Post by: WSU on March 28, 2012, 11:10:54 AM
The horse will be used for riding in wilderness areas and eventually for extended trips into the wilderness.
Post by: JLS on March 28, 2012, 11:24:23 AM
Don't buy anything that is listed as "spirited", "needs a firm hand", "needs experienced rider". These are code words for PITA.
Look at disposition first, conformation second, all else (color included )last. Size does not matter. The best pack horse I ever owned was only a little over 14 hands tall, and had crappy withers (round back), but I would take him in a heart beat any day to pack out a tough load. Likewise, my best riding horse was only 15 hands but was tougher than nails. However, he was not for the inexperienced rider. I could handle him, a rookie couldn't. His quirks were worth it to me, but would not have been for someone new.
Look at lots of horses, and always ride them. Catch them yourself if you can, because some have a nasty habit of playing keep away. Ride the horse away from the barn/pen. Is he barn sour and always trying to go back? If so, keep looking. Does he whinny constantly when he's by himself? Keep looking.
You'd probably want something in the 8-10 year old range, lots of life left but old enough to have been past some of the dumb phases that young horses go through and have some experience.
Good luck.
Post by: 6x6in6 on March 28, 2012, 02:08:30 PM
I would not generally rule out an Arabian. Sure, many of the Arab breed have been watered down to be hot wing-nuts. Of our 5 horses, 3 are Arabs and 1 is a 1/2 Arab and half quarter. All are related in some fashion, brother/sister, 1/2 brother and 1/2 sister, etc. All are extremely level headed and are excellent on the trail.
Many breeds have suffered from the same bad blood breeding. Quarter's, Paints, Morgans, Appy's.
If I were you, one of the first things I would do is a interview process per se and find a Veterinarian that you feel extremely comfortable with and is very knowledgeable on the horse side.
2nd would be find a trainer who would be willing to work you, the horse-less owner, on training you on what makes a horse go around. Understanding the basics - their eyes, their ears, their overall posture, the "signals" that the horse sends you so you can understand their language and communicate back to the horse. All of this needs to be accomplished first on the ground and secondarily under saddle. The use of your eyes, the position of your your torso, the tilt of your head, the pointing of your hand are all examples of you communicating to your horse and what you want him/her to do. You stair at his butt and point your belly button at his butt, the well trained horse should yield to that pressure and step away, as just one example. You develop an understanding on how a horse communicates to you and visa/versa you will then have a better understanding of what JLS and I have said on which horses to stay away from.
100% agree on the ride them, catch them, barn sour, whinny part. These can be overcome with relative ease, but why.
A horse that is underweight tend to be a bit more "lethargic". I would steer clear of an underweight horse since sometimes when they get the more groceries in them you tend to find out they have a little more spunk in them. Could be a whole different horse than that follow you around mellow puppy dog you once bought.
Whatever horses you decide on, get him/her thoroughly vet checked by your vet. Just like humans, a lot of things have transpired in life but the horse can't speak to their doctor. Legs - Tendon issues, cannon bone rotation, joint issues. Heart rate and lung issues. Nervous system issues like ataxia - unsure of where to place their rear feet typically attributed to some form of neck trauma and spinal cord pressure. All of these are things that a good vet could see in an exam and through horse movement observation yet you may not notice at all. If the seller says the vet check has been done, do it anyways. They so no, you leave.
Obviously, a properly fitted saddle is #1. Your horse gets soar, it's a long walk for the both of you. I can't remember which member it is on here, but he is a custom saddle maker and I believe he's in Nine Mile Falls NW of Spokane. Maybe he'll chime in here and help you out with proper saddle fitting.
Again, like JLS, my #1 trail horse is not for the inexperienced either. We have our moments together. I have to remind him that who's on charge once in awhile then all is great. Of all things, he's an off track Standardbred. Didn't know much when I got him. Never been on a trail and had no clue about anything other than yarding a cart, getting whipped and will I be first to the finish line. He was 6 when I took him in and he's now 16. Took a good year but the last 8-9 years he's the best trail horse I've ever had and possibly the best I will ever have.
Post by: jackmaster on March 28, 2012, 02:12:08 PM
Post by: 6x6in6 on March 28, 2012, 02:13:15 PM
buy a couple burrows, atleast it isnt a far fall to the ground :chuckle:Yer an ass. :chuckle:
Post by: JLS on March 28, 2012, 02:42:10 PM
That said, the pack horse I referred to above came from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and I paid $300 for him.
