What to Look for When Buying a Horse

Before going to the tremendous expense of buying a horse, take time to evaluate your preferences. Do you have time to care for a horse and ride often? Do you know enough about horses and horse care to give the horse the best that you can? With so many horse breeds and sizes, consider all of your options and what's the best fit for your experience and setup.

Consider what your plans are for the horse. What activities do you have in mind - hunting, barrel racing, jumping or just leisure riding? Maybe using a horse for work or for around the ranch is more in your plans.

A horse's temperament is an important factor to consider. You may see some horses described as "bombproof" which means they are really, really gentle and do not spook at anything at all, while other horses may be labeled as "hot" which means they are aggressive and very hard to handle (and require someone with tremendous experience to handle them). If you are looking for a horse as a companion or to be around small children, ensure the horse is super gentle and friendly.

Also, you'll want to consider the horse's handling experience. "Green" is a term used to describe a horse that has not been trained much and would not be considered "broke" to ride.

When you are checking out a horse, it's a good idea to have an experienced friend with you. They can look for qualities and traits that will help you ask the right questions and be sure this is the horse for you.