Juniper Moon Wind
Affectionately Known As Iggette
April 6, 1977 To March 20, 2008
She Was An Outstanding Horse For Many Years
She Will Be Greatly Missed
By All Who She Taught to Ride
& By Those Who She Helped Overcome Their Fears
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’ve talked about riding lessons, checking the stable for possible flooding problems and what and what not to consider for your first horse. Now let’s talk about whether or not a pre-purchase exam is necessary.
First let me say, you need to get the March issue of EQUUS. If you don’t have a subcription and would like to subscribe to EQUUS, just click on the EQUUS picture at the right. This issue has a 14 page article on the pre-purchase exam. It tells what the process is, takes you through an exam and gives you a few stories about different outcomes based on the findings of the pre-purchase exam. This is another MUST read article for the novice. I really can’t tell you any more than what is in this article.
I have only had 2 full pre-purchase exams on horses that I either own or was considering. I had a partial exam on a horse that had an eye defect. One horse failed the exam because of arthritis that I would not have found without the vet check. The horse with the eye defect was cleared because it was a birth defect and it was determined the defect shouldn’t bother her. I still have the eye checked every year though. The other horse passed the exam and then I had x-rays done on the knees. I wanted these x-rays because the horse was just a 2 year old and I wanted to see if the knees had finished developing. My decision for just knee x-rays was based on what the cost of the exam would be with full leg x-rays. I simply couldn’t afford all of the x-rays.
You should consider your budget for horse expenses. Pre-purchase exams are not cheap. The cost will probably vary depending on which part of the country you live in. Are they worth the money? If it prevents you from buying an unhealthy or injured horse obviously the answer is YES! If the pre-purchase exam proves that the horse is sound, then you not only have piece of mind, but now have a better idea what the horse can do. Also, the more expensive the horse, the more obvious it is that you should have the pre-purchase exam done. And if you are considering a less expensive horse, that shouldn’t keep you from considering the pre-purchase exam. If you are trying to save money & buy a cheap horse that costs you a ton in vet bills, well . . . it wasn’t a cheap horse. You, with the help of your trainer and/or vet, should make the decision of whether or not to have the pre-purchase exam or at least how much of the exam you can afford.
Like I said above, I had 2 full exams done and only came home with 1 horse. One exam ABSOLUTELY saved me from buying a gorgeous palomino I really wanted but had unseen problems. If you are actively looking for a horse, maybe you should consider a pre-purchase exam for the top candidate. If the horse passes, you have a new equine friend. If the horse fails, you are only out the cost of the exam instead of the price of an unsuitable horse plus whatever else it will take to keep the horse sound and healthy.
Read the article. Be informed. Consider the costs. Ultimately, the decision for the pre-purchase exam is yours.
It’s been a few days. Have you read up on the type of horse that is right for you? I do hope you’ve spent some serious time on this subject. You don’t want to go into horse ownership on just a whim. To make it work out for both you & the horse, you have to be as prepared as possible. So in all fairness, it’s time to talk about what a novice should not consider as their first horse. That’s not to say you should never consider one of these next types, but maybe you should wait until you are a little more experienced.
I already talked about my #1 horse a novice should not consider. That is the stallion. I won’t go into stallions much more than I did in my previous post. Stallions need absolute distinct differences between what is breeding routines and normal everyday routines. You need to be to the top dog . . horse. . . with a stallion. They need to respect you as the herd leader and you need to respect them for what they are.
My #2 horse a novice should not consider is a foal (weanling) or 1 year old. But you say they are sooooo cute & irresistible. Just remember foals are babies . . . big babies . . big babies growing bigger. Their nutritional needs are more than an older horse. This will end up in a higher feed bill. As with all babies, they take an enormous amount of time to raise and train properly. They absolutely need to learn who the leader is. If you don’t have the time EVERY DAY to spend with a foal/yearling, you are not doing yourself or the foal any good. You have to teach these guys everything a good horse should know. The only real discipline you can do with a baby is halter and if they are 1 year old maybe longe line. You can’t ride them until they are closer to 2 years old. Remember these are growing babies. They need consistency and repetition, repetition, repetition.
The #3 horse is the unbroke or green broke horse. I want to teach my horse myself you say. Green horses need consistency in their training, which means either you or the trainer needs to do something with them at least 5 or 6 days a week. Training a horse needs a steady hand that is also gentle and forgiving. A cool temperament on the rider’s part is an absolute must. If you can’t keep your cool when stressed, trying to train a green horse will be a disaster. If you are a novice, you are still learning. It is better to get a horse that can teach you.
