Bunch of questions...here I go.

[japperwoman]

Before I start asking questions let me give you a tiny bit of back story (I hope I don't make this post too long). My second daughter loves our cows but what she has really yearned for is a horse. She is always asking for one of her own. I believe that she has some tendencies toward autism spectrum disorders but anytime I have talked to our pediatrician about it they immediately start talking about meds. So I drop it. That being said I feel an animal of her own would be really good for her. We don't have much experience with horses at all. Frankly, I took lessons for two summer as a young teen and helped care take the horses at that time, that is it. We knew that space wise and experience wise we couldn't have a full grown horse. So, today I stumbled upon this ad on craiglist utica.craigslist.org/grd/4830421592.html. Last bit of info I want to give you is that when we got our first cow almost three years ago (I currently have 5) I had no experience with cows. I had never handled one, milked one, or even seen one up close for that matter. I had just the very basic knowledge of what it took to keep one alive (don't think me irresponsible). I am a sponge when it comes to reading and learning so I feel like I could gather info pretty quickly. So commence with the questions. Firstly, is the learning curve much steeper when it comes to owning horses as opposed to cows? What kind of info would I need to gather besides feed requirements, hoof care, and vaccine requirements? Do I need to know all the diseases and illnesses a horse can get before I consider getting one? Less importantly, but still curious, what do you think of the horse that the ad is for? What questions should I ask them? And lastly but not least, is this just a really stupid idea? Thanks in advance.

[crystalkelly]

I do not think it is crazy at all. I would defiantly read all I could before acquiring a horse. Also they can be very bossy, mean, and hurt cows so a pasture away from cows is best, and they tend to "mother" and love goats. I would also ask about any previous or current health issues and or vises. For example, does she crib or  has she foundered? How often is hoof trimming required, and how long has it been since she was ridden regularly? Horses can get "rusty" real fast if they are not ridden frequently. Questions like these.

Crystal

[suzorse]

how big is you daughter ? and no you do not need to know all the horse diseases , after you get one and know what is normal for that animal , you will know when they are off
and the main thing is colic (belly ache ) , they need good hay fresh water and a mini dose not need grain , if you have a good pasture they also can not be on it , as they are prone to founder easy , that one already looks pretty fat , and I can not see what condition its feet are in , I would maybe look for something a little bigger in the 13hd range like a POA , but a mini sometime is a good starter pony , always take an experienced
horse person with you to look at a horse/pony , also you need a done that been there kind
Suzanne
these are just for reference
something in this range
boise.craigslist.org/grd/4819252115.html
boise.craigslist.org/grd/4767279099.html

[jerseycowgirl]

I think horses are great therapy for all of us. The bond between a young girl and a horse is something they will always treasure. Do you know any one who has a horse that would mentor you? Even let your daughter learn some of the basics from?
The pony in the add is cute, but there are ponies that have little man syndrome and can be very awnery. My great nieces come out and ride my mothers halflingers, with just a halter and bareback. They are a small draft horse with very docile personalities, easy keepers. If I was wanting a horse on the small side they would be one that I would look into.
Pam

[hoperefuge]

She has made me a better rider and the more you work with her the better she will be.

This is a red flag to me...sounds like she's not too easy to manage as a mount. She's also older & mini which means you'll have to be on the watch for insulin resistance/Cushings' symptoms.

In general it's not a crazy idea. If you can learn cows, you can learn horses. Since this will be for your daughter though, the MOST important thing to look for is a horse that is child-friendly & easy to handle. And a riding helmet is of course the most important piece of equipment to go with the horse!

Kim

[japperwoman]

Ok, lets see if I can answer some of these questions. My daughter is going to be 10 in March about 85lbs and 4ish feet tall. The horse would be hers only in name, I would expect that the learning and teaching her would be on my shoulders. I have some very experience horse folks all around that I have good relationships with. One of them in particular has a horse rescues half a mile from my house. I like all your comments about the craiglist ad. If I even considered going to see this little gal I would take the friend who has the horse rescue with me. hoperefuge, I agree with your question on the statement you quoted above. My questions are was it a child who rode this in the past and was it a starter horse for her/him? How big could a person really be to ride a horse that small?

