Top 5 Horses Beginners Should Not Buy
On your quest to find the perfect horse, you may be beguiled by many pretty horses that will capture your heart . These, however, may not be suitable for a beginner. No matter how attractive a horse may appear, there are some conformation flaws, temperament and soundness issues that will never make up for how the horse looks. Here are the top five horses to avoid as you look for your perfect first horse.
Horses with behavior problems like rearing, bolting and bucking are not something a beginner should try to deal with. These are behaviors used by horses to evade pain or work. A horse may be perfect in all other respects, but any of these problems is a deal breaker. Likewise, horses that habitually bite, kick or are otherwise unpleasant or hazardous to be around are unsuitable for beginners. They require an experienced rider or handler to help solve their problems. Even if the problem is solved, the rider will have to be aware that the horse may misbehave again and know how to curtail the behavior before the horse acts out.
People who have horses with stable vices like cribbing, weaving and stall walking will probably argue that their horses are great, and the vice isn't a big problem. However, these vices can be very destructive and have to be constantly managed. Horses that crib or windsuck can be more prone to colic as well. Horses that stall walk or weave can cause damage to their legs. Leave these horses to experienced owners who may be more knowledgeable and willing to do what it takes to manage these vices.
While a beginner horse with a soundness problem that prevents it from being a performance horse might be fine, you don't want to take on a horse that may be so unsound it often can't be ridden, is costly to maintain, and may lead to a heart-breaking final decision. Horses with things like navicular disease, cancer, blindness, frequent bouts of colic, hocks that need injections to stay sound, or other hard-to-maintain health or soundness issues should be passed by. A veterinarian, who can do a pre-purchase exam can help you determine if a horse has a health or soundness problem that will be difficult to deal with.
Poor conformation in an otherwise well-mannered and trained horse is entirely forgivable. There are conformation faults that should be avoided because they lead to unsoundness or an uncomfortable ride. Horses that are back at the knee put more stress on the tendons. Horses that are base narrow or pigeon toed can injure themselves by interfering. Horses that are severely roach or hog backed, or have severely dropped backs can be hard to fit a saddle on and may be sore when ridden. A horse with a severe parrot mouth, where the front top teeth sit in front of the bottom, may have problems grazing. An experienced mentor can help you determine if a conformation problem should be avoided.
A horse that is young and/or untrained is unsuitable for a beginner, no matter how docile its temperament might be. Young horses are easy to spoil, and can become pushy, aggressive, and overall ill mannered. A horse needs to be handled correctly, and learn respect from the start and a beginner horse owner won't have the knowledge to teach a horse well. It's tempting to buy a young horse so you'll have it for a long time. But handling and starting a young horse under saddle is not recommended for beginner horse owners.
Likewise, adopted horses like mustangs, OTTBs, Standardbreds and rescue horses are unsuitable as these horses all take special handling to make them suitable family and riding horses.
1. Horses With Behavior Problems
Horses with behavior problems like rearing, bolting and bucking are not something a beginner should try to deal with. These are behaviors used by horses to evade pain or work. A horse may be perfect in all other respects, but any of these problems is a deal breaker. Likewise, horses that habitually bite, kick or are otherwise unpleasant or hazardous to be around are unsuitable for beginners. They require an experienced rider or handler to help solve their problems. Even if the problem is solved, the rider will have to be aware that the horse may misbehave again and know how to curtail the behavior before the horse acts out.
2. Horses With Stable Vices
People who have horses with stable vices like cribbing, weaving and stall walking will probably argue that their horses are great, and the vice isn't a big problem. However, these vices can be very destructive and have to be constantly managed. Horses that crib or windsuck can be more prone to colic as well. Horses that stall walk or weave can cause damage to their legs. Leave these horses to experienced owners who may be more knowledgeable and willing to do what it takes to manage these vices.
3. Horses With Health and Soundness Problems
While a beginner horse with a soundness problem that prevents it from being a performance horse might be fine, you don't want to take on a horse that may be so unsound it often can't be ridden, is costly to maintain, and may lead to a heart-breaking final decision. Horses with things like navicular disease, cancer, blindness, frequent bouts of colic, hocks that need injections to stay sound, or other hard-to-maintain health or soundness issues should be passed by. A veterinarian, who can do a pre-purchase exam can help you determine if a horse has a health or soundness problem that will be difficult to deal with.
4. Horses With Severe Conformation Problems
Poor conformation in an otherwise well-mannered and trained horse is entirely forgivable. There are conformation faults that should be avoided because they lead to unsoundness or an uncomfortable ride. Horses that are back at the knee put more stress on the tendons. Horses that are base narrow or pigeon toed can injure themselves by interfering. Horses that are severely roach or hog backed, or have severely dropped backs can be hard to fit a saddle on and may be sore when ridden. A horse with a severe parrot mouth, where the front top teeth sit in front of the bottom, may have problems grazing. An experienced mentor can help you determine if a conformation problem should be avoided.
5. Horses That Are Untrained
A horse that is young and/or untrained is unsuitable for a beginner, no matter how docile its temperament might be. Young horses are easy to spoil, and can become pushy, aggressive, and overall ill mannered. A horse needs to be handled correctly, and learn respect from the start and a beginner horse owner won't have the knowledge to teach a horse well. It's tempting to buy a young horse so you'll have it for a long time. But handling and starting a young horse under saddle is not recommended for beginner horse owners.
Likewise, adopted horses like mustangs, OTTBs, Standardbreds and rescue horses are unsuitable as these horses all take special handling to make them suitable family and riding horses.
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