Buying Your First Horse!

Shaman and the boys

I have been writing back and forth with a student who is looking to buy her first horse, and my husband read the letter and exclaimed, this is a blog!  So here you go! Names have been changed to protect the innocent!

In preparation for getting your horse - 

Rascal and Kate

I would love to get into a lesson routine with you. I would suggest twice a week and to add in some 'hang out' time with that. (like an hour lesson and grooming/hand walking for another hour). I don't leave my horses unsupervised with anyone because every interaction is training, but for you to have time to groom Shaman and learn about pressure and release, while he's a liberty in a round pen, would be excellent for you, as would walking with him.   I would be around, but not instructing during that time. I might be grooming or working with another horse.  I am thinking that we could consider a monthly 'package'.

Shaman and Kate

You will benefit greatly by working with a trained horse. What is so unique about Shaman is his generosity of spirit. You can experience what it's like to have a connection with a horse, without having put the time and work into creating that connection in the first place. Shaman in particular is so willing to offer it to you. I think it's like learning dressage from a schoolmaster, the horse teaches you what the movements feel like. Sometimes Shaman is the teacher and I act as guide/translator, sometimes I am the teacher/educator and he is there so you can practice - when you get it right- he'll respond by doing what you want. It's quite different than teaching the horse. I would like for you to have that experience as well, but it's best to learn first from schooled horses! 

The more you know about how to handle a horse the better able you will be to evaluate the horses you are looking at. If you fully understand the 7 games, for example, you can use all of them when looking at a horse, and each will tell you something about that horse.

As for the woman with the Percheron, who sent you a video,  I would ask her for a better and larger formatted video. She can load it to Youtube. I'd ask for her to demonstrate his ground skills. Show him being haltered, brushed, his feet being picked up and cleaned, how  stands for grooming and harnessing.  I'd pay a lot of attention to his willingness - does he go up to the trainer/owner and willingly put his head in a halter, does he stand quietly and contentedly, is it easy for her to lift his feet?

Snow Angel!

Then I'd ask for a video of him pulling the forcart/wagon and being saddled, mounted, walk/trot/canter both directions, standing while mounted, how he handles with another horse in the corral would be good too. If he's had Parelli training, have her do a video of the 7 games with him as well. Find out how many hours of riding has he had. How many hours of pulling a cart? What happens when he's stressed and upset. Is he easy to read? On a scale of 1-10 what is his temperament and how would she describe it. Would she consider him a seasoned horse good for a novice? ( I could go on.... !)

The rest of this letter will be tomorrow's post. So, come back tomorrow!