Like any passion golf, sky-diving or raising orchids having a horse is a commitment of time and resources.
But if you are a committed horse person, getting a horse is an investment in your happiness.
Hunting for the Right Horse
I don’t want to misrepresent what goes into having a horse. Finding a safe and sound horse for an inexperienced rider can take some looking.
Rich Bradshaw has been training and selling horses in Geauga County for decades and has a stellar reputation among horse people.
“How much does a horse cost?” is one of the most common questions and the answer depends on many things.
The best approach is to decide what your price range is, Bradshaw said.
He found a horse that is legitimately priced “high” may be the best investment.
“Usually, the higher the price, the better the horse,” he said.
In this area and time, a person can get a good, sound horse for between $2,500 and $5,000.
For that price, they should be fairly well trained and ready to do what the rider needs done.
“The purchase price is like buying an insurance policy,” he said, speaking from experience. “The safer the horse you buy, the less time you’ll spend in the emergency room.”
Unsafe horses have to be retrained by a professional, so even if you got an inexpensive horse, in a very short time you will have exceeded the purchase price and then some. Even pros aren’t always able to make a horse safe enough for a beginner, so don’t be tempted to buy a cheap or free horse just because of the price.
“A free horse is never free,” Bradshaw said.
Get one you can trust and enjoy. And, if you decide to move up to another horse in a few years, you want to be able to find your friend a good home, so pick a good horse in the first place.
Where to Look
Your instructor may be able to help you find a horse or you may learn that one in the barn is for sale.
Horses at shows and events are sometimes for sale, and if you want to compete soon and have the money for a trained horse, that might work out.
Ask around, network with as many horse people as you can.
Teens are always going off to college or taking up soccer and her horse needs a new home, so keep your ears open.
Many tack and feed stores have bulletin boards where fliers about horses for sale may be seen. You will often find ponies and 4-H horses that have been outgrown.
When you call, have a little list of questions including age, size, temperament, training background and soundness issues.
If you explain your situation, the seller might tell you if he or she thinks the horse is right for you.
Don’t hesitate to visit a candidate two or three times, trying the horse out under saddle and on the ground. Good ground manners are essential to your safety.
Horse traders can be very helpful.
They will work to match your skills, budget and interests up with a suitable horse. They will also encourage you to have a vet you choose thoroughly check out the horse you pick.
A vetting with x-rays and blood tests will cost several hundred dollars, at least. Don’t skimp on this part of the process. A good bill of health will save you money, pain and worry.
Saddles, Bridles and Stuff
Once you have bought or leased your horse, you won’t be able to resist dressing both of you up, particularly if you are showing.
Tack and riding clothes come in a wide variety of prices and quality. At a minimum, boots and a hard hat are essential. Your chosen field will dictate the rest of your get-up.
Stan Schneider, of Schneiders Saddlery in Bainbridge, said his business specializes in outfitting horse and rider in quality tack and clothing.
Horse people from far and wide visit his store rather than order from Schneider’s website just to enjoy the atmosphere, the displays and that wonderful leather aroma.
The store has supplied several generations of riders and trainers and Schneider, who is in partnership with his brother, Don, has watched as their customers matured and advanced in their chosen fields of horsemanship.
Families Horsing Around
There is a bit more English-style riding activity in Cleveland than Western, but regardless of the kind of tack the horse wears, having a horse in the family changes the dynamics, Schneider said.
Family activities seem to center around the horse component, even if only one person in the family is showing.
“It’s amazing how involved families are in this,” Schneider said, adding a lot of teens ride in horse shows, but the preteens are becoming even more active in showing.
“The 10-13 year age group is pretty significant,” he said.
The Geauga Horse and Pony Association has a number of events in a low-pressure atmosphere that is best for beginners.
Jamie Davis, a Schneiders’ employee, is a lifetime member of the GHPA, which is very family-oriented and volunteer based.
“It’s so much fun on a Sunday to see a family pull into the show grounds. The kids say their very best memories are right there,” Davis said. “It’s a great opportunity to have a nice day with horses.”
Housing the New Horse
Whether you buy, lease or half-lease a horse, you will want to keep it at a stable where there are folks who like to do what you like to do.
Stables, sometimes called barns, tend to cater to certain styles of riding and showing, depending on the owner, trainers and facilities available.
Your instructor will be able to steer you toward a few barns that would be a good fit for you and your horse.
Inspect them thoroughly.
“Call the stable, talk to the owner, walk around the barn,” said Carol Donaldson, owner of Hunter Creek Farm in Russell Township.
Board, including feed, hay, water, cleaning and turnout, is about $500 per month in Geauga Councy, she said.
When you visit potential barns, after calling for a tour, make a check list so you notice the most vital components.
The horses should be calm, well cared for, curious, happy and have clean stalls and surroundings.
Find out if there are people there who do what you’d like to do, such as trail riding or showing, and talk to them. Also, talk to any other people you know who are involved with horses.
Besides a nice stall, Donaldson said a horse will need several hours each day of pasture time, called “turn-out.”
“Turn-out is vital. Your horse will be healthier, both mentally and physically,” Donaldson said. “They need interaction with other horses. It teaches them body-awareness and to be polite (in a herd environment.) It also keeps them from going barn-sour. Get a horse out every day at least an hour or two. They can’t sit inside four walls.”
