Hello everyone! I do not have many horse-people in my immediate life, so I thought I would come here.

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I am currently getting my AA in Equine Science in college and I absolutely love it, but I have nowhere to apply it. I am unsure if I will be continuing my education in Equine Science after my AA as I do not want to be an equine vet, farrier, chiro, etc. However, I find my degree extremely helpful for everyday equine things (owning/managing horses).

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I have vast equine experience. I have been riding for 10+ years, I've leased horses, worked in barns, been a TA for equine programs in schools. I have brought other people's horses back into work and volunteered at a horse rescue amongst many other things. By no means I would say I am "professional" or know it all about the equine industry, but I do have experience and lots of it.

Now, with that being said. I have never owned a horse. I've always wanted to own one though. My degree was very hands-on pre-COVID. However, I haven't been able to work with horses well... since COVID happened. Before that, I stopped actively riding horses, and taking lessons (life happened). I probably haven't ridden a horse in two or three years, which is absolutely heartbreaking to say out loud.

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I guess, what I am trying to get at is: Should I take riding lessons again before I get a horse? The last trainer I had, up and left the state without warning and that was the last time I took lessons. It took me about two lessons (Once a week) to regain muscle memory and rhythm when riding, and I was right back at my prime. I want my own horse. I have the finances. I have the knowledge, and I know how to find the right barn, vet, farrier, and everything else. I wouldn't want to buy a greenie or anything. I literally just want to go on trail rides and do arena work with a nice broke seen-it-all type of horse.

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I don't come from a horse-people family. It is just me. I do not have a job at the moment as I am in college (very grateful do not get me wrong, I am extremely grateful). My father has said that he would completely be behind me when and if I want to buy a horse (financially wise), but explaining the large upfront and continuous cost of owning a horse is difficult to explain to non-horse folks.

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I would feel terrible just dropping all of the expenses on my father. It makes me feel guilty, even though we do have enough money. I guess my second question, following the first would be: Should I finish my AA Equine Science degree, take a year off and get a job so I can save up partially and get a horse and everything I need then?

- Also, I know myself. Full-time college and a part-time job would not work for me. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I would have a mental break.

- I could also work it out with my father, he would completely do it. Just the idea of making him pay all of that money makes me feel uneasy. (I have guilt when it comes to money... lol)

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I am experienced, I have seen a lot of things in the equine world, and I know a lot. I have just never owned a horse. If I decide I want to continue my Equine Science degree and go onto my "dream" equine university, I need a horse of my own.

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I think that is all I have to say? I apologize if I came off rambly, or insincere. I just need advice, and I don't have horse people to talk to who "get it".

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Thank you for reading <3

If you really want a horse and your family is willing to get you one, go for it. A lot of the horse expenses don't apply to me since I have a property with barns and pasture and have been trimming them myself for years, so I don't have the best concept of how much it costs to keep a horse that needs to be boarded and has a professional farrier working on it. What I do is train all of ours from the ground up and enjoy the different talents and feels of each horse. I can't imagine not having them around. If your heart is aching for a horse and you have the ability to get one, go for it. Live your best life. If your dad wants to get it for you, take him up on his offer and do a bunch of little things over time to tell him how much you appreciate it. If you really feel guilty about him paying for everything, keep detailed records of expenses and pay him back once you have the ability. If he won't take the money, disguise it as nice Christmas/birthday gifts. Additionally, choose everything carefully. First, pick out the perfect barn for you. Next, ask around and find the right farrier and vet. Finally, look through lots of horses and pick your perfect partner. Choosing the right facilities and the perfect horse can take a long time, so by the time you actually buy the horse, you may be close to graduating. I'm insanely picky about what I like and what I want in a horse. We brought home a green 2 year old to be a project for me about 3 weeks ago, but other than occasional projects, we haven't bought any horses to keep long term in around 3 years. One of our current horses has been with us for 25 years and isn't going anywhere. When we find a horse that checks every box of what we want, it stays with us for a long time, so it can easily be years between purchases. Finding the right horse for you, the right place to keep it, the right people to work on it, and the right person to haul it can take months, potentially even years. If it's going to be your one and only, make sure it's everything you want in a horse and don't settle for anything. Take your time and find your dream horse.

I would look into leasing, or boarding at a nearby stable. It's incredible that your father has offered to help, but it sounds like he doesn't understand the full financial implications of owning a horse, so it's not entirely fair to push that on him.

I would personally continue your schooling and taking lessons from another barn. Get involved in the horse world and make connections with trainers and farriers, etc. You can know all of the things, but you can only go so far by yourself. It pays to have those connections.

Thank you everyone for your input. :) It's nice to have advice from others. I will take them into consideration!

I totally agree, making those connections will make finding the horse easier and like Shinga said don't rush things just because you miss horses and want one. You wanna get the best horse possible for you and taking the time to become established again will greatly help you! You have the knowledge obviously but take some time to lease and find the best possible option for lessons and boarding before you hop back in again! It's sad to wait but it will be worth it!

I would say get back into lessons before buying a horse. You'll want to get back into the groove a bit so you can find a horse that actually fits you, not one that was only good because you were off riding for a while, if that makes any sense.