Post by: 6x6in6 on March 28, 2012, 02:53:06 PM
Post by: WSU on March 28, 2012, 02:56:22 PM
Post by: JLS on March 28, 2012, 03:03:34 PM
At least he looks like a QH and not the tell-tale Arab look, thank goodness. :chuckle:
Life is too short to ride an ugly horse :tup:
WSU,
I haven't paid much attention to the horse market as of late, but I think in the 15-1800 dollar range should get you a pretty good horse. A good used saddle should run in the 5-600 dollar range
Post by: jackmaster on March 28, 2012, 03:11:52 PM
:chuckle: :chuckle:buy a couple burrows, atleast it isnt a far fall to the ground :chuckle:Yer an ass. :chuckle:
Post by: docsven on March 28, 2012, 03:13:08 PM
Post by: Machias on March 28, 2012, 03:42:54 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on March 28, 2012, 03:45:08 PM
Post by: KopperBuck on March 28, 2012, 03:48:55 PM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on March 28, 2012, 04:15:06 PM
Post by: KopperBuck on March 28, 2012, 04:21:24 PM
if you show up to look at a horse and it's sweaty...leave. Ask for a trial period. We have done that when selling a horse, or go for a good trail ride with the owner. Go off the farm to a new area to see how it does.
:yeah: If they know what they're doing they'll lope them down and give em a chance to cool out, but a trial period is a great route to go. Really get to see the whole personality and all their quirks.
Post by: Echomules on March 28, 2012, 04:32:45 PM
I have a buddy that grew up riding but hadn't been doing much recent (he would not admit that). Went to look at a horse (by himself), no issues apparent, climbed up for a test ride in a round pen, ok for a minute or two before the critter went wacko and he ended up in a helicopter flying to Harborview Hospital. Through my local BCHW chapter we found out that the person selling the horse knew all about this trait. Buyer beware.
You are admitting to asking for help so you are starting off right from the beginning. :tup:
Post by: TheHunt on March 28, 2012, 04:58:13 PM
Post by: Machias on March 28, 2012, 05:02:18 PM
Post by: Mark Brenckle on March 28, 2012, 05:36:09 PM
If you can, lease the horse for a month! This saved us from buying a total train wreck of a horse. We had to pay to board it, and ended up paying for an emergency vet bill and some staples in its head... I consider that money a great investment. (Turns out the horse started out as a 'show stallion', so scaring the crap out of it while it was tied up to make the nostrils flare and get a good sheen on its coat meant that it was forever scared of being tied up! huh! Who would've thought!)
Post by: steen on March 30, 2012, 05:23:20 PM
Good luck! If you lived nearby I'd take you for some rides on an Arab.
We've even done fox hunting!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi757.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx215%2Fsteen_photos%2FIMGP2995.jpg&hash=8fe1673d4e3eb35c75bbcdc16dd542cce58c3472)
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on April 03, 2012, 11:56:23 AM
We have a coming 10 year old quarter horse mare and a coming 6 year old gelding. Depending on what you're
looking for you should be able to find what you want for around $1500 - $1800. We spent a little more because of training and pedigree. But you don't need to have registered horse to have good horses, It's just something we wanted. Remember though....there are 3 ways to get a well trained horse. 1) Buy it trained, 2) Pay someone to train it, or 3) train it yourself.
We have had our horses going on 3 years and we couldn't be happier. We found lots of prospects (hundreds) and we looked at dozens of horses ( maybe 20) before finding what we wanted. I was amazed at what some people will try to do to sell you their horses. Watch out. There are some great folks out there and I feel fortunate to have found our horses from such reputable people. We have actually became pretty good friends and stay in touch and meet in the summer for some rides.
If you can, I would strongly recommend a trial period. At least two weeks and more if you can get it. But with a trial period, if anything happens to the horse, you'd be responsible.
In the meantime, learn all you can about horsemanhip. I thought I knew a lot about horses and riding becaues of my experiences growing up. There is a lot to understand with horsemanship. And to be honest, one of my greatest enjoyments about owning horses is learning how to ride them and train them. And you do have to spend the time. At least that's what I think. It really is a way of life and a life style.
If your horses are put out into a pasture for 6 or 8 months at a time and you think you can catch them and ride them for one day and have them behave, well I think you may be in for a disappointment. Also, most horse will have some issues from time to time and having the knowledge and confidence in knowing how to correct those issues are what is all about. Of course some issues are bigger than others.