[guernseygirl]

I would also start with a mentor or a program if you can find one. My oldest daughter started riding at age 7 with a youth riding program. And yes the driving was a pain, but the amount that she learned is phenomenal, she can teach riding and horse care now. I've met many wonderful folks through that program and there were several therapeutic riding instructors that offered private lessons. Even if the overall plan is to buy your own horse, getting some hands on experience with several different horses and working with some trainers may be a great way to start.

I also jumped into cows after reading everything I could find, but was not confident enough to do it with horses. We do have horses a home now and I still check in with my mentor about their care on occasion. That may also be because they are 30+ year old horses that taught lots and lots of kids to ride and I don't want to be the one that makes a silly mistake a loses an institution.

[japperwoman]

Jan 9, 2015 9:52:55 GMT -5 guernseygirl said:

I also jumped into cows after reading everything I could find, but was not confident enough to do it with horses.

Interesting, this is kind of how I feel about it. Oddly though, my husband feels more comfortable with the idea of this than he did with the cows, go figure. The people around me ,including the gal who has the rescue ,do not have horses that my daughter could interact with. The closest place that does lessons is not super far away but (and you may think this is crazy to say) the lessons are incredibly expensive, and that is for group lessons. It would cost me less to buy the horse, feed it, vet it, and hire someone close by to come and work with us than it would be for me to take her to lessons (on a long term basis). Again, go figure. That still may be that best option, I am just kind of brainstorming at this point.

[eljay]

I recommend that your daughter start with riding lessons. She can get some experience on a horse and see if horses are going to be a true love. It will give you time to look without as much pressure to buy as there would be if she didn't have an outlet. At the same time you can make some horsey connections through the place she's taking lessons. You might even find a someone with a connection to your daughter's dream horse.

Minis can be a lot of fun. The problem with really small horses and ponies though is that unless you have a really small person who can get on them for a tune up if necessary you may end up with an out if control mini. If something happens and the child ends up afraid of him you are stuck with a kid who loves the horse and doesn't want you to get rid of it, but is too afraid to deal with him.

[eljay]

It looks like I was writing at the same time as you. Unless she's a very small ten year old she will be too big for the mini very quickly.

[marlana]

I have had horses for 30 years. I would suggest you not get a mini horse, or even a very small pony. They need food management-you can't just turn them out to grass because they have a tendency to get laminitis, they need a dry lot situation for at least part of the day. And, small does not equal gentle or sweet or safe-lots of attitude in those small packages! You need to read a few books on owning a horse, so you know what to expect-impossible to write it all down on a forum. Your best purchase would be a gentle, been-there-done-that older horse or even a large oony, 14 to 14.2 hands tall. If you don't have space for one that size, maybe get her a goat? They are smart and can be good pets, and big ones can pull a cart. If you are set on a mini horse, check out rescues-there are lots available out there.

I very much agree with your daughter taking lessons first and getting some exposure to horses and handling them! Do you have a therapeutic riding program near you? That might be a great option, and sometimes they have older horses for sale, too.

[japperwoman]

Jan 9, 2015 10:07:02 GMT -5 eljay said:

It looks like I was writing at the same time as you. Unless she's a very small ten year old she will be too big for the mini very quickly.

Nope, in my opinion we grow 'em big here

[japperwoman]

You are all great, this is just the kind of information I wanted from experienced folks. Plus sitting here reading has allowed me time to eat second breakfast (no judging please) . Now that I re-read that I am not sure it is something I should have confessed or laughed about.

[charlesh]

hoperefuge nailed my concern about that particular miniature. It was like reading an ad for a house that is described as "a unique opportunity for someone with lots of time on their hands"...

And I agree with guernseygirl and eljay about lessons. It may seem more expensive, but it really isn't. Once you factor in your time caring for it and giving your daughter lessons yourself, and all the little expenses that go with a new species of animal on your place, the lessons will probably be a bargain. We have had a lot of free horses offered on Craigslist here over the last few years and when a neighbor has asked me if they should get them I always put on my "philosophical farm face" (can we get an emoticon for that wyomama ?) and tell them free horses are usually the most expensive animal they'll ever own.

