Horse/Choosing a horse

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Revision as of 12:50, 2 February 2007 by imported>Nancy Sculerati MD (→‎Avoiding injury)
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Choosing a horse involves

Horse or pony?

Age

Breed

Gelding, Mare, or Stallion?

Discipline: what do you want from the horse?

Competition

Trail (Hack)

Companion horse

Available facilities: what can you offer the horse?

"Horse traders"- Caveat emptor!

Where can a horse be obtained?

Breed Organizations

Trainers

Public sales

Auctions

Rescue horses

In the UK, the RSPCA offers horse adoption [1]

Racehorses

Thoroughbred race horses [2]. Other organizations place a variety of race horses, including standard bred pacers [3]

How can a horse be properly evaluated?

Avoiding injury

The reality of equestrian activities is that death and serious injury, including permanent paralysis, are not rare events. Such outcomes cannot be entirely prevented by proper training of horse and rider, or by the correct use of sound equipment in adequate facilities under proper supervision - but they can be readily prompted by the opposite practices. Horse shopping can be a very dangerous pastime for that reason.

Health evaluation