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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

What pushed you to take the plunge and buy your first horse?

14 replies

Horseseeker2016 · 10/10/2016 20:12

I used to ride as a teenager (just at a riding school) then didn't ride for 15 odd years before getting back in the saddle aged 30. I've now been back riding for 4 years and had lessons and a share pony.

Next step is probably to get my own......but not sure I'll ever be able to bite the bullet and do so as there's always something putting me off eg job security, working long hours, thinking about starting a family.....

So what made you take the plunge and get your first horse ?

OP posts:

user1473191456 · 10/10/2016 20:22

OOOH, got no advice unfortunately, but following this as I could have written this post! Xx

bandito · 10/10/2016 21:35

Turning 40! There's never a good time for an expensive, unnecessary purchase but if it will make you happy without wrecking your family/finances, then just buy the blooming pony. Life's short.

Butkin1 · 11/10/2016 10:08

I rode a few riding school horses as a youngster - not with any real sense of purpose.

However when I was working (in my early 30s) and had no family committments I wanted to go hunting. I decided to have some proper lessons and looked for a horse to buy so I could go out with the local pack. I bought the first horse that I properly looked at (although I had good advice and knew what I wanted/was capable of)...

I bought a young (4yo) heavyweight cob from Cardiff out of Horse and Hound. Not only did I manage to hunt him regularly with our local pack for about 12 seasons he also introduced me to a life time passion for showing. He won the cob class at the Royal International and I rode him at HOYS - not bad for a horse I bought to learn to ride/hunt on !

plominoagain · 11/10/2016 14:32

The person whose horse I was sharing did a moonlight flit . Went up to the yard to find horse and stuff all gone leaving me heartbroken . My mum was so outraged , she colluded with the yard owner and a local dealer to get me my own , which they hid behind stable doors and told me to go in and get my leftover kit . When I opened the door , there she was , all pricked ears and shiny eyes . My partner in crime for over 30 years .

Polkadotties · 11/10/2016 21:31

I was fed up spending nearly £50 for 45 minutes private lesson once a week at a riding school. Would school the horses and get them going really nicely then they would get a novice on them and all my hard work would get undone.
I've had my first horse two weeks and I love him to pieces

Original poster

Horseseeker2016 · 12/10/2016 12:00

I'm spending £70 per week for one hour private lesson. So £280 per month for 4 hours riding. I think getting my own would be better value.
Although my riding school is good and has nice horses and good instructors it's still such a lot of money.

I was paying £100 per month for a horse share which was better value but that's come to an end now. The horse was great to give me some confidence but was quite old and very lazy and stubborn so that limited what I could do to light hacking and I reached the point where I wanted to do more. Riding the horse in the school was not enjoyable as the horse was so unwilling.

Ideally I would get another share but I can only really ride during the weekend due to work (although could fit in a couple of quick weekday rides if I had my own) and most people want weekday sharers. Also although I can ride i'm a novice and everyone seems to want experienced sharers.

Would I be crazy to get my own?

OP posts:

Polkadotties · 12/10/2016 15:21

I am now spending much more a month than I was when I was only having once a week riding lessons. I'm on 5 day full livery, weekend DIY and I'm having twice weekly lessons while me and my horse get used to each other. And I obviously had the cost of the horse, vetting, transport fees etc.
If you can't find a suitable loan/share then you could get your own but if you are a novice rider then please please make sure you keep it on a knowledgeable yard, preferably not DIY. The help I have received over the past couple weeks has been amazing, and I'm not a novice rider and have loaned before

Puppymouse · 12/10/2016 22:48

Couldn't not respond as this is close to my heart. Age old story - rode from aged 3/4 up to teens when school and boys got in the way. I tried lessons again in my twenties but I was lonely having private ones and wanted more horse time.

Then last year my marriage nearly ended. I was now a mum and sort of lost my identity a bit and couldn't see a way forward. My mum suggested lessons again to get some time to do something for me. Within a few weeks I was volunteering at the riding school one day a week, then was offered a weekend (paid) shift plus free lesson every week and then one of the grooms was about to go to Australia and needed a loaner for her old mare. She wasn't what I wanted on paper but she was an amazing starter horse and I learned so much and only wanted my own even more.

