Getting my first horse!

[secuono]

She will be here April 30th or May 1st. She's 17yrs and her bday was yesterday. She's been ridden barrels, trail, forward going and general riding.
She's my first horse and I'm so excited that I found such a great girl at a price in my range! Hopefully you guys can help me through any issues I have with her. Lady said she is out in pasture 24/7 except for food 2x a day. What should I feed her? We have 4+ acres she will graze on 24/7. Can I also let her out 24/7 right away?
Will update more after work tomorrow.

Pics below w/her current owner.

 

[mlw987m]

No clue, but congrats!!!!!!

 

[patandchickens]

How does the pasture she is currently out on 24/7 compare with YOUR pasture. If it is significantly grassier than yours will be, it should be fine for you to put her out 24/7 right from the beginning. If it is about the same as your pasture, I'd be careful for the first week (if you *can* stall or drylot her overnight, it would probably be better, also make it easier for you to establish a good relationship with her as opposed to 'aargh, I can't catch her!). If the previous pasture was at all scrubbier or sparser or shorter than yours, personally I'd treat it as the horse having been not getting much of any grass, and start with very little time on it if at all possible.

Hopefully you have a smaller ring/roundpen/pen/paddock/something that you can use as a small turnout area as opposed to either 4 acres of freedom or nothing? Or you could make a GOOD VERY VISIBLE SAFELY ELECTRIC-FENCED temporary small paddock for the purpose? No matter how people-y and easy to catch the horse is now, you don't wanna be making assumptions that may be hard to correct.

Feed her what she's getting now, for the time being. If the lady will sell you a bale or two of her hay, so much the better (you will gradually change over to yours, mixing them and then eventually feeding only yours); otherwise, if the horse needs hay, get some as comparable to hers as you can. If you are going to eliminate the grain/concentrates part of the ration, you can do that right away; if you are going to *change* it to a different grain or concentrate, wait a week or so and then do it somewhat gradually.

If there are ANY ANY questions about your fenceline, in terms of visibility or barbwire, do as much fixing and safening-up as you're going to do, BEFORE you get the horse home; and then walk her around the whole perimeter on a leadline before letting her loose. Cheap insurance.

Good luck, have fun, and CONGRATULATIONS ,

Pat

 

[secuono]

I can make a smaller area out of t-posts and no climb fencing, but that's about it. She said she will be bringing the horse, so I will ask her how her lot compares before I let her out.

 

[patandchickens]

I can make a smaller area out of t-posts and no climb fencing, but that's about it.

If you can do that safely, sure. (Caps on t-posts). What about electric?

She said she will be bringing the horse, so I will ask her how her lot compares before I let her out.

You *have* seen this horse in person at its current home, recently, yes?

Pat

 

[secuono]

No, she's over 3hrs away, I can't take a 7hr day trip.

 

[currycomb]

you did not ride this horse before buying it? oh boy, you are going to need lots of luck. so many times a horse and rider just don't "fit". good luck, keep us posted.

 

[secuono]

Well, I' a very shy person and if I did go over there to ride her I would of felt very intrusive, uncomfortable and definitely would be missing things from the stress of it.
She will be mainly a 'pet' with light riding from time to time. I'll have plenty of time to work up a relationship and for us to work around our personalities.

 

[secuono]

Here's her ad below. Her name is Callie, btw[the horse].

"Registered Paint Mare - $*** (Suffolk)
Date: 2011-04-08, 9:16PM EDT

lovely sweet mare, fabulous ground manners, has barrel raced, has some dressage, has jumped, loves trail rides. she is forward going, not timid, will go anywhere you point her

almost 17 years old, and you ask what could possibly be wrong with this horse that they would be selling her? we are retiring from our boarding barn. very sad to see her go.

give me a call and lets make a deal. Kirsty 334-****"

 

[patandchickens]

(edited, only in these parentheses here, to clarify: this was not meant as being mean or hurtful, although it is probably too flippant; it originates in shock and horror, and a desire to instil caution. None of the following has been edited however)

OMG. I wish you luck. Sometimes people DO get lucky so it is not a lost cause I suppose, but, wow. Just, wow. Horses are not bicycles. They have personalities and habits and histories, and getting along well with them "as a pet" is NOT EVEN REMOTELY just a matter of "building a good relationship" in a nice-horsey-nice-horsey see-how-much-I-love-and-respect-you kind of way.

I've accepted a free horse (my half-Lipp) based on only videos, but I did at least GET a buncha videos, and was also at that time a lifelong horse person having trained countless horses of all descriptions and able to deal with most things that could come along.

Go buy a rabbits foot.

Sorry, but, wow, good luck,

Pat