I want to know everything you need when getting a horse?

Question

see i have a daughter thats 12 and she really wants a horse and were also moving to dearing ga but i want to suprise her with a horse and everything she needs but i have know idea what to buy evan whare i can get a super cheap horse or evan a free one what website are usefull and has things in dearing,harlem,thomson,or augusta ga {P.S i dont have a job right now so were on a tight budget}

Answer 1

I'm sure she really wants a horse, but they can get very expensive. Without having a job yourself, I'm not sure it's the time to get one. Do you have a barn at your house? Can you afford the hay, feed, and vet bills?

Answer 2

u definatly need money to buy everything u need, the horse is the cheapest part, but dont be dicouraged, start w/ the basics, like halter, lead rope etc

Answer 3

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but getting a horse right now isn't the best idea. Horses cost A LOT of money. Even if you get the horse cheap, there are vet costs, boarding costs, and the costs of feeding the horse. Imagine what would happen if you bought your daughter the horse, but had to sell it because you couldn't afford to keep it anymore....My reccomendation is to save money, and wait a few years. Chances are, she'll still want a horse when she's 14 or 15.

Answer 4

Get her lessons first if she hasnt had any, or maybe get yourself lessons , so you can learn what horses need .

Yahoo answers is very helpful, and it has been to me- but I think you should also get her lessons , She can learn how to ride and groom it properly . So she can enjoy having a horse even more!

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good luck!

Answer 5

I owuld suggest - strongly suggest - that rather than to purchase your daughter a horse, you and she get involved in riding lessons from a private person, stable or training facility.

In the long run, it will be cheaper - especially if your daughter decides it's not for her - additionally it will prepare you both for horse ownership when it fits better later on.

I'm being real honest here - owning a horse is not like owning a dog.  They are fragile creatures for their size and ability.  

You say you don't have a job right now and you're moving - how stable is your future?  Do you want to get a horse, then find it must be sold later if you must move for any reason?

Will you own your own house and land?  This is a very important question as the cost to keep a horse depends on that.

Generally speaking, it will cost you between $1000 and $1500 to feed and keep a horse, depending on the quality of horse you get.  In addition to that, you have the cost to board it at a facility - and you're looking at between maybe $100 (if you're lucky) and $300 per month for board which may or may not include feed, depending on the amount of care you are allowed to provide.  If you plan to keep your horse on your own acreage, it takes a minimum of 2 acres to keep a horse well - and you will want to check with the township of the area you will own to see what their rules are in terms of how much land you must have to keep a horse, I've seen as few as 2 acres required for a home and 1 horse and as much as 20 acres required for the home and 1st horse.  Ad dto this the cost to erect a fence enclosure and a shelter for them - the cost to do this properly will probably be a minimum of $500 unless you can get someone to give you the materials and you build it yourself.

As an inexperienced person, you are not likely to simply walk out and purchase a horse for a low cost that will be a fit for your daughter - and even un-liklier that you will find one for free.  Unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who may drug a horse to sell it off, who may tell you it's without injuries when they've covered them over or drugged the horse to block pain.  For the most part, if a horse is free, there is a reason - and it's because the horse is not sale-able otherwise.

IF you are lucky enough to find a sound horse for free or darned close to it, there are so many things that one must know about interacting with them.  They are a prey animal and we are predators - unlike dogs, you can't go about reprimanding them in certain ways - they are a 1000 animal that can become very frightened and defensive - teachning them to bite or kick can be VERY easy for people who don't have great knowledge dealing with them.

I would suggest that you could find a riding lesson for maybe $25 a lesson or less - and once a week would amount to right about the cost to just feed the animal - must less than actual ownership.

I personally have given riding lessons - and often children wish to learn to ride with the thought of taking off running across a field and how fun that would be - it takes years to get to that point and many simply don't want to do anything else like learning to groom or care for the horse, which means they rarely will learn anything about how the animal thinks and how to interact with it on the ground - if one cannot interact properly with the animal from the ground, they cannot hope to interact with it properly on the back of the animal.

Additionally, each person has a personality - and each horse has it's own "personality" - both based on natural factors and learned behaviors from experiences - together the animal and person are a unique pair in how they get along and interact and the level of confidence each has in each other.

For this reason, I would not suggest "surprising" her with one as you should find one that she fits well with.

I hate to tell anyone to NOT get a horse - I believe they teach us very well responsibilitiy, patience, goals and trust.  But these things only come with educated assistance to build knowledge.

IF your daughter has experience with horses through riding lessons or something, that's different.  But I honestly think you need to think about this first - you wouldn't go buy your daughter a dirt-bike or a gun without proper training in how to ride or shoot it would ya?  Trust me, a horse that's an improper fit in the hands of an uneducated person can result in just as much or more injury or damage that either of those things.

Perhaps for the benefit of others that might follow with answers, you better add whether you'll be boarding a horse somewhere or owning your own property for it and include whether your daughter has had education with horses or not.

Answer 6

I know from your other question that your on a tight budget. You CANNOT buy a horse and all it's supplies on a tight budget. I'm sorry but it's true. I also have to ask wether or not you're educated on horses, no offense but you don't have very well educated writing. Twelve your olds. I remember that age. Only a few years ago! I would start by giving her lessons, which she is probably already in. After having gone to my aunt's farm I realized that horses are hard work and envolve your whole life. After youget just one your stuck. It's hard to even visit family in the summer. Give her a good look at what it will be like owning a horse, she might change her mind and save you A LOT of money. Leasing, I have found, is a way more enjoyable experience! Good luck!!!