Our horses come running when they see us. We handle them everyday. They are easy to catch, easy to saddle (although my gelding developed a bit of an issue saddling last fall. I think I have that corrected now) Our horses load and unload easily, good travelers, good with the farrier and vet. Easy keepers, and healthy. We spend a lot of time with them and we had a pretty good set up with our facilities before we got serious about horse shopping and bringing anything home.
I think we got some amazing horses for what we paid mostly because of the economy, and what the horse market was doing. Ours are registered quarter horses and the only thing I take issue with is the damn rain here on the West side!! My wife and I take weekend trips with our horses and in the summer we go for extended trips like 7 -8 days.
Horse Trailers: We have two horses but we bought a 3 horse slant on the advice of our neighbor who has had horses for years and owns a covered arena. A decision I am glad we made!
It's a journey but well worth the time, effort, and expense.....In my humble opinion of course! Good luck.
Post by: PolarBear on April 03, 2012, 12:10:35 PM
Post by: Mulieman on April 03, 2012, 12:41:28 PM
Post by: stillhunter on April 03, 2012, 02:11:53 PM
Post by: halflife65 on April 03, 2012, 03:13:44 PM
I married a woman that had horses all of her life. Expensive pains in the ass that I feed and she rides. Hell, I can't even get her to come and get me with after I kill something. Way cheaper just to get a drop camp every year, if that's a concern.
I have 3 of the damn things now...I have a fancy 1 ton diesel that I rarely drive and a horse trailer that I rarely use and am always fixing fences, doctoring horses, buying hay, building outbuildings to house horses and store hay...paying for shoeing, paying for worming, paying for shots, paying for whatever is wrong with them that involves having them stay in a stall for a few weeks until they are better. "It's a stone bruise, it got kicked, it's an abscess, it's something that requires some weird hippy to come over and crack their back."
Oh, and if you're really lucky, your wife will barrel race and you'll get to buy a bunch of cowboy hats and sparkly belts. We have 5 saddles, none of them cheap POS's either, and only one of them belongs to me. For some reason she needs 4 saddles...along with an infinity of the following: bridles, bits, splint boots, bell boots, tie downs, cinches, pads, blankets and halters. Then you'll need to get a lunge whip and rope, unless you decide to build a round pen, which I've also done.
Have a blast - your marriage will either explode or will be the stronger for it.
Post by: KopperBuck on April 03, 2012, 03:29:36 PM
FOOL! DON'T DO IT!!!!!
I married a woman that had horses all of her life. Expensive pains in the ass that I feed and she rides. Hell, I can't even get her to come and get me with after I kill something. Way cheaper just to get a drop camp every year, if that's a concern.
I have 3 of the damn things now...I have a fancy 1 ton diesel that I rarely drive and a horse trailer that I rarely use and am always fixing fences, doctoring horses, buying hay, building outbuildings to house horses and store hay...paying for shoeing, paying for worming, paying for shots, paying for whatever is wrong with them that involves having them stay in a stall for a few weeks until they are better. "It's a stone bruise, it got kicked, it's an abscess, it's something that requires some weird hippy to come over and crack their back."
Oh, and if you're really lucky, your wife will barrel race and you'll get to buy a bunch of cowboy hats and sparkly belts. We have 5 saddles, none of them cheap POS's either, and only one of them belongs to me. For some reason she needs 4 saddles...along with an infinity of the following: bridles, bits, splint boots, bell boots, tie downs, cinches, pads, blankets and halters. Then you'll need to get a lunge whip and rope, unless you decide to build a round pen, which I've also done.
Have a blast - your marriage will either explode or will be the stronger for it.
:lol4: :beatdeadhorse:
No truer words spoke my friend.
Post by: 6x6in6 on April 03, 2012, 03:33:10 PM
Post by: TheHunt on April 03, 2012, 03:36:23 PM
FOOL! DON'T DO IT!!!!!
I married a woman that had horses all of her life. Expensive pains in the ass that I feed and she rides. Hell, I can't even get her to come and get me with after I kill something. Way cheaper just to get a drop camp every year, if that's a concern.
