but who would be perfectly happy frolicking amongst the daisies . Another option is to get an utterly adorable miniature horse . These have all the advantages of full-size horses , but they eat much less , and they make awesome pets .
Horses for riding
The most common mistake first-time horse buyers make is to “ over-horse ” themselves . Be particularly careful to evaluate advice from your horsey neighbours , as quite often , experts can be blinded by their own knowledge , experience and expertise , and are unable to put themselves into the boots of a real novice .
For a couple of years , I had almost unlimited access to a really beautiful thoroughbred mare whose owner was too scared to ride her except the day after I ’ d taken her for a long , fastcrosscountry hack . She was well schooled , and had the sweetest temperament , but she was a bit twitchy until she ’ d had a chance to let off steam – exactly the sort of horse your show-jumping , polo-playing neighbours would consider a really easy ride , but that you may find absolutely terrifying on the wrong day .
Do not be seduced by the glamour of a beautiful , lively and independent-minded Arab or an elegant , super-high maintenance and probably neurotic thoroughbred , or a magnificent , sleek and very powerful warmblood .
Ideally you want a horse that ’ s been loved , well schooled , and regularly ridden . You can sometimes strike it lucky with retired show jumpers or eventers , but choose carefully because – even in their dotage – these can be “ a lot of horse .” Your best bet , really , is a horse that someone else has been hacking for a few years , a calm but not dead-on-its-feet , tractable horse that will respond to kindness , and not take advantage of your inexperience . They exist – you just need to keep looking until you find one .
Just like with dogs , breed is no guarantee of temperament or ability . You get some very calm thoroughbreds , but there are some horse breeds that tend to make better all-rounders . Here in South Africa we have two fabulous indigenous horse breeds . The Boerperd is a hardy , beautiful breed that , with good training , makes a lovely riding horse . The smaller but similar Nooitgedachter , which is bred specifically for its calm temperament , may be a bit on the petite side for bigger adults . Again , like dogs , some of the best horses are those with a pleasingly diverse ancestry and a serendipitous combination of the best of all breeds . Really , it ’ s all down to perseverance in looking , diligence in trying out and checking , and taking advice from the right people .
Look in its mouth
Looking in a horse ’ s mouth before you buy it is about as useful as kicking the tyres before you buy a car . Rather get a vet to check it out . Even if you ’ re just going to keep it in the garden for decoration , you must ensure it has all its inoculations , which will be on its passport . Yes , all competition horses ( including racehorses ) and many other non-competition horses have passports , which serve two purposes . The first is to positively identify the horse , and the second – possibly more important – is to document all its inoculations . If you are the person to introduce African horse sickness to your estate , you will be very , very unpopular .
Red tape
Buying a horse is not in the same league as buying a car or a house in terms of red tape , but you should , at the very least , draw up a good , unambiguous contract that carefully outlines costs , delivery and terms , and accurately identifies the horse – preferably with its passport .
And now … You ’ re ready to ride off into the sunset . Cue atmospheric Ennio Morricone music …
Resources
You may be lucky and find a suitable horse in a nearby yard , but you will probably need to look further afield . Horsetrader ( www . horsetrader . co . za ) is a dedicated site offering horses and horsey goods for sale . It ’ s also worth checking out HQ Magazine ( www . horse . co . za ).
Jennifer Stern
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