Answer 7

People here have given you some VERY good advice. If you are on a tight budget, wait to buy a horse. I will give you a good example. About a month ago one of my horses foundered. Cost to date? $6,000 just for this one incident. That does not count regular hoof care, feed, vet checks, etc. Horses are very expensive. If you can't afford to get one and give it the care and attention it needs, wait until you can. It can put you in the poor house very quickly.

Answer 8

be careful. horses r not cheap.

but some main things u really need r.

1. lead rope.

2. halter

3. hay/grain

4. turnout area

5. stall

and if u ride(that is really bad)

1.saddle

2.bridle

3.saddle pad

and a lot more.

on top of all that u have vet bills. farrier bill plus more.

but if u think u can handle this dreamhorse.com has a ton of horses for sale all over the world.

and if u need some help on seeing what it would cost to own a horse there r horses supplies store like ( state line tack, country supplies) and more u can google it.

just make sure u can handle the costs

Answer 9

you need:

-halters (2 at least in case one breaks)

-leads (same)

-saddle, bridle, bit if she wants to ride

-fly spray & fly mask if wanted

-first aid (suggest linement, vet wrap, cut ointment ect)

-shampoo

-grooming supplies (curry comb, hard brush, soft brush, sweat scraper, hoof pick, brush, shedding blade)

-feed/water buckets (if not boarding)

-feed/hay

-p**p scoop

-p**p bucket

thats all i can think of right now.

a lot of the equipment you can get at a tack swap & some tack shops used if your on a tight buget.

Answer 10

a discount horse supply website is horse.com and selling/ buying site horsetopia.com and equine.com. things you need are:

halter

horse blankets

clippers

grooming brushes: curry comb, soft bristle, hard bristle, hoof pick, sheeding blade, sponge

lead rope

fee and water buckets

hay

feed

shelter example:barn or run in shed

bedding

fenced in pasture

saddle

bridle

girth

riding helment

riding pants

riding gloves

lung line

saddlen blanket

riding crop

Answer 11

tight budgets and horses don't mix! how about a part loan, set amount of money for a few days a week, if you buy a cheap horse it may have health or behavour problems which can cost a lot to correct, you can also get that with an expensive horse, a vet check is the best way, but that costs money too!

Answer 12

I don't want to burst your bubble, but since you're on a tight budget, getting a horse probably isn't in your best interest. Horses cost A LOT of money, and things add up very easily. They say that the actual price of the horse is usually the cheapest thing about it. If your daughter is 12, she has lots of time to get a horse of her own when your budget is more flexible.

To prove my point... the horse alone is going to be $5,000 - $10,000. Tack will probably be from $2,000 - $5,000. Equipment will easily be $500. Board will be $200-$700. These are just the bare essentials.

I hope that your daughter can get  horse in the future, it really is a great experience.

Answer 13

I would suggest (since you don't know anything about horses) that you contact a horse barn or farrier (a guy who shoes horses) about what you want.

If you don't have a job & are on a tight budget, you don't have money for a horse. They can be inexpensive if you have the pasture for them, but you'll need fencing, water tubs, equipment, etc.

This is not a decision to make overnight. Do some homework - talk to a knowledgeable horse person and really understand what you're signing up for.  Horses require maintenance - shots, hoof trimming, daily commitment of care.

Answer 14

WoW. Having a horse takes alot of responisiblity.

I wish my dad would buy me a horse.

--Theres things such as boarding (unless youre keeping it at your place). Some are cheap-ish, like $200 if ur lucky and some are like $600+.

--Theres also vet bills, which is pretty costy. O_o

--And if you plan on getting tack, that could cost hundreds. Like the saddle, saddle pad, bridle, reins, bit, girth, and everything else.

--The farrier could be costy too.

--You also need the food for the horse and mucking equipment.

Some sites that I found useful are dreamhorse.com and petfinder.com.

You can just type in your state or city and itll find some for you.

And most horses arent super cheap. Some of the cheapest are probably from 600 or 900 at the least. And others can be $1,000+.

Answer 15

Get a vet to check over the horse before you buy it because if you don't know what you're looking for then the owner can lie about the horses age or any illnesses it has, if its pregnant etc. because there must be a reason its free!

Equiptment you will need:

-saddle

-bridle

-rug

-numna

-halter

-lead rope

-grooming kit

-wheelbarrow

-shovel/fork/poo picker

-feed bucket

-water bucket

I would maybe not suprise your daughter because it might be best if you take her to see a few horses to find one she like and suits. Good luck.

Answer 16

If you are on a tight budget then maybe you should just allow her to have horse riding lessons for awhile.  A horse is a very big expense.  The actual purchase of the horse is sometimes the cheapest part!  

Then there is all the stuff that goes with it:

Shelter or barn

fencing

Saddle & pad

bridle

bit

halter

lead

blanket

buckets

brushes

combs

feed

hay

farrier

vet

manure pick

shavings

wheel barrow

This is by no means a complete list

Then for the rider:

Boots

helmet

riding breeches

Then for you:

Books and instruction on how to properly care for a horse.  You, as the parent will be responsible for caring for a feeding this animal.  You cannot leave this kind of responsibility up to a 12 year old.  They are simply not mature enough to take on full responsibility.

Answer 17

you might get the horse for free, but prepair to spend a couple thousand just to start off. you might want to wait until you get a job again. : /