Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 82
life
EQUESTRIAN
British Horse Society
Buying your first
horse?
DECIDING to care for any animal
requires careful consideration and
that’s never truer than when buying
your first horse – whether it’s for you
as an adult or your child’s first pony.
With vets’ bills, stabling,
shoeing and insurance costs
and the time commitment for
mucking out, feeding, grooming
and riding the animal each day,
caring for a horse is a massive
undertaking and first owners
need to ensure they have the
time and financial resources
necessary. Loaning or sharing
is an option for those who can
afford to keep a horse but can’t
afford the initial purchase, but
it is important to ensure that
you have a proper loan/share
agreement drawn up, which
states what you can or can’t
do with the animal, where it is
to be kept, what tack/rugs it
will be loaned with etc. There
is an example loan agreement
on our website – www.bhs.org.
uk, that you can adapt to your
individual circumstances.
Where to keep your new horse
is an important consideration.
Visit different riding schools
and livery yards in your area
to find out what services and
facilities they offer – the closest
or cheapest may not always
be the best option. With
your first horse it is important
to have experienced horse
owners around who can offer
advice and assistance when
necessary. Some riding
schools offer livery in exchange
for using the horse in riding
school lessons (this is usually
82
called working livery) – this
can be a good option if you are
limited for time or experience
as the riding school will help
care for, and exercise, it.
Do’s and Don’ts for
buying your first horse:
DO ensure you have
done your sums and can
afford to keep a horse
DO ensure you have
somewhere suitable to
keep your horse
DO be realistic about your level
of experience and the sort of
horse that will be suitable – a
just backed 4 year old or high
level dressage warmblood
may not be the right decision!
DO ensure you have some
stable management experience
before you buy your horse and
know the basic principles of
feeding, worming, shoeing,
bedding, tack fitting etc
DO take someone very
experienced with you
(preferably a qualified,
registered instructor) when you
go to view a horse – they can
give you an impartial opinion on
whether it’s the right one for you
DO have the horse vetted
before you purchase it
DO ensure you have third
party liability insurance as a
minimum. The BHS offers its
members £10m of personal
liability insurance which
covers all the horses you own,
ride or loan – contact the
membership dept for further
details on 01926 707750
DO ensure that if you are
loaning or sharing a horse
that you have a proper loan/
share agreement drawn
up with the owner
DO ensure that the horse you
are buying has a valid passport,
make sure you see it before
the purchase and take it away
with you when you collect
the horse (and don’t forget
to send it in to the passport
issuing organisation to get
your details added as the new
owner). For more information
about horse passports go
to the welfare pages on our
website – www.bhs.org.uk.
DON’T buy an unseen horse
or order one from the internet!
Too many people have been
caught out and the horse that
is delivered is not the one they
thought they were buying!
DON’T ‘over-horse’ yourself
– be realistic about your
capabilities and experience
DON’T go and see a horse
without an experienced
person to advise you
DON’T ride the horse
before you have seen it
ridden by the seller
DON’T believe everything
you are told
DON’T be rushed into
making a decision
DON’T necessarily buy
the first horse you see
DON’T buy a horse without a
valid passport, buyers have
been caught out with “I’ve
applied for a passport, it’s
in the post and I’ll forward
it to you”, and then the
passport doesn’t appear
DON’T be a time waster – let
the vendor know if you
can’t make a pre-arranged
appointment to view a horse,
and if you don’t like the
horse when you see it, tell
the vendor straight away
A first owners pack, offering
useful advice on owning and
keeping a horse, is available
free from the BHS. For more
information log on to www.bhs.
org.uk or call 01926 707791.
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