Resource commitment for one well trained horse:

Time: About 2000 hours over 2-3 years

Money: About $150 per month, not including boarding or extra training fees

Hay = $1.50 per day (when hay is $4.50 per bale)

Tack/equipment = $2500 startup, about $25 to maintain or replace worn
equipment

Feed supplements: $1.50 per day (nutritional and wormer)

Veterinarian & farrier fees: $25-40 per month

Continuing Education for the humans: $100 - 200 per year

Expectations - Know what you expect to get from your horse, and what you are willing to give to your horse. Horse ownership is a two-way street. Most horses will bond with only one person (usually the trainer). Your horse will listen to the human with which he or she has established a common communication link. Understand what your horse's conformational limitations may be. Quarter horses and Belgians are both horses, genetically. While they could each do the other's tasks for a limited time, I doubt if a Belgian would make a very good cutting horse.

When looking for a horse to purchase, make sure you are temperamentally compatible, and have the same goals in mind. Color should be your last choice when purchasing a horse. Disposition, soundness of mind and body, conformation and character should be your paramount reasons for buying a horse. Please don't forget to have a vet examine your horse before you buy it. A reliable horse seller will tell you if you and their horse are a good match. Steer away from a seller who won't ride his/her own horse for you. Make sure the horse is not caught and tied. Find out for yourself how easy it is to catch the horse to halter him. Horses who are well treated willingly come to people. Abused horses avoid people. Their experiences have conditioned them to dislike human contact.

Riders need to be in very good physical condition in order to effectively ride their horse(s). Stretching exercises are particularly good for riders. "Medicine Ball" exercises are also very good for riders. Most of us spend all week sitting at a desk, or doing other things besides riding. We are not conditioned for the weekend riding we do. Our horses sit idle most of their day, and become accustomed to doing what pleases them "eating and sleeping". We should not expect our horses to perform at a high level of riding when we don't expend the time and energy to keep ourselves and them in the best riding condition, both physically and phychologically speaking. Top level riders devote many hours of their lives to working with their horses. We should not expect any more from our horses than the amount of our resources (time and energy) we are willing to give to them.

Horses are social animals and love companionship and attention. They don't like to be alone, ignored or feel like they have no purpose in life - they will eat the barn for stimulation.

Appreciate that horses are prey animals. They are quite a ways down in the food chain and would rather run than fight when confronted with something they perceive as a potential threat to their well-being. Blowing plastic and flapping tarps, loud noises, motorcycles and people who walk up behind them unannounced are likely to trigger the "flee" mechanism in a horse. With time, persistence and gentle persuasion, they can be desensitized to many things that would cause them to run away.

Be aware that feeding time is a private thing for horses, they enjoy and savor every bite of their food and don't appreciate interruptions from their meals any more than we enjoy a sales call during supper. It is essential, though, that they realize that we can remove their food without any threat from them if necessary (you spot a half-flake of moldy hay and need to remove it from their lunch). This is part of their training, and must be done to protect them.

Understanding versus intellectual assent - horses are very special animals. It is important to know their spirit (in the spiritual sense) and their intelligence from their perspective (in their world). Horses are big, gentle giants, but they are animals, and it should never be taken for granted that they will not hurt you! They are capable of biting, kicking, knocking you down and trampling you.

Realize that a horse is not a fur-covered motorcycle, and does not relish running at full throttle, jumping over obstacles, or weaving at breakneck speed around big cans. In the wild, horses only run to get away from predators and they never purposely venture into harm's way so that they have a "reason to run". Competition in the horse world is to perpetuate the best of the species, not for prizes and ribbons.

Constantly review your perceptions about what motivates horses and what doesn't and learn how to recognize that difference in trainers' techniques.

Appliances (tie downs, hobbles, severe bits, etc.) do not replace patience and repetition tempered with a firm approach when teaching your horse new tasks.

Safety of horse and rider should be considered above any desired effect you may choose for your horse, such as head set. People do the darndest things to horses when competing for prizes and ribbons or when they "break" horses for a living and need to take shortcuts to make the work they need to do fit into the available time. I would personally avoid a horse with "60-90 days of professional training". That's just not enough time to get it done right. I've got news for you.... they aren't riding that horse 24 hours a day. Maybe one hour per day. That's only 90 hours folks.

Bonding, i.e., the amount of trust, loyalty and respect you have with your horse is equal to your willingness to spend time with your horse, taking them through "scary stuff" and the mundane. Horses are fun to "hang out with". They provide hour's worth of entertainment and funny stories to talk to other horse lovers about.

Maturity versus age of rider - kids and horses - constant close supervision is required so that neither horse nor child is hurt. A course in ground manners is just as prudent and judicious for children as it is for the horse. Children have a tendency to think that they are indestructible and invincible. A couple of months in a body cast are not a good substitute for a sound course in safety and jurisprudence. Adults are not exempt from educating themselves.

