Are You Interested in Having a Horse as a Family Pet

When families decide to bring a new addition into their family in the form of a pet, many individuals are interested and end up purchasing a horse. Until I was twelve years old, I lived on a horse farm and often showed my horses at local fairs. Due to a family tragedy, my family had to sell the farm and I no longer have a horse. Sooner or later, I would love to have horses again for my daughter. Since I grew up around horses, I am aware of the tremendous responsibility that comes with caring for a horse. Unfortunately, there are many individuals who will purchase a horse without having the time or knowing how to properly care for them.

If you are a parent interested in getting a horse your one of your children, you should carefully examine the situation ahead of time. Horses require a lot of attention and care. You need to make sure that your child is capable of handling the responsibility and if they aren’t you must be. Horses need to be fed multiple times a day, need proper grooming, and exercise.

You should also communicate with your children and make sure a horse is really the animal that they want. It may be a good idea to enroll your children in riding lessons at local farms. Many farms will give lessons on their own horses, if the child does not presently have one. In addition, you could also ask the farmer if your child could watch or assist in the feeding and general care of the farm animals, to ensure that they may be able to handle the situation.

Having a horse can become fairly expensive. You will need to make sure you have an endless supply of feed and all the necessary equipment. If you have the land and have a barn, or are able to build one, the financial burden of paying for boarding may lessen the high expenses often associated with this animal.

When you are looking for a horse to purchase you can search through the classified ads, contact local stables, or visit a horse breeder. When going to first look at the horse, you or your child should ask to ride the horse around. If the current owner would prefer you not to, then you should ask to watch them ride the animal. If nether of your requests are granted, it is time to move on, the owner may be hiding important information about the animal. If you are an inexperienced rider, ask the owner to have the horse walk, trot, and gallop. Always let the current owner ride the horse first.

You should also have a prepared list of questions to ask the owner about the horse being sold. For example you should ask why he is selling the horse, how long he had is, what type of food it is fed, has the horse ever hurt anyone before, and be sure to ask where the horse is usually kept.

It is recommend that you never offer to purchase a horse on the first visit. You should come back at least a day or two later to ride the horse again and see if the behavior is still the same. You may also wish to have a vet come out and examine the horse. This will cost money; however, buying a horse generally starts around $1,200. This would be a wise investment to verify the long term health of the horse.

One you have revisited and possibly had the animal examined and you are still sure about wanting to purchase the horse you looked at, go right ahead. If you do not have a trailer to haul the horse home, many of the owners will deliver the animal to your residence. Once you and your new animal are home, it is important to keep their health and well-being in mind. Keep the horse on a regular vet schedule and remember to always contact your vet should a problem arise.

Caring for an animals will teach a child to be responsible and give them a friend. To be completely honest, when I was younger, my horse was my best friend. If owning a horse goes well, you could also purchase additional horses for each family member. Participating in trail rides and horse shows make for great family bonding time and lots of fun!