Category Archives: Beginner Horses

Beginner horses are worth their weight in Gold. What you need to know about the beginner horse temperament.

How to Tell a Beginner Horse

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For the novice rider or someone that is new to horses, it’s important to know what sort of behavior you should see out of a horse that is suitable for beginners.   A quiet horse that is suitable for beginners is usually a gelding (a neutered male horse). Although you can find mares (female horses) that are good beginner horses, mares typically are a little less agreeable and have a mind of their own. Stallions are out of the question for the beginner as they require a great deal of skill and knowledge to handle safely.

Another key aspect to a good beginner horse is age. For the rank beginner, it’s always a good idea to get on an older horse. Many people have the perception that they will “grow” with the horse.  Younger horses tend to be sensitive and being a prey animal with strong survival instincts, they are often quite reactive and the beginner might inadvertently give them the wrong cues, creating a reaction that is both frightening and dangerous. When we talk about age, the general rule of thumb is anything that is over 10 years of age.  There are those that would argue that their 4 year old is dead quiet, but he just simply doesn’t have the exposure and experience of a 10 year old. Ten years old is, in my opinion, the minimum age of a horse that is probably going to be safe for a beginner to get on. However, in most cases the older the better. Older horses are often discounted but they are worth their weight in gold in terms of giving the new rider confidence and creating a pleasurable experience.

The next thing you want to look for is the behavior of the horse itself. Is he holding his head high? Is he snorting and looking around in a nervous fashion? Is he antsy while being tacked up? A good beginner horse is going to stand quietly and keep his head level with or below his shoulders. His demeanor should be one of being overall calm and complacent. Nervous and high strung horses will be more concerned with the environment around them. They will have often have a wide eyed expression and hold their head high.

Most lesson barns have horses that are suitable for beginners to learn to ride on. If you are new to horses and riding it’s important to take lessons with a qualified instructor before considering buying your own. Once you have some lessons under your belt and you want to own your own horse, work with your instructor to help you select an appropriate horse for your level of riding skill. Approaching horse ownership in this way will insure a successful relationship between you and your horse.

Horse Shows – It’s About the Kids Isn’t It?

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After having recently attended a horse show in which my daughter was riding I noticed something that I hadn’t really paid much attention to before. Horse show parents.  We’ve all heard of stage moms of 5 year olds competing in beauty pageants or a dad that starts a fist fight at a little league baseball game, but it never occurred to me before that equestrian parents can be just as bad.  This is the parent who is living vicariously through their son or daughter and feels the need to make the show about themselves.  I view the horse shows as a way for my daughter to get objective feedback on her horse and her riding and of course to have fun while doing it. I’ve always emphasized good sportsmanship and that there are going to be good days and bad days.

On a hot summer day, if the show officials have made jackets optional (and it’s a small local show) then for the love of god why would you force your child to wear a jacket in steaming temperatures?  Or, if your child doesn’t do well at a particular show, how about you don’t react in an immature and pouty manner?  I’ve actually witnessed some parents throw hissy fits when their child doesn’t come in the ribbons. This negative attitude carries over to children where showing is only about the ribbons and not the experience.  Many of these children treat the horse as a machine and a means with which to garner attention with little or no thought to the welfare of the horse.  And this my friends, is how the adult horse show divas are created.  They are programmed from an early age that they are superior and how they treat others and their horses are second to the winning of a ribbon.

What they don’t realize is, that if they are competing at local shows they are not going to get anywhere to the level needed to compete in the Olympics, and yet they still present themselves as prospective Olympic riders. The rest of us are realistic and know that the local shows are fun and nothing more than another activity with which to have fun with horses.

If you are relatively new to horses and decide you want to compete, always practice good sportsmanship whether you win or lose. This will give you a reputation of a pleasant person to be around and no one will be avoiding you at the next show.

The Mythical Horse is Just a Myth

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There are as many reasons for our love of horses as there are colors of horses.  Most of us started out as children watching the beautiful horse on TV and envisioned ourselves galloping off into the sunset or down the beach.  Unfortunately this Hollywood version is far from reality in most cases and in my opinion does a huge disservice to the horse.

