Choosing the right breed
When you are choosing your first pony or horse, be it for yourself, your children, or both, one of the main things that you should consider is the type and breed that you are looking for. To help you with this, I've come up with a few pointers and things to consider.
Firstly, what will you be wanting to do with your new addition? There are so many different tracks you can go down, metaphorically and literally! If you're wanting a pony for the children to learn to ride on then it's not advisable that you begin looking at thoroughbreds. With the same token, if you want a horse to carry on your riding lessons and learn to compete in dressage competitions, then a Dartmoor pony is not really the right way to go.
If you are looking for a pony for the kids to learn on, I'd recommend looking for something on the smaller side (depending on how old the kids are anyway!) with a calm and obedient nature. The best breeds for this type of pony are native breeds, such as a Fell pony, an Exmoor pony or for something slightly bigger, a Dales pony. Many people look at buying Welsh ponies, such as section As or section Bs. These types of ponies can be really good for children, especially if the children want to get into competing in shows etc. However, Welsh ponies can have a more lively nature than other native breeds, so it is worth doing your research before purchasing, especially if you do not have a huge amount of equine experience yourself.
If you are looking for a horse for yourself, then there is a very wide range of breed types to choose from. If you are a novice rider, it is advisable that you look for a horse with a laid back nature to help you to learn more and build your confidence. Again, native breeds do well for this type of horse owner. As well as helping to give you confidence with your riding, native breeds are generally good-doers, meaning they are easy to feed and keep healthy should you wish to have them turned out all year round or to keep them stabled in the winter. It is worth noting that, if you will be keeping your new horse on a yard where you have no turn-out in winter, you will need to give the horse some sort of exercise every day in order to keep them happy and healthy.
If you are a more experienced rider looking for your first horse to begin competing, then the breed that you choose will depend on the type of competitions you want to enter. For dressage competitions, you should look at horses that are good to train and have a little spirit and energy about their movement. Warmblood breeds are good for this type of competition. For other competitions, such as show jumping, you will need to look at horses that have good scope for clearing fences. If this is the type of riding you will be doing, the best thing that I would advise for you to do when looking at potential horses would be to take your riding instructor with you.
Your riding instructor can watch you ride a potential horse, assess your compatibility and also help you to decide whether that type or that particular horse is the right one for you, no matter what discipline you are buying the horse for.
It is very important that you do not rush in to buying your first horse. You can get extremely emotionally attached to your horse, therefore buying one that does not suit your needs can cause much heart-ache should you come to a point when you can no longer keep them. As well as your emotions, a new horse will play havoc with your bank balance. No matter how much you have researched, there will always be unexpected costs involved. Whether it's a lost shoe, a ripped rug or something bigger such as a new saddle, it is entirely possible that you will need to spend money to fix something most months of the year! It is important that you have a 'buffer zone' on your budget when you are planning for your first horse. Otherwise you may come un-stuck!
Lastly there is something that I cannot advise stongly enough that you do. This is to make sure that your new horse or pony is insured. Many livery yards today will not let you keep your horse there without public liability insurance. This is a must with horses. This will cover you for any accidents where property may be damaged or another person may be injured. As well as third party liability insurance, I would advise that you take out a policy to cover vets bills for your horse and also to cover personal injury for yourself. We love our horses but let's face it, they are unpredictable creatures. If you do find yourself in a situation where you or your horse have been injured, insurance is a protection for you in case you have large bills to pay. Please ensure that you take advice and read all terms and conditions before taking out your insurance policy.
If any one is considering buying their first horse or pony this year, please let me know! I would love to hear your stories. Also if you have just purchased your first horse, let me know how you are getting on! If you have any questions or would like to share any of your own experiences or advice, please leave a comment. I will read them all and try to respond to as many as possible.
Thanks for reading!!
Sarah.
