im just about ready to buy theses 2 horses ..and ive had them checked out by a vet and now im about to ''test ride them '' before l buy them and im wondering how you now if its a good horse or not what are things to look for to make sure its not a nut case ? im a begginer ad its going to be my first horse ...there both very beautiful and very calm .. so imjsut asking what to look fo while ridding them ?
i guess what l ment by begginer was ive never bought a horse before but have been paying for one for about a year now ...its my friends horse and im kinda leasing her but im getting one of my own so l can do what l want with it ...ive been ridding im just not ready for a crazy horse ! and who ever said its 100 somthing for shoes is crazy l pay 50 for shoes here in kansas !

there are many types of horses.just where would you want to use it, just riding would do for any horse, consider also the climates and how sociable it is. Choose the young ones as you would have more spiritual bonding with them.

Since you are a beginner you should be looking for something thats trained well. Something that will be teaching you more than you teaching it. So when your on them you should look for the horse doing most of what you ask him or her to do. For example if you ask him to halt he should not drag you until you have to run him into a fence, he should halt.

When riding them, try them out on different surfaces- ride indoors (if they have an indoor) & definately ride outdoors. See how busy the barn is- if they have tractors running around & the horse is ignoring them- its a good sign.

If they do not have an outdoor ring, or it is covered with snow, ride them on the lawn for a bit- some horses act completely different inside vs outside.

The horse should be listening to ur aids (ears back towards you) without the horse getting mad- no ear pinning, tail swishing, etc. If u see that, do not get that horse as ur first horse- they require a bit more dominance than most beginners have.

Also when u ride, see how they act. When we go, (are intermediate to advanced riders) to check out a horse for a beginner, we purposely do stuff that could make it mad, & see how they react. Some examples- shift around in the saddle, accidently yank one rein, pull harder on the reins once to see how they act, use ur legs, do not use ur legs, gesture around with ur hands & arms flinging wildly, talk loudly, etc. If the horse jerks its head up, but does not do anything else, that is ok, if the horse gets hard & refuses to listen- not a good sign.
A good horse for a beginner wo not be bothered too much by those things. If u r sure the horse is calm, try them.

The reason we do it when searching for a good calm horse for someone is because we can sit it if the horse takes off or bucks because of one of those actions. Owners might say the horse is calm, but u do not know until u test it & see how they act. l have ridden a advertised bombproof horse, that would start a bucking spree if l ''accidently'' pulled too hard on the reins or if ur arms waved around.

If u r looking for an intermediate to advance horse, then the tricks r not necessary, & they r not desensitized to things quite as much, being used to a rider that knows what they r doing.

If this is ur first horse, l would suggest taking a trainer or other experienced person along to help u assess the horses' temperament & training. They can best guide u in ur search for the right one. Beautiful does not mean anything if they r not reliable. Many people will allow a 30 day trial period when u buy a horse. You might check with the owners to see if they would allow this. The owner of the horse l purchased required a 30 day trial to make sure that we were compatible. l did not need the time,but she wanted to make sure he would not be sold at a later date due to not getting along with him.

first of all why do u need two horses? Are u an experienced rider, if not l suggest u take lessons they r very cheap compared to buying & the up keep of a horse, remember they need to have new shoes every 5-6 weeks a cost of $135.00 per set, remember u have vet bill worming every two months,tetanus once a year, flu rhino shots, u say u have had them vet checked?buy a large animal vet or a regular vet, what type of horses r these & how old r u that plays a big part,,,,, personally l would start by learning as much as u can about horses before buying any, then what kind of riding do u want to do,do u want a challenging horse or a placid horse, r u planning to ride western or english. also horses r very cheap right now, u can even get ur horses for free, just go to any race track thoroughbred.. horse that r slow r next to nothing even free, do u want to jump or meander down a trail,....have fun they make great friends

If the buyer is willing, u need to ride them not once, but several times over a period of time. You just can not get a good feel for whether you're a good fit for a horse with just one ride.

If you're working with a trainer who has an establishe reputation, ask the seller if he/she would be willing to let u take the horses to ur trainer is barn & try them out for a set period of time-- a week to a month. You would of course pay for board for the period & for any vet problems or shoeing problems that cropped up as a result of the tryout.

If the seller wo not allow u to do that, ask the seller if u can come & ride the horses at the seller is place several times. You want to be as non-specific as possible about when you're going to come to try the horses out, because u do not want the seller doing something to help things along, such as lunging the horses or riding them in preparation for ur try-out (or, god forbid, drugging them). If the seller is reluctant to allow this, or is extremely pushy about u giving advance notice of when you're coming out or specifying a date & time, I'd walk away from the deal.

An ethical seller who is concerned about placing the horses with a good home will be willing to work with u to make sure u r a good match for the horses.

Ask the seller under what circumstances he/she would take the horses back if u bought them. Again, an ethical seller who cares about the horses will work with you.

Specific things to consider when you're trying the horses out: do they seem bright, alert, & responsive? Be wary of any dullness or lethargy, because those could be indications that either the horse has been drugged or worked down by the seller to make sure they r not too frisky. Also, watch the way the horses react to u as u move around them: do they seem wary, or tense, or indifferent? How hard do u have to work to get them to pay attention? Again, you're looking for a reaction that might indicate that a drug has been given or the horses have been worked to exhaustion.

