Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[ghostface.]

@OutFoxed: Anything to do with 'leg' means so much more than it seems. And you're right about spotting WHY the unbid-on don't get bid on.

On that note, @Sitka, did you go out and meet the ponies? How did it go?

yes I did! im on the road at the moment traveling out of state but i did go visit the wild horses at the holding facility. the night before I left, they drove up the bid on the gelding i wanted to 2k which is out of my budget but i went to visit the other horse i was interested in and spend some time with the others. both geldings i was originally interested in were more aloof this time. i was interested in a stout, grey gelding and considered bidding on him but passed him up because two bay geldings caught my interest. Turns out the one i was interested in only had one bid on him. i was going to buy him but i decided not to because i felt 95% certain about this other bay i interacted with. he was very calm and personable. he allowed me to pet him, i got him to head bob with me, got him to put his leg (i call it "dainty leg", its the extension that you work when training a piaffe) out for a treat and he allowed nose kisses (which i rewarded). but i checked again and the bid on the bay was withdrawn so both the bay geldings im interested in are available. i have every intention of adopting the nose kisses boy if I can.

update: ive visited him twice now for a few hours at a time. i got him to come over to me twice from the back of the corral. i was informed that he is actually available for sale (he had 3 opportunities to be adopted out and wasnt).

[huskyhiccups]

Hello!! I'm very interested in either buying or leasing a horse.
Could anyone give me some pros and cons for both? I've been doing my own research, but I'd like some personal stories/experience/etc.

Also, does anyone have tips or recommendations for owning/leasing/riding a horse when you have a disability? Some days I have very limited strength and mobility in my hands and fingers. I'm particularly worried about not being able to cinch the horse properly/tight enough for riding on days I don't have the strength. I could ask for help if someone is around, but I don't know if that'll always be the case :(
Is there anything else I should think about when being around horses with my disability? :)

I did not grow up around horses, but I did go to many summer horse camps as a preteen and have been avidly researching & soaking up everything I can about owning and/or leasing a horse. Any newcomer tips would be appreciated (anything that I haven't already read from hundreds of articles online)
Thanks in advance! <3

[Banditø]

Mark! I'd love to come back to this when I have time <3

[vash ♡]

Hello!! I'm very interested in either buying or leasing a horse.
Could anyone give me some pros and cons for both? I've been doing my own research, but I'd like some personal stories/experience/etc.

Also, does anyone have tips or recommendations for owning/leasing/riding a horse when you have a disability? Some days I have very limited strength and mobility in my hands and fingers. I'm particularly worried about not being able to cinch the horse properly/tight enough for riding on days I don't have the strength. I could ask for help if someone is around, but I don't know if that'll always be the case
Is there anything else I should think about when being around horses with my disability?

I did not grow up around horses, but I did go to many summer horse camps as a preteen and have been avidly researching & soaking up everything I can about owning and/or leasing a horse. Any newcomer tips would be appreciated (anything that I haven't already read from hundreds of articles online)
Thanks in advance! <3

hi! as someone who grew up in the industry and trained horses as a career for a while, i recommend taking lessons or an on-site lease for a while before considering purchasing so you have a better idea of where you are at, you have a professional evaluating what you need, and you establish a relationship and connections for any assistance you may need. when you build rapport with a trainer, you will be able to directly work under them whenever you finally do purchase a horse so you can continue to grow. i do know a lot of people start out in the backyard due to financial issues - i started out the same. i have never been able to pay for my lessons, i always was a working student. that being said, while i understand that struggle, safety is very important and i honestly believe this route always proves to be best. especially with a disability, where someone can guide you on alternative methods - there is such a thing as working on a loose rein for bad days and you always want to promote self carriage so utilize it! as someone who has quite a few diagnoses that make mobility limited and gives me horrible pain, there's always ways around it so don't worry about that part.

very excited for you to get started!

[Verdana]

I agree about lessoning. I'm not in a position to be buying or leasing a horse due to money and The Future, but if I was I'd definitely have at least one trusted coach or trainer to help me shop and pick a good fit. And working out who you can trust and who you can't takes time and it takes lessons. A good lesson program is seriously underrated in my opinion. Even if you just sign up for weekly private lessons for a month, 4 lessons is a good start to gage what you can learn from a horseperson (and what you still have to learn as a student). I'm at my 5th lesson barn in about 20 years, and I've had about 20 rides at my newest place (same discipline I've been riding my whole life, WHOLE other country) and MAN! I consider myself quite a good rider and a better horsewoman due to the very patient and knowledgeable teaching I have had in my life. But I have a TON to learn about dressage and correct riding and improving young and damaged horses through lateral work and body conditioning... the list goes on.

