ok this will be my first horse and I kinda would like a cheap horse :).do u have any suggestions of how old the horse should be or what tipe of breed. ok thanks a lot

p.s. I have ridden my cousins horse so im not a totle noob :)

Take your parents with you and make sure they are involved in your horsey interests.

Remember a cheap horse doesn't exist just as there is no such thing as a free kitten or free puppy. With any animal comes it health and you taking care of it. Vet, farrier, feed, tack, bills come along with your equine friend.

Good luck to you.

I have to agree on the auction thing, leave that to experienced horse folks.  I agree with the suggestion of finding someone very experienced in horses, (not someone who just jumps on and ride), you can call your local 4-H extension office to get referrals of 4-H Horse club advisors or call your local vet clinic, they can tell you who is knowledgeable, as they will know first hand how the horses are taken care of by the person.

Second, I agree with the age of 12-20. Horses have been known to live as old as 50 years of age with proper care, the average age is 30.  So even if you get a 20 year old horse, given proper care that horse can provide you many years of wonderful riding time, and can be a valuable teacher to you!  They are far more forgiving than a young horse.

Key thing is NEVER put a green rider with a green horse, inexperience on both ends spells disaster! 

Good luck and happy horse shopping!  Also, keep in mind a budget for future horse expenses such as hoof trimming and worming every 8 weeks, shots spring and fall, neg coggins test once a year, plus always set aside money for the unexpected, horses LOVE to get into mischief, no matter what their age.

Everyone has given you great sage advice!  Have fun!

"I have a friend who has the following rule, and I think it is very wise...the combined age of horse and rider should never be less than 20."

Well, I'm not sure I totally agree.  I know some really great safe horses that are under 10 but they do cost a bundle.  I think that rule does apply when looking for cheapies.

Boy, does this question open a can of worms or not???

IMO (humble), all dealers are not crooks.  Some rely on their good reputation in order to make a living. (I'm not a dealer!)

IMO "high end auctions" do not mean horses offered for sale there have no problems. "Lower end auctions" do not meal all the horses are bad.

IMO being a 4-H leader does not always mean that person knows what to look for in buying a horse.

IMO 20 yrs old (horse age) by no means guarantees a safe, let alone sound horse.

I would recommend the buyer:

1) investigate lots of horses for sale,

2) spend lots of time with the potential purchase animal prior to purchase (if the owner will not allow a reasonable amount of pre-purchase try-out time then walk away).

3) take some lessons from one or more professional horsemen (horsewomen) - don't just ride your cousin's horse a couple of times.

4) set a spending limit and try not to deviate - don't be in a rush to buy the first "pretty face" that comes along.

5) remember that a horse can be an expensive and long term committment - be prepared for all possible scenarios prior to getting involved, ie. vet and farrier bills, board and transportation costs, equipment purchases, etc.

It's a learning experience... most of the well-informed and experienced horse people on this site will be happy to help you learn as much as they can.   good luck!

Jakey, you are right in saying that the upscale sales may have some problem horses, but the percentage is much lower than that of a lower scale auction.  There are also more garauntees included at upscaled auctions.  And no, not all dealers are crooks but there sure are a lot out there that just want a sale, no matter what!  I don't think a novice will be able to decipher the good from the bad.  I agree that there are wuite a few 4H leaders that are not up to snuff but it is a starting point for some help.  And yes, a 20 yr old does not guarantee safe or sound but they are usually safer than most horses under the 5yr range and way more affordable than the 5- 15 yr range.

 Actually, I would prefer that this person take a yrs. worth of lessons at a VERY good barn before even considering owning one.  She/he should also save up as much money as possible during this time and keep $1000 in the bank at all times as a safety net for unexpected expenses.  But that's just MHO.

"I think most of us experienced horsepeople have all been in Newbie's boat. That's how we got so experienced!!"

Exactly!  I have made so many istakes over the years!  Luckily, I only make them once.  But we can save one person from the same stupid mistakes, we'd be very happy!!

