July 2018 18 By C.L.”Lee” Anderson Living Historian and author Lee Anderson and his horse, Concho, are well known around the state doing presentations in schools, corporate events, and civic events. Learn more about them and his book on his website. http://historicaloldwest.org/ SO, YOU THINK YOU WANT A HORSE? Owning a horse is pretty simple. All it takes is some money. However, there a few things you might want to be aware of first. Things such as a little knowledge of metal where bridle bits are concerned (nickel plated brass versus stainless steel, iron, or alloy steel, etc.), a harness making (busted halters, headstalls, cinch latigos, etc.) , animal psychiatry (why horses do what they do .. or don’t), a horses’ skeletal structure and internal anatomy (cuts, lacerations, bruises, lameness, sickness, diseases, etc.), Horses have no concept of time (Sorry boss, I can’t make it to work today. My horse has colic.). It’s a good idea to know something about the nutritional value of and the difference between oats, corn, barley, and other cereal grains as well as 6 or 8 varieties of hay. It’s a big help to own or have access to a full-service horse facility (tack room, cross ties, riding arena, wash rack, etc.). You will find it very handy to have a lot of friends that are very horse equipment knowledgeable and have even more friends that are good horse trainers. You will want to understand leather quality, ropes and knots, leg and tail wraps protectors and bandages, cinches, horseshoes and the anatomy of the hoof, types of blankets and blanket materials, hoof picks, combs, brushes, nylon versus leather, running martingales versus draw reins, measuring a saddle seat, fitting a saddle to a horses’ back, types and styles of stirrups. Knowing what stirrup leather length is correct for which situation as well as which of several hundred types and styles of bridle bits might work best and in how many possible situations is very useful. It’s also a good idea to know the pros and cons of both ½ and 3/4 ton trucks, be somewhat familiar with 12 volt automotive electrical systems and wiring, know how to change a fuse, bumper pull versus 5th wheel trailers, straight load versus slant load trailers, and how to change a tire. Oh, yeah... a fairly sizable bank account is a really big help. Then we come to what you will run into after you get your horse. First off, they require a lot of room. They have a tendency to take full advantage of any situation in whatever they deem is in their own best interests and are big enough, powerful enough, and quick enough to do it. Family obligations, school programs, your job, or how sick you might be mean nothing to them. They require food and water 24/7/365 no matter what your other obligations and they can go through a bale of hay a week, 10 to 20 gallons of water a day, and will bless you with 3 or 4 lbs. of horse manure 8 to 10 times a day 24/7/365 which, of course, creates quite a fly control problem. Most of the time a horse has nothing to do except figure out how to hurt itself and tear up (or at least damage) anything you can build... and they are good at it. But, once you get a handle on all of this stuff there’s nothing to it... right? Yeah, well... maybe. Please, don’t get me wrong here. Owning a horse can be a rewarding and absolutely wonderful experience IF (and that’s a mighty big IF) you do considerable serious studying and make adequate preparations before purchasing one. If you don’t, it can be a nightmare. Many people have their horse boarded at a professional boarding stable. This is a viable solution for those with a limited amount of space and/or time. The cost of boarding varies a lot and often depends on how much time, effort, and work you are willing to provide for yourself. I’ve boarded horses for $100 a month where all I did was rent a stall and a small paddock. Everything else was up to me including feed and facility maintenance. one. Then, of course, added to all of this is the amount of time (and possibly expense) of learning how to stay aboard the thing while maintaining directional and speed control. You will very quickly find you spend far less time riding a horse than providing for its care. What really needs to be understood, up front, is that no matter how you go about it, owning a horse is time-consuming and costs a lot. Ownership of a horse is a total commitment. However, if you do have the time, the resources, the determination, and a willingness to learn, owning a horse can bring hours and hours of enjoyment. There’s no feeling quite like having 1000 to 1500 lbs. of living, breathing muscle walk up to you and lower its head for you to scratch its ears and give it some attention. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking that all you need is a stall or a pen, a bale of hay, a 5-gallon water bucket, a saddle, and a bridle. First off, they require a lot of room. They have a tendency to take full advantage of any situation in whatever they deem is in their own best interests and are big enough, powerful enough, and quick enough to do it. Now, there are boarding facilities that provide everything including riding and showing lessons, horse training, shoeing, and some will even have your horse saddled for you when you arrive. Of course, the more amenities provided the more it will cost. Depending on the facility and the extras provided, it can run anywhere from $400 to $1000 a month. There is going to be annual preventive health care (vaccinations, etc.), emergency and other veterinary care and it is always your responsibility boarded or not. It doesn’t come cheap. Trust me when I tell you that purchasing a horse is the least expensive aspect of owning