What do you need before you buy a horse ?

Question

I want to buy a horse but first I need to know evreything i NEED so Im ready I know how to take care of them I just need to know what I HAVE to get. Please Help Me

Answer 1

-Place to board (or a barn if you have enough land, with 1 acre per horse pasture BARE MINIMUM)

-Complete feed

-Hay

-Water buckets

-Fencing supplies/tools

-Saddle

-Bridle

-Saddle pad

-Halter(s)

-Lead rope(s)

-Grooming supplies (curry comb, shedding blade, hoof pick, hard bristled brush, soft bristled brush, comb/hairbrush, shampoo, sweat scraper)

-Medical kit (assortment of ointments, bandages, etc.)

-A reliable vet

-A reputable farrier

-Mounting block (optional...I always need one haha)

-Bedding materials (stall mat, shavings, etc.)

-Assortment of buckets (for everything from mucking out stalls to holding feed)

-Stall pick (or shovel or whatever you prefer)

-Several hundred in savings for emergencies (colic, leg injuries, etc.)

I believe that's all...there are always more items that are optional depending on your riding discipline and weather climate (blankets) but that's the basics.

Answer 2

MONEY, hehehe just kidding - but seriously - be sure you can afford the upkeep first! Purchasing your horse is the cheapest part of ownership!  Maintaining and caring for the horse will cost you much more! (ie: farrier, feed, shots, deworming, and all other housing needs the horse has!)  After that consideration; I would be sure to have water barrel, some sort of hay (type dependent on where your located), a location to store this hay (again, dependent on large or small bales), and good solid fencing (no barbed and wood will be chewed).  You should have a halter/lead (I prefer Rope halters, with the leads already attached), basic grooming tools (body brush, hoof pick, fly spray), a Fly mask is essential - depending on location and sometimes on the horses eye color (pink skin?? - which should be a consideration when purchasing your horse).  The things you may "Want" but dont "NEED" - saddle, pad, bridle (obviously if the horse is broke/or not)... be sure to ask what type of bit they use?? When you buy a saddle be sure you have ALL the leather straps (cinch, off billet, back cinch etc)  GOOD LUCK - and most of all - be safe!

Answer 3

u need a lot more than u think u need honey. u need tack, a good vet and farrier, grooming supplies, fly spray, a winter blanket, halters (more than 1 cuz some break easy), lead ropes, a place 2 keep it (you'll need a good size pasture and a barn, or u could use a run in shed which is like a roof and 3 walls), food such as hay, grain, and any medications they take 4 w/e reason, water supply, and u'll need some where 2 ride it. it can be a riding ring, but those r really expensive, so u could go on trails. also u need a water bucket, grain bucket, bathing bucket, sponges, a wheelbarrow, a pitchfork, a shovel, and that's all i can think of right now. sorry if that seems like way more than u need, but i was goin through in my head wat i use in a day, and wat i use in winter.

hope this helps :):)

Answer 4

You kids and wanting a horse

Do you know how bad the ecnomy sucks right now........$15-$18 a bale of hay!!!!!!

Why don't you wait awhile ye i understand that you want a horse unless you don't "need" one which nobody should

the you will survive

tough it out wait awhile

Answer 5

I suggest waiting to buy all tack until you know what your horses measurements are.

Answer 6

The most inportant thing you need before you buy a horse. One word.

MONEY!!!!!!!!!

HA!

Answer 7

Apart from the obvious answers of food, shelter, and appropriate fencing, there is a massive list. I can list everything that I bought for my horse, and I use everything. I have grooming tools, heavy weight winter blanket, sheet, cooler, cotton sheet, first aid kit (vet wrap, duck tape, latex or exam gloves, hoof oil, ichthemol, antibiotic ointment, MTG, cotton gauze, thermometer, stethoscope, weight tape, etc.) saddle pads, polo wraps, sport medicine boots, bit, bridle, good quality leather reins- not the crappy web or rubber ones- they interfere with communication to the horse. Good quality saddle that fits, leather halter, lead rope, spare halter and lead rope- one is bound to break (don't buy a nylon halter- they are cheaper but in an emergency they don't break and the horse can get hurt very easily), standing bandages, pillow wraps, Fly spray, fly mask, buckets (for feed and water and a bath time bucket, shampoo (you can just buy generic suave at the store and it's totally fine for horses), lineament, vetrolin bath, dewormer every 6 weeks, cooler, and so on. Remember, the horse and all it's stuff is the cheap part. It's the upkeep that will drain the bank.  Oh, and if you want to move your horse anywhere you will have to either borrow a truck and trailer from a friend, hire a shipper, or buy your own.