I have 3 of the damn things now...I have a fancy 1 ton diesel that I rarely drive and a horse trailer that I rarely use and am always fixing fences, doctoring horses, buying hay, building outbuildings to house horses and store hay...paying for shoeing, paying for worming, paying for shots, paying for whatever is wrong with them that involves having them stay in a stall for a few weeks until they are better. "It's a stone bruise, it got kicked, it's an abscess, it's something that requires some weird hippy to come over and crack their back."
Oh, and if you're really lucky, your wife will barrel race and you'll get to buy a bunch of cowboy hats and sparkly belts. We have 5 saddles, none of them cheap POS's either, and only one of them belongs to me. For some reason she needs 4 saddles...along with an infinity of the following: bridles, bits, splint boots, bell boots, tie downs, cinches, pads, blankets and halters. Then you'll need to get a lunge whip and rope, unless you decide to build a round pen, which I've also done.
Have a blast - your marriage will either explode or will be the stronger for it.
Now that is an honest post... Made me laugh my ass off but very honest. It is also called a Been There Done That...
Post by: fillthefreezer on April 03, 2012, 03:43:38 PM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on April 03, 2012, 04:03:23 PM
Yeah...it's kinda like that. If you have them you better use them. They make expensive lawn ornaments.FOOL! DON'T DO IT!!!!!
I married a woman that had horses all of her life. Expensive pains in the ass that I feed and she rides. Hell, I can't even get her to come and get me with after I kill something. Way cheaper just to get a drop camp every year, if that's a concern.
I have 3 of the damn things now...I have a fancy 1 ton diesel that I rarely drive and a horse trailer that I rarely use and am always fixing fences, doctoring horses, buying hay, building outbuildings to house horses and store hay...paying for shoeing, paying for worming, paying for shots, paying for whatever is wrong with them that involves having them stay in a stall for a few weeks until they are better. "It's a stone bruise, it got kicked, it's an abscess, it's something that requires some weird hippy to come over and crack their back."
Oh, and if you're really lucky, your wife will barrel race and you'll get to buy a bunch of cowboy hats and sparkly belts. We have 5 saddles, none of them cheap POS's either, and only one of them belongs to me. For some reason she needs 4 saddles...along with an infinity of the following: bridles, bits, splint boots, bell boots, tie downs, cinches, pads, blankets and halters. Then you'll need to get a lunge whip and rope, unless you decide to build a round pen, which I've also done.
Have a blast - your marriage will either explode or will be the stronger for it.
Now that is an honest post... Made me laugh my ass off but very honest. It is also called a Been There Done That...
Post by: WSU on April 03, 2012, 04:10:47 PM
About how much per month does it cost per horse?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on April 03, 2012, 04:20:26 PM
Post by: stillhunter on April 03, 2012, 04:20:46 PM
$15.00+ per 50 lbs, vet bills worming, shots, teeth and then anything and everything that happens to them $$$ shoeing $100 each. This is by no means a complete list, horses are just like any other hobby stinkin' expensive. They are great companions and can bring lots of enjoyment but if ya aint gonna use it don't buy it. They are expensive pasture ornaments.
Post by: bigpaw 77 on April 03, 2012, 05:05:10 PM
Post by: Machias on April 03, 2012, 06:38:22 PM
Post by: KopperBuck on April 03, 2012, 06:44:37 PM
Depending on the shoer as well, but 100 can be a little pricey. I know of a guy that's doing trims for over 100, well over. Some holistic hippy crap. For putting shoes on I think I'm paying closer to 60. For just a trim it's closer to 25-30. Start asking around. And be picky with your shoer, they are not all the same, trust me.
I think there's more supplemental junk out there for horses than humans. We started feeding senior to most all of ours, have an older horse on MSM, but that's about it. Some of that hippy sh!t ain't fooling me.
Ask around for a tooth fairy (floating teeth) so you can figure that into your expenses as well. We try to stay away from the vet because they charge so dang much - there are folks out there who do it well and considerably cheaper.
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on April 03, 2012, 07:00:40 PM
Hay is $125 a ton, I don't grain mine, I worm them every 8 weeks ($7 per horse), trims are $25 every 8 weeks. Everything posted above is correct, but give him the correct prices on hay and his monthly expenses. I give my own shots once a spring, about $50 a horse. Other then that you'll have to get your tack and trailer, but those are one time expenses.I agree- they don't have to be so expensive. Give your own shots, do your own vet work (within reason). Shoes are only when your riding a lot and grain is optional, depending on your hay quality and horse activity. They can be affordable...the bare minimum stuff won't break you- it's the extravagant things that make them add up...barn, fancy trailer, fancy saddle...
