Hello Marcia, I live on a large ranch and it is a dream of mine to explore the many trails and beach with a trusted friend. We have never owned horses so we have much to learn, I am sure. We have ridden some very ornery horses as well as highly responsive horses. Some with a horrible jarring canter and trotters that were as smooth as butter. We have experienced enough to make us a little afraid and very respectful. I have been talking about doing this for two years, so now I think it is time to finally move forward and jump in. Can you help me find the right horse?

Marcia's Answer:

This sounds like quite a project. You have experienced exactly what I would expect and that is a big difference with horses. They are an interesting animal to work with because they are a prey animal and so they have a lot of natural instincts, as well as having a variety of different temperaments and personalities. There are also many different breeds which is similar to people that have builds that make them good for a variety of different sports. Body builders vs distance runners for instance. They also come as varied as dog breeds that fall into different categories of what they do. Dogs come as working dogs, sport dogs etc. Horses do too.

When you go to look for a horse, you'll want a breed that matches what you want to do and how you want them to feel under you. A gaited horse with a smooth gait vs a regular trot. Once you determine the breed you want then you need to focus on the temperament. Since horses by instinct are a herd animal they are designed with a variety of temperaments so that they can have harmony in a herd. If they were all alpha temperaments there would never be peace. They would always be fighting to be the leader. This is just not the case with horses. Some are born with the desire to be a follower, and they will even fight to be a follower.They come in all levels of leadership or following desires. People come in these colors and shapes too and so it is important to match your temperament with the horses you pick.

The next part is what they have been exposed to and if they have troubled pasts that cause them to have a lot of dirty laundry to be cleaned up. This can be very tricky for sure. I specialize in this and know how much it takes to rehabilitate those that have lost their trust in humans or have reasons to be afraid of humans.

Basically to have horses that will give you what you want will take some hunting once you know what you are going to hunt for.

Another consideration is the herd animal part. By nature they get bonded with one another, and then it's hard to take one at a time out and leave the others behind. Then you have the male/female choices with positives about each one. As a herd animal it is always tricky for people to finesse their horse's ability to be taken out one at a time. They get bonded and they want to be together, and that is only natural.

I don't want to discourage you, but it is not a normal thing to locate horses that can do it all. And what I mean by do it all is that they are not just good in one area. A show horse for instance is used to an arena setting and trailering around from place to place but put him on a trail and that same horse could have a heart attack and vice versa. So a horse that is good in one thing is not necessarily good in another thing.

I have horses that are all ok to be taken out individually or together. I can take my horses on a busy street, in a parade, on a trail ride, in an arena, in a trailer.  But that did not come naturally, it has come with years of training and work and practical experience. I have also had to convince them to let go of many of their natural survival instincts in order to have them be completely convinced that they are safe and sound and that being with me is just as good as being with their horsey friends. This takes a lot of time and effort to do. It is not a mistake that mine are this good.

The different breeds have typical temperaments which is similar to picking a dog. I can help you in sorting out the type of breed that is best for what you want. I suspect that an old style quarter horse would be best. They used to be bred to be quiet and laid back in order to not upset the cattle they were to work and move. If they were uptight and nervous, it would have a direct impact on the value of the cattle they were working.

Nowadays they have quarter horse breeds that have been mixed with thoroughbred blood and that has heated them up. They do it to get a more athletic horse for different sports that require different muscling etc. So the older style qtr horse would be the quieter ones.

Once you read this and you've thought it through and have answered the questions, let's get together and massage it some more.

Where do I want to ride?
What size horse do I want?
What temperament do I want?
What speeds do I want to go?
Where will my horse live?
How much time can I give to a horse?
What is my budget for this project; horses, lessons, time?

There are more questions too but that is all I can think of right this moment.

I think we should get together and meet. I'd like to simplify your want list and get an idea of your own temperament and desires so I can narrow it down in my mind and then go from there.

I look forward to meeting with you.

Marcia Nelson
Santa Ynez, CA
www.horsemanshangout.com
www.pacifichoofcare.org
(805) 448-5724