Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[R3NNIE]

i used to in middle school! (around 10-13 for non-americans).it was pretty fun, i was the only one in the summer camp (before i did lessons) who went to a canter. it was horrifying and i almost fell off. i tried again after some more lessons and i did better but i still felt like i was going to die.
i wanted to continue but the people working there started sucking a lot, they got pretty mean and strict. made the whole experience miserable so i just ended up leaving.

i kinda want to try again but it’s pretty expensive

[alfiq]

@beepbear i think its worth trying again if you can find the right place and you have the spare cash! i used to be in the same situation as you and theres definitively a lot of barns that are extremely toxic, and i find that the horse community often unfortunately struggles with that kind of thing. don't be discouraged though! there's tons of friendly horse environments aswell.

if you dig around a bit, i'm sure you can find a good barn. :) in my experience the more 'urban' the barn, the more expensive. it tends to be cheaper rurally since the cost of owning a horse goes down there. i'd assume it's the same in america.

[June Bug]

Yes, it's generally the same here in America. The closer you are to the city (especially big ones in places like New York and California), the pricier it gets to keep horses and that is typically reflected in the price of lessons. Places that are further out are usually cheaper. Atmosphere varies barn-to-barn though and it can be hard to find a barn where you aren't subjected to a lot of drama.
It really helps to have a barn owner that is not only a knowledgeable horse-person, but also someone who doesn't put up with nonsense. My barn has had a few problem boarders in the past who ended up getting booted because they were disrupting the peace. My trainer also interviews all potential students and won't take people who are obvious drama-lamas. She's also not shy about "firing" students who cause trouble.
It can be difficult to find good barns, but they're out there and it's worth finding them if you can afford it!

[ellyenchanted]

I'm planning on taking riding lessons again after several years and the closest place I found is double the price I used to pay in high school. My wallet is already crying because I'm a broke college student but I also really want to get back in the saddle ;;

[*Willow*]

Hello! This is my first time on this thread! I have been riding horses for most of my life. I ride English and have recently started western. I unfortunately can’t show a pic of the horse I ride since she’s not mine. Her names Buttercup but is currently lame right now.

[MoonLesbian]

Just bought my first horse! From a kill pen. I’m very excited to give her a second chance and she’ll be shipped to me Monday morning! Any advice for first-time owners? I’m getting her a vet check and farrier appt asap, and she hasn’t had grain or grass so I’ll have to slowly introduce those to her. She’ll be in quarantine for 60 days in case of strangles. The barn owner said most kill pen horses have it…is that true?

[June Bug]

Just bought my first horse! From a kill pen. I’m very excited to give her a second chance and she’ll be shipped to me Monday morning! Any advice for first-time owners? I’m getting her a vet check and farrier appt asap, and she hasn’t had grain or grass so I’ll have to slowly introduce those to her. She’ll be in quarantine for 60 days in case of strangles. The barn owner said most kill pen horses have it…is that true?

I haven't heard that all kill pen horses have strangles, but being that it is highly contagious, it only takes one in the bunch to infect basically everyone since kill pens generally don't have a good track record for things like hygiene. I've personally never seen one come out of kill pen with it, but I have very limited experience with kill pen pulls. I've seen a lot more that have come through some pretty gnarly auctions (where quite a few end up going to kill buyers) and out of hundreds, maybe a couple had it. Not sure how the numbers compare between auctions and kill pens. I'd certainly keep an eye out for any signs of it, but I think "most" might be a bit dramatic.

On the lighter side of things, congrats on your first horse!
As for new horse advice, you're doing all the right things going through quarantine, having a vet and farrier out, gradual feeding, all good stuff! If you're already familiar with horses, most of it will come pretty easy to you. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! Barn owners would rather have an inexperienced owner who asks a lot of questions than one who thinks they can figure it out on their own (mostly because that usually ends up hurting the horse in some way).
Time is your friend! Especially with a horse who's coming from a tough situation. She might be standoffish or even aggressive at first, and that's okay! She'll need time to process and adjust. It takes time to build a relationship, even if the initial 'attraction' is there. Don't beat yourself up if there are a lot of bumps in the road. Take the time to get her happy and healthy before worrying about things like riding or working. By then, you'll have a nice, sound horse who you've had time to establish a trust with.

Doing things right will feel slow, but it'll work out in your and her favor!

[MoonLesbian]

I haven't heard that all kill pen horses have strangles, but being that it is highly contagious, it only takes one in the bunch to infect basically everyone since kill pens generally don't have a good track record for things like hygiene. I've personally never seen one come out of kill pen with it, but I have very limited experience with kill pen pulls. I've seen a lot more that have come through some pretty gnarly auctions (where quite a few end up going to kill buyers) and out of hundreds, maybe a couple had it. Not sure how the numbers compare between auctions and kill pens. I'd certainly keep an eye out for any signs of it, but I think "most" might be a bit dramatic.

On the lighter side of things, congrats on your first horse!
As for new horse advice, you're doing all the right things going through quarantine, having a vet and farrier out, gradual feeding, all good stuff! If you're already familiar with horses, most of it will come pretty easy to you. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! Barn owners would rather have an inexperienced owner who asks a lot of questions than one who thinks they can figure it out on their own (mostly because that usually ends up hurting the horse in some way).
Time is your friend! Especially with a horse who's coming from a tough situation. She might be standoffish or even aggressive at first, and that's okay! She'll need time to process and adjust. It takes time to build a relationship, even if the initial 'attraction' is there. Don't beat yourself up if there are a lot of bumps in the road. Take the time to get her happy and healthy before worrying about things like riding or working. By then, you'll have a nice, sound horse who you've had time to establish a trust with.

Doing things right will feel slow, but it'll work out in your and her favor!

Thanks so much! I’m glad to know I’m on the right track I have general care experience because I worked full time as a stable hand for a year and a half, but there are a lot of aspects to horse ownership that I didn’t deal with. I’m definitely going to take things slow in regards to riding and working, too. If anything, I’ll probably try some light liberty with her just for fun and to bond!

Edit: got on my computer so that I could share a pic ^u^ Her name is Shasta right now, but I'm going to choose something new when I meet her.

[LissaJo]

Just bought my first horse! From a kill pen. I’m very excited to give her a second chance and she’ll be shipped to me Monday morning! Any advice for first-time owners? I’m getting her a vet check and farrier appt asap, and she hasn’t had grain or grass so I’ll have to slowly introduce those to her. She’ll be in quarantine for 60 days in case of strangles. The barn owner said most kill pen horses have it…is that true?

please make sure to wash your hands/change clothes after handling her/before interreacting with any other horses too! as someone else explained, killpens tend to have a lot of disease going through them, partially because often by the time a horse is visibly sick, its already been in contact with a bunch of others

if she's underweight, make sure not to accidentally cause refeeding syndrome by feeding her too much too fast <3 i know she's probably already there but keep in mind, theres a good chance she will have lost weight from the pictures you bought her from. that is a super stressful environment and many/most drop weight

[roots.]

hey guys, I'm gonna be moving which means im gonna have to sell my hackney, i really love her and i got the privilege to take her to world's championship before this but I cant keep up with the expenses. any advice for letting go of a horse u rlly love?