If you're new to horses, you might be thinking "I want a horse, but how on earth do I go about getting one?" There are a lot of tips we can share with you to help you avoid scams, traders, lemons, and other "oopsies". If anyone has any more ideas to add to this list, please share!

1. If you've never owned a horse, don't go into it unprepared. You need to have a secure paddock with shelter, adequate feed, and room to run; or else board at a stable. You need to read up on the aspects of horse care, talk to friends you know who own horses, and visit with your local vet in order to plan for the best possible home for your new horse. Begin riding lessons and help out around a stable, so you'll be able to have a basic knowledge of horses before you tack on the responsibility of caring for your own.

2. You can ask your lesson instructor to help you find a good horse for you to buy. Often they know of horse breeders in the area that are reputable for raising and training good horses. If you can find a horse to buy from a local stable or someone you know, that's the best route to take. Ask if you can begin lessons on the horse with your instructor, for a trial period, before you actually buy the horse. If this isn't possible, at least ask your trainer to go along with you to watch the horse being ridden by the owner first, and then with you riding. Schedule a prepurchase exam with a veterinarian, before you buy.

3. Other methods you can use to find horses is through the internet, with websites like Liverystable.net. When you find a horse you are interested in, here are some questions to ask when you contact the owner: How long have you owned this horse? (If less than a year, beware.) Why are you selling? Does this horse have any known bad habits? Has this horse ever bucked, reared, run away, or kicked someone? How old was this horse when it started training? Do you personally know the trainer and recommend the horse as being trained well? Was this horse ridden regularly this past year? Do you have any knowledge of the sire and dam of this horse, whether or not they were good riding horses or have any outstanding accomplishments? Do you have the registration papers for this horse, and does the horse sell as registered? Do you consider this horse to be a good match for a rider of my level? Is this horse hard to catch? Does it have any known vices such as cribbing, wind-sucking, stall-weaving, pacing, etc? Is this horse easy to trim, shoe, bathe, trailer-load, etc? Does this horse have good ground manners, or are there areas he still needs work on? What potential disciplines would you recommend for this horse, and is there any reason why he would not make a good (fill in your intended discipline) horse? Are there any soundness issues or illnesses in this horse? Past injuries or problems?

4. When you have narrowed down your search and the above questions have been answered to your satisfaction, you will want to go take a look at the horse. Don't go horse-shopping by yourself. Take a trusted horse-owner who has years of experience or else ask (or "hire") your riding instructor to accompany you. You should schedule enough time with the horse's owner and your trainer/friend so that the owner can demonstrate all of the horse's capabilities to you. For instance, let the owner know you would like to see him catch the horse, tack up, ride the horse through all of its paces, and so forth. Then your trainer/friend should ride it, and after that, yourself. During all of these stages, you and your trainer should be watching the horse for any sign of a limp, short-stride, unruly attitude, balkiness, buddy-sourness, etc. If you can find any fault, congratulate yourself on money not wasted, thank the owner, and go home.

5. If you instinctively know that you have found the perfect horse for you, and your trainer/friend agrees wholeheartedly, then you're ready to shedule the vet to perform the prepurchase exam on the horse. This is something you will pay for, before you agree to purchase the horse. If the owner does not agree to the prepurchase exam, walk away. Be sure to inform the vet what you intend to do with the horse. For instance, an exam for a broodmare will be different than an exam for a barrel racing horse.

6. Once all of these things have taken place, you should draw up a bill of sale for the owner to sign. It can be a simple statement of the transaction, or you can download a bill of sale form from the internet. If you are buying a registered horse, the seller should give you the registration papers when you hand him the money for the horse (if he's waiting for any reason, understand you may be buying a "grade" horse that isn't worth half what you're paying for it!). With these papers, you need a Transfer of Registration form with the seller's signature and information written in. This enables you to send the registration in to have the ownership changed over into your name. It is like the title to a vehicle. You need a signed Transfer form in order for the Registry to make the changes, though.

7. You are now the proud owner! A few things to remember when you take a horse home to new surroundings -- don't just turn him in with his pasture-mates and let them run. Keep him in a stall or small secure pen for a day or two to let him get used to the area and horses around him. If he is going to be pastured with other horses, let them meet over a secure fence (no wire or sharp edges) and "talk it over" before putting them in the same pen. If your new horse is going to have a large pasture, it is wise to lead him around the perimeter of the field so he is acquainted with his boundaries, especially with wire fencing that is difficult to see clearly. The worst thing would be for him to spook and run through a fence the first day you bring him home.

