# Whats a good horse for a 12year old



## miamoo101 (Sep 26, 2011)

I have a 12 yr old and she wants a horse she's intermediate she can Trot and Canter and steer great and i would like an all rounder horse and i don't really no what breed Please help :lol:


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## PaintLover17 (Jan 3, 2011)

Buying a horse is a big, expensive responsibility. It sounds like your daughter is not very experienced, so you might want to hold off buying just now to make sure she is serious about riding and owning. Leasing might be a good option for you right now. It's like owning a horse but without all the added expenses and responsibility. The best thing to do is talk to her trainer and see what (s)he thinks.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## miamoo101 (Sep 26, 2011)

She experienced in walking ,trotting & cantering but she is practising on jumping and her trainer thinks when ever she's ready !


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Probably won't think this is much help, but I'd say have your daughter's trainer tell you what kind of horse she thinks your daughter would be best matched up with. Maybe even get your trainer involved in the process. After all, the trainer is going to be having to work with the horse as well as your daughter. Just my two cents.


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## PaintLover17 (Jan 3, 2011)

Yep, definitely have your trainer help pick a horse if you truly feel your daughter is ready. Walking, trotting, cantering and just learning to jump does not mean she is necessarily ready for ownership. I've been riding for 11 years and just bought my first horse a year ago. If your trainer says she is ready and you feel you are financially ready, by all means buy a horse for your daughter, but make sure your trainer is very involved with the process.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## miamoo101 (Sep 26, 2011)

Yes defiantly my daughters trainer asked if she wanted to help with choosing a horse when we were talking to her! And my daughter has been riding for 7 years


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Its great that you want to get a horse for your daughter. I got my first horse when I was 11 years old, and I could walk, trot, canter and very low jumps, so I was probably at a similar stage to your daughter. My instructor came out and test rode my horse which was invaluable because my mother knew absolutely nothing about horses. I ended up getting this absolutely beautiful palomino which was pretty much every 11 year olds dream horse.

Be aware of the responsibility involved, because really neither me or my mother quite grasped it when we bought my first horse. Throughout winter a horse will often need to be visited twice a day, to be fed and rugged. If he is kept in a situation where you can't leave him with feed, you may have to wait 1 - 2 hours while he eats in addition to whatever riding time. Children should not be left to ride unsupervised so be prepared to wait around for 2 - 3 hours everyday while your child rides. When your child has school camps, or lots of schoolwork, be prepared to come out and care for the horse on your own. If you cannot commit this amount of time you should will have to pay someone else to do it, but the time may come when you are the only one available to do this work - and the buck stops with you as the parent/owner. It is a living breathing animal that is your responsibility and regardless of what a 12 year old says or promises, you must bare the final responsibility. 

It was hard for us to find our first horse. We looked into leasing but horses suitable for an intermediate child rider were quite rare. So we decided to buy my parents had a $500 price range but once we went to look at a few horses we realised that was not remotely enough for a safe horse. My advice is to have at least $2500 - $4000 budgeted for your horse and start up costs (it depends on the cost of horses in your area, some places you can pick up horses cheap, others are significantly more expensive). Expect to spend at least $1000 - $1500 on tack and gear, ie. saddle, bridle, rugs. If you end up spending less then you have a little left over for the future. 

Be cautious of younger horses and Thoroughbreds, while there are some good ones around many of them are unsuitable for an inexperienced horse owner and young girl. Look into a slightly older horse (10 - 17) that has "been there and done that", because of their age you can pick them up slightly cheaper than their experience and training is actually worth. You will make a loss if you ever need to sell on, but it is the rare horse owner that actually profits out of a horse ever. Look into a horse with some basic training, I presume your daughter rides english, so look for something with a little dressage training, a little jumping training, so that the horse can help to teach your daughter. You may find a trail horse quiet enough but its worth spending a bit more on a trained horse that your daughter can easily learn on and from. 

Even if your daughter is quite small, I'd look at a horse around 14 - 15hh. A horse this height, even if your daughter outgrows it, should still be rideable by most adults. Many people seem to make a mistake of buying a small pony for their child, but it is then quickly outgrown and difficult to exercise and near impossible to compete on. 14 - 15hh is also a good height to manage and pretty much one of the easiest to find equipment, both new and second hand, for. 

If the horse has experience, a bit of training then I don't think you need a particular breed at all. There is nothing wrong with "mix-breeds" in the horse world, although they are likely to cost less and be worth less in the long run. I was told the cheapest part of the horse is buying it, and its true. Listen to your trainer, be patient and listen to advice. 

Good luck!


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## miamoo101 (Sep 26, 2011)

Wow! Thanks so much that has given me heaps of info Thanks


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## RunJumpRide (Sep 29, 2011)

If you're looking for a breed/height suggestion? I think large ponies/small horses (like POAs, Quarter Ponies, the taller Welshes, etc.) 14hh is a great height . 
I'm 14 and I got my POA/QH cross gelding who's 14.1hh when I was about 12 years old. Height-wise, he's perfect and I still fit on him very nicely. Granted - he was 6 years old and still a pretty green barrel pony when we bought him (I don't really reccomend that)... 
If I were you, I'd look for a good pony who's pretty kid-friendly, (Probably 8+ years old...) in the 14hh range. :lol:


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## hennisntacanibal (Oct 5, 2011)

I still have yet to get my own horse and I'm 23 and have been riding 15 years! I did shareboard though and that was a great experience. As a trainer, I have somewhat of a unique perspective on this subject. Too often I see people who buy horses for their kids, and then a few years later, after the child loses interest, end up paying hundreds of dollars a month on what's basically become a pasture pony. The other issue I see is that they will find "deals" on "great horses" who turn out to be lame or green or have so many behavioral issues that the child is scared to ride. So my honest opinion would be to shareboard or lease a steady, older lesson horse that's been there, done that and will teach her many things. Then if she sticks with it buy her a horse of her own in a few years.
Another interesting point to bring up is that because I didn't have my own horse, I rode a bunch of other people's horses, and that variety has actually made me a better rider than if I had only been riding one horse.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

I am in massive agreement with Saskia! Wonderful post! :clap:

Buying horses is all about knowing your limits and priorities and sticking to them like glue. Sit down with your daughter and her instructor, and make a list of traits that you absolutely must have, don't mind one way or the other, and cannot have in your daughter's horse. For example, you might say something like "The horse must be solid at all three gaits and stand for the farrier, a bay would be nice but that doesn't really matter, and we really do not want a horse that cannot stand tied." Take your list with you when you go look at horses, and objectively compare the prospect to the ideal. Between the three of you you should be able to come up with a good and realistic list. When you know exactly what you are looking for, do not compromise or settle. "THE" horse is out there!! 

I also highly recommend a vet check before purchasing, particularly if you're going to be shopping in the higher price brackets. It isn't fun to spend several thousand dollars on a horse, and six months down the road discover that he's not sound enough to be ridden, and needs many more thousands in vet bills and maintenance. The fee that your local equine vet will charge for an exam is a pittance compared to the costs associated with chronic health/soundness issues. 

Along with that, it's wise to look at a horse at least twice before buying. Make an appointment the first time, but the second time just stop by. Oftentimes that will head off any opportunity for a dishonest seller to misrepresent the horse. 

One more thing to consider is leasing a horse for a few months. That will let you and your daughter ease into the realities and responsibilities of horse ownership without all of the risk associated with a full purchase. If a lease goes well, then take the next step up to a purchase.

Good luck, and happy horse-shopping!


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