animalwaitress
Champion
Posts:44
 | | 03/09/2008 2:10 PM |
| Hi, We recently bought a 5 acre place and would like to have at least one horse. It will be my first horse, although I have ridden a lot when I was younger and help take care of other people's horses. We are working on getting our foster care license so want a horse that would be good with older children. | | | |
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TASH06
Champion
Posts:7
| | 03/09/2008 11:08 PM |
| I would look at the rescues in your area. They usually will work extensively with the horses who come in, and their main concern is that they go to the most suitable home for them, and that means that the horse would be the most suitable for your situation also. They want to place them for life, and are not just interested in getting money for a horse they need to sell like with a private sale. -Not that you can't find a good horse from a private sale, but along side the people who love their horses and have to sell for some reason or another, and care where they go and that they are happy, there are alot of people who have no real attachment to their horses , use them as machines, and get a new one when that one is not working right anymore etc. At a rescue, you do not have to weed through who is selling for what reason, and what they may be covering up.
If you do buy a horse, I would at least have a vet(other than the seller's vet) do some sort of a prepurchase exam to make sure it is healthy. If it is a quarter horse, I would not buy one without front feet xrays.
Retired police horses are awesome as they are "bomb proof" and also sometimes horses retiring from school equestrian teams; although I would ask students who have ridden him/her what he is like in all situations.
For your situation though, with kids coming into your home with possibly no horse experience, I would look at the rescue or police horses-and two are always better than one as they are herd animals, and fell safe in numbers..
Just my opinion . Good luck! | | | |
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animalwaitress
Champion
Posts:44
| | 03/14/2008 12:39 PM |
| | I have an application in with the local rescue group but they apparently don't have any suitable horses available right now. | | | |
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rescuebook
Champion
Posts:58
| | 03/23/2008 11:03 AM |
| If you'd consider a long-range adoption, check out www.rescue100.com. This woman took in about 100 starving horses from a neglectful situation in Alberta, Canada. They probably won't be ready for adoption for a while yet, but when they are, they'll need lots of good homes for them!  | | | |
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animalwaitress
Champion
Posts:44
| | 03/23/2008 5:37 PM |
| I have good news. I found, not one, but two horses, both geldings, one age seven and one age eight. Now I just have to get them home. | | | |
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rescuebook
Champion
Posts:58
| | 03/23/2008 6:05 PM |
| Congratulations!  Tell us more! | | | |
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animalwaitress
Champion
Posts:44
| | 03/23/2008 6:25 PM |
| | My next door neighbor has a friend who was trying to find a good home for two geldings. One is 7 years old and is well trained as a trail horse. Her next door neighbor bought the horse and then found he was lame in a back foot. She gave him to Cheryl and Cheryl is giving him to me. He is very sweet and friendly, even if he cannot be ridden. The other boy is eight years old, sound, very sweet but Cheryl just hasn't had time to work with him so he needs some training. She has eleven horses, half her pasture is flooded and her paddocks are mud. She just wants them to have a good home where they will be loved. She is having a friend move in with her who is bringing more horses so she doesn't have room for them. She said she will be happy to serve as a mentor if I have questions since these are my first two horses. | | | |
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animaladdict2
Champion
Posts:99
| | 03/24/2008 1:07 AM |
| good luck to you animalwaitress
They sound good.
animaladdict2 | | | |
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