Please help. Yeah I know it's a long shot, but I still want to try.

[Rose N Lynne Farm]

So I have never asked for a horse, (except for begging my parents everyday telepathically). I showed my mom this ad on craigslist (The horse is FREE!)

Lola is a registered pure bred Arabian. I have ridden her a lot as she can handle a light rider I would suggest a determined rider as she has lots of spirit to her. I have had this old girl for a little over two years and she has made me more confident with horses then any other horse could have. She may be twenty five but she does not act like it, she has been the lead mare to any other horses we have gotten so far. If you are interested you can either call me or email me. My number is (208)-***-**** thank you for looking at my ad ask for Rhea.

and she kinda seemed interested. On the drive home she was like "We would have no where to keep her." I mentioned the boarding stables that are about a 3 min drive from our house. Then she said, "Hmm... I didn't think about that. But what happens if she dies in a year and breaks your heart." I replied with. "I am strong and will have had the best year of my life." When we got home I asked for the stables phone number to the stables, and she said why." I just looked at her and she was like "No. Were not doing it."

My heart sank to my stomach. I was so close... I was wondering how to convince her to let me get the horse. Yes I do know a lot about horses and I can ride.

This is the list I have prepared over the last several years. I know some of it may come with her, so that could take down the cost. And I think if I could do all the work for myself, and buy the feed and supplies than the board could only be like $45 a month. So that would also bring down the cost.

My list
~Halter
~Lead Rope
~Saddle Blanket
~Saddle
~Reins
~Bit
~Headstall
~Breast Collar
~Blanket
~Muck out scoop
~Soft Brush
~Hard Brush
~Curry Comb
~Mane and Tail brush
~Face brush
~Hoof pick
~Shedding Blade


MONTHLY COSTS
Feed $30.00
Hay $6.00
Supplements $8.00
Veterinary Care $50.00
Bedding $12.00
Boarding $200.00
Riding Lessons $140.00
Trailer Rental $0.00 - $50.00
TOTAL = $456.00

UP FRONT COSTS
Tack $310.00
Extra Tack $60.00
Supplies $44.00
Farrier Service $60.00
Horse $500.00 - $1,500.00
Veterinary Exam $55.00
Water Bucket $9.00
Hay Net $4.00
TOTAL = $1,442.00

Yearly Cost (AVERAGE)
$456.00 x 12 + $2,000 cushion = $7,472.00 over the span of 1 year.

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Your parents know best.... Trust them and your time will come and the day will come when you can get your horse. Someday .... Just wait a little longer.

 

[Rose N Lynne Farm]

Yeah. Parents always will be parents.

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Yeah. Parents always will be parents.

Your parents know best... Horses cost alot and it might not the right time to get one.
Gods got a plan .... We just have to follow.

 

[Rose N Lynne Farm]

Yup.
I'm waiting for God's answer.

 

[Lalaith]

Hey sweetie.

Good for you for taking the time to calculate out costs and prepare yourself. When the time comes for you to have a horse you will be ready. I agree with the posters who say your folks know best but you can still dream and prepare.

One thing you may need to be careful about is that when a horse is described as "spirited" in an ad, it is often code for "this horse will bolt with you right through a fence." Also, a 25 year old horse being given away is bound to be a million times more expensive due to age-related infirmity and vet bills.

Keep your eyes open and keep looking at ads and try to read the subtext of what is written there. Do lots of reading and asking questions. See if you can volunteer at a local riding stable so you can be around horses and get lots of experiences.

Good luck and keep your dream alive! When the timing is right, you will have a horse of your own.

 

[MaggieMay]

Hey sweetie.

Good for you for taking the time to calculate out costs and prepare yourself. When the time comes for you to have a horse you will be ready. I agree with the posters who say your folks know best but you can still dream and prepare.

One thing you may need to be careful about is that when a horse is described as "spirited" in an ad, it is often code for "this horse will bolt with you right through a fence." Also, a 25 year old horse being given away is bound to be a million times more expensive due to age-related infirmity and vet bills.

Keep your eyes open and keep looking at ads and try to read the subtext of what is written there. Do lots of reading and asking questions. See if you can volunteer at a local riding stable so you can be around horses and get lots of experiences.

Good luck and keep your dream alive! When the timing is right, you will have a horse of your own.

