How do I know what breed of horse is right for me?

rdnekwomn73120: How do I know what breed of horse is right for me?
We are looking to buy land in the future and I will be purchasing two horses. I dont think I could handle breaking a horse. I have some experience but not years and years. I only want them for pleasure horses, no working. I would also like them to be sociable with other horses. Any suggestions?

Answers and Views:

Answer by ice queen
Its hard to give an exact breed i have thoroughbreds and they are supposed to be hot headed but mine are laid back while my new forest pony who is supposed to be a laid back breed is fiery,there are so many breeds out there,cobs Irish draught morgans arabs cross breeds warm bloods.
i personally would do my research and try a few different breeds as the breed its self does not always live up to the name its given

Answer by LISA B
I’ve owned and worked with thoroughbreds, they were all pretty laid back both mares and geldings, i think it’s a bit of a sterotype to say they are mental. i would want another one.

All horses have different personalities. To be honest if i was looking for another horse i would look at the environment i have for them, ie would they need to live out all year, will the fields get all muddy therefore one with feathers or not, do we have extremes in temps where a fine breed wouldnt necessarily cope.

Other than that i would say meet as many potential horses as possible as it’s down to the individual horses temperment.

Answer by Lusitano
Since this is you first horse, so many breeds and types of horses can be enjoyed just to have fun! I wouldn’t worry about breeds at this point, except where they apply to your finances and level of riding. i.e., you likely wouldn’t want to start with an off the track TB or a $ 20,000 proven reining horse! A rescued horse or TB that needs a new life might seem very tempting in love and price, but is a bit much to handle in care, rehab, and training for most first time horse owners.

If you can at least narrow down your style of riding To English type, or western types, this cold be a start. However, if you just want a horse to enjoy on the trails, a saddle is just a piece of equipment. Maybe an English horse might not know neck reining, or visa versa, but many know both. No matter what style of riding you chose (don’t forget gaited horses too!), it is essential that you first chose a horse that is well ridden, trailers, clips, farrier, arena ridden and trail ridden with no vices or special needs. In my experience, a horse of any breed that is ridden on the trails alone AND in a group (important!!) is more likely to have the temperament you want for your first horse!! Please make sure you actually try the horse on the trail and don’t believe the common lie “this horse was ridden by a young kid on the trails all of the time”. LOL!! Breed is not a factor for a good trail horse. I just rode a TB in Africa for two weeks. He had no fear, even of lions. I ride my lusitano show horse on the trail 6 hours a week. Please don’t get fooled into hearing that a QH type is always a quiet good horse or a TB is always a highstrung bad choice. Believe me, not every QH is calm and smooth and not every TB hot. Go by what is said of the horse and what sounds good to you, not it’s breeding. My friends home bred and home raised QH (she’s a trainer) hot and uses my horses hind end as a set of brakes on the trails. The horse is a lovely reiner and her dam was a champion and lovely to ride anywhere. Remember hearing that every Japanese car is better than an American made one? Every, All, None, Never…. hmmm.
OK, breed, not a big concern right now. A well trained sensible horse is!!

I think so many different breeds could work for you for pleasure riding. Just start trying different breeds and horses for sale…. try many… you will learn so much about what you like, horse buying, and of course the horses themselves. I have Spanish horses now, but don’t think there’s many breeds I haven’t tried in my travels. Each one is so unique!

Also keep in mind what the horses were trained for, how they were treated, and what their temperament is now. For instance, I wouldn’t advise a Morgan or ASB Park Horse schooled for fire and flash in the show ring, but there are lovely Morgan and ASB pleasure horses out there, depending on your finances and location. There are many others too, this is the example being huffed about. I’ve shown both these breeds many years ago, and arabs too. 😉 , so enjoy shopping!!

Some other thoughts…. Look for a horse that is used to being in a herd and not turned out alone. I assume you will be keeping them mostly outside? You don’t want a high maintenance horse that needs to be ridden every day or requires special foods and medical needs. One that is calm and sane after a week off in the pasture is essential. Obviously…. no stallions until you have more exp. 🙂

Answer by Jeff Sadler
It is not the breed it is the horse.

That said it sounds like you want calm horses with a relaxed attitude. I also suggest gaited horses as they are a better ride, especially for someone who does not rodeo.

The Fox trotters and Tennessee walkers are excellent trail horses. But which you need will depend on the ground. Smooth level trails…Walkers or Fox trotters that running walk. Rough ground?…Make sure you have a fox trotter that can actually fox trot and is not stuck in a running walk as many modern fox trotters are. The fox trot is not quite as smooth as the running walk (though some consider it very close) but it is much more sure footed.

