by: Jessica

Hi Victoria,

There are many things to consider before you take this Fox Trotter mare:

– What is her current state of health? Has she had a history of illness or injury? She is entering the latter stage of her life and thus her veterinary, dental and farrier bills will become more expensive as she requires additional treatment and possibly medication.

– How well trained is she? What purpose would she serve? How frequently will you be able to exercise her?

– Do you have somewhere to stable her? If you do not have these facilities yourself, you will likely have pay a great deal of money to keep her elsewhere.

– Can you afford all of the costs of owing a horse? The stabling fees, the veterinary bills, the farrier bills, the dental bills, the cost of the feed, the equipment, the tack, etc.?

– Do you have the time to take care of your horse every day? She will need to be groomed twice and washed every one or two weeks, and fed three times a day. She will need a good ride twice a week. You will have to muck out her stable too and keep the paddocks and the tack maintained. If you do not have the time to do this, then you will either have to stable her somewhere else or pay someone else to be your stable hand, both of which are very expensive.

– How experienced are you with horses, both riding and caring for them? Do you know anyone else who is knowledgeable on the subject? If neither of these have positive answers, then you should seriously consider whether you are ready to have a horse of your own.

I think that only if you can get comprehensive positive answers to these questions should you consider taking on this mare. Rashly choosing to accept without thorough consideration beforehand could, in the worst case, result in you being stuck with an ageing, sickly, poorly trained, bad-tempered, high-maintenance horse who you cannot afford to own both in terms of time and money.

I hope that this is helpful.

Regards,
Jessica