Pay attention to what ur instincts tell you: even if u can not specifically say why, if u feel that something is not right, heed ur feelings. Do not let the seller rush u or bully u into distrusting ur feelings.

If the seller has other horses on the premises, cast ur eye on them as well as the horses you're trying out. How do they look? How do they act (as best u can see)? Is the seller willing to talk to u about all horses on the premises, or does he/she seem anxious to keep u from spending too much time observing them?

If it is possible to observe the seller is property from a place where he/she can not necessarily see you, can u spend some time observing what the seller is doing before u show up to try the horses out? It might be interesting to know if the seller is working them or putting them on a hot-walker or lunging them before u get there.

Good luck!

Calmness is definently ur first indicatior. However, if the horse appears underweight, or ''dizzy'' be careful. When a horse is underweight, their disposition can be calmer than it really is, & as they gain weight back, they become ''hot''. Also, dizzy-like or really sluggish behavior could suggest that whomever u r purchasing the horse from has given it a sedative.

For a first horse, make sure the horse is calm, responsive to ur commands. Ask if the owner could get on the horses first--this will make sure u r not the first rider of a bucking bronc. If everything is okay, then ride the horse somewhere inside, like an arena. Also, ask to ride it outside as well--some horses can be fine in an arena & then freak out when they r outside. & visa versa.

Tie the horse to a post, or a tie ring. Make sure it does not go nutty crazy & pull back or start pawing. This is anxious behavior, & believe me, will drive u crazy. Also, ask if the horse loads in the trailer. A horse really is no good if u can never get it to go anywhere.
Ask if the horse is barn sour or has any vices. If u r lucky & get an honest seller, this can tell u the most.

For a beginner rider, l would not suggest getting a horse younger than 6 or older than 23. If it is under six, maybe even younger than 8, it is quite possible it is undertrained & even if it trained, younger horses r less predictable. My first horse was 18. But realize that if u get a horse in their late teens, they will be safer, but set in their ways.

But honestly, the best way to make sure the horse is worthy to buy is by having an experienced trainer or rider get on & take it for a spin. They should be able to tell u if it will be a safe mount.

MOST importantly, make sure that u r COMPLETELY aware of any health issues. Do not get a horse prone to colic or founder! Or one that has foundered in the past! Vet bills & farrier bills can be nasty.

Ask about shoeing the horse. What type of shoes does it need, or can it go without shoes?

What is the regular feeding schedule of the horse?

Is the horse registered? (if so, expect to pay quite a bit more)

Geldings can prove to be a more level-headed mount than a mare. If u r considering a mare, make sure u have seen her in heat. Some mares turn into royal bitches once a month. You do not want to own one of those. Do not get a stallion as a beginner rider.

Make sure u know EVERYTHING about the horse before u buy it.

Hope some of these tips help u out. Good luck!

Ask the sellers any & every question u can think of, & tell them the truth about ur experience & abilities. l sell a lot of horses, & love to match the right horse to the right person, but it is hard if l am not given the truth, or if people over exaggerate their abilities b/c they do not want someone to know that they do not know everything. l would rather spend the time & help the person as much as l can than to know that someone got a horse they can not handle & do not care for. There is a horse out there for every horse person & u will find yours. Main thing is to not get in a hurry. If u do not feel right about the horse u test, try another.

First rule of thumb is u ride BEFORE the vet check. What is the point in spending $200 on a vet check for a horse u probably wo not buy? And why would u vet check two horses?

Beautiful means nothing. Calm on the ground is different from calm in the saddle. Not knowing ur level of riding experience l can not really say ''look for this''.

When l was looking at my current horse l stood behind him & pulled his tail - which points at a neurological disorder if he falls over. Sit on the horse & do everything wrong. Will the horse forgive you? Do u know how to walk, trot & canter? If the horse has a hot trot or canter or goes with its head up in the air, do not buy it unless u want to take the time to train it. Contrary to popular belief standing martingales & running reins do not teach ur horse ANYTHING. Go in BOTH directions, not just one. Do lots of turns & circles to get a feeling for the horse is flexibility & suppleness. If u feel like your're going to tumble backwards off the horse is rump that means they r completely on the forehand & dragging their rear behind them, which means they do not have impulsion & r not on ur aids. If the horse feels lame - which it can feel lame even if it is drugged - DO NOT BUY THAT HORSE.

How is the conformation? Being over in the knee can lead to lameness. Are the horses cow hocked or sickle hocked? Pidgeon toed in front? Sway back? high withers? upside down neck? Did u have a farrier look at their feet to determine if their feet r good or not?

Make sure u go several times to ride, at different times of day, & if u set up a time to go show up early before they have a chance to drug the horse. If the eyes look sleepy, the horse is not responsive, drags it is feet or stumbles chances r good the horse is drugged. Why do people drug orses? Because the horse is a nut & they want to get rid of it to someone that does not have a clue.

Bring an experienced horse person with u such as a trainer or even someone that has bought horses in the past to make sure.

just wondering are youu buying two horses? that woudl be hell of a lot of work how old are you? if older than 20 you might cope but if your younger you have to feed them bote ride them muck out poo pick and everythin like hat!