Seven Signs that You're Ready to Own a Horse

Even if you have an endless supply of money and time, you still may not be ready for a horse. Why is that? Owning a horse requires more than just time and money; it requires a good work ethic, patience, a sense of humor, maturity, and a passion for horses. The following paragraphs will explain the signs that you are ready to own a horse.

Work Ethic

If it were a hot summer day, what would you rather do: lay on the beach watching the waves, or working hard in the barn, mucking out stalls with the flies buzzing all around you? Horse people usually choose to work in the barn. Horses require daily care and attention, and you can't just skip the chores one day and go swimming (unless you have full board care at your barn). Working hard is a part of the everyday lives of horse owners, and if you're not willing to put forth the effort, you may want to wait off on getting a horse.

Patience

If you cannot control your temper and have little patience, it will be difficult to work with some horses. Green horses fuss around and often ignore their riders, while older horses are often too slow for impatient people. When you first mount the horse, you can't immediately begin cantering. The horse needs to warm up and stretch his muscles. This warm up can take up to twenty minutes of walking. If you choose to skip the warm up, your horse has a higher chance of getting injured and sore. If you are patient and willing to wait sometimes, then you will do well around these animals.

Sense of Humor

Horses are goofballs. They have their little tricks, such as bloating their stomachs when you're putting on the girth, then exhaling. You shouldn't be so serious around horses that you're not having any fun, because horses can pick up on your moods and become grumpy, too. Be happy when you ride and remember that it's okay to laugh occasionally.

Maturity

Running and playing games too close to the horses can be very dangerous. If you have a child that cannot act right around the horses, then it may be better for you to stick to riding lessons for a while. After your kid calms down and matures a little, then you can start considering his own horse again.

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