TAKING IT SLOWLY - THE SMARTEST WAY TO BUY A HORSE

Once one makes the decision to purchase a horse of his or her very own, a strong temptation to act quickly often manifests itself.  The excitement of owning a horse is tremendous and the desire to go from "future horse owner" to riding the range on one's very own steed is so strong that the very idea of patience seems almost laughable.

The smart horse buyer, however, will find a way to resist the urge to act immediately, however.  He or she will, instead, embark upon the horse purchase journey responsibly and carefully.  Taking it slowly, and moving through the process deliberately and with a great deal of consideration is difficult, but it provides numerous advantages over impulsive decision-making.

Instead of immediately finding a horse and whipping out a checkbook, the smart buyer will first investigate area stables and will find one at which he or she feels at home.  The stable, and the instruction received there, will serve as a kind of "Horse College" at which he or she will receive a superb education in riding and horse care.  The future owner will develop an understanding of his or her needs and a fuller comprehension of what it will mean to own a horse.

After spending a suitable period learning the ropes, the search for a horse will commence.  Again, the smart buyer will resist the urge to buy the first horse that crosses his or her path.  Instead, he or she will begin by carefully assessing what kind of horse will best suit his or her needs and expectations.  He or she will then take the time to investigate all possible leads for finding the right horse.

Instead of rushing to find a horse that comes close to meeting personal requirements, the buyer will accept that finding the right horse may take more than a few days.  It may require countless visits to ranches and stables in pursuit of the perfect partner.  He or she will scrutinize every prospective horse and will not be rushed to find "a horse, instead looking (and subsequently finding) "the horse."

Once he or she finds the right horse, a full examination of the animal will follow.  Barring a negative assessment by a trusted veterinarian, it will finally be time for the buyer to join the centuries-old club of horse owners.

That kind of deliberation may seem unnecessary.  In the amount of time it took the buyer to find an purchase the right horse, other more impulsive individuals will have already found, and will have spent months riding, their horses.

However, for every success story among the rash actors there are scores of disappointments, errors and frustrations.  Those who act quickly when it comes to purchasing a horse often act mistakenly.  Buying a horse is a matter of great seriousness and it warrants a well-reasoned and serious approach.  Those who follow a more considerate path are far more likely to complete their buyer's journey with a perfect equine partner.

If you are considering buying a horse for yourself, you need to be prepared to encounter a series of difficult and important decisions.  You can either act "in the moment" without a great deal of consideration when you reach these critical junctures or you can opt to respond in a calm and reasoned fashion.  Mistakes born of haste may not seem that significant at the moment, but in the long run they will add up to a great deal of wasted effort and unnecessary expense, not to mention the very high risk of disappointment when you find you don't really have the horse of your dreams.

Those who approach the horse buying process more carefully may suffer longer without an animal in the stable, but when they do get their horse, they are able to develop a wonderful, positive relationship with an animal that fully meets or exceeds their lofty expectations.

Which way will you approach horse buying?  Will you act rashly in pursuit of instant gratification or will you find it within yourself the ability to resist that urge and to move through the purchasing process smartly?