Adam@Home by Rob Harrell for September 23, 2013

Plus groom it daily, clean its stall twice a day feed it 3 times a day, (or pay someone to do the latter two), make sure it’s worming and immunizations are done on a regular schedule (and pay for the vet). Stay up with it when it’s sick, doctor its “boo-boo”s, and pay for the vet to treat more serious problems. Plus, if it’s a gelding, clean its sheath weekly. Then, if you have any energy left over, exercise it regularly, not just go for a fun ride when you’re in the mood, and don’t forget to clean its tack when you’re done riding. I speak from 50 years of loving and working with horses

I just like to look at them and luckily for me there’s plenty around where I live that I don’t have to take care of.

We told our daughter to “save her allowance” to get a horse, which we thought would be the end of it. She really scoured for baby-sitting jobs, etc. and actually bought an older horse from a friend.

Then came all the things Leslie mentioned. (We paid for the feed and vet.) I think she was as glad to sell the horse as we were.

Be careful what you wish for!

I have given riding lessons for more than 50 years. When a student comes for a lesson, she (most are girls) is given a halter and taught how to take the horse out of it’s stall. Then she grooms it, cleans it’s feet, and tacks it up. THEN she gets a riding lesson. Afterward, she cleans the tack, grooms the horse again, bathing it if necessary, cleans the stall and puts it away. I tell parents that if she sticks with that program, and still wants a horse of her own, she will at least know what is involved in horse ownership.