A Beginner's Guide to Horse Ownership

Once you've decided to buy a horse, you'll need to know the basics. We'll be your guide to horse care, breeds, what to look for when buying your first horse and any other questions you may have.
Woman with horse in stall.
173 Good Names for a Horse
Family bonding
10 Horse Care Tips and Tricks
White and brown filly horse running outside
Names for Mares and Fillies
Brown and white gelding horse behind wired fence
Names for Geldings and Stallions

Explore Horse Ownership Basics

All Buying Your First Horse Horse Care
three horses sleeping in sun. close up of head.
15 Fascinating Facts About Horses
Riding tack, Chantilly, France
What Is Horse Tack?
Vet checking horses teeth
How to Tell a Horse's Age by Its Teeth
Yearling mare
What Can I Do With a Yearling?
Nursing foal
What Makes a Horse a Filly
Horse grazing in grassy meadow
Introducing Your Horse to Pasture
Horse in Sunny Dust
The 8 Most Common Ways You Can Be Hurt By a Horse
Horse sniffing hand
Understanding Your Horse's Sense of Smell
Stable hand grooms a white horse
Determining What It May Cost to Board Your Horse
Human-horse bond
How Long Do Horses Live?
Bay horse wearing a halter in a grassy field
Brown Horse Names
A bay and a gray racehorse battling for the lead.
Famous Racehorse Names
Lead your horses safely and securely
Rules for Working Safely With Horses
An older horse and a foal in hay
Comparing Horse to Human Age
Icelandic Horse
Horse Facial Markings
Three horses sleeping in sun. close up of head.
Do You Know How Horses Sleep?
vet introducing stallion to mare
Should a Beginner Rider Buy a Stallion, Gelding or Mare?
Mare looking at her colt
What Is a Colt Horse?
Young girl with horse
Leg Markings on Horses
Broodmares and foals
What Is a Foal
Two bits, parts of a bridoon, curb and snaffle
What Is a Port?
Dressage horse preforms a passage.
The Definition of Hors Concours
Horse and rider
Should a Beginner Rider Buy a Stallion, Gelding, or Mare?
Woman and Horse
How Do You Bond With Your Horse?
Horse with white and brown patches on face looking over metal railing
How Much Do Horses Cost?
Ponies in a field
The Difference Between Horses and Ponies
Born to Run
Mistakes People Make When Buying a First Horse
Horsewoman riding an Icelandic horse in the snow, Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe
Are You Too Big for Your Horse?
Woman brushing a horse.
How Do I Bond With My Horse?
Woman walking with pet horse
A Guide to Getting Your Own Horse
Girl riding horse around barrels.
Learn the Best Age For Your First Horse
Illustration of a horse in a stable
Horse Age and Lifespan Facts
Man leading a horse by a rope with another horse in a pen nearby.
Common Horse Terminology
Three horses eating outside from a fenced-in grass pasture
Why Turnout Is Important for Your Horse
Two horses sniffing noses
How to Introduce a New Horse to the Herd
Horse with mouth wide open
12 Ways Your Horse Tells You It Needs Its Teeth Checked
Full Length Of Young Woman Applying Bandage To Injured Pony On Field
Treating Minor Horse Wounds
Low angle view of horses and foals grazing on grass
10 Facts About Foals
Several horses in their stable
9 Facts About Horse Manure
Woman in stable with horse
Bringing Your Horse Home - the First Days
Learn About Your Horse's Teeth
Learn About Your Horse's Teeth
Horse running into water
A Picture Guide to the Different Parts of a Horse
A woman and a girl measuring height of pony using measuring stick against withers
How to Measure a Horse's Height
Red horse runs trot on the nature background
How to Find Your Horse's Pedigree
A man leads a horse out of stables.
Horse Care 101
Woman training horse
7 Things You Should Never Do to a Horse
Skinny white pony
Why Horses Lose Weight
White Shetland Pony Grazing
10 Best Horse and Pony Breeds for Kids
ARDINGLY, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 01: Detail of a horse's name on it's saddle before the horse parade on April 1, 2013 in Ardingly, United Kingdom.
9 Fun and Useful Horse Name Generators
Brown Arabian horses feeding in field with bale of hay behind them
What Does it Cost to Care For a Horse?
Woman with horse at stable
A Look at What Different Types of Horse Boarding Stables Can Offer
Horse getting injection
When It's Time to Euthanize a Horse
Horses lying in a field
Get Your Cast Horse Back on Its Feet
horse wearing blanket in winter field
Cooling a Horse Out in Cold Weather
Horses Running Across Snowy Field in Sunlight
10 Popular Horse Quotes and What They Mean
Teenage girl cleaning hoof of a horse
Horse and Pony Care by the Day, Week, Month and Year
Horse Racing in Hong Kong - Sha Tin Racecourse
How to Research an Off-the-Track Thoroughbred's Pedigree
Horse outside, tied to stable
Tying Your Horse or Pony Safely
Veterinarian performing a chiropractic adjustment of a horse's neck
What Does a Horse Chiropractor Do?
Young goats standing on horse in stable
Does My Horse Need a Companion?

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Buying Your First Horse Horse Care