10 Things You Wish You’d Known Before Buying a Horse…

Granted it may be best NOT to know these things before buying your new horse but at The Horse Diva we like to keep things real so here we are, about to share our “wisdom” with you! Read on if don’t think it will put you off…

1. First up no one ever really tells you how much they cost and that’s because you really won’t want to know! Neither will your husband/ wife/ partner/ family. Once you have a horse you wont ever sit down to add it up because you know it will be far too scary. Expect your horse’s feed bill to be more than your own grocery shop, and their wardrobe will be updated more regularly than your own. Plus they’ll be treated to a new pair of shoes every other month when you cant remember the last time you replaced your trainers!
2. Never wear a fleece in the hay barn, or when your horse is moulting, or in fact any time unless it is underneath a jacket for warmth. Everything sticks to a fleece and no amount of washing or brushing will get rid of the hay, hair or dirt. Make this mistake and the fleece will basically become useless as it will be too itchy to ever wear again.
3. You’ll forever be obsessed with the weather forecast. Expect to have at least 3 weather apps on your phone and check it twice a day (minimum!). Subsequently the first daily conversation you will have with your yard mates will be “What rug at you putting on? What does your weather forecast say?”.
4. It’s 90% chores, 10% riding. No seriously. Some weeks you’ll be at the yard hours and wont have even got your foot in the stirrup.
5. Bailing twine will become your new best friend. Is there anything that stuff doesn’t fix? Fencing, rugs, headcollars, haynets. It really does save the day on numerous occasions.
6. No matter how many rugs you own, they’ll always be a day when you don’t have a suitable rug for the weather! Beware this obsession will take over your life, and unless you have a Shetland pony, these rugs aren’t small to store.
7. Unless you’re very lucky you’ll need a First Class Degree in electric fencing. Horses have a habit of finding an escape route out… Let’s face it the grass is always greener.
8. You’ll soon think nothing of your horse farting in your face. In fact you wont even flinch when it happens. There are no boundaries with horses!
9. Your hygiene will become questionable on occasions… Eating a sandwich or breakfast at the yard straight after you’ve been grooming your horse or worst still mucking out. Did you really wash your hands before you started cooking the dinner? Remember your yard gloves and some hand wash to help solve this issue!
10. Sitting down for breakfast and/ or a cuppa when you get up is a thing of the past. Invest in a series of travel mugs for a hot drink on the go and breakfast bars will become your new best friend.

Not phased by the above? Then that’s it, you’re ready to become a horse owner! We knew we wouldn’t put you off really…