Owning a horse is every horse-riding lover's dream. However, a lot of them are not aware of what it takes.
First of all…
In average, a horse lives for 30 years. You need to be sure that you will be personally and financially able to take care of them this long. If you are in an insecure or precarious position, getting a horse right now might be a bad idea. You should wait until you are sure to be able to take on a 30 years old commitment.
Skills needed:
Owning a horse usually means you are a good rider. However, being good at horse riding doesn't necessarily mean being rigorous and serious. The most important thing is to really care about your animal's health, be attentive to their wellbeing and know how to take care of it.
Be serious means spend time with your horse everyday, entertaining them daily so they're not bored, groom them to check that they're not injured, take them to the blacksmith at least every two months...
Time...
Owning a horse asks a huge amount of time. Indeed, after your day of work, no matter if it's raining or even snowing, you need to go take care of your horse. Grooming them, petting them, offering them exercise... this can easily take hours!
… and money!
Beyond the acquisition cost, you will have to pay for many other things (food, blacksmith fees, vaccines...) and be ready to pay unexpected fees if anything happens.
You need to know that even if your horse stays in a meadow, it cannot eat only grass. You will need to purchase a food supplement.
Before you decide to acquire a horse, you should have a talk with a professional to ask them every single question you have. But we hope this article helped you see clearer!
Do you already have a horse or are you thinking about getting one ?