Post by: 6x6in6 on April 04, 2012, 11:07:22 AM
Hay is $125 a ton, I don't grain mine, I worm them every 8 weeks ($7 per horse), trims are $25 every 8 weeks. Everything posted above is correct, but give him the correct prices on hay and his monthly expenses. I give my own shots once a spring, about $50 a horse. Other then that you'll have to get your tack and trailer, but those are one time expenses.I'm in the similar costs and what I do on mine for my 5 horses, with a few differences.
I do grain and vitamin supplement mine because I feed local grass hay and mine rarely see open grazing due to the quantity of grazing I have. Maybe all told 20 total grazing days busted up into 3-4 hour stints. I prefer to control their diet.
I go through 20 ton of grass hay annually which is about $3,000.
5 bags of grain a month, Strategy Healthy Edge, for $100.
Vitamins, $140 tub lasts 3 months.
Sand Clear, $140 a tub and that lasts 4 months (once a month treatment).
2 trims and 3 sets of shoes every 8 weeks, $280.
Annual teeth float for the 5 and 3 sheath cleanings (I got to draw the line on what I will do somewhere :chuckle:) about $600.
I do fecal samples every other month to determine whether or not worming is necessary, $35. I do the fecals because it's a coin toss to do a worming program like Machias does vs. the potential for the horse to become immune to wormers when you may actually need them. Example, 4 just came back negative. 1 had a 7 count. So, all 5 got a dose of Zimmectrin this month for the first time in over a year, $75.
I use pellets for stall bedding instead of shavings. Less mess generation, composts better and is overall easier to pick stalls. A pallet of pellet's last 5 months at $280 a pallet.
So all that works out to be about $150 per horse, per month. In a perfect world of course........case in point, one of our geldings decided to be a pig and not drink so much the day before Thanksgiving 2011. $11,000 later his impacted and displaced colon was all better. That was a financially painful experience.....
Post by: Machias on April 04, 2012, 11:20:16 AM
........case in point, one of our geldings decided to be a pig and not drink so much the day before Thanksgiving 2011. $11,000 later his impacted and displaced colon was all better. That was a financially painful experience.....
OUCH!
Post by: 6x6in6 on April 04, 2012, 11:46:45 AM
Uh huh. I think I said a few other words as I was stewing over the decision of surgery or put him down.........case in point, one of our geldings decided to be a pig and not drink so much the day before Thanksgiving 2011. $11,000 later his impacted and displaced colon was all better. That was a financially painful experience.....
OUCH!
He goes out on his post surgery maiden voyage this coming weekend. Should be a non-event but it's going to give me a good feeling that I made the right call, unless we have a wreck of course. :chuckle:
Post by: Machias on April 04, 2012, 09:56:58 PM
Post by: KopperBuck on April 05, 2012, 08:19:57 AM
I hope you have a safe ride. You can whisper in his ear, it's a good thing you own him, because if that guy Machias owned you, you'd be looking at the inside of a dog food can. That should keep him in line! :)
LOL. I use the glue stick threat.
Post by: 6x6in6 on April 06, 2012, 02:21:26 PM
I seriously thought about a name change for him to Elmer or Super. :chuckle:
Post by: Caseyd on April 06, 2012, 02:25:15 PM
I hope you have a safe ride. You can whisper in his ear, it's a good thing you own him, because if that guy Machias owned you, you'd be looking at the inside of a dog food can. That should keep him in line! :)
Glad to see I wasnt the only one thinking the same thing :chuckle:
Post by: rock on April 08, 2012, 01:36:54 PM
Post by: Mark Brenckle on April 08, 2012, 08:27:24 PM
Vitamins, $140 tub lasts 3 months.
I do fecal samples every other month to determine whether or not worming is necessary, $35. I do the fecals because it's a coin toss to do a worming program like Machias does vs. the potential for the horse to become immune to wormers when you may actually need them.
Can I ask what you give for vitamins and what you use to do the samples?
Post by: KopperBuck on April 09, 2012, 08:30:41 AM
Make sure you check to make sure they aren't HYPP positive. It'll either be on their papers or you can get a test done at UC Davis (hair). Easiest way to tell is if they're Impressive bred.
