Choosing the Right Horse

(A version of this blog was originally posted on March 25, 2011)

 

 

 

“You're not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you've met, she's not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other.” –Good Will Hunting

 

 

 

I love that quote. Ben Affleck may have been giving romantic advice to Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, but the insight is also appropriate when you’re looking for an equine partner. Once you start “shopping” for a new horse, you need to ask yourself some very important questions about your goals and ideas about your future, “perfect” equine partner.

 

• What kind of riding do you want to do? Whether you train in dressage, jumping, reining, or any other riding discipline, you should look for a horse that is trained in the area you would like to do.

 

• How much more “experienced” should the horse be? It is usually recommended that less-experienced riders look for a horse that is schooling in that discipline and working at a slightly higher level than they ride. However, the horse should not have so much more training/experience that the animal is likely to get bored working on material he or she has already mastered while the rider is learning to do basic techniques.

 

• What kind of riding ability do I need to have in order ride a horse that is working/training at a higher level than I am currently training? The more time you spend in the saddle, the better. In addition to working regularly with a trainer, spend time working with your horse on your own to practice the movements or techniques you are working on in your lessons. It is important to remain patient, relaxed and calm when you are with your horse so you can feel confident enough in your riding skill to go beyond your comfort zone. For example, before I bought my horse, Galahad, I had never ridden such a “forward” mount; I had to do a lot of strength training and spend time riding him to get used to this kind of action.

 

• What kind of ability/talent should the horse have? This will come down to the horse’s conformation and its work ethic/attitude. If you are looking for a “forward” moving horse that is likely to excel in competitive riding, he or she will need to have plenty of flexibility, impulsion, and action and strength in the hindquarters as well as physical and mental ability to accomplish those goals.
• Which breed of horse should I be looking at? A horse of any breed may be able (or not) to do the kind of riding you enjoy. For example, Warmbloods make good mounts in dressage and jumping competitions. Quarter Horses are typically seen in Western Pleasure and reining competitions. Arabian horses can succeed in English and Western show classes, although they particularly excel in endurance competition. To some extent, the horse’s breed will be less important than his personality/attitude, patience, conformation, and ability to achieve your riding goals. The choice of breed may depend on what you want to do with your equine partner, but keep the motto “Form to Function” in mind. You don’t want to end up “over-horsed” or overwhelmed by an animal that is too big for your body and too strong to handle when you are riding.  For example, if you are very petite like me a large horse such as a Thoroughbred or Warmblood breed would literally be too big for me and possibly a lot of horse to handle. A better choice for you might be a small horse or a large pony in terms of size and ease/accuracy of applying riding aids.

 

• Decision time. Bring someone along to look at the horse who is an experienced rider or horse trainer. Your current trainer or riding instructor is the ideal choice because he or she can evaluate the horse’s talents in the context of your equestrian experience and goals and provide a neutral, objective evaluation of the animal.. Have the current owner ride the horse before you get on, and see if your trainer will do the same. Also, be sure to get a veterinarian to do a thorough physical evaluation of the horse to check for soundness. You may want to get X-Rays of the horse’s legs and hooves and even draw blood to rule out tranquilizing drugs, etc. in its bloodstream. If possible, ask a veterinarian you already know and have worked with to do this check. First, you already have a working relationship and trust with this person; second, the veterinarian can also provide important feedback about suitability of the horse for you based on his or her familiarity with you.

 

 

At the end of the day, it will be up to you to make the ultimate decision whether to buy the horse. Your trainer, the veterinarian and even the person selling the horse can provide information and his or her professional opinion about suitability of the horse for you. But you will be the one who will ultimately spend the most time working with and caring for the horse if you buy it. Whether you want to compete or take long rides along the beach it is important to take your time to make a decision that will be in the best interest of you and your new equine partner.

 

 

 

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

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