1) Fully trained and healthy horses are going for $100 or less, just because their owners can no longer afford them. Since the economic crisis, a lot of horses are being dumped at rock-bottom prices.

2) Many of the horses sold at auction are purchased for slaughter. Not only do you get a good horse cheap (if you know what to look for) but you can save a healthy horse from being killed.

if you want the horse to know you as its master then you will have to spend a lot of time showing it affection, it is the same concept if you had a spouse, you would want to be with them all the time, well a horse is the same way, it will eighter know and trust you or it wont, it is tough it this 8 to 5 world but you can only do what you can, maybe find a new home where you can have a horse on the premises, well hope this will help

Right now, since she is being broke to ride (I am assuming that someone else is doing this for you), then once or twice a week going to see her is OK. If you plan on boarding her or keeping her at home after her training is finished, then you will have to make time to see her every day (to feed and care for her), and she will need to be ridden 3-4 times a week if you want to keep progressing with her training and keep her fit. I work full time and I have to just make time to spend with my horses. Somethimes it is at the expense of being able to do other things, but it is well worth it. Good Luck!

I have 2 horses on my own property and only play with them about once a week (I also work 40+ hours a week, go to school full time and have an infant). Just spend as much time with her as possible.

if training, then a minimum of 60 minutes a day five to six days in a row. if you aren’t training your horse, then a minimum of 30 minutes a day is required. grooming alone will take you that long if you do it properly.

The best would be every day, but I know that isn’t possible for 90% of people.

I am a full time college student and work 40 hrs a week in addition. I can see my mare usually 3 times a week. I go out Wed, Sat and Sun. Sometimes I can go a Tuesday, but that is about it.
3 times a week is a lot better than other people I know. I see people at the stable I work at come out once a month, and beat on their horse when it doesn’t remember what it did last month.

The way I do it is that my mare is outside during the day in a group pasture setting. That way, if I am not there to entertain her (I am pretty sure that is my role to her, lol), I do not feel bad because she gets to run around with other horses all day. She is not wound up from having to sit in a small area all day. I could never leave a horse stuck in a stall or a small run all day. That is the choice of many, but most of those horses have bad behaviors from not being worked or able to have room to gallop around.

As for forgetting training- it all depends on the horse. My mare can go a week and then she starts to forget (just gets harder to turn). My sister’s horse- he can be left alone for 2 months, and she can jump on him no problem. One of my boss’s horses can not have more than 2 days off in a row or she violently bucks and you need to start from day one (that is an extreme though). 90% can take a week or two off no problem. Just make sure you lunge her or give her free running time before you ride her to get her feel-good kicks out.

She will feel loved for 3 times a week. Have fun with your new horse!

We moved next door to a horse farm when I was 6. I started taking lessons from a British Horse Society tested instructor there, who insisted on things being done the right way. I hung around a lot and got put to work. After a few years, I had enough experience, was lightweight and willing to be the first rider on most of the young horses and problem ponies. I got my first horse at age 11, and joined Pony Club at 14, where I learned quite a lot more about horse management. During that time, I also read a lot of books.

You should see if you can volunteer to work somewhere in exchange for lessons. That way you actually benefit even more because you’ll get hands on knowledge of both riding and horse care, and it won’t cost you much!

good luck.

I got my first pony at 8 yrs old. My step dad use to work at a fox hunting stable when he was young. He had an old horsemanship/pony club manual that he gave to me when I got my pony . It was a HUGE book!! I read it over and over again…That is where I learned how to groom , feed and care for my pony. My step dad taught me how to saddle and bridle my horse but once I knew , I was on my own!! I taught myself how to ride with only a little instruction from my dad and from what I read..Growing up I bought and read every horse book I could get my hands on. I also asked experienced horse people for advice along the way. Books are great but hands on experience is the best way to learn. I’m 30 yrs old now and I still love to learn anything new about horses.