Maturity versus age of the horse - requires good training techniques that work with the horse's self confidence level. Not to be confused with how much your horse has been "exposed" to.

Honesty versus ego - do you really know what your horsemanship ability is? Are you willing to listen to those who would advise you, no matter how many years you've worked with horses? Do you recognize good advice when you hear it? Who are your "experts"? Do other "experts" listen to them?

Routine Care is tantamount to having a happy, healthy horse. Regular vet care for general physical condition, vaccinations and teeth floating are extremely important for your horse's well being. To keep them in good general health, physically and emotionally, horses need good hay, a balanced diet, a block of salt, clean water, exercise and regular grooming attention. Their pens need to be immaculately clean to prevent hoof disease. Horses do not like to stand in manure and urine - it rots their feet. They need their feet trimmed on a regular basis. Shoes are generally not required for light riding, but owners should make their own intelligent decision about their horse's feet. Neglect is never an option forhorse hoof care.

Manure attracts flies, which opens up the door for a multitude of diseases. It should be removed as far from the horses as possible. A good manure management program is tantamount to keeping your horses as healthy as possible.

Watch your horses for changes in personality and health. Know your horse! They have signs to tell you when they hurt and when they are really happy and feeling good.

Most horses "learn" after three attempts are made to try to teach a task. If it is clear that the horse does not understand the command, don't change your technique. That will confuse the horse. Temper your efforts with common sense or just stop and do something else that you know that horse enjoys and can do. Don't focus on the task so intently that it outweighs safety and purpose. There will be a tomorrow. The amount of time you work with your horse is not as important as having your horse understand what is expected of him/her. If it's muddy and you really can't do much that requires movement on your horse's part, work on "standing still". Grooming your horse is training, and rewards your horse by providing company and a good cleaning. They do appreciate it when you scratch them in their "itchy" spots.

Safety is the #1 priority for horse and rider. Don't ride where you think you can't, and never try to "force" a horse to do what you want it to do. You will never win in a contest of strength with a 1,000 pound frightened horse. Riding near roads and highways is only for experienced riders on bombproof horses.

You can do anything from the ground that you can do in the saddle. Learn proper techniques for lungeing, leading and tying from an experienced guide.

Don't tie your horse unless it is absolutely necessary. If you think it is fun to stand tied to a post, try it for about 15 minutes to an hour. It's no more fun for your horse. Flies love people who tie up their horses. This does not mean you don't teach your horse to tie. That is part of ground manners and is tantamount to your horse's safety, in some instances. You may need to tie him for the vet or farrier and it is essential that he stand quietly for grooming and/or trailering. It breaks my heart to see horses tied for hours and hours, waiting for their turn to be run at breakneck speed for about 5-10 minutes, then, retied for more long hours. People will tell you they tie up their horses for hours to "teach them patience". If I was being chewed on by about 5 million flies and gnats, I would be far from patient. I'd probably knock the bumpers off your horse trailer, just like some horses would do in that circumstance.

Know when it is time to quit, and always try to quit after completing a task your horse knows and likes to do.

Treats should be given to your horse with discretion. It is best to not mix feeding with work time.

Don't work with your horse without tack (halter, at least) on them.

Use a lunge line on your horse to lunge them - free lungeing should only be done occasionally with a seasoned horse, and rarely on a "green horse". Lines help your horse to focus on the task assigned, and give you more control of the horse. A line, along with your body language and voice commands will aid your horse and give them assurance that you are "catching them doing something right".

Task orientation should be prescribed (thought through) and related. (Leading techniques require different stances and body posture than driving require).

Standing or ground tying are taught as you groom your horse. This makes the first saddling event fairly uneventful for the horse. Also aids when trimming or shoeing the horse.

Praise for doing stuff right is your horse's best reward. They love to hear that they are "pretty, smart, strong and a good girl or boy". I talk to my horses all the time and they "talk" to me too. It is a wonderful feeling when you have that level of communication with your horse. Who cares what we are saying? What's important is that we are communicating with them. My horses know the difference between my normal voice and when I'm angry. I sometimes shout at my horses, and they hate to be yelled at. They will hang their heads in defference to my outburst.

Take your horse for a walk around your place. Don't always expect them to carry you everywhere you go. They appreciate the break and it has a wonderful bonding effect. Whenever you take him/her to a new place, it is especially kind of you to walk with them around the facility. Always remember, they are herd animals, and appreciate company when there is something new to be experienced.

4. Riding - Establish your own technique or learn from a professional trainer. It should be fairly easy after steps 1-3 are followed for a year to eighteen months. Try to avoid trainers who are more willing to make a champion out of you and your horse for their own self-aggrandizement.

Trainers will sometimes give you a price break if they don't have to "retrain" a horse that has developed bad habits (like going through the bit, also known as not stopping) or biting someone who is trying to put on a saddle. Ground manners are appreciated by vets and farriers, who are working with your horse for health matters, they are not trainers.