When and if you decide to buy a horse for your child, seek help from your child's instructor. He or she knows your child's abilities, and can keep an eye out for a suitable mare or gelding (no stallions, of course!). Sometimes it's possible to buy the horse of an older child who's outgrown him in terms of size or ability. This is ideal, as you get a known veteran who's accustomed to taking care of a novice rider.

If need be, offer to pay your child's instructor to accompany you to examine and try animals at facilities other than the instructor's barn.

Most questions of suitability will be handled by the instructor. There are, however, a few key concepts to keep in mind at all times:

Older is better. Perhaps the most common mistake first-time buyers make is choosing a horse or pony that's too young. The worst scenario is an immature horse intended to "grow up with" the child. This is a mistake no matter how gentle the horse or pony seems to be. A horse is not a pet, and shouldn't be regarded as one. Your primary consideration must be your child's safety, and for that reason, "senior citizen" status is a virtue. As it says in the Pony Club manual, "The less experienced the rider, the more experienced the pony should be."

Well-cared-for horses can remain serviceably sound and ridable well into their 20s; ponies even longer. So look in the 9- to 15-year-old range (a Pony Club adage suggests the combined age of horse and rider should total at least 20). Though it may at times be hard to do so, stick to your older-is-better guns.

"A solid, dependable 5-year-old may seem like a wonderful mount," cautions Carmela Richards, who operates a busy Pony Club barn in Granite Bay, Calif. "But in order for him to stay wonderful, he needs to be given consistent riding for a few more years by someone experienced enough to be consistent. In the hands of a novice, he can begin to regress." And when he does, he'll become problematic -- and probably unsafe -- for your child.

Size matters. Children needn't start on a pony, but neither should you consider a 16-hand horse for a 4-foot-tall child. Ponies do provide a shorter distance to fall and, as Richards points out, "are just so much more practical for the smaller youngsters. Kids love to do things themselves. It's the old, 'I can do it!' mind-set."

On the other hand, ponies can also be "ponyish," meaning cranky and willful. So if you do look for a pony, be sure to have your child's instructor thoroughly evaluate its disposition.

Beauty's irrelevant. Although you want a horse with reasonably correct conformation to help him stay sound (you'll rely on your child's instructor to evaluate conformation for you), you shouldn't be concerned with show-ring looks. This advice is harder to follow than it sounds, as it's all too easy to fall in love with a really "cute" horse or pony. If that happens, with your instructor's blessing, go ahead and look, but don't lower your standards in other areas. And keep in mind that good looks will certainly affect the purchase price. So if you're trying to keep within a budget, don't let a little homeliness put you off.

Nothing's a given. Even if a prospect seems well-trained and nicely mannered, ask specifically about all vices. Does the horse or pony ever bite? Kick? Rear? Strike? Spook? Run away? Pull back? Refuse to load into a trailer? And so on.

Insist on a trial. If your child's instructor gives the OK on a mount, ask the seller if you can bring the horse or pony to the instructor's barn for at least a week's trial. Sellers are usually willing to let you take a prospective child's mount for a test period, if they're sure the animal will be well cared for. (And if they won't agree to a trial, beware.)

Then, under appropriate supervision, have your child do everything with the horse you want her to be able to do -- such as catch, groom and saddle up; take a lesson; and ride out on the trail (with supervision). If the horse passes muster, you'll be ready to have a vet check.

A pre-purchase exam (or "vet check") is important regardless of the horse or pony's price. For an expensive animal, you want to be sure you're getting your money's worth. For an inexpensive one, you want to make sure your new purchase won't go lame or keel over immediately, because your child is certainly going to become attached to it.

Be aware, though, that an experienced, mature beginner's horse is unlikely to get a "perfect score" on a veterinarian's evaluation, nor should you expect him to. Consult with your child's instructor to decide which minor health or soundness problems you can live with in return for a sound resume and wonderful disposition.

Pay the price. How much should you pay for a good first horse for your child? If you're not looking for something of show quality -- and you probably shouldn't be -- you ought to be able to find something suitable for about $3,500 to $5,000, at the low end. You'll see "bargain-priced" horses advertised for sale, and occasionally circumstances allow a truly good beginner's horse to be available for under $3,500.

But the odds that something is wrong with a less expensive animal -- either temperamentally or health-wise -- are high. Approach all "bargains" with a jaundiced eye, and be doubly sure your child's instructor has plenty of opportunity to check the animal out. (And those $500 ponies and "free to good home" horses in your local newspaper's classifieds? Don't go there.)

Helpful Contacts:

American Association of Riding Schools Inc.

8375 Coldwater Rd.
Davison, MI 48423-8966
colleenpace@onemain.com
www.ucanride.com
810-653-1440

American Riding Instructors Certification Program

28801 Trenton Ct.
Bonita Springs, FL 34134-3337
aria@riding-instructor.com
www.riding-instructor.com
239-948-3232

Certified Horsemanship Association

5318 Old Bullard Rd.
Tyler, TX 75703-3612
www.cha-ahse.org
1-800-399-0138

Reprinted with permission from Growing Up With Horses, 2005. Published by Primedia Equine Network. Click here to order a copy or call 301-977-3900