Finding horses for sale is a large undertaking, as is the purchase and care of the animal itself. To ensure you are happy with the horse and are able to give it a good home, think carefully about a few questions before you even start to look. With something this long-term and expensive, you do not want to make any mistakes. You need to understand exactly what purpose you wish the horse to serve. It is just for fun to ride around your land, or is it for racing, for competitions, or for breeding?
A horse's life span is about thirty years, so this is a very long-term purchase. For most, the best years (at least physically) are from the ages of three and fifteen, when a horse is in its prime. Horses for racing and shows should definitely be bought younger to ensure they have a long career. Regardless of your specific use, you want to make sure you check the horse's age in person and have official documentation to back it up.
Check the teeth for signs of age. No seller could ever hide a horse's real age from its teeth. The more worn down they are, the more years they have been in use. Hooves may not be as true an indicator of age, but it can give you some idea of the use of the horse, both in its past and future. Cracked hooves or poorly nailed shoes can indicate rough treatment and limit what the horse is physically capable of doing.
If you are going to use it to compete or breed, knowing the age of the horse can help you get it in the correct category. Not just any horse of any age can enter any competition. If it is a male, see if it is gelded. This has an obvious effect on breeding, but can also determine race or competition entries.
Training an animal yourself is very important when it comes to having a good bond between rider and animal. The younger the horse, the easier it will be to make your impression on them and teach them habits you want them learning. Some buy horses young to breed them as much as possible, but you should never breed a horse until it is three years old. If you can wait until it is six, that is even better.
Their skeletal system has not finished growing until this point so it could make labor difficult, especially since horses are pregnant for almost a full year. This is a lot of pressure on the body for a horse that young. You also do not want to do anything to derail your training in this early stage.
Horse breeding requires a great deal more knowledge. You need to understand the genetics of horses. The goal of breeding is to get the finest horses possible. Some breed horses with very developed flank muscles to others of the same build to get an offspring that will have huge power in its legs. Others want tall horses with very long legs to help with jumping. Others go for speed, or general size, or particular coat colors. It takes a lot of work but could end up getting you a huge profit by putting horses out to stud.
Most people buy horses for their own amusement and to ride in their free time. If you are not entering it in any competitions or races, you can buy just about any horse which suits your fancy. The only thing to make sure you know is the age and temperament of the horse. Not only do you want to have it as long as you can, but you also want to make sure it is not skittish or disobedient. Having its pedigree is not a bad idea, either.
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