The last horse I’ll talk about would be one fresh off the race track. These horses are trained for speed. While they can make excellent horses, it will take a lot of just quiet riding time to retrain them for gaits other than running. I would also watch for injuries to their legs. I tell you this from experience. My 1st horse was off the track. While I knew of the injury to her legs that ended her race career, she had another leg problem that took a little time to show up. I would definitely have a pre-purchase exam on an ex-racehorse.
This is my list of the top 4 horses not to consider if you are a novice. You can buy one of these if your heart is set on a horse from one of these groups. Just remember that you will probably need the help of a professional trainer not only for the horse but for you also. You can make it work, just don’t expect miracles overnight. Any of these will take a lot of time and even more patience.
Have you done your homework? Have you figured out your budget? I truly hope you didn’t skip that assignment. You are finding out that even if you have your own place, owning a horse is NOT CHEAP! It’s better to find out the cost of horse ownership on the front end of this process. You don’t want to find out in a couple of months that you have to sell your dream horse because you under estimated the cost of upkeep. It is far more important for you to make your mortgage payment and feed your family.
If you’ve found that your finances are in order and you can afford the maintenance of a horse, you are going to ask what horse is best for me? For a novice owner, there are sooo many choices. There are also some that you should steer away from for now. I’m going to break this down into several posts. This way I don’t have to try to condense the information too much.
In my Jan 9 2008 post, I suggested a mature horse. By this I mean a horse that is an 8-15 year old, I would even go as far as a 20 year old for the right horse. Why? Because these guys have been around a bit. They probably have years of training/riding and unless they are the nervous type, they are well out of that fidgety young horse mentality. Beside this, there are a few other manners that they probably have learned with age. They should have good ground manners, they have probably learned not to lean on the farrier, and they shouldn’t try to hurt the vet at shot time. If the horse has been shown or was a ranch horse, it will probably load in a trailer easily. I absolutely can’t emphasize enough just how much that is worth.
You want to find a horse that has a kind soft eye, not one that only shows the whites and has that wild scared look all of time. You want a horse that stands quietly no matter if it is tied to a fence, on crossties or tied to your trailer. You want a horse that respects you, your space and your authority. You don’t need a horse that strikes at you, tries to walk over you, or challenges your leadership. You want a horse that is reasonably trained. While it doesn’t have to be a "push button" horse, it should be a well broke horse. You want a horse that is healthy in both body & mind. You and the horse should have mutual trust for each. Without trust, you will never develop a rewarding relationship, you will never become a team.
Where do you find a horse like this? Like in the post mentioned above, your riding instructor may know of a prospect. Try your horse friends. They may know a youth or amateur who has outgrown their current horse and is looking for more of a challenge. Horse shows, especially the big breed shows, always have horses for sale. Use caution here though. You may find a good prospect. But if the owner is from out of town, they may want to sell while at the show. This could make it more difficult to test ride the horse a couple of times. It would also make it very hard to get a pre-purchase exam (I’ll discuss this more later). Working ranches will also have dispersal sales. This would be a good place to pick a nice ranch horse. This is also an instance where you need to be careful and taking a knowledgeable horse person with you would be best. They could help steer you away from a horse that may not be right for you. There are the classified ads in both the paper and on the internet. And finally, there are the bulletin boards at feed stores, tack stores and livestock sales.
Remember what I said about being in too much of a hurry. You don’t want your dream horse to turn out to be your worst nightmare.
You’re so excitied. You’ve scrimped and saved until you finally have enough money for the purchase price for your new horse. Congratulations should be in order. But wait!! Have you thoroughly researched the cost of keeping a horse? If you haven’t, you’ve missed a VERY important step. Relatively speaking, buying the horse probably is the least expensive part of horse ownership.
Let’s start at the begining. You have a lot of homework to do. The first step is look at your monthly expenses. I don’t want to discourage anyone, but you have to be brutally honest here. Sit down & figure out what you have as far as expenses. This includes utility bills, insurance, daycare, car payments, food and any other type of expense that applies to you. If you are only living paycheck to paycheck, you can’t afford a horse. If you only have a little left over at the end of each month for a few extras, you can’t afford a horse. If you don’t have enough left over at the end of each month to cover one of those life’s gotchas, you can’t afford a horse.
Now here is your homework. You have to research costs for each of these, because prices vary in every part of the country. Have you found a stable? Are you going to do self service or full board? Are you bringing the horse back to your own property? Have you found a hay supplier? Which feed is right and where is the feed store? Have you decided on a vet, found a farrier or trainer? These are just a few fundamentals for horse ownership and if you don’t have an answer for even one of them, you are not ready to buy.
