Horse-riding is one of the most fulfilling activities that life has to offer. Equine sports like polo are quite fun to play as well. That’s why a lot of people are willing to put up with the immense responsibility of owning and taking care of horses.

If you’re thinking about owning a horse, you must educate yourself on what sort of hardships you’re signing on for. Luck for you, we’ve compiled the most important ones in this article:

Consider What You Can Handle

A younger horse may sound more appealing to you but bear in mind that you’ll have to spend time training in and giving it lots of exercise. If you’re a novice, then perhaps an older, more experienced horse may be more suited for you. Such horses require less disciplining and overall attention. But at the same time, older horses may be a more prone to illnesses, depending on the exact age.

You also consider how much you can afford to spend on one. It’s not just the actual price tag of the horse you should be worried about but also the construction costs of a proper shelter, grooming, routine vet exams…etc. Remember, these costs will recur for the entire lifespan of the horse.

Consider Whether You Can Care For It Properly

Horses are very high-maintenance animals. They require regularly grooming especially if you ride them a lot. This is because things like dirt and debris can get stuck in their thick fur and hooves, which can cause illnesses if not taken care of.

Horses also require a proper shelter that sufficiently protects them from rain, snow and heat rays. We highly recommend that you invest in one of those temperature-regulating Caribu horse rugs, if you live an area that’s got an especially cold climate.

Consider Whether the Horse Is Fit Beforehand

A horse isn’t something you buy online! While there may be genuine sellers out there, you should be very cautious about such an important purchase.  In order to avoid major problems down the line, you should make sure that you’re buying a healthy horse. Otherwise you’ll spend more time tending to its health problems instead of riding it.

But what if you don’t know how to examine a horse? That’s why you should always bring someone who can to the meet-up with the seller. Preferably, this should ideally be someone who’s owned or worked with horses for at least a few years. This person will help you ask important questions from the seller as well as perform a thorough visual inspection to ensure that the horse is healthy.

Preferably you should also ride the horse at least once before you make your decision. This will help you get an idea about just how healthy the horse is.

It’s also a great idea to get the horse vetted as well. This removes all guesswork and you’ll know for sure whether the horse is fit enough. We highly recommend against using the seller’s vet because there’s cause for bias.

These three considerations should be taken very seriously if you don’t want to end up with buyer’s remorse.