Post by: KopperBuck on April 09, 2012, 08:31:46 AM
Post by: 6x6in6 on April 09, 2012, 08:53:34 AM
Here's the 30# version of the vitamins for $97. I can't seem to find the 50# they used to have for $139.
Vitamins, $140 tub lasts 3 months.
I do fecal samples every other month to determine whether or not worming is necessary, $35. I do the fecals because it's a coin toss to do a worming program like Machias does vs. the potential for the horse to become immune to wormers when you may actually need them.
Can I ask what you give for vitamins and what you use to do the samples?
We feed just 1oz of the recommended 2oz, seems to being working just fine for them.
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e07c1d-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&gas=accel
For the fecal samples, it's a sharpie with the horses name written on a little sandwich zip lock bag. Turn the bag inside out and grab 1 turd ball. Flip the bag back over and zip it shut and then we just run it out to the vet's office for testing. I guess "I do" was a bit misleading. :(
Post by: Happy Gilmore on April 16, 2012, 06:20:31 PM
Post by: Happy Gilmore on April 16, 2012, 10:45:47 PM
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Post by: Machias on April 17, 2012, 08:57:27 AM
Post by: Happy Gilmore on April 17, 2012, 12:12:09 PM
Post by: smalldog on May 06, 2012, 02:13:41 PM
Post by: oldcamper on June 24, 2012, 07:48:27 PM
Post by: sirmissalot on June 25, 2012, 03:38:03 PM
I have never had horses. A friend of mine decided he wanted a horse and picked up a free 5 year old Arab the other day. I can't imagine a free horse of that age is a good sign... but I know nothing about horses other than I prefer them to be my friends.
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on June 25, 2012, 04:30:55 PM
Post by: Machias on June 25, 2012, 04:31:55 PM
Post by: RG on June 25, 2012, 04:33:11 PM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on June 25, 2012, 04:34:47 PM
Post by: sirmissalot on June 25, 2012, 09:43:19 PM
That would be awesome if you could find those poems! I'd be sure to pass them on
Post by: aer212 on June 26, 2012, 09:37:37 AM
So... is a free horse a bad horse?
I have never had horses. A friend of mine decided he wanted a horse and picked up a free 5 year old Arab the other day. I can't imagine a free horse of that age is a good sign... but I know nothing about horses other than I prefer them to be my friends.
Not necessarily but there is usually a reason it is free. But an Arab on the other hand for a first horse? Good luck with that!
Post by: KopperBuck on June 26, 2012, 09:50:54 AM
Sure, some breeds will have tendencies, but again not always the case. We're definitely qtr horse folks, but I've been on arabs, appy's, and paints that were great. But there's a large group of people out there that would shy away from these because of reputation. I'm just saying it's not always the case. Always do your homework and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Case in pt - just recently my lady's very young niece (5yr) is now the proud rider of a 4 yr old slaughter truck appy. And she's absolutely great with that little girl.
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on June 26, 2012, 09:56:55 AM
Post by: KopperBuck on June 26, 2012, 10:03:10 AM
Agree about the foundation - we've got 3 that are King Fritz. Very versatile and for the most part have great minds.
Post by: Whitpirate on August 16, 2012, 05:03:57 PM
Quote
FOOL! DON'T DO IT!!!!!
I married a woman that had horses all of her life. Expensive pains in the ass that I feed and she rides. Hell, I can't even get her to come and get me with after I kill something. Way cheaper just to get a drop camp every year, if that's a concern.
I have 3 of the damn things now...I have a fancy 1 ton diesel that I rarely drive and a horse trailer that I rarely use and am always fixing fences, doctoring horses, buying hay, building outbuildings to house horses and store hay...paying for shoeing, paying for worming, paying for shots, paying for whatever is wrong with them that involves having them stay in a stall for a few weeks until they are better. "It's a stone bruise, it got kicked, it's an abscess, it's something that requires some weird hippy to come over and crack their back."
Oh, and if you're really lucky, your wife will barrel race and you'll get to buy a bunch of cowboy hats and sparkly belts. We have 5 saddles, none of them cheap POS's either, and only one of them belongs to me. For some reason she needs 4 saddles...along with an infinity of the following: bridles, bits, splint boots, bell boots, tie downs, cinches, pads, blankets and halters. Then you'll need to get a lunge whip and rope, unless you decide to build a round pen, which I've also done.
Have a blast - your marriage will either explode or will be the stronger for it.
So So True.
Buy a boat and a quad they are cheaper :P