How to Get a Free Horse
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Have you always wanted a horse but can't afford the purchase price? There are ways to get horses for free. There is an old saying of course, never look a gift horse in the mouth. That’s because if someone was giving a horse away, it was likely because the horse was too elderly to be useful. If you do find a free horse, however, you may actually want to look into its mouth, because you'll want to have an idea of how old the horse is, and you'll want to know if the first expense you'll have is a bill with an equine dentist. You may also have heard the old saying, there's no such thing as a free ride. That's something to keep in mind too, because even though you're getting a free horse, you're not going to avoid all the costs associated with horse ownership. Things like hay, farrier bills, tack and veterinary bills can be very costly. The purchase price of a horse is really only the tip of the iceberg.
No matter where you get your free horse, you will want to know why it is free. Often, owners of older horses look for retirement homes, where the horse will be exercised lightly and well cared for. Sometimes people get fed up with 'problem horses' or young un-started horses and give them away. Students may want to place their horse where they won't have any expenses while they go to school, but will want the horse back when they're done with their studies. There are many different reasons why people give horses away.
The second thing you'll want is a contract, similar to a bill of sale. This will outline exactly how long you're going to keep the horse, whose responsibility it is to pay for certain expenses and other details. Most importantly, this will state whether the horse is truly yours or just yours to use.
Where to Find Free Horses
Occasionally, horse rescues will give a horse away. Quite often it will be a special need's horse that will take some extra care or handling. For the experienced horse owner, this may be an interesting challenge. For the beginner, this might not be the best route, as horses with problems like bolting or rearing might be too dangerous for a beginner to handle. Horses with health problems may be very costly to care for, far more than simply purchasing a healthy horse.
Classified ads, whether in horse trader magazines, on-line or in newspapers are another place to find free horses. On-line ads allow you to search by price, location and breed, among other things, so you can find a horse close to you. Keep an eye on the billboards at feed and tack stores too. Check these sources frequently, as there can be a lot of people like you, who want a free horse.
Word-of-mouth is probably the best way to find a horse free, or for sale. There may be a horse at your lesson barn who needs to find a retirement home. Alternatively, someone who has seen you ride may be able to recommend a horse for you. This is the best way to get a free horse, as everyone involved will want to make a good match between you and the horse.
There are ways to get a free horse. It takes persistence and practice, but most importantly, you need to remember that you are only saving the purchase price. Once the horse is yours, the expense of keeping your horse will be the same whether you paid nothing or a lot. |
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PonyBox
MOD
As the article states, no such thing as a free horse!
As the article states, no such thing as a free horse!
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Jun 24, 2013
• 5,975 views
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Polo the Weirdo
MOD
The thing that bugs me the most about horses being given away free is that they usually go to inexperienced people thinking 'oh boy, a free horse'. These people hardly ever understand the true costs of properly caring for a horse, and - especially in the case of free off-the-track racehorses - they seldom have the experience to retrain a horse.
Time and again I've seen racehorses come off the track, either free or at a very low cost, and some rider looking for a 'first horse' will try them out, and find that this little racehorse is just the sweetest, most uncomplicated ride in the world. So they take it, not understanding that things are going to get a million times worse before they get better. So, when young Sweetie starts spooking, bolting and throwing the odd buck, and little Sally goes flying and breaks her arm, it suddenly becomes obvious to all involved that, although free, a racehorse off the track was clearly not Sally's best option. Then they have to dispose of the anima
The thing that bugs me the most about horses being given away free is that they usually go to inexperienced people thinking 'oh boy, a free horse'. These people hardly ever understand the true costs of properly caring for a horse, and - especially in the case of free off-the-track racehorses - they seldom have the experience to retrain a horse.
Time and again I've seen racehorses come off the track, either free or at a very low cost, and some rider looking for a 'first horse' will try them out, and find that this little racehorse is just the sweetest, most uncomplicated ride in the world. So they take it, not understanding that things are going to get a million times worse before they get better. So, when young Sweetie starts spooking, bolting and throwing the odd buck, and little Sally goes flying and breaks her arm, it suddenly becomes obvious to all involved that, although free, a racehorse off the track was clearly not Sally's best option. Then they have to dispose of the animal quickly before it costs them any more (Because by golly, who knew horses were so expensive to feed?) and who knows what's going to become of the poor animal now?
In my opinion, the only people who have any experience taking on YOUNG free horses are those experienced enough to produce the horse, whether to sell it on or to keep as a future competition prospect for themselves.
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Jun 25, 2013
• 5,036 views
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Dark Star
Time for my free horse story, I guess.
I can honestly say, I will never take a free horse again without a return policy. This is the exact way I ended up stuck with my crazy, absolutely dangerous, clever as can be horse, Archie. I had never owned a horse, and my cousin said, "This horse is the sweetest trail horse ever, only 10 years old, not buddy sour at all, and will take you anywhere without a problem" So we took it. I rode him at their place and he did fine. I get him home and he bucks me off 7 times in the first month of owning him (out of 7 times riding him!). I had several experienced riders try to do something with him, and he threw half of them off too (broke one guy's 4th vertebrae)! So he sat in the pasture for a year, until I finally grew a pair, took him to a good barn with an arena, got a better saddle, got some spurs and put a long shank twisted wire combination bit in his mouth (and he still rides in that bit today, crazy thing) and rubber banded my feet into his st
Time for my free horse story, I guess.
I can honestly say, I will never take a free horse again without a return policy. This is the exact way I ended up stuck with my crazy, absolutely dangerous, clever as can be horse, Archie. I had never owned a horse, and my cousin said, "This horse is the sweetest trail horse ever, only 10 years old, not buddy sour at all, and will take you anywhere without a problem" So we took it. I rode him at their place and he did fine. I get him home and he bucks me off 7 times in the first month of owning him (out of 7 times riding him!). I had several experienced riders try to do something with him, and he threw half of them off too (broke one guy's 4th vertebrae)! So he sat in the pasture for a year, until I finally grew a pair, took him to a good barn with an arena, got a better saddle, got some spurs and put a long shank twisted wire combination bit in his mouth (and he still rides in that bit today, crazy thing) and rubber banded my feet into his stirrups and I sat bucks, rears, bolts, (even a ground moment). Eventually, after jerking the snot out of his mouth and spurring him when he bucked for a couple of weeks, he walked in a circle like a decent mount. From there on, I could ride him as much as I wanted, but anyone else he would do the same thing.
He also has to trail ride with a group, has to be in front or he'll flip over on you, he rolls in rivers, he races if a horse gets anywhere near passing him, and he is so barn sour its horrible.He wasn't 10 years old, he was 14 (now 22 and still as crazy) and proud cut (so he will mount whatever mare gets close enough to him).
Still to this day, my cousin can't believe he gives me so many problems. (Although Archie went through many things before he got to them, including going through the hands of the town horse abuser. That's why Archie can't feel pain, After *Bob* (name changed for identity reasons) got done breeding and beating him.)
Point of the story, There is ALWAYS a reason the horse is free. A.) The owner wants to find a good home for it. B.) They don't want to go through the hassle of selling it. or the most common reason, C.) The horse is too dang crazy to get any money for it.
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Jun 25, 2013
• 4,909 views
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