The faithfulness and companionship of horses make them great human companions. Moreover, they also accompany you in various tasks and never leave their masters at times of difficulty. Therefore, it is no surprise that many people want to buy horses and adore the beauty of these innocent creatures.
If you are interested in buying a horse, there are some very important things your should know. If you can give satisfactory answers to all the questions, it shows that now is the right time for you to buy a horse.
Questions To Ask When Buying A Horse
Below are some key questions that you should ask yourself and the seller when buying a horse. The first questions are meant for you to ask the seller. They are to help insure you are buying a healthy horse. The later questions are personal questions you should ask yourself in order to confirm you are ready to buy a horse.
1) What is the Breeder History?
When you go to buy a horse, it is important that you ask the seller for the breeding history of the horse. These documents are important because they confirm the lineage and breed of the horse. Some people also refer to these documents as registration papers.
2) Does the seller have a good reputation?
You should always do thorough research before you buy a horse. You should make sure the seller you choose has a good reputation. Ideally, you want to choose a seller that has been in the business for at least a couple of years.
3) Any signs or history of illness?
This is probably the most important question to ask the seller. By law, the seller must disclose to you any previous illnesses that the horse had. If you end up buying a horse that has a chronic illness, it can cost you thousands of dollars in the long run. You should also inspect the horse for any physical signs of illness, such as a cough.
4) How Old Is The Horse?
Age is an important factor because it can directly impact the activeness of the horse. For example, if you want a horse for training purposes, you should prefer a younger one as it can be easily trained from scratch.
5) Can I Afford Having A Horse?
Buying a horse is not similar to buying cats and dogs. It is a much bigger upfront cost, and the cost of maintenance is also much higher. You have to pay for their food, accommodations, and transportation to your horse if you don’t keep him/her on your own land.
The average cost of a horse is around $3,000. On top of that, it usually costs around $4,000 a year to care for a horse.
Even if you can afford the initial cost of the horse, you should check for the other costs. As you can see from the numbers above, you will have to spend a lot of money on horse grooming equipment, food, horse riding equipment, hoof trimmings, horseshoes, vet visits, and boarding costs.
6) Can I Take Care Of My Horse?
Have you ever worked as a volunteer in a horse stable? If not, then handling the horse as a pet might not be the right decision. Though you can hire someone for this purpose, you will have to pay the other person for this job.
Remember that just knowing how to ride is not enough when you have a personal horse.
7) Why Do I Want To Buy A Horse?
Some people buy horses as a pet, while others may want it for race competitions and other adventurous activities. However, some people use horses to eat their meat.
According to the Animal Welfare Institute, horse meat is illegal because it is toxic. If we go deeper and browse through history, we come to know that horse meat is illegal in almost all religions. Not only the Jews and Christians, but Islam has also introduced strict rules regarding the use of horse meat. If you plan on buying the horse for breeding purposes, you might want to ask how big is their willy if they are a boy.
Some people dislike it for religious reasons, or just hate it because they are not accustomed to eating horse meat. Whatever the reason is, eating horse meat is not the instinct of human beings. It is due to this reason eating horse meat is considered a taboo in America while it is illegal in many other parts of the world.
So if you want to buy the horse for slaughtering purposes, you should think twice.
Final Verdict
Buying a horse requires detailed research and experience, so never rush to buy a new horse before performing detailed research. Focusing on the above questions will save you from future issues because having a horse is a long-term commitment.
