From: Inga
Dear Jessica: I have a few questions for you, but first, I need to give you a little background on our situation. A week ago, my husband received quite a surprise birthday present from his sister -- an 11-year old QH named Lady! The problem is, we are typical suburbanites who are more city slickers than country folk. Even though we live in Northern Virginia (which has a huge equestrian population), neither my husband nor I know very much about horses. In fact, I had never been on a horse until this last August, when we went out to my sister in law's ranch in Montana (she's the one who gave us Lady). In Montana, they have a large ranch with many horses, and Lady was one of them. Every day, we went trail riding, and her husband was excellent at teaching us how to ride, groom, and respect the horses. Lady was the first horse I ever rode, and she has such a sweet disposition that she really deserves her name. My husband and I were very much taken by their horses. Every day we looked forward to our ride -- my husband even got up at 6 a.m. on his vacation to feed them!
After getting over the initial shock of being horse owners, we have decided that we really love Lady and would like to give ownership a try (they said we could send her back at any time if we were uncomfortable). She is currently stabelled at a farm in Chantilly, VA. There are some obvious good things about the farm -- they have 35 other boarders so Lady has many horses to socialize with, it's only a 20 minute drive from our house, and the Bull Run battlefields are across the way with thousands of trails for riding. She's been here now for two weeks, and we *think* she is happy there. Being as we don't know what we're doing yet, we'll probably keep her there until we become wise in knowing if it's a good place or not. My gift- bearing in-laws saw the stables for about 1/2 an hour (they only had a short time because they had to catch a flight), and thought they looked clean and that the owner seemed to know horses (upon returning to the farm a four days later, the stables still looked clean).
Now here are the questions -- how can we tell if this is really a good place and how can we tell if Lady is truly happy there? If we plan on just doing Western or Austrailian style trail riding (which was what she's done most of her life), do we need to take lessons? Also, what books would you recommend? I went to the bookstore and was overwhelmed. Most of what I saw was too detailed or too simplistic (we already know about tack and saddles and how to groom). I would like something that had good information about how to communicate, what to look for as far as her health is concerned, how to be a good rider *for her*, and basic guidelines on what we need to do when. Also, how can you tell a bad ferrier or vet from a good one? I know when a vet is good for my cat, but horses I imagine are different. So, is there anything I haven't thought about yet?
I'd greatly appreciate any and all advice you have for us, and I thank you so much for your time.
Normally I would advise novice horse-owners to do their homework BEFORE they get a horse, but I realize that this horse just sort of 'happened' to you! Also, your situation is quite exceptional for several reasons: the horse is a known quantity, she HAS another home if it doesn't work out for you to keep her, your boarding stable sounds lovely, and -- on top of all those advantages -- YOU want to do things right from the beginning. So in this particular case, I think everything can work out nicely for you!
FIRST OF ALL: helmets. ASTM/SEI approved helmets, with harnesses. Helmets ON your heads, harnesses fastened, EVERY time you get on a horse. Your brains are very obviously worth protecting, and this is the way to do it. Go to your local tack shop and try on all the different types of approved helmets; you'll find something that fits comfortably. Buy it and wear it, and don't worry that anyone will give you funny looks. I know you probably didn't wear them out West, but you NEED them. Trust me on this! (and if anyone DOES look at you oddly, believe me, they would look at you even MORE oddly if you were drooling into your shoes...) Safety comes first, last, and always.
Lessons: yes. No matter what kind of riding you're going to be doing, lessons will be very helpful to you, but be careful when you select an instructor, and don't be in ANY hurry. Take your time. Watch riders who do what you want to do, notice which ones ride well and kindly, and take good care of their horses -- then ask them who teaches them. Contact those instructors and ask if you could watch them teach, then watch a lesson in which the student is another novice adult! If you like what you see, talk to the instructor, tell her what you want to do with your horse (you don't want to get in training for a competition season!), and take a trial lesson or two before you decide.
Bear in mind that ANY good instructor can help you improve your communication with the horse if what you want to do is trail-riding for pleasure -- you don't have to find a "trail-riding" instructor (although the American Riding Instructor Certification Program does offer instructor certification in Recreational Riding, and if you're very lucky, you might find a local instructor who holds this certificate!).
Don't limit yourself to any one type of instruction. Obviously saddle-seat and driving wouldn't be terribly helpful, and you probably don't want lessons in roping or in competitive dressage. BUT, in fact, a dressage instructor with some Western experience might be a much better instructor for you than a Western instructor whose specialty is Western Pleasure (this is NOT what it sounds like!), roping, or gaming. Look for someone whose horse looks happy and moves along quietly on a loose rein, turning and stopping when he's asked -- that's what you want to do. If you want more information about selecting an instructor, I had an article on that subject in this year's January issue of Practical Horseman, and it's covered more extensively in my book.
Vet and farrier: if your boarding barn is a large one, there are probably several different vets and farriers who come in regularly. Ask your barn manager to recommend one -- or look around you for the healthiest and happiest-looking horses, and ask their owners whom they use for vet care and shoeing. Again, you'll get a feel for how an individual vet or farrier works if you're there to watch and ask questions -- and you'll know a LOT about his attitude from the way he answers your questions.
Books: you're right, the selection can be overwhelming. You'll probably end up with a few shelves of books -- horsebooks tend to accumulate! ;-) But here are a few that you really will find useful.
I would suggest, as EXCELLENT all-around basic information, the United States Pony Clubs Manual of Horsemanship, volume I (Basics for Beginners) and II (Intermediate Horsemanship). Don't be put off by the titles; these are NOT just for children, or rather, they are meant for children and young adults who are expected to act safely and intelligently around horses, and learn horse care and horse management along with riding skills. These books don't "talk down." They're full of solid, well- organized information, systematically and clearly presented, and well- illustrated -- and have a useful index, which is always a plus. I was involved with those books from the time we decided that we needed our own manual, and I can assure you that they are GOOD. The author is Susan Harris.
Another very useful starter book is SAFE HORSE, SAFE RIDER by Jessie Haas.
There's more to saddlery and tack than you might think -- TACK BUYER'S GUIDE by Charlene Strickland is a wonderful book for anyone to own.
As you become more familiar with horses and horse ownership, your interests will probably develop along more specific lines, and you're welcome to keep asking about books in any specialty area, as well as the general-purpose ones. I review books and video- and audio-tapes for riders; you'll find reviews in my web pages. Take a look -- you may fall in love with something that's already been reviewed, and feel that you should run right out and buy it... and remember that you can always ask to have a particular book reviewed!
And here's my last suggestion: now that it's finally been published, I think you might find that my own book is what you're looking for. It includes everything you've asked about in here -- how to evaluate a boarding barn, how to determine the best environment for your horse, how to talk to your veterinarian, how to deal with your farrier, how to find the best instructor for you, etc., etc. You'll find more information about the book in my web pages -- and you'll find the book at your local bookstore or tack shop. If they don't have it, they can get it for you (tell them it's called RIDING FOR THE REST OF US: A Practical Guide for Adult Riders, and the ISBN is 0-87605-909-4).
- Jessica
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