I am a first-time horse buyer and would like to know what to look for and how much to pay for a horse. I have some experience in caring for horses, as I boarded one, but I have never ridden one! I read books & watched owners ride their horses, but never took any lessons. I have my eye on a 15hh paint gelding (quarter horse). he is 3 years old, and has had training for trail and has went through a desensitizing program. so he is very well behaved (gentle) and broke. he is listed for $2000. he is up to date on coggins,worming,shots, and farrier. is that a reasonable price, or should i try to work it down? the owner is going to do payments with me so what would a reasonable down payment and monthly payment be? I am going to be riding him at a walking pace, I am not into barrel racing or anything like that. Anything else I should know ?Thanks!I might do private lessons with this horse if i buy him, so I can learn to properly saddle and ride him!
Eh, people with little experience buying horses always bugs me. No offense, but you seriously won’t realize how much work it is until you have him home 24/7, lol.
My suggestion.. Volunteer at a stable and take lessons for a year. I did this for 4 years and the knowledge I gained was just awesome. I now have my own horse, a filly that will be 2 in March – I got her free and she is an incredible girl.
He does sound like a decent gelding, I’m not sure about the price as I didn’t pay anything for my filly, but is there anyway the owner can hold him, and you can buy him when he’s 4, when you both have more experience?
Riding isn’t as easy as it looks, nor is owning a horse, by FAR. I’ve been so busy since I got mine, my head is spinning 
Whatever you choose to do, though, good luck!
February 6th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Might take lessons? Are you nuts? This is one of the largest animals on earth and you know nothing about them. This thing will live another 15-20 years. Are you ready for that kind of commitment to an animal?
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February 6th, 2010 at 5:52 am
That seems like a resonable price. We bought a 5 year old pinto qh gelding for 1600 and hes nice and calm, but hes not exatally the best ride. He was fine for the first lesson I did with him but then I tried using him for a camp with 4 other horses and he freaked, but I guess thats kinda my fault. Even knowing what I know aobut him today I still would have paid that much cause he has a the greatest personality and a great build
With our other horse what we did was free leased her for the summer so see if you can lease the horse for a little while before you actually decide you want him. With my horse she is a complete pain in the @$$, not rideable and very grumpy, but we knew she needed to stop movingg around so we gave her a forever home and she is finally starting to put her ears forward when she sees us
If you cant lease him, at least ask to ride him.
Now do you mean you havent taken lessons before? Or just that you are planning on continuing your lessons with him, cause you shoul ddefinetly take lessons before buying the horse
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:33 am
My suggestion is to take lessons before you get a horse. If you can’t go riding with them,you’re missing out on a very large part of horse/owner bonding.
However,that is a decent price,so long as he has good overall health. A reasonable monthly payment would be $200 for 10 months,in my opinion,assuming there’s no down payment (or there’s interest involved).
I still would highly suggest you go and take lessons for at least a year before you consider buying a horse. 3 years old,no matter how tame,is young for a horse. He’s just out of colt-hood. That means he’ll be frisky,playful and most likely stubborn. Older horses (10 years and up) are usually better for beginning riders in most cases. It’s why many lesson horses are age 8-12. They’re also usually mares. Some geldings can be somewhat unruly even if they’re trained very well.
I think there’s a saying something that relates something along the lines of ‘even without their stallion parts,some geldings still act like stallions’. Keep that in mind. =)
Good luck.
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Several years around horses,3 years of private horseback riding,intensive study about horses (behavior,etc). A long love of horses in general.
February 6th, 2010 at 6:59 am
Take a look at the horses legs — if you are going to trail ride you will need to have the horse shod—white feet are more fragile than black feet. a horse is not a pet, it is a big animal and has to be diciplined and know who the boss is at all times. A gelding is a good first horse he is not going to always want to walk. You should go to a trainer and take lessons prior to buying—riding is not the duck soup trip it looks like. you will use muscles you didn’t even know you had–don’t even think about your bottom on the saddle–a good rider uses his legs and his behind not his arms to yank the horse around by the bit.
