What breed of horse/pony is best for an inexperienced person to work with?
I love horses. I have one of my own, and i would like to get one for my mom who has never ridden a Horse until a few years ago. She is in her late 40s and I would to start her with a simple horse that is not so energetic…any suggestions?
I agree with the first answer. Look for one that is advertised as “bomb proof” and “babysitter”. And remember that, in a horse, younger does NOT mean better!! They arent puppies. Get her an older horse…one that has a lot more experience than her. And I also agree that breed isnt neccessarily a factor. Some are a little more “hot blooded” than others but there are always exceptions. I find Arabians to be spirited and unpredictable…Tennessee Walkers to be hard-headed…and Morgans to be a bit “sassy”. My personal favorite would be a level-headed, foundation-bred Quarter Horse. Your Mom may do well to find an older, “used-up”, ranch horse that has outlived his usefulness on a cattle ranch. He will be well broke, ready to settle down and retire, and will have “been there and seen it all” by the time his ranching days are over. He’ll probably be around 15, which is perfect. The foundation-bred quarter horses tend to be shorter, around 14-15 hands (which should also be perfect). But dont exclude “mutts” either. One of my best horses ever wasnt registered (although she very much looked like a quarter horse) and I never really knew her true breed. I used to do barrel racing on her until she was stolen. She was DOG GENTLE but could rip it up on those barrels. Anyway, forget looking for a specific breed and just focus on the horse itself. Do not buy from an auction (which should be needless to say). Do not buy from a “horse trader” because they rotate so many horses in and out that they usually dont know beans about what they’re selling you. Buy from a private owner. Good luck and have fun!
horse an pony