Then bought my boy in April this year and he's like another child, a best friend and my soul mate all woven into one. It's been the hardest but most rewarding decision I ever made and despite my family thinking I'm a selfish witch I will never wonder "what if" and I'm following my lifelong dream.

5OBalesofHay · 13/10/2016 20:48

Got my first at nearly 50. Love her to bits.

Gabilan · 14/10/2016 19:49

My first horse gave me the push I needed. I'd had various horses on loan, schooled them on, and they'd been sold. With Dhorse mkI I just couldn't let go. He'd had a crappy time of it before I got him but with a lot of care, he was starting to trust me. The thought of him being sold to somebody who didn't understand him, yet again, and him having a bad time of it was unbearable. He was my lovely soulmate for 8 years until I had to make a horrible decision to have him put down. But at least I know that after a horrible 12 years, the last 1/3 of his life with me was good.

BanjoStarz · 18/10/2016 17:16

Haaaaaaaa at getting value for money on buying your own when you spending £280 a month now.

£280 would just about get you basic livery by me (Midlands) allow at least another £ 150 a month of food, insurance, shoes, random things you might need. So £450ish just for your basic running costs. Then extra fuel to get to the yard, time (daily!), vets bills, lessons, competitions, tack, rugs, grooming and a myriad of other things. The random days of work because vets,Physio's and chiropractors can't seem to give you a time for a visit other than sometime that afternoon or morning.

Buy the damn pony, it'll be the best thing you ever did but don't kid yourself it's because it's better value for money to buy rather than have lessons.

It's better because you can do what you want with them, when you want. If you just want to go to the yard and watch them exist on a sunny evening you can do it, if you want to do nothing for 6 weeks but groom and turn out that's ok too...cos they're yours.

Alfiemoon1 · 02/04/2017 14:22

Dd has ridden since age of 4 at 13 we loaned a horse for her she proved to be committed so when that ended and she was heartbroken my sister decided she would never go through that again and surprised us all by buying dd a horse for Christmas

CatchIt · 10/04/2017 07:55

This was me too!!

I started riding when I was 3 but never got my own horse as my mum is terrified of horses and told me I'd have to get up at 5.30 every morning (a lie as it turned out, it's 6.30 if you work!)

I then got a share horse at 27 which turned into a loan but I thought it was ridiculous spending all this money on someone Elise's horse so I bought my own.

DHorse1 probably wasn't the best horse for me but was a sweet horse. I got married and had a miscarriage quite soon after.

Feeling sad, I bought an Andalusian foal. I sold DHorse1 to keep DHorse2. Sadly he developed swollen growth plates as a yearling and ended up with a bow leg. I carried on with him, backed him and rode him until he was pts at 5 (it's a longer sadder story but no need for detail or I'll cry).

I then bought DHorse3 as a 2 yo who has just been backed. She's another Andalusian and is nearly 4. She's proving to be 'spirited' but is going to be super fun when she stops the mareish brat attacks.

Now at 40 and with 2 children I would never be without a horse. It's my special time with just me and my horse. I pretend I want to do dressage, but really, hacking is my love.

The best advice? Just buy the damn horse!

Sorry that was so long, it was my entire horse history!!

WifeyFish · 11/04/2017 15:58

OP please don't fall into the trap of thinking owning your own would be cheaper! I can say with near certainty you'll be spending more than £280 a month. Most likely on livery alone if you can only get up to/ride at weekends as you'll need to factor in part/full livery which tends to be costly and that's before you think about all the other costs involved with owning your own. My boy racked up over £280 in bills in a week thanks to the dentist and a vet visit and I won't even get into just how much my mare's DDFT injury cost but it was in the thousands, and that was with insurance!

In your shoes I'd put up a wanted ad for a weekend share. You'll be amazed at how many people have multiple horses and would welcome some to help keep them exercised.

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