I’m currently leasing a pony for my daughter, that she will sadly outgrow soon, so the discussion has turned to purchasing a horse for her. Although I’m not quite ready to buy, I find myself perusing the for sale ads looking at some of the prospects and frankly have been horrified at what people consider suitable for beginners or the animal pictured is living in a junk heap with clearly no regular hoof care.  These ads scream of ignorance or complete oblivion to what is required to have a safe, mentally sound horse.  Many horses that are listed as quiet and that anyone can ride often are extremely underfed and the minute you put them on a good diet they turn into a rocket because they feel so much better.

It seems every horse out there is of breeding quality because it’s colored or has some famous horse 8 generations back.  Listen, your underfed, yak looking nag is not good for breeding simply because it has loud color.  Over breeding is as problematic in the horse world as it is with dogs and cats, they just don’t have a shelter that they are taken to and warehoused in.  Typically horses that suffer from poor breeding are conformationally prone to injury and even if cared for properly will end up lame. If they don’t have a physical limitation they are probably nuts and have hurt someone.  This type of horse typically gets passed around from ignorant owner to ignorant owner until they end up at an auction. A horse that is not ridable earns a one way ticket to the slaughterhouse. Yes, there is still horse slaughter going on, they’re just shipped to Canada or Mexico as opposed to being slaughtered here in the U.S.

Go on any horse forum and there is undoubtedly a section dedicated to breeding and raising a foal.  The problem is most of these people just want the cute baby. Fast forward two years and you now have an ungelded colt that can barely be lead with a halter let alone be ridden.  These same people can’t figure out why they can’t sell the horse, and lament about finding him a good home.  When faced with criticism on the boards, their response is always “Oh he’ll have a forever home with me”. Life’s circumstances change things very quickly and can happen to any of us. The truth is, if your horse is decent conformationally and has a job that he does well, he’s way more likely to be of some value to someone as a riding horse. A horse that can’t be ridden is a very expensive pet that most people don’t want to take care of out of the gate.

While we’re on the subject, I also have a problem with those who have owned and competed with a horse for years, and when the horse is near the end of his life or physically is unable to be ridden, he is often dumped like garbage, with little thought or care as to where he’s going to end up or how’s he going to be cared for.  That horse deserves to enjoy his retirement years.  Particularly if you own property where you can keep him, what’s the harm in letting him live out his golden years in the pasture?

Now that I’m done with my rant, I guess the whole point to this post is, if you’re not yet an experienced horse person, make sure you take someone knowledgeable with you. Purchasing a horse is a huge financial commitment and the horse has a right to live out his days without being passed around. An experienced professional will know what to look for and what to steer clear from.  You don’t want to be one of those that bought a horse that was too much for you and now you’re the one trying to pass him off.

Beginner Horse Riding – First Horse

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The first horse you ride will have a lasting impression on you. You will either feel on top of the world or be completely terrified and never want to ride again. If you’ve suffered the later, this is a difficult thing to overcome, so I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about the beginner horse temperament. In other words, what should a horse suitable for beginners be like?

I know we have all had the perfect picture in our mind of what the perfect horse would be like. We’ve all seen “The Black Stallion” and “Black Beauty”. The truth of the matter is, color should have very little to do with what type of horse you ride. The type of horse that is suitable for beginners is a “been there done that” type of horse. Horses are prey animals, and by their very nature their sole goal in life is to not end up on someone else’s dinner plate. They are social herd animals who use the multiple eyes and ears of the herd to help them keep an eye out for danger. Have you ever you seen those wildlife shows on TV? Where there is a herd of zebras, one sees the lion and starts running and then the rest take off without stopping to ask questions? This aids in survival and the horse is no different. Horses are sometimes afraid of the silliest things which make no sense to us but makes perfect sense to them.

A horse that is suitable for beginners has seen all the scary things and they don’t bother him. These horses are usually older and have been around the block a few times. So when you are confronted by a purple trashcan, beach ball, car going by etc., this is a normal day at the office for one of these guys. In equine circles these horses are known as “Schoolmasters” or “schoolies”. They are very forgiving of your leg hitting them in the wrong spot, you bouncing up and down etc. Younger, or “hot” (nervous, athletic) horses are usually ridden by experienced riders who can sit out that buck or spook. Any poke, bump or unfamiliar thing they come across can cause them to get upset. It’s kind of like comparing an old solid chevy to a mazzerati. You have to really mash the gas on the chevy to get a response, the mazzerati if you barely touch the petal, you’re taking off.

When you’re first starting out, riding a “mazzerati” can really take the fun out of riding and undermine your confidence. Make sure you’re up on a good old chevy so riding can be fun like it’s supposed to be.

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