I can not help with walkers but if you go fox trotters then try and stick with calm trail horses or versatility horses, and stay away from performance show horses which tend to be too high strung (this is actually true for any breed). If you are close enough to south central missouri I often help people find good horses at a fair price. I do not charge so this is just something I do as a hobby.

All horses will learn to get along with each other unless you have two studs or a stud and gelding (they will often kill each other), Otherwise they will bond with each other. Especially when you just have two.

Oh and I would add this to lusitano advice. Make sure the horse you buy is used to being on pasture preferably 24/7. Actually she implied this but did not say it. I am less worried about the herd thing than this. Stall horses generally mean pampered high maintenance.

Answer by draco.dominia
Like Ice Queen said, it’s hard to reccomend a breed. Any breed can be good, depending on how much training and so on it’s had. Look for a horse, not a breed; search for the personality and training that you want.

Answer by DaisyKJ
My advice is don’t center in on a certain breed. Look for a couple of ranch broke geldings or seasoned lesson horses that have miles of carrying around beginners. I would suggest a gelding aged 8 to 16 that is easy to catch, affordable (set a price range you’re looking for), good to handle on the ground and in the saddle, and in good health (no past injuries or problems). The breeding is not that important unless you are going to show in breed-only shows (AQHA or whatever), or unless you are planning on breeding it someday (a mare or stallion, which I would not advise doing!)

Here is a link to questions you should ask when buying a horse. I wrote this answer on Liverystable.net’s Horse Talk Forum and it is titled “How To Buy A Horse”.

I grew up on a ranch with Quarter Horses, and I will tell you they are the most versatile breed there is. They are normally level-headed and calm, and can excel in all different disciplines. Good luck on finding the perfect horse!

Answer by Nikkie l
a standard breed or x trotter
bought one for myself
he is 17hh and my beginner daughter (9 years old) rides him and he has not put a foot wrong
thay are not a pretty breed but are safe as houses and cheep it buy
but you do get your exception to any breed

Answer by Cindi B
Quarter horses and Paints tend to be nice riding horses. I hate to suggest breeds, because there are great horses that would do what you are asking in any breed (almost). I think my best advise would be to look around. Try horses unitl you get on one and know that, that is the horse for you.

Answer by Natasha D
you just have to look around and find them. any breed is a great breed if it has had the right training. you will just be able to ‘click’ with you horse. If you are looking for pleasure only horses that are sociable, look into the quarter horses or paint horses and go for geldings. mares tend to be tempermental and moody during “their times of the month” (lol) but quarter horses and paints have a good reputation for being calm, easy going, big horses. arabians and thoroughbreds can be very friendly but are a little more flighty than other breeds. really you just have to look for the horse yourself, spend time with them and just get to know them like you would a spouse.

Answer by totallyhaflingers
There is no particular breed that won’t do the job, but some people will try to sway you from one breed to the next for example people say TB’s are really flighty, i owned three TB two were complete nightmares, backed into traffic, bolted, spooked at everything, but they were very socialable, however the third TB was a dream she is athletic, never puts a foot wrong and has impecible manners. Also my friend has just got a TB a ex racer he was let go from racing because he was too laid back! can you believe it! Anyway now i breed haflingers and they are, well the best horses i’ve ever had, however i have had one or two that just wanted to run all the time and spook at everything! My point is that any breed can have those horses that just want you off their backs and then theres those that want you to ride them and be with you every single minute of the day. So it doesn’t really matter what breed you choose, just what sort of mind your horse has, catch me drift 🙂 good luck!

Answer by Nora Q
i hear Camargue really like human companions

Answer by can76chaser
You should look into training than a breed. & For the person who said not Morgans is uneducated in the breed. My mother has had Morgan horses over 55yrs. Me & my 4 sisiters & 2 brothers all learned on them. I give riding lesson to 5yrs to 11 yrs old kids. All on Morgan horses!!!! You can find them from 800.00$ and up. They are very hardy!! I have 151 in WY. They all work the place. They are all barefoot & I don’t use blankets. They are very sweet, loyal & hard working!! They are awsome of trail riding. Truly a all around breed. They are very rewarding to own!!! Just the first thing you should look for is training.

Here is a link for Appy’s. They are really good riding horses. They are a good breed.

Here is the link you can read over a lot of breeds. Hope these help some. Good luck!!!!

Here is a link to Dream Horse, I put the price range to 2,500.00 & the temperment to level 3, 1 being the lowest. & All the states for you just to look to get ideas.