Jesse...I would suggest you find a local stable and hang out...sometimes they have horses they lease. You can get a lesson or two and just hang out with the horsey people. If you find an animal you think you are interested in spend as much time with it and around it as possible to get to really know it and it's habbits. Auctions are ok but take lots of research and an eye for good horse flesh! You nead a broke animal! Auctions can be real iffy! The best horse I ever had came from a 4-H gal that spent hours/day with the horse. It had been everywhere and saw everything.Then she grew up and got married....well she had to sell him and I was there at the right time. Know as much as possible about the animal before you buy him!!!! Even after you think you know him it will take awile to really get connected. Questions to ask...do they load?pull back!?kick?buck?clip? ect.... are they sound? vices? You need a horse that has been there and done that. He will help you learn in the process....I think someone mentioned there is no such thing as a cheap horse....but get a good one and you won't care how much it costs.

I agree with the combined age being at-least 20.

If you are young(under20) please allow your parents to have a competent horsey friend do the preliminary shopping.  If you don't have a great deal of experience with saying "NO" then wait until they have found you a horse.  The last thing you want is to fall in love with the first thing with four legs and have it be the wrong horse for you.

It can be very hard to objectively horse shop with a kid falling in love.  You won't be able to ask the right questions, heck you won't know what they are!  Would you know if someone was lying to you about the answers to these questions?  (Every horse person knows one person that can make even a killer horse sound good as gold.)  So unless you can be quiet and listen then don't go horse shopping, leave it to the professionals!  (Can ya'll tell I've been stuck horse shopping with kids before?  The parents buckle before I would and then I'm the one that had to solve the problems with the "new" horse the kid loves.  One of the many reasons I stopped training.)

If your cousin has a horse and you like it why not ask them to find you one that meets your needs?  They might know the right person to help you look for a horse too.

My first place to go would be the local stable, but DON'T buy a horse there just ask questions.  Then go to the local horse vet and ask about how much the average vet bill runs per year for a horse.  The vet might have a good direction to point you in when shopping too.

If anyone EVER tells you this is the right horse for you, smile, says thanks and LEAVE!

If you like a horse tell them you'll be back to see it.  Then don't call before you arrive to see the horse, or call and tell them you'll be there at 6PM and show up at 3PM.  This will help keep you away from a bad situation.  If upon your arrival the horse is being ridden LEAVE.  If there is a reason you can't ride the horse RIGHT THEN, LEAVE.  If something isn't right about anything, or all they have are excuses for something, LEAVE.

I have bought more horses for other folks than I can count.  If you need more help come back and ask.

"Actually, I would prefer that this person take a yrs. worth of lessons at a VERY good barn before even considering owning one."

Excellent suggestion,  If you find a local stable  where you can do this also ask about helping out at the barn.  That is such a good why to learn about the everday needs of a horse. 

It can be very hard to objectively horse shop with a kid falling in love. 

Good ideas- take lessons, learn how to ride, to handle, to care for a horse before you plunk your money down. We once had a experienced friend help us buy a horse and we did buy one at their recommendation. The problem was they could handle the critter- we couldn't because we had no idea how to handle a horse. Even a super calm,boob proof horse can become a monster in the wrong hands.

I do disagree with the breed assessment- arabians can be incredible kid horses. I know- I have owned several. I have seen alot of kids dumped off QH and paints. This doesn't mean arabians are " better" and stock types are "bad" but I want to point out that you shouldn't sterotype horses. Keep your options open as far as breed choice.

Sorry accidently hit send (see above).  The trial period will allow you to see how the horse and you get along.  Go for two weeks as the honeymoon will last a week and then the second week you will see more of the vices.  All horses have them some are bigger then others.  Go slow, take your time it is a big step, they are amazing animals, that deserve are repect.

hayburner, someone of my horse knowledge can ask for a trial period.  Someone with little to no experience can't.  I would not want to find out they hurt the horse or harmed it in any way due to their lack of experience or just plain good judgement!

I don't let people take my horses for a trial unless they sign a contract about the details of the trial period.  Where will the horse live, who will care for the horse, will there be supervision, etc.  They must also have the animal insured under my name for twice it's value.  If they don't like all this then I'm sorry but you can't "borrow" my horse even if you want to buy him.

I'm sure most of us have horror stories about trailer wrecks or barn disasters with other peoples horses...the risk to too high for most!

Huntseat agreed, I would not let one of our horses go to someone who is not under the direction of a professional or we know of their reputation.  I guess I made some assumptions based on the clientel we deal with.  That being said it looks like she bought a horse.  I wish her luck and hopefully she does have someone who knows whats involved in horse ownership, for her and the horses sake.  Amen