EDIT: And NFR is right, it's way too pricey to be owning right now unless you really can afford it- as in have a well paying job. Hey, I'm 22 and I didn't get my first horse until January. I wait all those years and survived. You can too.

Answer 8

**WARNING** This answer will be extremely long and hopefully detailed! Prepare yourself! :D

Make sure you have good fencing and an adequate pasture free of plants that are poisonous to horses. This may sound like a lot of work at first. Check all the fencing to make sure that it is at least five and a half feet high or taller (depending on the height of the horse) so there will be no escape routes. :) If you will be keeping your horse in a pasture at your house, make sure he will have shade from some trees or if there are no trees, a covered run-in shed. Either will do. If you are planning on keeping your horse at a boarding barn, talk to the owners first and inspect the barn first. Make sure it looks like a place you'd want your horse to be staying. If you know some people into the horsey-scene already, ask them what they know about it. Now, if you already have this step covered, onto the buying process. :D

I would think the most important thing is to get to know somebody that you can take with you while you are looking at potential buys. This person should be very smart about horses. They will help you see problem spots you may not have seen in a horses confirmation, past training, and so forth. They will also know what questions to ask the seller. Please, please, please! Make sure you know your stuff about horses BEFORE you buy one! Know the correct procedures to perform if your horse becomes sick and have a vet's phone number ready to call because horses can get into all kinds of trouble. Also, if you have had past riding experience, that's a plus. If you have not had much DO NOT buy a young, green horse that hasn't been trained well. Also DO NOT buy a stallion. Either of these mistakes will set you up for problems in the future. No matter how beautiful those yearlings can be, they will be trouble teaching how to ride. You are better off with an older, experienced horse when you are just getting into it. Oh, and don't get frustrated. You might have to see lots of horses before you find the right one for you. :) Don't get in a rush.

Now, you've found a beauty, hmm? Well, you will need that vet to come inspect this horse and give him a clean bill of health. Just to make sure that there are no underlying problems you looked over. After that, you can bring your horsie home!

Now, for equipment, it all depends on what you're going to be doing. You will probably only be needing to feed him hay unless you will be working him rigorously. Just make sure this hay is good hay - a nice aroma, not moldy or damp, a soft green color to the stems. A grooming set would be nice - consisting of a shedding comb if you'd like, mane and/or tail comb/brush, hoof pick *very important*, and an assortment of brushes varying in hardness/softness of the bristles. If you are going to be riding, you can either ride bareback or get yourself a saddle. Make sure the saddle is in good repair. If you ride Western, make sure the cantle is rather high. This will help you from falling back if your horse decides to be naughty and rears. You might want to take your horsie friend along with you to check this out too. :) A plus on this is to make sure the saddle (if a Western one, I don't ride English) is to make sure the latigo strap is made of good strong nylon, or even better, leather. The girth should be the right length to fit your horse. :) Also, make sure you get a bridle. If you ride Western, a problem might be that the decorations on the headstall may be made of sharp metal. When buying a bit to go with the bridle run your fingers along the metal to make sure it's smooth and there are no rough corners that could scratch your horse's delicate mouth. A jointed bit is fine, a Tom Thumb sort of snaffle usually works well on most horses. Sweet iron is very nice if you would like to give your horse a bit that tastes good. :) Also to go with your saddle, pick out a numnah or saddle pad that is pretty thick. :) After that, there's really nothing else to buy except accessories that may not have come with your saddle or bridle. (ex. reins, stirrups) But you are set! Have fun with your new horse and I hope this helped! xD

Answer 9

well, if its a broken in horse then of course you'll need a saddle (if  you are going to ride it) And saddle blankets, also you will need brushes such as a curry comb, dandy brush, body brush and hoof pick. If you want to you can by mane and tail brushes but i guess you dont HAVE to have that. Also youll need a halter,  helmet, bridle and bit, and whip (if neccessary) Youll need a place to keep it. Also a water and feed bucket and a shed or barn. You will have to find out what to feed it and buy that you'll need hay too. Thats about it. also if you want to spoil your horse you can by titbits (treats) rugs, shampoo and songes, and hoof polish.

Hope you have fun with your new horse

Ps youll need worming paste. (you worm a horse every 8 weeks just FYI)

Answer 10

Well first of all a good place to keep it. You'll need either a barn or just a small run in shed. Then you'll need a water source. Feed, Hay and grain(if the horse needs it). For the hay and grain ask the previous owner's about what they fed. But only if the horse looks healthy. Otherwise ask your vet. Make sure you have a reliably vet and farrier picked out.