7 Things to Consider Before Purchasing A Horse

horse Jan 12, 2022

iSperm mCASA is a mobile/mini computer-assisted semen analyzer. With the iSperm, your works for dog AI will be much easier. Check out https://www.isperm.co/ or Contact us for the details.

Buying a horse can cost a lot and the last thing you want is to buy a horse that does not fit your expectation. Selecting the right horse requires significant research. In this article, we picked 7 things for you to consider before making the purchase. By taking these 7 determinants into consideration, you are more likely to bring a terrific horse home with you.

What is your goal?

A horse is an animal that can be used for several purposes. Horses can be cultivated for racing, show jumping, trail riding or breeding. Figuring out what your goal is for buying a horse is important in terms of what traits a horse should have to meet your goal and expectations. By setting a clear goal for purchasing a horse, you can also greatly skim the time spent on searching the potential candidates. For example, you would not search the category of trail riding horses for racing horses.

Where does your budget lie?

Keeping a horse not only requires mental commitment but also monetary commitment. Taking care of a horse can be costly and you should plan your budget before purchasing a horse. If you do not have a personal space to raise your horse, a great proportion of the expenditure on horse caring goes to boarding. The cost of boarding can range from 150 US dollar to 750 US dollar per month. The rate can differ from regions to regions. For example, boarding service in cities can be more expensive than in rural areas. The rate varies for different sets of service as well. The most expensive deal is full boarding which contains expansive range of cares, from feeding to vet visiting, the horse needs. The most economic choice is self-care boarding which boarding institutions only provide a space to keep your horse and the responsibility of all the cares for the horse falls on your shoulders. There are still other deals in between the above-mentioned sets of service. Therefore, before buying a horse, you should balance the boarding fee you can afford and the care you can give to your horse by yourself to ensure that your horse will be kept sound.

Other fees to consider are farrier care, regular vet visit, equipments and other emergent spendings. Farrier care should be done every six to eight weeks and the cost depends on the conditions of your horse. Regular vet visit should be conducted at least once a year and, knock on wood, there might be some emergent incidents which you need to take your horse to veterinarians. Expenditure on food and supplements should also be considered into the budget plan as well. Well-planned budget helps you raising your dearly horse with less risks of running out of money for providing the required cares for your horse.

How is a candidate horse’s temperament?

A horse’s temperament is important for a safe riding, especially for novice riders. A horse with calm, stable and even temperament is more likely to offer a safe and pleasant riding experience. Selecting a horse with even temperament can help you better achieving your goal of buying the horse as they are more cooperative or more stable in serving the specific purpose.

How experienced is the candidate horse?

Similar to the importance of a horse’s temperament, how experienced a horse is can greatly affect one’s riding experience, especially for beginners. Experienced horses are more likely to be well-trained and more stable during the ride. They might be more forgiving to novice riders, which guarantees a safer ride and has the riders struggling less.

What breed should you consider?

Different breeds can equip with different traits. I am not saying that all horses of one breed have the same personality and characteristics but they are more inclined to possess particular traits. For example, American Quarter Horse is known to have even temperament. Hence if you are a beginners or you prefer horse with stable temperament, American Quarter Horse is a great option for you. Thoroughbred and Arabian are known for horse racing. Therefore, if your goal for purchasing a horse is for racing, these two breeds might be a perfect fit for you.

Should I have a pre-purchase exam?

You should always conduct a pre-purchase exam before taking a horse home. Pre-purchase exam should not be a definite steer for your decision but a thorough information for you to consider if a horse fits your goal. In general, pre-purchase exam can be divided into three sections, which are basic health evaluation, lameness assessment and ancillary diagnostics. Normally basic health evaluation includes checks on heart, eyes, lungs, teeth, temperature and others to confirm the overall condition of a horse. Lameness assessment is generally done by having a horse jog in-hand to observe if there is any abnormality in the horse’s movement. If a veterinarian notes any unusual performance from the prior two evaluations, they might ask you to do ancillary diagnostics for further exams. There is no fixed set of pre-purchase exam. It is customizable, and you should discuss with your veterinarian about what exams should be taken given your goal for a horse. For example, if you buy a horse for breeding, you might want to add breeding soundness examination into the pre-purchase exam to ensure that the fertility performance is up to the standard.

However, pre-purchase exam is not a guarantee for a long term health condition. Pre-purchase exam is just a diagnostics of a horse’s health state ‘at the moment’. Therefore, you might want to have a regular veterinarian check to keep track on your horse’s health. You can also purchase some devices to regularly monitor your horse’s condition. For example, iSperm mCASA is a cost-effective and accurate device to check a stallion’s fertility performance on a regular basis.

Welcoming a horse to your family should be an event to celebrate, but having a horse with wrong fits would be problematic and costly. By considering the aforementioned seven determinants, the risks of acquiring a horse that does not live up to your expectation will be greatly reduced.

iSperm mCASA is a mobile/mini computer-assisted semen analyzer. With the iSperm, your works for dog AI will be much easier. Check out https://www.isperm.co/ or Contact us for the details.

Reference: