Adding a horse into your life could be one of the best things you’ve ever done. You’ll have a new hobby to get on with, that’ll get you out and about, bonding with a creature that loves you for you. You’ll have another pet for you and your family to enjoy, and if you’ve got kids, a horse is a great way to introduce them to larger animals. And if you’re missing that taste of outside, country air, now you’ve got an excuse to dive back into it! But of course, with every decision out there, there can be a few drawbacks to adopting a horse as well. And with the pointers we’ve laid out below, we’re going to try and help you weigh the pros and cons against each other. If you fancy the idea of a horse, and becoming an outback rider in your spare time, let’s set the foundation right! 

Horses Have Such Distinct Personalities

Every single horse is different. Every single horse you could bring home with you is going to have such a character, and it’s one you’ll have never seen in another horse before! And that’s good, because you want your pet to have a personality to them, and you want them to have reactions to you and what you do for them. And horses can be quite sensitive, and quite expressional, and you’ll come to love them very quickly. Give them all a chance, before you settle on one! 

But They’ll Need a Lot of Room

If you’re going to bring a horse into your life, you can’t fit them into a normal housing space. Even if you have a big garden for them to paddock in, if it isn’t upwards of a tenth of an acre to settle into, your horse is going to feel quite confined. They won’t be able to get enough exercise, and could get quite sickly as a result. But you’ll also need to have enough foragable land for your horse to graze on too. If you have hard ground beneath you, or where you live is prone to drought or there’s simply some poor irrigation in general, there’s a chance your horse still won’t be comfortable. If you have an acre or two to your name, unless it’s good grassland, you might not be able to bring a horse home with you. If you do live in such arid land, or you’ve hired a space that does exist within an area like this, you might need 10 or more acres to keep your horse satisfied. There’s no way a standard back garden would be able to manage that! 

And They Can Be Expensive

Of course, horses can be very expensive creatures to take care of. There are all kinds of new equipment and food items you’ll have to buy in order to properly take care of your horse, as well as forking out for barn and paddock space too. You’ll have to get your horse vetted as well, with pre purchase checks ranging from £100, give or take. And you’ll also have to factor in the price of the horse itself: it can cost you at least £1000 in fees, but most people look at a price of £5000 to £10,000, especially if you’re looking at pedigree. Don’t forget how long it’ll take to settle on the right horse. And if you like to take your horse out for riding on a regular basis, a good pair of Jodhpurs could cost you upwards of £40 a piece - how often are you going to be wearing trousers like these? Because you might want to work out a budgeting system, and buy them in bulk when there’s a saving on!

In Conclusion 

So, could a horse be a good addition to your life? There’s a good chance you love the idea of bringing home a horse, and spending your days out in the pasture with them, riding around on a good fitting saddle with the wind in your hair. However, you’ll need the budget and the room to take care of them properly, and you shouldn’t think about getting a horse before you can cover both of these needs quite comfortably. It might take a lot more time than you expect it too, and it might be a bit of a slog, it’s definitely necessary before you pick out a horse you know and love!