Rural/Farm Life

I love my Warmblood filly but she is impossible to work with at times and can be very dangerous.

Stella is a 16H 1400 lb. teenage diva crazed with hormones who spooks way too easily. She was pastured for the first 3 years of her life and was sold to me for a song because everyone else had given up on her (imagine adopting a 13 year old human girl who was raised by chimpanzees). She is a problem child and will never be suitable for novice or even intermediate level riders. She doesn't bite or kick but has terrible manners and needs to be worked with constantly or she forgets everything she has learned.

Don't get me wrong, she is breathtakingly beautiful, a sweet, affectionate curious girl who charms everyone she meets but I don't allow anyone other than my bf, the farrier and vet handle her. I won't even let bf ride her because you cannot relax for a single second when you're in the saddle. She is a joy to me but she could very easily be someone else's worst nightmare.

Even the gentlest mares can be unpredictable, if you want a good natured buddy who will always be glad to see you, get a cold blood gelding. Our boy Jack is a 7yo draft cross who was horribly mistreated and malnourished and has every reason to hate humans, but he doesn't.
He is VERY large but so sweet natured I would let a child ride him. He is insanely motivated by food and lazy lazy lazy most of the time but that's part of his charm. He's the kind of horse who will rest his head on your shoulder, sigh and close his eyes.

I am still healing from a riding accident this past summer -Stella freaked over a squirrel, bolted, reared and fell down pinning my leg underneath her- and I'm riding Jack bareback as part of my physical (and emotional) therapy. He's so big and well-padded it's like riding a couch with legs.


2.) Try the horse before you buy, dishonest horse traders will medicate animals and you won't get a refund after the check clears.

3.) Find an experienced vet (one who is willing to make emergency calls if s/he is to be your horse's doc) and a trustworthy farrier and have them both examine any animal you wish to buy.

4.) Use horse fencing and don't pinch pennies, bad fences can tear up a horse and allow them to wander out onto the highway.

5.) If you can only have one horse please get the goats too, solitary horses get bored and neurotic.

We have 5 fenced acres for two large horses and feed hay in the winter, we keep two large water tanks full at all times and built a three sided shelter so they can get out of the elements when they want to. We feed daily supplements, worm them 4x yearly, get them immunized every spring and a farrier shoes them every 6 weeks. Your vet can give you a more comprehensive schedule.

Do your homework, horses are time consuming money pits and you might find it more appealing to lease a horse that's stabled elsewhere.

Good luck and happy trails!