2K is a decent price, on top of that will be many expenses — a saddle, bit and headstall, a martingale, shoes, shots, worming, grain, hay, clippers, shelter, and you in the weather 365 days a year, twice a day just to feed. Then there is manure to clean up, that should be done daily and bedding. Think this thru prior to buying your first horse. Spent my life on them in all capacities, from endurance, pleasure and show. Wonderful to have but not if you aren’t going to committ.
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February 6th, 2010 at 7:04 am
If you know the seller and he is a reputable person then that price is not too outrageous it is on the higher side but if it is what you want and you like the horse is isn’t bad just be careful and enjoy what can be a long and beautiful friendship also lessons would be helpful to you and the horse
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February 6th, 2010 at 7:33 am
somebody who hasnt ridden should not buy a young horse – you need a seasoned older one – preferably a gelding
I would strongly reccomend 1 year of lessons BEFORE you buy a horse – this will help you make a better selection when its time to buy…
DO NOT buy a horse (or any pet) on payments.. you will need $ for board, saddlry, vet, and farrier – PLUS if something happens or you sell him you still have to pay for him..
if you dont have the total purchase price then dont buy!!!!
I think the price is a bit high – horses are dirt cheap where I am…
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February 6th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Eh, people with little experience buying horses always bugs me. No offense, but you seriously won’t realize how much work it is until you have him home 24/7, lol.
My suggestion.. Volunteer at a stable and take lessons for a year. I did this for 4 years and the knowledge I gained was just awesome. I now have my own horse, a filly that will be 2 in March – I got her free and she is an incredible girl.
He does sound like a decent gelding, I’m not sure about the price as I didn’t pay anything for my filly, but is there anyway the owner can hold him, and you can buy him when he’s 4, when you both have more experience?
Riding isn’t as easy as it looks, nor is owning a horse, by FAR. I’ve been so busy since I got mine, my head is spinning
Whatever you choose to do, though, good luck!
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Stable volunteer of 4+ years, horse owner since August 06
February 6th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Have the horse vetted out. Being a Quarter horse especially pay attention to his feet.
Good Luck, Mike
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February 6th, 2010 at 9:12 am
For price yes, for a beginner rider, I would say no to him. What I would highly suggest doing is getting riding lessons first so you can get the basics down. A 3 yr old, while it might be good for a rider with moderate experience, if you have never ridden, he may completely take advantage of you after he realizes you won’t (or don’t know how) to stop a certain bad behavior. I started out with buying a dead quiet 2 yr old already started under saddle and did all the training, thinking that it didn’t look so hard. 6 yrs, 2 fractured ribs, 2 broken toes and a ton of bruises later, I have a relatively quiet mare that I show 1st level dressage in. No one else can ride her because of how different my cues are from everyone else, but she does well for me.
I would suggest for your first riding horse getting a trail or show proven older gelding or mare. I would not go with one under 7-8 yrs for sure. Green riders and green broke horses usually do not go well together. Reading books and watching lessons is not the same as actually riding. That is what I thought when I started as well.
One more personal example.
My mother bought a horse at the same time- a quiet 3yr old that was ridden once or twice before she got her. She fractured most, if not all of her ribs by now, and lost her tail bone. She will never go in to get x-rays, but her tail bone is not where it is supposed to be. The horse is fine now, but it took 4 years before she finally quit bucking.
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February 6th, 2010 at 9:23 am
You should learn to ride & handle a horse first. Ask to ride the horse a few times before buying. Most training begins at 3 so he’s probably not the perfect "rideable" horse. My daughter’s 1st horse was a 3 yr old mare. We paid for boarding & pro training. Everything was great til she got it home. Once in a pasture with cows, it was a matter of weeks before she was mean & stubborn. She bites, kicks, runs away when called, she’s awful!
We recently got a 4 yr old paint stud (bombproof!) The day we got him we spent 40 mins with the owner, saddled him & rode him for 30 minutes. I have never had such a sweet horse.
The mare was $800, tack was $300, trailer, $550, training & boarding $600, also vet, farrier & feed costs. The paint was $300 had him delivered for $40 Paying a lot won’t gaurantee a better horse.
We found him on petfinder.com.
