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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Susan, the advise so far has been sort of good.  As with everything else, 
something a certain someone needs a continual reminder about, there is no 
one size fits all.  The same applies to horses, as it does to those that 
raise and show them.

I'm one of those evil folks who showed horses.  Hauled them 35,000 miles a 
year.  However, they weren't locked in stalls, fed micro-managed diets or 
fussed over.  With a bit of common sense one can haul, show and beat the 
pants off the big boys with all the big bucks and did it with horses 
straight off a pasture.  Straight off the pasture we won in halter, 
including futurities, cutting, reining, hunter hack, saddleseat, pleasure 
driving, fine harness, hunters, jumpers, hackamore, pleasure, barrels, 
poles, trail.

The number one thing to remember about horses is that they need quality, let 
me repeat, QUALITY feed.  You can toss second rate hay to cattle and not 
have problems.  Do that with horses and you will end up with problems 9 
times out of 10.  Yeah, there is always the guy who gets away with it but 
that is the exception, not the rule and you don't want to spend hundreds, if 
not thousands, to find out you aren't the 1 in 10.

Good quality hay doesn't = big bucks.  It equals hay that is clean, no mold, 
no vetch, no foxtails, no star thistle.  Horses rarely need grain.  If you 
have an old horse, extreme cold, hard work, growing out a foal, grain will 
sometimes be needed.

When and if you decide to get a horse, spend some time with someone who 
really knows what they are doing.  And, to some degree, James is correct. 
Stay away from the fancy barn where all the folks board their horses.  Those 
folks are in business to make money, not in the business to make sure the 
right person gets the right horse.  Go spend some time around horses.  I 
realise that there is something in the DNA (sorry, James, there really are 
differences) of most females that makes them crave owning a horse but horses 
aren't for everyone.  We never sold a horse to a newbie until they spent 
some time on the ranch.  We frequently found that the temperment of the 
person didn't match the termperment of the horse and some folks found they 
really didn't want a horse after all.

And contrary to popular belief, horses are very smart but not in the way 
most folks think.  Horses will figure out how to get into mischief and how 
to manipulate and out smart humans very quickly.  Unfortunately, horses are 
smarter than most folks that own them, just not in the most healthy way. 
yeah know, kinda like humans <g>

We did lots of rescues and found the problem was generally the owner and a 
lack of horse smarts and not the horse.

Oh, and I don't know where you are but just incase, I'll save you a big vet 
bill.  Most people won't warn you about sand.  Sand is one the horses worst 
enemies.  If you have sandy soil, do NOT feed your horse on the ground!

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Trickett" <gmasue AT inbox.com>


> That's what I thought:-) I have my eye on a place 12 miles out of town, 7 
> acres, fenced pasture and a beautiful old barn. No money so it's only a 
> dream for now. If I am ever in a position to get a horse I will really 
> think about the responsibility and ask more questions!