Research first:
Before you even consider rehoming or purchasing a horse, please think about your commitment levels and the financial implications of horse ownership. A horse lives on average for around 20 years and could cost upwards of £10,000 per year in care. This is a serious commitment and you need to think long and hard about whether you can manage this.
If you are just beginning your journey into horse ownership, consider loaning or sharing rather than an outright purchase as this will let you get a taste of things and you will be able to see if horse ownership is really right for you.
Introduce yourself and your family:
You should always visit a horse as many times as you and the seller can accommodate, this will allow you to check if both you and the horse are suited as well as the horses temperament.
Ask the seller as many questions as you can, regarding the horses temperament, health history, age, previous owners and abilities and always make sure that all paperwork is present and correct; this includes equine passports, vaccination certificates, breed and microchip papers.
A vet must check the horse is fit and healthy before you can transport it home with you.
A healthy horse is a happy horse:
A horse will require a lot of space and special dietary requirements, please make sure that you have all of this in place and have secured an adequately sized paddock or field for your horse. It is always better if the horse is housed with others so you can talk to other owners and receive advice.
Please, please, please consider rehoming a rescue centre horse first!
Before purchasing a horse, please consider searching local rescue centres to rehome one in need, there are many available and some centres advertise directly through Petwise where we support them with free advertising and charitable donations, because at Petwise.com, we love pets!