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February 6th, 2010 at 10:08 am
i have to agree with every one else you have never rode a horse before you should have lesson first even before buying a horse as they are a life time comment and can be a danger to you as u do not appear to know what you can be taking on you should have lessons never mind about might
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a horse owner
February 6th, 2010 at 10:23 am
He sounds like he has a very gentle and nice disposition, but maybe you could ask his trainer/owner if you could get on him and have the trainer walk you around, to get to know the feel of him. If you’re not comfortable with that, maybe you could watch someone ride him. The price he is listed for is reasonable, and he sounds like a really good horse!
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February 6th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Keep looking around. Have a back-up plan horse. I bought a paint once. He was such a sweetie when we tried him out, but when we took him home, he turned into the devil. He kicked and bit our other horses, bucked, he even ripped a clinton anderson saddle with his bare teeth.
Ask if you can try him out and take him home for about a month, you paying all the bills.Then if you like him, then you can buy him. 2000 is a very resonable price. Keep it. You may want to know a good trainer if he starts to act up though.
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February 6th, 2010 at 10:59 am
First, test ride the horse before you buy him. Just to be safe. It is good if the horse is current on all. BUT DONT GET A THREE YEAR OLD!! I am 11 have been riding my whole life, do, barrels, jumping, Cutting, every thing you can think of & i train, pleasure & under saddle. When I start 2 year olds, I get bucked off & all. Now I have a 6 year old I have been training for only two weeks & he is a but at points! 2000 means the horse is not trained a WHOLE LOT. try at least a 15 year old horse that has done it all. 2000 is a great price for ANY horse at all. trained or not. but please, take my advice for your safty, dont get this horse. How about you try, http://www.dreamhorse.com & http://www.agdirect.com
I found a few of mine on those sites! oh, and before buying ANY horse, get a vet check done. & you need to try to ride at a trot.
thanks
Happy Holidays!
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owner of 15 horses.
February 6th, 2010 at 11:41 am
that honestly seems to be rather cheap, and because he’s only 3, he probably doesn’t have all sorts of training. i know of a 17 month old who’s been desensitized, but that doesn’t mean in any way she’s ready to be ridden. be careful when they said he’s been trained for trail, because there’s trail on his back, but there’s also in hand trail meaning that he hasn’t been ridden. just be careful what kind of "broke" they’re talking about. he could barely be green-broke but they’re still calling him broke to get rid of him.
if you’re only going to be walking and doing easy work, you can find an older horse MUCH cheaper, who’s going to know what they’re doing. people generally want younger horses, and are always trying to get rid of older ones. even if the horse is 15-20 years old, they still have another 5-10 years left, and i think for a first horse, that’s a better choice.
before buying any type of horse though, TAKE LESSONS! and make sure that’s something you like, especially if you’re going to bring home a younger horse and make that big of a comittment.
just be sure to have lessons under your belt because then you’ll know how to react to different behaviors of the horse, and you’ll know how to properly groom and exercise them.
make sure you get them regularly vet checked and have their shoes and teeth done. a lot of first time horse owners don’t remember these things.
a side note – for never riding before, younger horses generally aren’t the best. they spook easily, and with no riding experience, you won’t know how to break them of these habits. they also require training up till about 7 years to get them completely set in their ways.
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February 6th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Look uder there hoofs ask if he/her has shots see if it is healthy any more Question,s ask i have 5 horses. a good price for a healthy horse is $600 to $1000
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February 6th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
The price seems reasonable…..BUT……you need to have some sort of riding lessons first……pick a known stable and start out in some group lessons until you get your "sea legs". This way, it is much more fair to the horse and to you. The horse’s temperament is extremely important, especially since you are just now starting out, his conformation is important for soundness, and a good foot. Personally, since you are just now starting out, i would pick an older horse that has some experience under his belt, rather than a 3 year old. Definitely have whatever horse you buy vet checked.
