How much of riding experience would you recommend before buying a horse of your own?

Question

If she was a girl of 14 and willing to look after and muck out everyday.

Answer 1

Well I took lessons for 6 years, but got my first horse after 2 years of riding.

Answer 2

Owning a horse is more about the financial  support and care of it than the riding.  If the financial issues are not a problem, then understanding the many aspects of a horse's care come next.  If you have a realistic idea of that, and experience doing it, then the riding comes next.  If you buy a horse that is well matched to your abilities, and you can continue to access lessons, then not that much riding is needed in advance..a year of lessons would be enough.

Answer 3

Well, you need to know a lot about horses. Otherwise, you could really hurt yourself or the horse. Obviously, you need to know how to ride a horse, all the basics, getting off and on, controlling the horse. Some horses like to try to take control of you, especially younger ones. But you also need to know how to care for one. Can she put on a saddle and bridle correctly? Does she know when to brush the horse or pick it's hooves? Then there are more complicated things. If you are riding and the tack gets wet, like you were out in the rain, you have to put saddle soap on it to keep it from cracking. I would recommend having an experienced adult (someone who owns a horse or teaches lessons maybe) around for awhile until she really knows what she's doing. There is so much to learn, that you can only find out from experience and help.

Answer 4

Riding experience in itself isn't necessarily the most important thing, as long as you buy a horse that is suitable for the standard of the rider. However, I would say that having demonstrated commitment to horses and riding over a few years was probably about right.

The real issues around owning horses involves their care and no 14-year-old has enough knowledge to do all of that herself - so, an adult will have to take responsibility for the welfare of the horse. There are two options - 1. the new horse is stabled somewhere where there is an owner or yard manager who oversees everything to a high standard. That is the ideal environment for a novice horse owner to learn to care for their horse properly, but it will come at a price.  2. the adult buying the horse and paying the bills will have to learn about horse management and see that everything is done as it should be.  Of course it is also possible to opt for something in between.

Whoever said you need to know everything about clipping, lungeing or whatever is being too over the top - you learn these things as you go along, with the right help. But you do need good basic knowledge.

Answer 5

i would not get a horse as a teenager i am absaloutly in love with horses and would be with them every second if i could but as you get to a teenager you get to want to do stuff with friends and think oh the horse can wait for a day.

Answer 6

I would say 2 years.

Answer 7

If the horse is a very experienced and well-trained horse, I would say you just need to know the basics: how to get the horse to move forward, back-up, turn left and right and stop.  You should know how to groom and tack him up without help.  You should also know how to pick his feet and provide him with basic care.

However, if you are going to buy a horse that isn't finished, I would say the rider should have at least 5 solid years of riding...and by that I mean riding nearly every day for 5 years.  She should have a really good seat and be able to control the horse in all circumstances.

I hope this helps!

Answer 8

to be a level 2

Answer 9

Owning a horse is much more than mucking stalls and "looking after" a horse.

I would say no minimum of 1 year of taking riding lessons.

She will need to know how to tack, catch, bathe, clip (if showing/or for other reasons that involves clipping), trailer, pick up/clean hooves, administer medications such as dewormers, and so on for her horse.

The best way for an inexperienced or intermediate person to learn how to ride/take care of a horse is to have them lease one at a stable/barn that provides lessons and who has an owner or trainer willing to teach him/her the fundamentals of horse ownership.

Even after 1 year of lessons and learning the proper way to care for a horse, the rider/owner may still be considered a "green" or inexperienced horse owner/rider. It takes many years to become an accomplished horse person.

Good Luck.

Answer 10

If you have a responsible horse person arround you should be ok.  If not you need to make sure she knows alot about horses and what it really taakes to take car of them.

Answer 11

I don't think it's the riding, it's the signs.

hep at local mucking out stables and go to horse owner lessons. Also loan a horse or learn more about ilnesses and that, not just how to ride them.

Answer 12

At least two years of riding so her parents don't think she will quit. Many people quit within a year or so. She should also know how to tack and groom by herself and be confident  w/t/c.

Answer 13

I personally think you should be an adult before buying a horse.

That way you will be able to commit yourself to the horse.

