How to choose your first horse

My beautiful Scout a pure bred Pinto

The first thing you want to do is read all you can about horse breeds and then then make a decision about what kind of breed you want. If your thinking about pleasure riding a Quarter horse is great for Western pleasure riding and a Nice Arabian is great for English riding. These two breeds are my personal favorites and I have owned both.

There are plenty of others just as nice and many would make excellent pleasure riding buddies.

What you want to look for is a well proportioned and healthy looking horse. Look at the horses ribs. Are the ribs bony? Unless he is a racing horse, he should have a good layer of fat covering his ribs. Look at the horses hoofs. Do the hoofs look broken and cracked?  Don't buy from anyone who doesn't keep his horses well taken care of.
Look around the stables. Are the stables clean and is there lots of fresh water available for the horses? Do things appear to be well maintained and organized?  Ask a country vet if he knows of a good stable that sells horses. This can save you a lot of time and most vets will know if the owners are good people who take good care of there stock.

Next you need to consider the age and most importantly the personality of the horse. A horse that shy's away when petted or nods his head up and down constantly may be to high strung for a first time horse. You want a happy friendly horse that likes having his head rubbed and doesn't mind you touching his mouth. Remember you will have to bridle your horse to ride him and you don't want a horse who refuses to take the bit. Run your hands all over the horses body and feel for any lumps or bumps. Take note of any sensitive spots that make the horse flinch. Run your hands down his legs and don't be afraid to lift his hoof. Horses that are well groomed and shod won't mind if you lift their hoof and are quite happy to keep it lifted until you release it.

Stay away from any horse that tries to bite or lashes out with its hoofs or tries to kick you. These horses can be trained to be good friendly animals but they need an experienced trainer to get them there. These types are not for beginners.

Choosing the right horse can and should take some time. Again read all you can about different breed personalities before making any decisions.