"got questions someone please answer" (HR)

[HydroPHILE]

I found this on Craigslist this morning, and I just don't know how to address this or where to start. I'm assuming the person is being serious and needs some suggestions. Does anyone have some tips they'd like to give this person...in a polite/non-judgmental manner? Please keep this civil as I intend on sending the poster a link to this thread to read all of the wonderful ideas/options for them.


Got questions someone please answer

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Date: 2009-01-13, 10:31AM EST

I have an 8 year old that loves horses, what are the steps do buy a horse and take care of it, i would need to take care of it somewhere besides my house i do not live in the country i live in gwinnett county in a home. would love to get information and prices and maybe i can surprise her. anyone who answers can give me info on where to buy a cheap horse etc. Thanks

her 9th birthday is in march would love to c what i can find.

[joiedevie99]

I would tell her that a horse is a big committment, and suggest that she surprise the kid with a 10 lesson package at a local lesson barn, along with a helmet and some boots. Tell her that horses come in varying states of trained and untrained, dangerous and friendly, and the best way for her to end up with one that will make her daughter happy for many years is for her to first meet up with a trainer and have the trainer assess the child and then take them shopping (if they are still interested).

[arabhorse2]

What a nice parent. Unfortunately, they may just get their child killed. :no:

Suggest lessons, instead of them buying a "cheap" horse for their 8 y/o. In the long run, lessons will be cheaper monetarily, physically, and even emotionally. Especially for the horse! ;)

[HydroPHILE]

I sent a polite e-mail to the parent and asked them if they had even considered (or knew about) riding lessons for their daughter as well as what type of horse experience/riding experience the daughter had? I told them that horse ownership was expensive, and horse ownership in Gwinnett County, especially boarding, was expensive, and I offered a website link with lesson barns in that area.

[Gayla]

They sound like a great person that is asking for help which is so unusual! I would write them and suggest that they lease a horse after taking some lessons. Most people don't even know about those type of options and are always interested. It is really sweet. I would give some suggestions for places to go visit etc. What a great opportunity to help someone. :yes:

[HydroPHILE]

Their response:

"Thanks for the advice but yes she knows how to ride."

[arabhorse2]

Don't ALL 8 y/os "know how to ride"? :rolleyes:

Sounds like Mumsy and Daddums don't really want help, they just want someone to tell 'em what a grand idea it is to get their precious snookums a horsie, and sell it to them for cheapie-cheaps. :dead:

The problem is that someone will sell them a cheap horse, and the kid and horse are going to be the losers. :no:

[HydroPHILE]

The problem is that someone will sell them a cheap horse, and the kid and horse are going to be the losers. :no:

There are plenty of money-hungry horsetraders on CL. They are looking for the "right" answer...not necessarily the correct one.

[trubandloki]

More advanced lessons then. You are never too advanced for more lessons.

Then the next step, to decide if you are ready for the commitment of owning would be leasing. Wherever the daughter learned to ride, ask about leasing a horse.

After a year of leasing (or say six months minimum, so you get a good idea) then ask the barn about finding a good horse to do whatever it is that the daughter is planning on doing.

[Sonesta]

send them a link to this thread!

[ReSomething]

More advanced lessons then. You are never too advanced for more lessons.

Then the next step, to decide if you are ready for the commitment of owning would be leasing. Wherever the daughter learned to ride, ask about leasing a horse.

After a year of leasing (or say six months minimum, so you get a good idea) then ask the barn about finding a good horse to do whatever it is that the daughter is planning on doing.

For the CL person - you have to do the research yourself.

Go to the library and check out every horse care book they have. That will give you the customary level of care for a well kept horse and what it needs to remain healthy and safe for your DD.
Then dig out the yellow pages for your area and visit every boarding barn for prices, and what you will get for those prices.
How did your DD learn to ride? Where? Around with friends? Lessons? Grandma? Ask that person.
4-H or Pony Club may have a program in your area and the leader should be able to give you some advice.

Go to the local feed store and tack store. Armed with info from the books you can calculate what it will really cost at today's prices. Cost of all the equipment and tack, how much to feed etc. Get the place to keep the horse lined up before you think about going horse shopping.

