EVALUATING and Buying a New Horse: The Holistic Approach

To ease that transition, I’ve created a list of questions you might want to ask about any horse you’re considering buying. This list will help you determine how easy or difficult it will be to bring your new horse into a holistic care program. These questions typically won’t be asked in a traditional vet check or suitability assessment that only takes into consideration the compatibility of the horse’s temperament and body type for the kind of work you have in mind.

<> Has the horse had a lot of vaccinations? <> Heavy and frequent vaccination can affect the immune system and cause chronic diseases that may not appear until later.

<> Has the horse been given frequent or heavy doses of antibiotics? <> Too many courses of antibiotics (either for every minor illness or for a serious injury) can affect the health of the digestive tract and radically reduce the population of healthy bacteria in the gut. Poor digestion can lead to ulcers, inability to hold weight, poor absorption of vitamins and minerals, poor condition, and more.

<> Has the horse had frequent doses (every 2 months) of chemical dewormers, especially the more toxic versions? <> Given too often, chemical dewormers can become toxic to the horse, especially the ones that are designed to treat a large variety of parasites. Products such as Strongid and Panacur are safer and less toxic.

<> What do the horse’s feet look like? <> This question is especially important if you’re considering keeping the horse barefoot. While a traditional vet check will consider the horse’s feet, you need to make a more specific assessment to find out whether the horse will fit into a barefoot program. Consult with your trimmer or farrier to find out how long it would take for the horse to transition out of shoes and into bare feet.

<> Does the horse tie and trailer well? <> A horse that doesn’t tie or trailer can severely limit your ability to enjoy activities outside the barn area, such as showing or trail riding. Plus, it can be especially difficult to break a horse of bad habits like sitting back or kicking in the trailer.

<> Has the horse lived in pasture and does he get along well with other horses? <> Ask the owner whether the horse has been out with other horses, where he stands in the pecking order, and whether he picks fights with other horses. Feeding time is a great opportunity to discover these answers for yourself. Allowing the horse to live in a natural pasture environment with other horses is crucial for holistic care. A horse that can’t get along with others could negatively influence your ability to provide a totally natural environment.

<> How has the horse been handled? <> Has the horse lived in a herd environment with little human contact or has he had a lot of individual attention? Does he have the basic ground manners such as respecting your space and leading quietly? Does he exhibit the willingness to yield to pressure, have things around his legs, and be touched all over?

If you are considering purchasing a horse that has had conventional rather than holistic care, keep in mind that the transition to holistic care may take a while so be patient. Horses that have been held together with allopathic medicine may fall apart when they are asked to rely on their own immune systems to heal from minor injuries or colds. I’ve seen horses come off the track that can’t heal from small cuts and scrapes on their own. Because they have been given antibiotics for every cut, scrape, and snotty nose, their own immune systems are no longer functional. A minor cut then becomes a major event and I’ve had to recommend temporarily using antibiotics while the horse develops his own immune response.

Because of these factors, it can take a conventionally treated horse 1 to 5 years to reach the same level of health as a holistically treated horse. At the same time, almost any horse can be brought to optimum health with holistic care—it’s often a matter of how much time and money you’re willing to spend. If you find a conventionally treated horse that you just love but has some problems, rest assured that all hope is not lost. It’s possible to bring even horses with chronic conditions back from the brink with a holistic approach as long as you are prepared for what could be a long and rocky road.

I hope these questions and considerations help you evaluate the potential costs and rewards when buying your next horse. Taking a little extra time to ask a few more questions can help you find exactly the right horse for your needs. Look for more information on this subject in our Mid-Month Update, when I discuss how to evaluate a potential horse’s five element personality type.

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