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February 6th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
There is a video tape put out by one of the United States top horse whisperers that explains all this. You can go to his website at: http://www.montyroberts.com
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February 6th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
First of all you really need to take lessons before and after you buy this horse. Maybe you should lease a horse first to learn more about them and it would be less of a responsibility, I strongly suggest this. Otherwise, you should always go look at a horse before you buy it. Call the owner and ask if you can come over and "try out" the horse. Ask for them to get it out and tack up the horse in front of you so you can see how they behave in that process, and see if they take the bit easily or they don’t like for the girth to be tightened, or if they pick thir hooves up etc. A really big thing to look at is the bit the horse uses. If it is a snaffle, that is really good, but if it is a kimberwhick or pelham or other harsh bit, it usually means the horse is hard to handle. The horse should stop when asked very easily. When it moves into a trot or canter, it should go smoothly and not leap into the next gait. You should ask the owner to jump the horse for you even if you don’t plan on jumping, you may want to in the future, watch to make sure the horse doesn’t increase in pace (without being told to) before the jump, jump the jump higher than the jump really is, hit the jump or knock it over, refuse the jump, or land faster than it went into the jump (unless asked to). Always have the ower ride the horse before you so you can see how it behaves, then if you feel comfortable, you should ride it, never buy a horse without riding it first. That is a resonable price but I think you can find a much better quality horse for that price. A good age is in between 8ish to 18ish. Quarter horses are very calm horses especially for first time owners. Try to stay away from thoroughbreds as they are very excitable. Try dreamhorse.com and go to search (at the top of the page) then type in the search criteria. Horsetopia.com is also good. I hope this helps, good luck!
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I live on a horse farm with 9 horses, we own four, the rest are boarded. My mom and I teach riding lessons and summer camps.
February 6th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
That is a resonable price but i think you should take lessons first and learn how to actually do the whole nine yards since a horse is a huge responsibility. And it’s not fair for the horse if you give it away a couple years later, right?
So learn first, not just studying from text books but actually going out there and DOING IT.
That horse sounds nice so if it’s possible, maybe ask the owner of the horse to give you a few lessons and talk about what kind of habits the horse has and stuff!!
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February 6th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
you definitly need to take lessons preferably before you buy a horse. i would suggest not buying a 3 yr old. it may have been through a desensitizing program but it’s still a green horse and when you don’t know how to ride you can ruin a young horse without even trying or knowing it. i would suggest taking lessons and then asking your instructor to point you towards an older horse that is more suited for your needs and riding ability. you may begin to take lessons and see that you don’t actually want a horse after all. please if nothing else take a few lessons before you buy this horse or any other horse. you mention that you don’t even know how to properly saddle him…. that is not a good sign at least 1 or 2 lessons will help u
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February 6th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
It sounds like you’ve done your research
I’d suggest checking out the horse, if you haven’t already, in person before you even think about buying. You can usually tell a horse’s general temperement by how he reacts to things. Ask the owner to take him out and ride him and see how the horse does. $2000 is about right for a horse this young who probably hasn’t had much training other than being broke. If he seems calm and reliable, then $2000 is a good price. If you can tell he’s spooky, poorly trained, etc., you can talk down the price, but I’d suggest searching for another horse if he seems unreliable.
Now keep in mind, three years old is extremely young for a horse (basically he’s only nine years old in human years). Even if he’s well-broke, he may be unpredictable. Are you prepared for that? Also, another thing you might have forgotten – he’s only three years old and he’s still growing. He may reach just under 16 hh by the time he’s fully grown, which is pretty big for a horse. Can you handle that?
Like you said, I’d highly suggest taking lessons. Private lessons on your own horse is a plus, because then you learn how to deal with his particular behavior.
If you do decide to buy him, try to work out a trial with his owner. Bring the horse to your barn and try him out for a couple weeks. this will really give you a feel if you are ready for this youngster. Also, get him checked out by a vet to make sure he’s sound before you purchase him.
All in all, it’s really up to you to make the decision. Remember – he’s not the only horse for sale. If you don’t feel a special bond with him, look for another. You won’t like riding horses if you don’t like the horse you ride…well good luck! =)
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horse owner
February 6th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
First of all if you are going to ride this horse you need some kind of help starting up. You NEED to learn this stuff!! You dont need to take private lessons, you could get a friend who knows a lot about horses to teach you, but i think private lessons would be best for a beginner. I think that is a good price for that horse, you should get him checked out by a vet though, just in case. If you need any advice on riding or anything horse related you can email me at badbadrubberpiggy364@yahoo.com.
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spending my whole life around horses and people who know A LOT about them.