What to look for while buying your first horse?

 Do you want to buy the perfect horse for yourself? Buying a new horse is undoubtedly exciting, but it can be a tricky decision to make. There are multiple things you need to be careful of. Generally, there are about two hundred horse breeds, and not every horse will be the right fit for you.

A horse seller will try his best to present the perfect features of his horse. However, you will need to be a little smart at choosing the best horse. Do not forget to consider things like breed, size, training, age, and many others before buying the best riding jumping horse. These aspects will help you have a closer look at your considered horse’s potential and spend your money wisely.


Let’s discuss a few things you need to check before finalizing the purchase deal for your horse:

1. Legs:

Legs or feet are the most important features of a horse, indicating his strength. So, be attentive to observe the horse’s legs. Your horse’s legs should be perfectly straight, but his pasterns must be sloping instead of being straight.

Moreover, you should get a close look at the fetlocks, cannons, and hocks. Make sure that the horse’s cannons are positioned below his knees and are accurately squarely. Furthermore, look for the hoofs, they should be forming perfect angles to the walls, and the fetlocks must be powerful for shock absorption.

2. Eyes:

A horse’s beauty lies in his eyes, and they should be bright and clear. Unfortunately, horses are particularly monocular, which means they use one eye at the moment. In fact, they can’t focus on the nearby objects. So, it becomes imperative to choose a horse with good vision. See if there is any discharge in your considered horse’s eyes or he often has teary eyes.

To make sure that you buy best jumper horse, you can perform a simple vision test on the horse. For this test, you need to take the horse inside the barn, let his eyes adjust, and then take him outside instantly. If his pupils contract immediately, his vision is normal, and you can buy that horse. However, if the horse keeps on bumping into the things coming in his way, you should look for some other option.

3. Teeth:

This is the primary factor that affects your horse’s overall health. Horses’ teeth continuously grow and need regular smoothening and contouring from the veterinarian. This is because infected, broken, worn, and abnormally long teeth are more prone to severe diseases like ulcers. 

So, make sure that your considered horse’s teeth are perfectly maintained.

4. Temperament:

An aggressive horse can affect the rider’s riding lessons, especially when the rider is young. So, if you are a beginner or want to buy the best riding jumping horse for your kid’s riding lessons, make sure that the horse is calm, has plenty of patience, and behaves nicely to unfamiliar humans. 

5. Fitness and strength:

Either a young or an aged horse can have health issues. So, make sure you check if your horse has the right weight and body fat.

There are a few notable features regarding the horse’s physical appearance that you can check to ensure that the horse has the perfect strength and is appropriately fit. For example, to check the body fat around the ribs, you need to ensure that the ribs are not easily visible; however, they should be easily felt on touching. Moreover, the horse’s tail-head should not be spongy.

6. Coat:

The coat tells you a lot about the horse’s health, and if it is shiny, your horse is ultimately healthy. Moreover, the horse must shed his coat every year because if it doesn’t, the horse must be suffering from Cushing’s disease. So, do not forget to ask if the horse sheds his coat every spring. Additionally, if you are thinking to buy best jumper horse in the summers, you should consider the horse that has a short, sleek, and glossy coat.

However, if you are purchasing your horse in winters, make sure that your horse has a thicker and longer coat to protect him against freezing winters.

7. Age:

Older horses are more likely to be well-trained that can be settled in comfortable habits as compared to the younger ones. So, it would be better if you ask about the horse’s real age and prefer to buy an older horse.

8. Hooves:

You should always make sure that the hooves’ size should be in accurate proportion with the horse’s size. In addition, they should be hard and should not have any cracks and dryness.

Moreover, check if the horse’s toes are not turned in or out to make sure that you buy the best riding jumping horse.

Wrapping up

Buying a horse is the most significant part as the horse is going to stay with you for years. The horse you select will impact your riding experiences. So, check for its training, physical appearance, size, and, most importantly, strength before locking the purchasing deal.

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