If you're thinking about going out and adopting or buying a horse, please consider this first: Other than the fixer-upper house, there is nothing more likely to suck money out of your pockets than a horse.
If you've got both time and money, maybe a horse is for you. But, if you're short on either, it's best to skip the cowboy/cowgirl phase and leave it to those with the necessary requirements.
The reality of horse ownership is that it is a luxury in this day and age.
Lots with big houses and small yards, strip malls and condos sprouting up where hay and grain used to rule, time spent ferrying the kids to soccer and doctors appointments make proper horse ownership difficult. The cost of owning a horse measured in time and money has skyrocketed.
Sadly, statistics state that 80 percent of first-time horse owners will no longer be horse owners within two years. I think that this is due to many factors, one of them being that people just don't understand how much time, money and energy it takes to become a true horse person. Horsemanship is like learning a language, it takes years to master. Although you can flail along and learn "on-the-job" with dogs and cats, trying that with horses is a good way to get hurt.
When I was operating my own horse rescue several years ago, I had on a regular basis people come to me and profess knowledge of horsemanship when none existed. These people, because they had never fallen off of a dude string horse, thought that they knew how to ride and could successfully navigate around a horse.
Wrong.
Dude string horses, while employed on the dude string, are not that much different than that horse plugged in outside of WalMart. Real horses are not going to casually allow inexperienced owners to dictate their actions. They will have an opinion. This opinion will be contrary to what the new owner has in mind. In the best of circumstances, it will be an unsatisfactory experience for all involved. In a worst case scenario, it can put someone in the hospital or worse.
Although it may seem like a cheap way to acquire a horse, adopting a horse from a rescue or shelter should be looked upon with the same commitment as if you paid thousands for the animal. In reality, there is no such thing as a cheap horse. Horses cost a great deal of money to feed, house and care for properly. The initial expense of purchasing the horse is nothing compared to the long term financial commitment.
If you really want a horse, then by all means get one. But first spend time learning how to ride, care and communicate with horses so that the experience is a positive one for both you and your new companion.
Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions about your own pet, call Jester at 568-7585 or send e-mail to arriniranch@aol.com.
