One of the most challenging aspects of owning a horse comes from buying said horse. While many places exist to find horses to buy, finding the right horse for your own need is quite tough. For example, what someone might describe as a ‘useless’ horse might be perfect for you. What that same person sees as a wonderful stallion might be a total waste of money to you.

It’s all in the purpose of the horse; they aren’t all the same. Knowing what type of horse to buy first means investing some time and effort into finding that out.

Knowing Your Type of Horse

The next thing you need to work out is what kind of horse you actually need. The first thing you should ask yourself is how long you have been riding. If it less than 5 years, then you are probably still going to be using a more beginner-friendly horse. A classic stallion may be suitable for someone with 5-10+ years of experience, but likely not very suitable for someone below that age threshold.

You should also pay a lot of attention to the kind of riding you will be doing. A stallion has no place on a small farm for just pleasure riding, for example. They deserve to be used for far more than just floating around a farm all day!

Do you like to engage in a certain form of riding? Some people enjoy going for a classic Western style. Others prefer a classic Hunter or Dressage style of horse riding. You need to work out what kind of riding you intend to take part in with the horse that you go for.

Size matters, also; a pony is under 14.0hh, while a large horse would be 16-17.00hh.

It’s all down to what you want personally.

Choosing the Correct Horse

It’s a question that nobody can really answer for you, sadly. You should first work out your long-term ambition. For example, do you have the intention to go showing with this horse? Or do you intend to only do so when you have some spare time and the opportunity?

Work that out as soon as possible, as certain horses are built for regular showing while others simply are not. You also want to work out the kind of breed that you want. Some people want a classic, standard and popular breed of horse so that they can enter specific annual events and so that they can know what they are getting themselves involved in.

At the same time, you should probably take the time to look closer at the ‘right’ horse for you in terms of age, too. From the usage to the budget that you have to spend, you will find it pretty damn easy to find the right horse if you factor these ideals into the question.

From working out if you want a trail horse or a horse that can be around kids to setting an equine budget, there’s plenty to consider. Take the time to consider it, though, and the benefits can be immense in terms of your long-term enjoyment of horse riding.