The search for a horse

There are many things to look for and consider when getting a horse. What discipline do you want to use him/her for? Whether or not you want a he or she, in horse terms a gelding or mare. What breed do you want? Making sure the horse is broke out well and has no bad habits is one of the hardest things to do when in the market. When I started looking for a horse I knew I wanted a gelding (open to mares still). I dint care what he looked like or what breed as long as they had some speed to him so I could train him in barrels. The first horse I went and looked at was a 12 year old quarter horse gelding with a back coat. He was great under saddle, everything I wanted. He even knew the barrel pattern already. I was going to pick him up for $800 when I got there he was drugged so that means he won’t get in the trailer without being partially sedated. A horse that has to be drugged to get in the trailer is almost a hopeless cause especially since I would be trailering him every weekend.  I held off going to look at the horses for a little and just calling owners on the phone and once they said one thing I didn’t like about the horse or I felt they were lying to me I told them I wasn’t interested. Then after about a month of searching I found one worth looking at in midland. When I went to go look at him to be honest it was a little weird….it was an elderly guy who had a cane and breathing problems. He insisted we go look at his other horses before he gets out the one I was there to look at so we did and then his son showed up who seemed to be a little off to but they were both nice. We finally got Gus out and saddled up, his son got on him first and rode him around a little before I got on. When I first got on him it was not conferrable, the saddle to big for me and the stirrups to long. Once the saddle was re-adjusted it was much better and I was able to control him much better. I rode him around the pasture for a little while then went along the trails and I knew by the end of my 30 min ride that he was the horse I wanted to get. So the next day me and my dad came with the truck borrowed his trailer, filled out a bill of sale paper and loaded him up and away we went I bought my first horse J

My interest in horses started my 7th grade year at my first year of horse camp. I was grinning ear to ear the entire car ride their and then bouncing out of my seat belt well pulling in. I had no idea what to expect and was nervous but I still didn't let that bother me. The first day we just visited the barn and horses, went over all the rules and the wranglers gave us a tour. At the end of the session they asked if we had questions, ......that their was their first mistake. Every girls hands shot up with mine being the first with the question of "when do we get to ride?" and then many continuing like "what horse will I ride?"...." how many times do we get to ride?".... "do we get to canter?".... and many more. As the week went on we spent three hours at the barn every day, one hour of ground work and 2 hours of riding. We also went on 2 trail rides through the camps. I came back the following summer for a week doing the same things but learning a little more because I was a second year. Now looking back at it was an over charged horse lesson but I wouldn't have changed going at all ( it was also my parents money). I told my self that I would be one of the wranglers to teach the little girls the basics of riding just like they thought me. Once I was to old to go to camp I just took a few lessons here and their to keep with the horses. I never cared much for the lessons though because they were boring, almost the same thing every time on the same horse.

The reason I chose to create my blog about my personal experiences with horses is because they are such a big part of my life. For little over a year now my horse plays a weekly role in my life, and as well as many other horses. I work hard and go to school to some day fulfill my dreams to one day own a horse ranch/training facility. So for about 6 years now iv been interested in horses, from when I went to horse camp in middle school, finding friends who had horses, to getting my horse Gus, showing on the high school equestrian team, and now giving lessons, trail rides, and training horses. It is my true passion and what I would spend all my time doing if I could. Along with all the good things that come with horses I have also experienced the bad. Between the cost of food, and vet bills alone is more than a child cost to a parent. That is not even including the price to show all summer long with a new horse (with a new horse you tend not to make allot of money back until they have a good season of experience). Having a horse has shown me so much like patience, trust, and how to deal with complete frustration..... well at least with animals. The way horses work and the way people interact with horses are a lot like how people interact with people. From my parents perspective it is the best choice I could have made because it has kept me out of trouble and have me a sense of manual labor. The manual labor part is no joke from having to deal with 45-60lbs hay bales, 50lbs bags of grain, and lots of wheelbarrows full of poop.