Horses who don’t get the blood flowing daily are more inclined to respiratory problems, colic, obesity and lameness (just like people), all of which add up to un-rideable horses, vet bills and frustration, so daily exercise is essential — for both of you.
Don’t let them hibernate in the winter; bundle up and go to the barn, even if it is just to visit and play with your equine friend.
“I don’t care what discipline you ride, English or Western, you want to find a good fit with a barn. Ask yourself ‘It’s this barn going to be good for you and your horse?'” Donaldson said. “You’ve got to like the people and know the staff is on the ball.”
More on Choosing a Horse
Finding a barn and looking for a horse tend to happen along the same timeline.
As you visit stables to meet a horse, you can see if the barn might be right for you and as you check out barns, you can ask if there are horses for sale there.
You will learn a lot by asking questions.
Your instructor should know your skill and confidence levels after several months, so listen to his or her input, but don’t stop there.
“You really have to talk to a lot of people,” Donaldson said. “Time and time again I have seen people impulse-buy a horse. Find someone you trust to help you.”
There are also dozens of common breeds of horses as well as crossbreeds and many horses of uncertain parentage.
However, for beginners, Donaldson has preferences.
“For temperament, I do like quarter horses,” she said.
Most quarter-type horses who have had good handling and training are intelligent, calm and cooperative.
If you really like a certain breed, Donaldson recommends going online to learn about it.
She advises the inexperienced to lease or half-lease a horse for a while.
That gives the rider and her family time to decide if the money, time and patience budgets will really stretch that far.
Sometimes, people ride for a few months and lose interest. Teenagers go off to college, leaving mom and dad with an underutilized horse and, worse, aband-oning the horse, who needs to be ridden several times per week.
Leasing is an excellent choice early in the game and should be accompanied by a clear contract as well, so responsibilities are understood.
The Backyard Horse Save Money, Build a Friendship
Both of my horses live in my back yard and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you want your horse to become part of the family, there’s no place like home.
But there is a lot to consider. Food and shelter belong at the top of the list.
Horses eat, but maybe not as much as you would think.
A thrifty Arabian or quarter horse often does well on about six cups of grain per day and less than half a bale of hay. My two each eat half a bale per day and about 12 cups of grain.
When my pasture is at its most nutritious — say about four months each year — they need about half that much hay.
But through the frigid winter months, they may need a little more hay to stay warm, so if you want to buy enough hay for a year, I find half a bale per horse per day is the minimum.
You need to ask whoever has been feeding your horse what the menu has been before you tote him or her home.
Any horse can get colic if its feed changes drastically, so write everything down and stick to that schedule for at least the first couple of weeks after it takes up residence in your back yard.
Do not increase the grain or your nice quiet ride could become a rodeo, as grain tends to translate into energy for horses.
Rather, provide good quality hay three or four times per day to keep its digestion active.
Design From the Inside Out
David Detweiler, owner of Custom Horse Stalls by B.C.S. Design LLC in Huntsburg Township, said if you are designing a barn or converting a building into stables, you need to consider the horses’ needs as well as your own.
Start with the size of the stall.
For an average horse, a 12-foot-by-10-foot stall is big enough, but bigger is better, Detweiler said.
The first step is to decide the layout and design of the stalls you want, then plan the walls around them.
“Too many people build a barn and don’t think of stalls,” he said, adding that makes it tougher to fit the stalls in later.
There are also safety considerations with horses that are easier to accom-modate if you have an extra foot or two, Detweiler said.
And there are other dimensions to consider.
One of his clients had a barn and wanted European-style stalls which are wider than deep, but the ceiling wasn’t high enough.
Detweiler said a clearance of 10 feet will allow for good ventilation and so horses don’t hit their heads on the beams.
“If you are building new, talk to someone who has experience,” he said.
The trick is to find the balance between what is good for the horse, what the customer can afford and what they want.
Detweiler fabricates the stalls in his workshop on Hunt Road using tongue and groove yellow pine that is cut to slide down inside steel channel.
“It’s cost effective and looks nice, finished or unfinished,” he said.
He fabricates grillwork for the partition between the stalls, so horses don’t injure their neighbors and anything else the owner wants.
“There’s a ton of options,” he said.
Detweiler has also built a number of barns and said the average is 30 feet by 40 feet, which allows for two or three stalls down each side and a wide aisle for handling horses and driving a tractor with a wagon or manure spreader through.
A hay mow allows you to buy hay when it is fresh from the field.
Big windows permit your horses to see what is going on around them. They love to put their heads out, even in the rain and snow, and get a 180-degree view.
“I like a lot of natural light, large windows,” Detweiler said.
Horses who have an open window and can stick their heads and necks out the door will have fewer stall habits and might be easier to ride.
When you decide where you want your tack and feed room, think about how you expect to care for your horses on a daily basis.
A well-designed barn can make chores easier and quicker.
“It can save you a lot of time if it’s laid out right,” Detweiler said.
The base cost of a stall 12 by 10 with one grill between the stalls is $800 complete, not installed, he said, adding an average cost is $1,100.
“They’re not complicated to install, but it can be confusing,” he said. “When his crew delivers, they show the installer how to do put the pieces together. I’ve been in construction a long time. This is the one thing I’ve enjoyed most, so far.”
He’s been specializing in horse stalls for four years. Currently, about 75 percent of his work is in horse barns and the demand is growing.
“It looks like its taking over more of our work,” Detweiler said.
