank on it!

Happy Trails,

Michael Ketner

www.buckarooequineservices.com