Plus, if your daughter is getting lessons and some of the therapy that comes from that, you will be able to see how helpful a horse will be for her, plus the urgency of buying one immediately will drop and that gives you time to patiently look for a great one. You can look for the perfect horse, or decide to go in a different direction before you own one.

[guernseygirl]

I had a hard time affording the lessons for my daughter, but like most livestock situations, there is always work to be done so we set up a work exchange to cover part or most of the cost of lessons.

I would love a second breakfast! No judging here!

[dmbenson]

NOT a mini please. I'm aware that a 'lot' of people do, but miniature horses are really too small to be ridden by anything other than a toddler on a lead line. I would go for a small horse or a larger pony. IME, ponies tend to be brats - the young people who CAN physically ride them, teach them bad habits and allow them to get away with stuff, and the older people who would stand a chance of correcting and properly training them are too large to ride them. Unless of course, you can afford the $10K plus price tag for a properly trained pony... and even then, unless your daughter is extremely experienced, you're going to have to send the pony for regular tune-ups.

Find an older been there done that horse (please no babies or green horses either) and expect to pay a reasonable amount for him/her. Think of it this way, you wouldn't buy your teenager a Ferrari, nor would you buy a car with bad tires, no brakes and a steering column that wobbles - why would you do the same with a horse? Get one that first and foremost is safe.....everything else will flow from that.

And there are more unscrupulous horse sellers out there than there are used car salesmen - take someone with you that knows what they're doing when you check them out as well (perhaps a trusted vet, a farrier, or someone in 4-h or a local pony club.

[dinee]

My experience is the opposite to yours, I got into horses first and we still have my daughters aged riding ponies on the place. Getting the ponies for the girls was the best thing we could have done. My two girls got a pony they they were about 10 or 11, but we could not afford to go to pony club so they just rode around the farm and had a total ball. they may not have been the flashiest riders but that was not the aim, they certainly learned to take care of their horse.

My oldest got chronic fatigue when she was 14 and she was very sick here for a while, could not even get out of bed to walk to the toilet. As she go better she could not do a lot of care of her pony but she was able to have time with him and touch him and sit on him. I really think it saved her sanity to have him there. He was a great therapy horse for her, she would go out and tell him everything that was bothering her and he was such a good listener.

I knew nothing about horses and I did a horse management course that was mainly correspondence with a couple of on farm study days, it taught me all i needed to know to start out on horses. I don't ride and never will, I really do not like being on the back of a horse. But I learned enough from the course to be able to lunge and work a horse and help the girls. I also learned heaps about feeding and maintenance.

From my experience I would say don't do for a mini, look for a pony about 12 or 13 hands high who is about 10 years old. They are usually ponies that have been ridden and trained as pony club horses so are usually well mannered. I would also pay for a few lessons before you get the horse so you daughter has some idea of how to sit and had a grasp of the basic commands. Make sure that when you go to buy, your daughter gets time with the horse/pony and that they like each other.

Good luck.

[grammagrace]

We had mules. The one was older than I. She was a full sized work mule that was to old for work but we kids rode her. We could put as many kids as would fit on her back. She did not care. For years we were to short to get on so we would get her beside something we could climb on. As I grew I got so I could grab her mane and swing my foot over her back and scramble my way on. As a teen I rode her with no bridle I could guide her by swinging my foot up by her head to turn her. If we fell off she stopped dead even to the point of a foot not on the ground so she did not step on us. We had no lessons no saddle and no helmets. What we had was fun and a few bumps and bruises no broken bones. Dad bought a team of mules that were little used so I rode them. Yes I fell off but I turned 69 today so guess I did not do to bad. I learned how to land so it did not hurt. These were tall mules so it was a long way down. Now what was good for me may not be so good for grand kids l like to see them padded up when they roller blade. If I was getting a horse type animal I would get a mule. Kids love mules. At least the ones in my family did. And mules love kids too.

[Nonesuch Melissa]

Love this girl for the price. I'd take an experienced rider with you to check her out. She is also big enough that your daughter will not outgrow her in just a few years. utica.craigslist.org/grd/4818334756.html

[charlesh]

That is a beautiful horse. A bit young for a new rider, but it sounds like she has had experience with teenagers and lots of riding. If you check her out definitely take Melissa's advice and bring a horse person with you.