Nobody ever went wrong with more advanced lessons, give the DD a Breyer for the birthday, and if she gets through the lessons and you all still feel up to the expense, take her with you to shop for the horse.
Especially in this economy, leasing a horse might be the better option.

It's really sweet of you to want to do this for your daughter, CL person- if you do it carefully it'll be wonderful for the whole family - but be careful, they can be very expensive and dangerous animals.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

I bet the eight year old is the one actually posting.:) She's just dreaming about having her own horse one day. If the interwebz had been around when I was a kid, I'd probably have done the same.

Either way - if it's the parent or the child posting - my response would be the same:
Sign up for lessons. [At eight years old, you/she still need[s] lessons. Even Olympic riders have lessons.:yes:]
After you/she takes a year's worth of lessons, and is still interested, then think about buying a horse. By that time, you'll probably know of a suitable horse for sale through word of mouth, but if not, you can ask her/your instructor.

[Liberty]

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Date: 2009-01-13, 10:31AM EST

...anyone who answers can give me info on where to buy a cheap horse etc. Thanks

her 9th birthday is in march would love to c what i can find.

Firstly, in addition to what others have mentioned, I'd tell her that the purchase price of a horse is peanuts compared to their maintenance and upkeep (vet, farrier, EMERGENCY vet, etc.).

Purchase price means NOTHING. A "cheap" horse costs as much (if not more) than an "expensive" horse when all is said and being done.

I cringe whenever I hear of someone looking for a "cheap" horse, especially for their kid, and ESPECIALLY when it appears that neither the parents nor the kid knows a thing about horses. :no:

[JSwan]

[QUOTE=HydroPHILE;3800838

I have an 8 year old that loves horses, what are the steps do buy a horse and take care of it, i would need to take care of it somewhere besides my house i do not live in the country i live in gwinnett county in a home. would love to get information and prices and maybe i can surprise her. anyone who answers can give me info on where to buy a cheap horse etc. Thanks

her 9th birthday is in march would love to c what i can find.[/QUOTE]



Is it me or does this appear to be written by a child?
ETA - sorry - I didn't quote correctly - Hydrophile, I was not referring to you but the text of the CL ad.

Sounds like a little kid playing with her daddy's computer.

[Liberty]

Is it me or does this appear to be written by a child?

I thought the same thing; however, I've seen some pretty pathetic "child-like" internet postings from adults.

[Paige777]

A "cheap" horse is never cheap - often they come with issues that make them surpass the expenses of keeping an "expensive" horse in the long run.

I agree with the advice posted here. More lessons for the child - often children change their minds as to whether they love horses. Yes, everyone here likely loved horses in their childhood and continue to do so today, but I have had plenty of friends who change their minds once exposed to actual riding lessons. It isn't all fun; there's a lot of work involved.

On that note, I agree that a lease situation would be the next step to take. try to find a barn where she could lease a lesson horse - a horse safe for her to work around, and in a supervised situation. Explain to her that owning a horse requires a lot of work and knowledge - this is step one in preparing to be a good horse owner. If the lease works out, and she progresses and continues to enjoy it, then talk to the trainer about buying a horse.

[JSwan]

I thought the same thing; however, I've seen some pretty pathetic "child-like" internet postings from adults.

Oh my.

[dab]

I'd recommend they check out the articles on the Horse Sense website -- http://www.horse-sense.org/index/ -- They can start by reading the articles on buying/leasing a horse and the ones about boarding -- I think the author (Jessica Jahiel) does a great job of explaining things even for readers who are inexperienced with horses -- Her articles make the points about lessons, leasing, and the costs of buying/keeping a horse --

[Liberty]

Oh my.

That was my reaction as well.

[animaldoc]

I have over $5000 in my "free" horse (after 1.5 years)....and that's not counting board (all medical bills).

Of course, I knew what I was getting into and I'm not complaining.

I agree with the others - more lessons (does she know how to jump? barrel race? etc.) and then possibly a lease.....