Which horse breeds are good for a first horse?

Hi! How lovely that you are thinking of buying a horse 👏🏼😃

Horse breeding has not selected for temperament (choosing which individuals to breed from) in the way dog breeding has. With dogs there is almost a breed for whatever you want to do, or whatever sort of dog suits you. Choosing a horse is trickier. You need either a good deal of experience and knowledge of horses yourself, or help from someone who knows both you and horses well and is used to buying and selling them.

It is important to find a horse that suits you for size, level of training and temperament. If you mean a horse that is calm, easy to ride and a good schoolmaster, then it is usually best to look for one that is slightly older and well schooled. It will probably not be the cheapest, but a well-schooled, kind horse who is still sound in body is worth a great deal. Get help from your coach or your instructor at the riding school, or contact someone who works in selling horses.

Prepare well. Write down what you want to be able to do with the horse, how much you can do yourself, and plan what sort of help you will have around you once you have bought it. Bear in mind too that buying a horse costs a lot, but paying for it every month costs even more. Is there perhaps someone you could buy a horse with? Or you could start by sharing a horse a few times a week?

Then it is a case of asking the seller plenty of questions. Ask everything you can think of, and try the horse several times.

I could write a great deal more, so do ask again if there is anything particular on your mind 😃 Good luck! 🦄