As a novice horse owner, it is your responsibility to make yourself as edcuated as possible. As a horse owner, it is your responsibility to make sure the horse is cared for properly. Doing your research on the costs of keeping a horse is the first step in making sure it is healthy and happy.
June 15, my trainer & I were standing in the lot by the barn watching the water rise from the creek just south of us. It was slow but relentless. The front lot had small ruts made by my car from the night before as I packed all of my leather goods from the tack room. With each hour, the grass slipped out of sight. The ruts disappeared under a small rush of water that eventually became a small stream in itself. This stream split in two with one half snaking its’ way to the arena and the other half making a straight march for the barn & back pasture. The back pond soon had all of the back pasture consumed except for 2 small rises on which 2 horses were standing. The 5 acre south pasture was becoming a small lake as the creek rose higher. The horses there kept grazing just in front of the moving water line. At 2:00pm, the creek finally crested and the worst of the damage was over. The water had managed to enter the barn and only flooded 2 stalls. We never had to make the decision to move the horses, but there was a plan if needed.
I didn’t check this out when I first came to this barn. I was not a true novice, I had owned horses for several years. But 
this is not a question that the ordinary person would normally ask. After all, if you have never experienced a flood, who really thinks of it until the water is rising on your property. The first time it flooded, I was called at work to come help move the horses to the town’s fairgrounds. My husband & I helped move 22 horses & 3 tack rooms in less than 3 hours. We made 3 trips with my 2-horse trailer from the barn to the fairgrounds. Since my late trainer was well known in the area, friends came with other horses trailers, trucks or just time to baby-sit at the fairgrounds while the rest of us made mad dashes back & forth. The horses stayed at the fairgounds for 4 days. We cleaned up the barn, removed all shavings and spread lime on still wet floors. Then it was time to move back.
The most it’s flooded is 5 times in about 2 months. The worst flood was 6 years ago. That time the water also rose slowly, but it just kept rising. The horses were moved, the tack rooms emptied, and everyone prayed. The flood that time was high enough to get 3′ deep in the trainer’s house & barn. It was a true disaster for her. Carpets were removed, sheet rock and insulation were stripped out. It took almost 4 months to get the house renovated. The barn was a little easier. Since it was completely stripped before the water was very high, the stall doors were opened to let the water run freely through the barn. Then it was just a matter of removing any debris left behind and allowing it to dry out.
This should be one of the questions you need to ask the barn manager or proprietor of any boarding facility you are considering. Ask them if the property has ever flooded. If it hasn’t, that is good news. If it has, you need to ask when was the most recent flood. How high has the water been? Most importantly, what is the plan for the horses if it does flood. If there is no plan for floods, make your decision very carefully.
After all, isn’t the safety of your horse the most important service a boarding facility should offer.
Get ready . . . get set . . . Show!!!!
Yes it’s finally that time. Are you out there already showing your horse’s best side as well as yours? Good for you. Or are you just getting started and have absolutely no idea what you are supposed to be doing? Don’t fret, the newby jitters get everyone at first. Just ask anyone in the warm-up pen or show ring.
But let’s back-up a bit. Did you remember to get that all important Coggins test first? Or did you forget to ask the vet when he was out giving the routine shots? Well it’s not a complete disaster, but until you get this particular test done and the test result papers in your hand, you can’t show. Not one single show I know of will even let you unload your horse without it. Or, I should be more specific, not one show will let you unload or show without a negative Coggins.
If you board your horse, the barn management probably requires a yearly Coggins. So you may already have it. Just make sure you have an official copy from the vet (not a photo copy). If you forgot, just call the vet & set-up an appointment to have this test done. It’s just a simple blood test. Most shows in my area will accept a Coggins test if it was done within a year. There are a few shows that will require a Coggins done within 6 months. Now the really big national or world shows may also require health papers that were issued within 30 days prior to the show. Be sure to check the show rules for the particular show you are going to for any other vaccination requirements. If you are traveling across state lines, be sure to check what each state will require.
If you can’t remember everything, try making a list. Put things in order of importance in the the month it needs to be done. If you are techincal, keep the list in your PDA, laptop or whatever type of electronic device is your preference. If you are not technically inclined, keep a notebook, day-timer or calendar handy with all of the important things on it. You can check them off as they are done. You will also be able to add, change or delete anything as needed. But the most important thing about your list is to look at it. Look at it more than just the time it takes to make it. Look at the list at the very least once a week .
With all of the health papers in order, this will be a little less stressful when going to a show.