You must know about what to do when problems arise unexpectedly and how to handle them

You must have at least 6 or 7 years of riding experience (AT LEAST!)

You must have the appropriate things required to maintain a healthy horse (A well built barn, a wide, open area for the horse to run around in, the proper feed)

You must know how to care for a horse by heart (That includes feed, injuries, diseases, etc)

I definately think you arent ready to get a horse if you are 14 and you're willing to "look after" and "muck out" every day. Theres a whole lot more to caring for another life than just that.

Answer 14

She should know how to take care of the horse also if her parents don't have any prior knowledge about horses. I rode for about three years before I got my horses but I think a year and a half should be plenty. I am fourteen now and have been riding for almost five years. I still come across small problems with my horses, and they are extremely gentle and sweet. Things like not being sure what to do when my mare refuses to work off her hind end. xD She should try to find an instructor to continue her lessons on her new horse just to make sure there are no problems she will come across.

Answer 15

I think it doesn't matter how much experience you have. What matters is that you have someone very experienced who is willing to help you and that you are willing to take instruction from, and that you get the right horse for your level. You can never know it all, if you are ready for the commitment then go for it.

Answer 16

ALOT!!!!!

Maybe 6 years of experience or even more!!!!

Answer 17

Riding experience: enough to show she's dedicated, can do all the gaits, can stay on if things get ugly.

She'll also need to know lots of horse care. Riding is one thing, but the grooming, feeding, tacking up, checking to see if a horse is lame, or ill in some way, how much to feed... it takes time to learn, and if she gets a horse then doesn't know things could get bad.

I suggest maybe leasing a horse through a barn, that way she looks after and rides it but will also have on-hand people to assist and give advice if she gets stuck on anything.

Answer 18

Look at other expensive interests she's had... are there any musical instruments laying around?  Stuff like that... and ask what the likelihood of her sticking with it would be.  Horses are very expensive and time consuming.

Answer 19

before I bought my horse I took a lot of classes (5/6 years) then I decided to lease a horse from someone (so they could split the boarding and the farrier). A horse is a lot of work and you can't forget about it. Also I work in several stables just to try and see if  I could  manage... It's not easy, i can tell you this... Let this girl try out working during the summer at a stable (or classes so she can improve her riding skills as well) and if she's still of the idea of a horse, talk to her about responsibility..,.

Answer 20

Four years and up- you can never know too much

Answer 21

I would say you need to know enough as to how to correct problems when they arise, both behavioral and physical. Anything can come up when owning a horse, and if you dont know how to deal with things...its not fair to you or the horse.

If you're boarding, then at least be aware when there is a problem, and be able to have someone to ask how to fix it.

So, you need to be a strong handler on the ground and a strong rider. Also you need to be able to understand how the horse "works" mentally, and physically.

Answer 22

She needs a little experience, but more importantly the horse needs to be 'bullet-proof' as I call it.

Check out Hi Jack Pockets on this site...

http://duttonhorses.com/stock.aspx

As long as she's got her heart in it, a horse with enough experience and patience will teach her what she needs to know.    Then look into training, lessons and let them gel together...or a trail riding asscoiation, etc.

Good luck!

Answer 23

well you have to have enough experience to correct problems that arise.like colic or and thing like that. you also need to know how to walk, trot, and canter. you also need to know how to take care of a horse. i don't mean like grooming. i mean you need to know to to tend to wounds. well i think you should take lessons for at least 3 years or 2 and a half to own a horse. that way you will have learned how to handle situations. but you still should have people around you that have had many many years of experience around horses. and you also have to be patient. i say this because if your horse gets hurt you will have to wait to ride again. and not so inpatient that you get on and the horse isn't ready yet and you just end up hurting it more.i am 13 and my horse got really hurt and she will be layed up for about a year. but good luck. I hope i helped Sabrina

Answer 24

It's not just about the riding experience. It would be good to know about vaccines, worming, farrier, teeth, feed, turn-out, exercising etc. etc.

Do you know about colic, lameness, skin conditions, weight, joint problems etc? Those are just a very few important things to know about. I would not get a horse until you have a lot of background knowledge on how to take care of one and ride or at least have someone close to you that knows these things. And you have to look at the financial costs... board or at your house? Self care or not?

Hope that helped