Go find yourself a mentor-teacher-coach person who you can really trust, and ask them this question ^^

[huskyhiccups]

Thank you so much, both of you!
I actually got that same response (lessons first, build a relationship, and then go from there) when I posted a feeler in a leasing group for my area on Facebook.

I'll start researching more on the trainers close to me and shoot them some emails/calls!! <3

[ghostface.]

Thank you so much, both of you!
I actually got that same response (lessons first, build a relationship, and then go from there) when I posted a feeler in a leasing group for my area on Facebook.

I'll start researching more on the trainers close to me and shoot them some emails/calls!! <3

i second all their advice (-: i didn't have the good fortune of growing up with horses or even being able to go away to horse camps (i found ways to interact with them over the years, i went horseback riding a few times but nothing close to beginning that "natural horsemanship") so i found a nonprofit disability center that did equine therapy where i started to volunteer before moving somewhere more rural. then i found an equestrian center up here where i have been working at for the past year and i take lessons with the trainers i work with. i have gotten very close with one trainer (she's like a mom to me) and she is helping me find my first horse as well. (i have 3 potential options i am looking into purchasing right now)

she trains wild mustangs and so i'm soaking up all my time with her since that is my goal in the next year or two.

i also read everything! and watch any YT videos or anything i can get my hands on related to working with horses when i'm not working with them. i would recommend finding some english and western riding materials and studying them. studying horse anatomy, movement, etc is also greatly beneficial. i was volunteering 12 hour days at my equestrian center, pulling, grooming, saddling, lunging horses (lots of groundwork). you gain a lot of experience that way whether or not you realize it and it's important to interact with a lot of different personalities and experience levels to be a better horseman.

[huskyhiccups]

@ caballo ♡
I've been the same with reading anything and watching YT videos! I remember learning a lot about horse anatomy while at the horse camp I went to. We were also very involved when it came to waking up super early to clean the stalls, wash and brush the horses, cleaning their hooves, etc.!! But I'll definitely brush up on it all, especially the anatomy, movements, etc.

Another question for anyone on this thread!
Since I'm interested in lessons, I'm guessing I'll have to buy my own stuff (helmet, appropriate shoes, etc.)
Is there any particular store(s) you'd recommend or any you'd say to stay away from? We used to have a local tack shop in my town, but they closed down many years ago.

[ghostface.]

@ caballo ♡
I've been the same with reading anything and watching YT videos! I remember learning a lot about horse anatomy while at the horse camp I went to. We were also very involved when it came to waking up super early to clean the stalls, wash and brush the horses, cleaning their hooves, etc.!! But I'll definitely brush up on it all, especially the anatomy, movements, etc.

Another question for anyone on this thread!
Since I'm interested in lessons, I'm guessing I'll have to buy my own stuff (helmet, appropriate shoes, etc.)
Is there any particular store(s) you'd recommend or any you'd say to stay away from? We used to have a local tack shop in my town, but they closed down many years ago.

honestly, work boots, you can get cowboy boots or steel toed boots off poshmark for a reasonable price.
i might suggest ordering a helmet off amazon. the other tack you would need for your own horse, you could probably wait to get.
i would say shoes and helmet should be your first buy. then a saddle, which a trainer could help you figure out size and appropriate saddle based off the riding discipline(s) you're interested in.

tack is expensive in general, buying used is okay as long as its in pretty good condition. you can buy the new stuff if you want or wait until you're more experienced and more committed (then you'll probably know what exactly you want to do with horses i.e. jumping, dressage, western, roping, cutting, etc.)

[vash ♡]

so i actually don't recommend steel boots, if one steps on you it can actually sever your toes! cowboy boots or any closed toe boot with a decent heel that allows you mobility in your ankles will work. im not sure if youre in the USA or not, but tractor supply has cheap troxel helmets you can start off with - it is definitely not a brand for long term use and you'll eventually want something astm certified (which can be upwards of $2-300 but i loooove my one ks they can come out relatively unscathed after some nasty tumbles). theres no store in particular i would AVOID, but really the only things you need to worry about for lessons are your boots, some jeans, and your helmet. most SUPPLY helmets in the beginning though!

if you ever get to a point you want to upgrade tack, my pms are always open. i'm actually an ex eventer and still have my jumping and dressage saddles for schooling purposes. even though i went back to my western roots, i still put a dressage foundation on my prospects so they learn how to utilize their bodies correctly. i can help in either discipline and i know exactly what it feels like to ball on a budget lol! everyone here also has excellent advice, i actually am not very active but would love to help where i can :^)