Well . . . really the best thing you should do is save it. But if Christmas money is burning a hole your pocket, why not invest in some riding lessons. Everyone can benefit from lessons no matter what your abilities. This is especially true if you are just beginning. It’s my opinion that this is the absolute 1st thing a beginning horseman (novice) should do. That is even before you start looking for a horse. How are you going to know what kind of horse suits you best, if you don’t even know how to ride or groom a horse properly?
Shop around a little. Talk with several trainers in your area and definitley go to their stables to check them out before you sign up for anything. Be courteous though. If you arrange to meet a trainer, make sure you show up. If for some reason you can’t make the appointment, call them to cancel and reschedule for another time. You might find a stable that offers a package deal. That is, if you pay for a pre-determined amount of lessons, they offer them at a reduced price. These usually are only offered if you pay up front. Some stables may also offer lessons at a group rate. You’d be riding with other people of the same ability, this can actually be fun. I would check into taking a few private lessons first though. This will give you a trial time for the stable and the trainer. You do want a trainer that you are comfortable with and one that will not push you beyond your abilities. Trust your instincts. Be wary of a trainer that promises big results in a very short amount of time. If a beginner is pushed too hard too fast, it will probably end up in an accident.
That’s what happened to me. I wanted to learn to jump. My husband called several stables as a Christmas gift one year. A few of the trainers he spoke with told him that the basics and ground work had to be done first and that could take awhile. The length of time depended on the rider. The trainer I ended up going to said she would teach me to jump in no time. She was right about that. On my third lesson, I was going over crossbars. Never mind that I couldn’t even sit a trot or even post. As the 8th lesson, we were going to go to a schooling show. So on my 7th lesson, we were practicing a course for the first time. I was riding a new horse as the one I was used to riding had come up lame. As we approched a fence, the horse and I had a difference of opinion as which way to go and we parted ways. He went left and I went right . . . right into the jump. While I was recuperating from this, I bought my first horse; but that’s another story. I never went back to finish the riding package my husband paid for.
Riding lessons are more than just sitting in a saddle and going around in circles in an arena. In the barn I’m at, the trainers show the new student how to groom the horse before and after riding. This includes brushing and which brushes are used for each area of the horse. The new student is shown how to pick up the feet and clean them as well as combing out the mane and tail. They are shown where/where not to apply fly spray and how to apply hoof dressing. They are shown how to properly place the saddle on the horse, tighten the cinch/girth and how to remove the saddle. How to adjust the stirrups to fit the rider’s legs. Then one of the most important things, is how to put the bit/bridle in and remove from the horse’s mouth without clanging teeth. A horse will not take having their teeth hit too many times before they start to resist being bridled. Believe me, this is not good for the horse or you.
As a novice, the first few lessons may only be 30 minutes, but you’ll appreciate the short time in the saddle. Your legs and rear end may be a little sore, but not at all like they would be if you had a full hour for the very first time. Besides, an hour may be too overwhelming, especially for the young novice. There are just too many things to remember. After the first few lessons, the time can be increased to the full hour, but this all depends on the rider. Young riders may not have a long enough attention span to last a hour. If not, don’t push them.
Remember riding is supposed to be fun!!!!!
More time with the people I love and more time with my horses. While working a full time job lets me afford my horses, it also takes away valuable time especially in the winter months. For alot of people, juggling a job, family and hobbies is a very intricate ballet. And more times than not, something gets short changed. When I got my first horse, my husband was the one who was left out. He always ribs me about being fed after the animals. He was and still is quite understanding. He’s also quick to point out to people that this is my only passion and hobby.
When my daughter was born, the horses were the sacrifice. I cared for them twice daily while I was at a self serve barn, I just didn’t get to do much with them. I fed them before I went to work and a friend at the the barn would let them out to pasture. After work, I would go back to the barn, change my shoes in the car, and do chores and feed again. Then it was home to feed the family and do house chores. I rode when I could and occasionally went to a show or two. I wondered if it wasn’t time to get out of horses for a while.
I kept my horses and moved them to a full care barn instead. This gave me more time. Most of which was spent with diapers, then ball games, band trips, homework, and calming the fears of a teenager wondering if boys would ever like her. Now she’s in college and I have more time again. I kept my horses through all the trials and tribulations of my life. I look back at them as my stress relief. If I hadn’t had them, I’m sure I would be on blood pressure or ulcer medication. They have a calming effect on me, even if they are having one their bad days. I take a riding lesson every Saturday morning, weather permitting. It relaxes me to be just sitting on of my horses or trying to learn a new move. Even on those rides where nothing is going right, I find it enjoyable. On some of those rides, you can hear me laugh.
I look at it this way . . . . no matter what my horses do, it’s not as bad as what work does to me.
