Wisdom Wednesday

Get to know the different breeds of horses and gain an understanding of what they are breed and trained for prior to purchasing. Currently there are over 350 recognised breeds of horses and ponies across the world. Having a bit of background knowledge can really help you avoid buying the wrong horse. I will use the Thoroughbred as an example. The Thoroughbred is specifically breed for racing. They are athletic, fast, sensitive, have high flight instincts, and have a high metabolism. If they have had a race prep or career then all they have knowledge of is to run forward and fast without much encouragement. This means that a Thoroughbred straight off the track is going to be a very strong and fast horse without any education for ‘normal’ riding disciplines. Hence they are not suited for anyone under an advanced rider. However once they have been retrained they can then enter into many disciplines and can eventually become fantastic beginner horses. So do your research and ask the right questions to know exactly what the horse has done. Each breed of horse will have different stereotypes so do your research and find one that best suits your needs. Obviously treat each horse as an individual as there are many horses that do not have the breed stereotypes and can be the complete opposite. Also previous training and different disciplines will influence the outcome of the horses disposition as well. If you are looking for a new bestfriend and are not quite sure what to look for or you have found one but aren’t too sure please send me a message as I will be more than glad to give you an honest opinion and help you get the right horse.