Horse poll for you guys?

You need to have the money to buy the horse.

Really, that's all you NEED.

What you should have is experience, knowledge and a passion for the animals. You should have the money to not only buy the horse, but also maintain it - feed, bedding, farrier, vet, and any surprise medical costs that come up later.

you either need to hire someone to help out around the barn, or you need experience there too. You need to know how to deal with the upkeep, you need to find suppliers for hay, grain (if you feed it) bedding, you need to figure out where you're putting everything (bedding, manure), if you're not using the manure yourself you need to find someone to come take it regularly. You need to find a reliable and respected vet and farrier to come on schedule. Etc, etc.

I don't own a horse, but I work at a small barn, and I lease a couple horses.

The schedule for the barn I work at is as follows:

10am - morning feed (grain, hay, water)

11am - turn out (weather permitting)

while the horses are out, stalls are all cleaned, water refilled, hay tossed out again for when they come back in. All maintenance things for the barn happen now too. Sweeping up, cleaning, organizing, inventory, etc.

5pm - the horses come in, pm feed (grain only, as both hay and water has already been set out)

6pm - last check for the barn and grounds - make sure fences are still up, all manure is out of the arena, gates are shut and locked, all stalls are closed, hose is put up, etc.

This is the winter schedule, as in Spring and Summer we have lessons, so the horses would be in during the day, taken out for their lessons. In Summer when the weather's nice enough the horses might spend a few nights in the pastures.

I'm not on a schedule for my riding - I do it whenever I feel like it and will either plan ahead that day and keep the horse I want to ride inside, or I'll go and get one from the pasture.

I lease two horses (technically I have a contract at the barn I work for that says I lease all the farm owned horses (4) for insurance reasons, but I mainly ride the one at that barn and one at another).

Bailey (who's at the farm I work at) is a 10 year old QH (possibly arab cross) gelding, who goes both English and Western.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=38759811131...

Astro (who's currently boarded off property due to lack of indoor where I work) is a 13 year old Trakehner/Arabian cross gelding who's strictly English, a jumper.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=38762260464...

Sorry for facebook photos.

Riding has nothing to do with knowing how to care for the horse and being able to cover the costs. Many folks own horses and do not ride. Some are only into driving or just keep them as pets. Nothing wrong there, as there are so many without homes.

My routine is feeding, riding, training. Mine have free acess to barn and pasture, so cleaning is not needed as frequently. Just a bit in the barn daily.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50856837@N04/65729097...

have 3 years riding experiance, know the care of horses, have the money, have a stable/ enough room to work the horse

i dont own but i lease and i give her feed if im there in the morning, ride her to the poing tof sweat in the winter.

hanoverian purebred from germany, 15y/o 16.4hh dark bay, partial sway back ,waxy thick tail.

To be able to ride a horse you must have balance! And lots of it! You also must have patience. My daily routine is to water, feed, clean stalks, excersize one horse put her away then excersize the other one then feed again! Dru: http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/83416772@N02/80726063...

My barrel horse sassy: http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/83416772@N02/81288048...

i don't ride english so im gonna skip that question.

my everyday routine:

feed turnout,

clean stall,

get food ready,

groom,

exercise,

wash,

feed,

do it all over Again

profile of my horse(s):

ellie:http://s1223.beta.photobucket.com/user/barrelracin...

sally:http://s1223.beta.photobucket.com/user/barrelracin...