Horse Talk

[SelectHorseSale]

In recent months I've had many inexperienced people talk to me about buying a family-safe horse. Needless to say this is tricky and challenging and even more so in today's current horse market. Now that horse slaughter is nearly a thing of the past, there are many horses out there that are being offered for sale as riding horses but that really aren't suitable to the task.
The important thing to ask yourself before buying a family horse is "Why is this horse on the market?". The answer to this is often that the current owner can't handle the horse for some reason or the horse is a "rescue" horse or perhaps the horse is an older horse that has just been started.
If the horse isn't suitable for his current owner because of some behavioral issue, then he most likely isn't suitable for your family either. If you aren't experience with horses, the last thing you want to do is start off with a horse that has known issues. Something that seems small when you purchase the horse, can become a larger issue as your horse ages, and if you don't have the experience to work with your horse on his issues, it's a safe bet that things will get worse.
"Rescue" horses seem like a good deal to the inexperienced person. Often they're offered as "Free to a good home" or simply very cheap, and many horse buyers get a good feeling from taking in one of these rescued animals. The problem here is that rescuing a horse isn't like adopting a kitten or a puppy from the local pound. A horse is a 1,000+ pound animal that can and will hurt you under certain conditions. An animal that had to be rescued was most likely abused in some manner or prone to some large-scale behavior issues. This is the very last kind of horse that you'd like as a family horse. Rescued horses should only be handled by individuals with the experience and equipment necessary to deal with these horses safely.
I've seen many cheap older horses on the market that have been started late in life as well recently. Cheap broke eight, nine or ten year old horses can seem like a good buy for your family, but unfortunately age doesn't mean broke. These older horses that have only had a handful of rides can be more dangerous than a young colt that's had just as many rides. Like people, older horses can get to be set in their ways and as such are more difficult to train. These horses can be ok for an experienced rider, but aren't the type of horses that inexperienced individuals should own.
If you're looking for a family-safe horse and you don't have a lot of experience in the horse industry, look for a horse that's been around kids before. The ideal horse is one that's being sold because the owner's kids outgrew it and have moved on to something else. A young four, five or six year old horse can also be a good buy here if the horse has had a lot of riding and doesn't come with any vices. Stay away from any horse that's labeled as started or green-broke and stick with those that are finished. Also, try to stay away from buying this kind of horse sight unseen. Do everything you can to make sure you've seen the horse ridden at least once and have had a chance to be around the animal before making a purchase. If possible, have someone you trust who knows horses vet the horse for you before you buy.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that if a horse looks too good to be true, then it is. A good, solid, safe family horse is not going to be cheap even in the current market. Solid, broke horses with no issues easily run $2000+. Every now and then, you can find a good deal, but these nice, family horses aren't the kind of horses that you're ever going to buy for $500. In some ways, buying a good family horse is a bit like buying a good used car -- the cheap ones tend to have problems and the good ones always cost more than you want to spend.

[amandaa]

I've seen this also. Rescue horses are dangerous and people do get hurt. The humane society and PETA like to publicize all the good, positive stories about these rescues, but no one really talks about all the negatives. A person is more likely to get hurt working with a rescue horse, than they are to have a successful experience and end up with a nice horse.
I've also heard that age is an important criteria when looking for a broke horse, and this is simply just not the case. I've sold some really nice three, four and five year-old horses as family horses with great success. We start them as two-year-olds so they're finished horses by the time they're four. These horses are 100X safer than an eight- or nine-year-old that was started at six or seven. I've had some horses that I could ride til they were 20 and they still wouldn't make a family horse and others that are pretty much safe for anyone at the end of their three-year-old year. The disposition and quality of the horse are definitely factors here, and need to be considered when making this type of purchase.
I definitely agree that a person looking to buy a family-safe horse should be prepared to spend a decent amount of money. No one should trust their family to a bargain $500 horse.

[jessepalermo1]

I've sold some really nice three, four and five year-old horses as family horses with great success. We start them as two-year-olds so they're finished horses by the time they're four. These horses are 100X safer than an eight- or nine-year-old that was started at six or seven.


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