The Search for Horses

Horses are a large part of the reason Chris and I wanted to move out in the country to a place with land. Over the past few months we have considered timing, cost, future plans, etc., and finally have decided to start our search for horses. One major factor that has affected our decision is that horses are highly social herd animals. In my perspective it would be unethical to have a social animal without another social animal to keep him or her company, and I would never want one of our animals to be lonely. With that being said, it may seem like a big jump to go from 0 to 2, but it is in the best interest of the horses that we add to our family.

Here’s the criteria for the 2 horses we are looking at purchasing and/or adopting (prefer to adopt!)

• Horse 1: Ride-able for an intermediate-advanced rider and suitable for jumping moderate sized fences. Looking for an easy keeper that can live outside during mild weather. Since I have never owned my own horse, I will need the horse to be well-mannered and easy to catch!
• Horse 2: Companion for horse 1. Not necessary that the horse is ride-able. Would like a friendly, easy to catch horse and size doesn’t matter! We are looking at miniature horses, ponies, and even donkeys and mules. This horse would be a well-loved family pet and would provide companionship to the primary riding horse.

Here’s a few different avenues I have looked at in the search:

• I started by joining a couple different Facebook pages where private parties list horses that they are selling and sometimes horses that are available for adoption. This allowed me to get an idea of what is out there and what I can expect in terms of price range. It also provided me with an opportunity to familiarize myself with the local horse community.
• I have also kept a mental list of rescues in the area. I regularly check the rescue websites and their Facebook pages to see what they currently have available for adoption.

Once we were ready to begin seriously looking, I posted to a couple different Facebook pages that we were looking at purchasing or adopting a horse that would be a companion animal. I have also been in contact with a few local rescues that have ride-able horses ready for adoption.

Soon we will be bringing home our equine companions, and I am so excited! This weekend we will be finishing up the process of fixing up fencing that needs repair and getting water troughs ready. The beautiful Spring weather that has arrived makes me all the more excited to enjoy time outside with such incredibly beautiful and kind animals. Soon I will also post about the process of preparing for our horses, cleaning up our 5-stall barn, and getting the pastures ready to go! Feel free to comment any thoughts or experiences you may have about this crazy process.

Best,

Jenn