Think very carefully about the questions and answer them honestly.
If you have answered yes to any of the first five questions, please do yourself and the horse a favor and don’t buy him. Examine your motives carefully because owning a horse can be a very emotional experience as well as a considerable investment of money and time.

Once you have purchased your horse, you have an obligation to provide him with a safe and secure haven, to provide feed at regularly scheduled times; at least twice daily, fresh water at all times, clean living quarters, regular exercise, daily grooming and also to provide veterinarian care on a regular basis and a farrier (horse shoer) every six to eight weeks. It is through the care you provide him that you can develop a close bond with your horse that will last for many years.

Horse ownership carries a lot of responsibility as a horse requires care 24 hours a day. He will need to be cared for when you are sick, on vacation and even in bad weather (heavy rain or snow). He may get colic at ten o’clock at night requiring your care and a veterinarian throughout the night or he may find his way through a fence during a heavy rain storm and you will have to go get him and repair the fence in the storm.

You are also responsible for his safety and the safety of those around him. If you are not willing to assume this responsibility or give the time required to ensure his physical, mental and emotional well-being then you are not being fair to your horse or yourself.

If you like horses but do not have the time or money to spend, then consider some of the alternatives to horse ownership. You can rent horses from riding stables, giving you the pleasure of riding but not the care or cost of actual horse ownership. Some of the larger stables will hire people to care for and exercise their horses; thus you would have the pleasure of caring for a horse and you would also get paid for it.

Maybe you have friends and neighbors with horses and they would like a riding companion. If you don’t have a horse and would like to visit the horses in your neighborhood, get the owner’s okay first. If the owner says NO, respect that. Do not feed the horse! You do not know if he is allergic to something or if he is on a special diet or if the grass you gave him was sprayed with weed killers or bug pesticides. You also don’t know if the horse is a kicker or nipper. The owner has to consider the safety of not only his horse, but also your safety.

If you think you want a horse, but you are not sure what type of horse you would like, you might give consideration to leasing a horse. This would give you all the responsibility of horse ownership, but on a short term basis.
When leasing a horse the owner retains the title to the horse and you would assume care, custody and control of the horse. If you lease a horse, a legal contract will be drawn up specifying that you will take excellent care of the horse and will provide all necessary health and shoeing care. The horse would be in your care at your home or a nearby stable. If something happened to the horse you will not only have to explain what happened to the owner, but you will also have to pay him the value of his horse. You may be required to have the horse insured with mortality insurance and possibly
health insurance.

A person who is considered “horse crazy” has a very difficult time explaining this feeling and why he feels this way. He has a love and respect for all animals, with a deep love for horses. The phenomenon of being “horse crazy” is usually seen in the early years of life, sometimes it will show up late in life, it is rarely outgrown and usually lasts a lifetime. The relationship between “horse crazy” people and their horses brings them deep contentment, peace of mind and a feeling of relaxation. This relationship offers them challenges, it structures their day, it develops communication skills and confidence in their abilities. It brings peace to their souls and makes them feel complete.