Am I missing something? Monthly expense is no problem, just initial cost and you've been looking how long? If you would set aside the monthly expense as if you had the horse, by now you'd have saved enough to buy one for considerably more than $500 if it were required.
There are programs for acquiring mustangs that might be worth considering.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Gee pat, wished I would have thought of that. So simple and logical, I was blinded by the fact that was the amount I couldn't think of anything else.
I sorta like everyone fretting over me, I'm aquiring good info in the process.
Today I need best wishes! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
its 5 o'clock somewhere
We got lesson/ 4-H horse that has been doing lessons w/ children for 14 yrs. He's older than that. He'll be coming home this weekend. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] The owner just wants a good home for him, the $ isn't the object. Well, the owner got a GREAT home for him and we are excited. Being that this has always been a dream, then to have to claw every inch to get there, I truely am GRATEFUL for the horse.
its 5 o'clock somewhere
That sounds like a really great horse for you. That horse should be pretty kid safe for you. If he's an older horse a couple things will really help keep him going. The first thing to do would be to get a good equine dentist to look at his teeth. He can evaluate his teeth and let you know what the best feed recommendations would be. Older horses are very susceptible to respiratory diseases. Be careful about keeping him in a confined area. Make sure he has good shelter and if the temp. gets cold use a blanket for him. Also make sure you keep him current on all vaccinations, especially west nile. West Nile is devastating to older horses. Lastly make sure you get a good farrier. There are many times issues with older horses feet and a good trim/shoe job can make the difference between an old warrior being lame or sound. Best of luck to you and enjoy your new horse.
PS- older horses really need good company. I know you can't get another horse right now but get a goat. Horses will usually buddy up with them but you usually won't see them buddy up to the cattle. Especially if this one has any cow blood in him.
Thanks for the congrats, [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I know you care about the animals, again thats why I listen. Thanks for those points, I believe that I have a good vet and I'll check w/ her about the teeth dentist. The only thing that haven't found is the farrier. I'll ask my trainer, vet and guy at the feed store. Out here word of mouth is still pretty reliable. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
All of the girls rode on him and while one of my toddlers was on him the in the arena, the pasture is very close, all the other horses jumped for some reason. He did nothing but stop walking and looked. I was holding my daughters hand at the time, so I would have felt him jumped and he didn't. That sold me.
its 5 o'clock somewhere
I'll keep an eye out for a goat, sometimes they are free or very low cost. 4-H seems to pass them around too.
its 5 o'clock somewhere
Good to see you found a nice horse. They do appreciate a little curry comb work on the shoulders and back.
Work it right and you can get the goat to stand on the horses back.
I've seen it.
Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Good point on the expenses Pat.
I wouldn't consider a wild mustang for a lady with minimal horse experience and four little girls as a viable alternative though. I think that would be the worst thing for someone to do in her situation. Getting a mustang trained to ride takes alot of patience and alot of know-how. At the minimum that horse would need three to four months with a trainer that knows how to handle mustangs and even then it would be a year or more of consistent riding before you would want to trust that horse yourself to ride much less four little girls.
<font color="blue"> There are programs for acquiring mustangs that might be worth considering. </font color>
One of these centers was within 5 miles of us before they consolidated them a few years ago.
No way I'd recommend a wild mustang to someone with very little experience. Heck, I wouldn't recommend one to someone with experience if they didn't also have a lot of time to work with them. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
Training a horse is way beyond the abilities of even fairly experienced horse lovers. The first horse we got on our farm is our PMU rescue Belgian mare, Rosie. We got her as a tiny 4 month old fillie. I managed to line train her, but we still have to have a professional trainer teach her to drive, and maybe ride. She's a sweet horse, with naturally good manners, but I would never trust anyone to get close to her without me there, even our vet and farrier. She is good at listening to me, but she makes a game out of any command that anyone else gives her, and with a 1700 pound horse, her well intentioned playing can be very dangerous. Actually any poorly trained equine can be very dangerous, and as much as I love my Rosie, if I had it to do over again, she would not have been my first horse. I've been around horses my whole life, and I foolishly thought I could manage to train one myself. The trainer we're going to use has already evaluated Rosie, and actually says I did a good job for a novice, but that is only because she is extremely bonded to me, but I'm still careful because I know she can be dangerous, even though she doesn't mean to be. So please don't follow my bad example, and unless you're experienced training horses, like Cowboydoc, don't try it on your own!!! Thinking back I know that I'm lucky that I was never hurt.
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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