Buying a horse is a complex and sometimes overwhelming ordeal, especially for the first time horse owner. All too often many individuals fall into one of two circumstances, which are outlined below. The majority of these cases stem from either a lack of knowledge or from an unwillingness to involve someone appropriate to help them on making a good decision.

The Basic Scenario: An individual who has ridden several times over the years, but never had formal lessons, or someone who has had a few lessons, or someone who has had lessons for several years but lacks knowledge of basic horse care. This person decides to fulfill their dream of owning a horse. They check out local ads and auctions, either alone or with a friend who is no more knowledgeable than they are, or maybe just a little bit. Then, enamored by a horses color, personality, or how pretty it is, they have decided this is the one. With no pre purchase exam, and after one test ride, they purchase the horse of their dreams. Often a green broke two or three year old up to an inexperienced seven year old at that!

Scenario #1: Now *Dream Horse* arrives at his new home and all is well, for the first couple of weeks or months that is. Then slowly, the once push button, compliant Dream Horse has evolved into a less and less willing partner. *Dream Horse has become stubborn and does not do things he used to.* An unsuspecting owner professes, *he just wont stand still in the cross ties, does not lead quietly, and has become resistant and spooky under saddle. The other day I could not even ride him because he made me so nervous.* The list goes on and on.

This owner should recognize their own limitations and incorporate the help of a reputable, professional trainer. A horse is only going to be as good as its handler. I have seen older horses, late teens and up, that can make wonderful first time horses for the new horse owner. Older horses are often veterans of multiple disciplines and are more willing due to extensive good experience and years of training. That is not to say there are no difficult older horses, but a seasoned veteran has a lot of advantages.

The younger the horse, the less experience it has, therefore the risks of problems arising are more likely. Often people think that once a horse is trained well, it will always do well. The horse does retain its training, however, they need years with someone who has the ability to MAINTAIN its education in order for the horse to become more willing and more tolerant of a less experienced handler. Once a horse figures out how to get out of doing a task, it becomes more difficult to correct him. Unfortunately, he can learn bad habits as well as good ones. Every time one handles a horse they are teaching it something, good, bad or indifferent.

Horses are not like computers that once programmed just follow suit to anyone that works with them. So, the handler who is not up to par with the horses basic training will not be able to maintain, let alone excel its training. Once a horse figures out the handler does not know what they are doing, that is when horses get confused and start to ignore the handler. All is downhill from there.

Scenario #2: At the other end of the spectrum is buying a horse that is *too much horse* to begin with. Purchasing a horse for its flashy gaits with dreams of competitions can be a dangerous road if this horse is way ahead of the owners current ability. I think it is good to get a horse somewhat ahead for this kind of owner, so that the rider can grow with the horse and not outgrow his talents in a short time. Especially when they are an experienced handler who is serious about their own development as a owner, handler, and sometimes competitor. Often they do put their horse in training with their instructor to help them both develop along the way.

But the other side of that coin is the owner getting in way over their head with a horse that is just too much for them, on the ground and/or under saddle. Basically, they have a difficult time riding the horse the first time prior to purchase, but buy the horse anyhow. Without the help of a professional, they find themselves very limited to what they can do with the horse, and often start to blame the horse for everything. If you cannot reasonably ride the horse at the *test ride* prior to purchase, then it probably is not the horse for you. One should ideally be able to grow with their horse, not hope that one day they can ride it, long after they have bought it.

The Reality Check: Asking for help is your best start. For the less experienced horse and handler, I strongly recommend keeping your horse in professional training for several years until you can maintain the most basic of his training. Even then, an occasional *tune-up* by your trainer is advisable. Get involved with your trainer. Do not expect to learn anything just by having the horse trained. Without your involvement to learn how to maintain what your trainer has worked so hard to accomplish, will only undo all their efforts!

Get educated. Read a variety of books that interest you in horsemanship as well as riding. Since there are thousands of books on horses available, get referrals from your trainer on whos books to read that will compliment their methods so you both are on the same page. Try to stick with your current trainers advice and not confuse yourself and your horse with too many different peoples opinions. As long as your horses progress is positive then you are on the right track. If you find little to no progress, then move on to a different trainer. Give it several months before you make that decision and address your concerns openly with your trainer.

All too often horses are neglected due to their owners who are afraid of them. Owning a horse is a big commitment and responsibility. It is sad to see some horses become pasture ornaments who are starving for attention and develop skin diseases due to lack of grooming and suffer from neglected hoof care as well. Then it is very difficult to sell these horses because they had not been handled or ridden in years! All too often these horses go from home to home or auction to auction, due to human ignorance.

Again, recognizing your limitations will help you find and enjoy a horse for many years. That is not to say there will not be bumps along the way, preferably not on your body! A well suited horse from the beginning can make a world of difference. Of course there are no guarantees, but that is a part of life. Having an extremely knowledgeable horse person involved with you ahead of time to help you find your horse can make such a huge difference. Heres to many years of pleasure, safety and healthy relationships with your Dream Horse.