Agreed! when I read this ad, it has warning flags all over it...that being said, I know the feeling at your age of desperately wanting a horse and planning and getting ready for it. When you finally get the ok, you want this first horse to be a good horse for you to learn on, stay away from green or young horses and absolutely have the owner ride first!!! Good luck dear.

 

[Karma]

Have you considered a half lease or free lease in exchange for labor? If you are near colleges you can usually find quite a few horses for half lease as students are looking for a way to reduce their costs and often they can't ride as much as they should. One stable here even half leases their lesson horses, $150 a month includes a riding lesson and 3 riding days per week. The bonus with leases are that you don't need to pay for feed or hay or bedding or vet expenses and boarding. A lease may be a good way to show how commited you are and learn how to take care of a horse before asking your parents to make an investment in it.

To add to what others have said, if you do one thing before you buy have a purchase exam done by your own vet. If the seller refuses to allow a purchase exam walk away. If you can find a lesson instructor or experienced horse person to go along and see the horse before you take the vet out it can help a lot in convincing parents it is a sound decision and safe horse.

 

[carolinagirl]

A red flag in the ad for me is that she can handle a light rider. So does she go lame if a regular sized rider gets on her? I know she is free, but there are plenty of healthy younger sound horses being given away for free too. If you DO get your parents talked in to it at some point, you are much better off getting a younger horse. By younger I don't mean 3 or 4; one who is in his teens is fine too. But not one in his 20s. Get one that is going to be fit and healthy for you for a while. It costs a lot to euthanize and dispose of an old horse. So naturally people would rather give them away than have to bear that expense themselves.

 

[Bunnylady]

The others have given you good advice here, but I would add that I think your calculations on maintenance costs are wa-a-a-y too low. Granted, costs vary with where you live, but one thing I didn't see was regular farrier visits (approx. every 5-8 weeks, at $35 per visit around here [and that's just a trim, no shoes]). I work at a barn, so I get to see how juggling the day-to-day expenses goes. They say there's no such thing as a free horse, believe me, it's true!

I was pretty much born horse-crazy, too. When I was 4 years old, my parents took me to the local fair. I was scared of the Merry-go-round, but not the pony rides! All through my youth, I yearned for a horse of my own. My parents knew it, though I knew there was no point in asking. My mother has said that it was one of the bitterest parts of being my parent; knowing that I wanted something that there was simply no way they could give me. Most of my adult life has been spent in the same situation - horse ownership just wasn't feasible. That changed a few months ago, when I realized a life-long dream and bought a horse, and she came with her own pasture buddy. The buddy foundered about 3 years ago, so her soundness is questionable. Whether or not she can be ridden, the buddy costs me just as much every month as the sound horse for feed (at $18 per bag), hay ($7 per bale), shavings ($6 per bag), and worming ($12 - up, depending on product). We also have to treat the horses for sand in their systems every month around here. Full board, where the barn supplies all the basics, runs around $400 locally - though a lot of barn owners will skimp on quality (and therefore, cost) any way they can. I still don't see how they do it. If I were to put my two mares in my back yard (at 7 acres, it's a big yard!!) it would still cost me about $400 every month in out-of-pocket expenses ( I am aiming toward doing that in the future, but I enjoy the interaction at the barn, too!), though grass during the warm months should reduce if not eliminate the need for hay then. Still, that's at roughly $5,000 in annual costs for feed alone, without the farrier and at minimum, the vet doing the biannual shots (assuming the horses stay otherwise healthy - ha, ha!).

During my time at this barn, I have seen several newby owners get in over their heads by acquiring a horse without realizing how expensive they are to keep. For one thing, they are large, strong animals, and they are constantly breaking things (a halter, a feeder, a gate . . . ) They find inconceivable ways to hurt themselves. Colic is a 4-letter word to a horse owner, did you know a horse can get it from just not drinking enough during cold weather? Need I mention the vet bills from treating these things?

I've also seen horses that seemed like a good deal in the beginning, that turned into major disappointment and heartache (or worse!) for the owner. The pasture buddy was one of those - she would probably be dead now if I hadn't taken her. What I will do with her long-term, I don't know; but I did know what I was getting when I got her.

Hang in there! Learn all you can; feed the addiction (yes, horses ARE an addiction) any way you can; and just trust that, if it's meant to be, you will one day have a horse of your own.