Help with Horses!

[Betta Slave]

Hello everyone.

Yesterday, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I went to my parents' friends' acreage. They have two horses, both friendly. I now love horses. XD They are so gentle and have a ton of personality. (I am allergic to them, but as long as I take an allergin pill or something of the sort beforehand I am fine. I will also be taking acupuncture to help cure my allergin to horses.)

So my parents said that I would take riding lessons, get some experience, then maybe lease a horse for a while and see what it would be like, and if I liked it, we would get a horse, and we've already gotten permission to keep it at my parents' friends' place with their two horses. We would buy the horse in a year or two once I get some experience and do some more research.

So, I'm wondering, what breed of horse would be best for a beginner? Obviously it would have to know how to ride already. And I've heard some horses are more agressive/not as easy to handle as others.

I especially like Fjord Horses, and I've been told they're rather easygoing but are obstinate sometimes-




And I also like Curlies (hypoallergenic, supposedly, and that would be good for me)



Any suggestions? I know horses are a lot of work, but it sounds like a lot of fun. (I'm still researching.)

[TheJadeBetta]

There is no right or wrong beginner breed horse. It all depends on the individual horse. I love the Norwegian Fjords myself. I would love to have one, or the Haflinger.

[1fish2fish]

I would stay away from younger horses IMO a good beginner horse should be 10 years old or more. They still have a lot of get up and go but are less prone to freaking out. Keep in mind that a well cared for horse can live up to 30+ years and still be ridden. If you got a well broken ~10 year old horse you could theoretically have a great companion for another 20 years. Not to mention an "older" horse will probably be cheaper and more "bomb proof" (even though technically there is no such thing).

Stay away from high strung breeds like Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Paso Finos, etc.

Personally I would go for a Mustang. One that has been broken well and has a lot of miles on him. It has been my experience that Mustangs are more willing to go places and less likely to spook. They can be a little head strong though so you would need to take that into account.

Draft breeds or draft crosses might also be a good choice.

What it comes down to though is an individual horse. You can get a high strung horse in any breed and a mellow horse in any breed. Take the time to look around and find the right horse for you. Many people will let you "test drive" the horse, take it for a week or two to see if you guys work well together.

[Oldfishlady]

Many, many years ago when I was training and giving riding lessons and was asked this question-I would tell parents that the best beginner horse would be an older gelding (10-15 years) and depending on the riders level and disciple interest would determine breed.
IMO/E all breeds are good and/or bad for one reason or another, training and how the horse was used is also a very big factor.
Before buying a horse have your riding instructor help you and go with you if possible to ride the horse- as well as a vet check before you buy it, most vets will only charge about $100. more or less and it is worth every penny to avoid some of the heart ache with an investment in a large animal.

[Betta Slave]

Thanks everyone

Yep, we are definitely trying to go for an older gelding who knows what to do, how to ride, etc.

There aren't any Mustang breeders in my area that I know of, but I will look into it more.

Aren't draft breeds harder to ride, generally, because they're so large? I would love a bigger horse but I'm not sure if I could ride one, they're huge!

[TheJadeBetta]

Not really. My sister had a half Belgian and half paint that she rode. I hear drafts are smoother than most horses.

[1fish2fish]

I ride a GIANT Quarter horse (not a draft I know.. but he's really fat). They aren't really harder to ride.. you'll just be a little sore the first couple of times because they are wider. But being so wide also makes them really comfy to ride bareback.

Horses are sort of like cars.. once you get the basics down you can ride (or drive) anything.

If you want smoothness go with a gaited horse. Breeds like the paso fino, Rocky Mountain horse, Tennessee walker, etc. I've never ridden a draft breed but they look like they would be smooth.

[Bettacaleb]

i dont have a horse but my dream horse is a quater horse and i think i read that they are nice maybe dont know

[1fish2fish]

I like Mo (the QH I ride). His real name is Cloud but I call him Mo because he's slower than molasses LOL The only bad thing I can say about QH is boy are they CHOPPY. I go from riding a Paso Fino to Mo and it's like going from a Cadillac to a go kart.

My dream is either a Rocky Mountain horse, Andalusian, or Freisian. I really like Pasos as well but I want a bigger horse.

[TheJadeBetta]

I have a 3/4 Arabian with 1/4 Pony Mare. And I have a Mini Paint mare. I would love Friesian, Fjord, Haflinger, or a Mini Stallion.