F E AT U R E
So you think you’re ready to own a horse? A horse of our own! For many of us it’s a lifelong dream, but the reality is tough, writes JANE CAMENS, who came to horse ownership later in life. Jane Camens with her third horse, Beauty, enjoying a trail ride. Photo: Candida Baker.
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few months ago I offered to lease one of my horses to a young woman who was keen to
get back into horse-riding, but couldn’t go as far as buying one. She looked good on Harley, a quiet easy-going Quarter Horse, and he responded well to her aids. But after several days consideration, she decided she wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of caring for the horse. I take my hat off to her. Not everyone is so sensible. To be honest I was one of the many people who bought a horse before I was really ready. There are many of us out there who buy a pony or horse with no real
need to know, according to people with a load of experience with horses. The first thing you need to ask yourself, according to Victorian-based natural horsemanship practitioner and Equine Facilitated Learning coach Elaine Russell, is why you want a horse! “I know this will be unpopular, but a horse isn’t a toy. It’s a living being. It’s not like a Christmas gift that can be discarded, like a used Lego set,” she says. Her advice is to think carefully about what you want to do with the horse. Different breeds of horses are better suited to certain things. It’s horses for courses, as they say. At its most simple, if you want to do trail-riding probably a Warmblood isn’t going to be
idea about the time and financial commitment. There’s also a large emotional investment we sink into our horses, and a roller coaster of emotions we experience if the horse becomes ill or lame, or we need to sell it on because we’ve realised that it doesn’t quite suit ourselves or our discipline. It’s expensive to collect horses, and tough selling them, or even giving them away. My horse journey has had some very rough patches, not only for me but also for my beloved horses. So before you dash out and buy a four-legged best friend, here’s some advice on what you
Louise Te Oka with Charlotte.
your first choice of equine companion; likewise if you want to do dressage a Quarter Horse may not quite cut the mustard for you. (Although, that said, there are plenty of horses that break those rules but the best thing, however, is to stick to the tried and true in the beginning.)
FACT 1 Be informed or beware Every riding coach interviewed for this article sensibly recommended that before buying a horse you should spend time with people who know what they’re doing around horses. “If you want a horse, go and learn as much as you can about them and how to care for them,” says Louise Te Oka, coach at Belmont Park Equestrian Centre, in the Northern Rivers. “Hang around with people who have that life experience. Listen to them because that’s their game. I wouldn’t buy a truck without talking to people who know something about trucks, or enter a Thai kick-boxing fight without knowing how to fight. It’s the same with horses. Let people who know about horses help you buy the right horse. To own a horse you have to be committed to it 100 per cent. You have to be responsible for that animal. It’s part of your family and part of your life.” Louise tells people to put off buying a H O R S E V I B E S . C O M . AU | 63