Good luck, and enjoy your horse!

Daisy, I am glad you are taking the time to help these folks. I just had some people come out to my farm to look at horses tonight and they are totally new. I showed them a couple and then suggested the come back a couple of times and I want to give the girl lessons before they take the horse to the boarding facility he will be living. During their time here, I realised these people don't know even the first thing...how or what to feed, what kind of tack let alone how to tack one up,...Absolutely nothing. I was trying to come up with a good "Horses for Dummies" book and I honestly don't think there is anything on the market that is absolute ground level that I can think of. If anyone knows of one, please let me know. I would love to have a stock pile on hand for just such occasions.

Unfortunately there are a ton of bad horse dealers and scammers ready to take advantage of these genuine people. It saddens me because rarely do you see someone come into this sport and not get burned the first couple of times.

New people, if I can't tell you anything else..please just don't be impulsive. Take your time. Ride the horse several times before you purchase. Show up unannounced so as to make sure they didn't give the horse a 'cocktail' before you came out. Don't jump on and ride without seeing the seller ride it first. And if you can, tell them to leave the horse in the field until you get there. This will show you have well they are caught which can ruin anyone's day if you have a horse who has other plans than your own come riding time. Ask detailed questions about the horse's health. Ask for previous records of ownership and call the people. And if it is a substancial amount of money, get a vet check. Remember, what you see if what you get on temperment issues. If the horse has a vice you think you can work around, rethink that horse. I could go on and on but I need a cocktail myself now.

Blessings to you all.

Hi DaisyKJ, Annie, ASBS & others who have replied to my postings here in the "greenhorn" section.

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this site. I went to a beginner's 4H meeting last night. I got referrals to local ranches to sign my daughter up at to prep her for our family owning a horse. Too bad they don't have classes for adults!!

I'm about as new as they come, but I think I have fairly realistic expectations of what lies ahead, and am getting a clearer picture thanks to all the advice I'd gotten here. I have lined up a tour at one ranch for myself so far. Next step for me is to "shadow" or volunteer to do ranch work, volunteer with a horse vet (my sister said she did this for a while before getting her two horses), or possibly shadow a trainer (or all of the above at different stages in MY training). This is in addition/during my own formal grooming/care/riding lessons, but I think the hands-on and behind-the-scenes experience will be invaluable.

I'm going to continue to get familiarized with various ranches and continue to get referrals from each. Then I'll probably stick with the trainers/vets/ranches/boarders who's names keep popping up. I'm also getting involved in the fairs and shows/competitions to gain more knowledge as well. All this is what I dub "Immersion Training". I think it will be great to get the different perspectives from the different venues, and take away what works for my specific needs and wants.

Just wanted to let you know that I'm printing off the lists that have been posted and they are in my horse file. Thanks for being so thorough!

Thanks again for guiding us new folks!

giddyup,

You are so enthusiastic...I love it! Since you are emersing yourself into the "learning" part of the horse world, I would like to encourage you to do one more thing. This may sound a little strange, but try to spend some time each day that you are at the barn/ranch just watching herd dynamics. Watch how horses move around each other, how they discpline insubordinates and how they react to the alpha horse. Some day YOU will be the alpha horse in your little herd and you will want to know how to read equine body language. Never let a horse move you from your spot unless you feel like you might be in danger. I like to walk out among my horses and gently push them out of my way, just a step or two. This is not an angry or aggressive maneuver, just a subtle shift that quietly lets them know who provides the groceries, the fly repellant and perhaps who calls the shots. Just some thought...good luck .

That is a great tip! I'm too inexperienced to feel confident in choosing a horse that I haven't gotten to know, so I'd probably pass on purchasing a horse from an auction...but I would attend with someone else who's buying. I love auctions (and they love me!)! I'm going to be real selective and will more than likely get my future horse from a "lease-to-own" type agreement.

I know I need to be real careful, because I do not ever want to get a horse I would have to give up down the road for whatever reason (it doesn't do the work I want it to, or it's too much horse for me). So I'll get my training/experience in (6mo-year), then hopefully get in touch with a suitable horse and work with it for another 6 months or so before taking over ownership and continuing any training either of us would need.

Keep those tips coming!!