Horse Racing Singapore and Malaysia

Don’t approach the stables as if you are a tourist. Although you may be very curious and excited about your impending horse ownership, you must approach these trips like a prospective employer interviewing job applicants.

Don’t be afraid to assert yourself and to pay close attention to important details.

What details should you be noticing? There are several things to consider as you visit each stable. If you don’t feel as though you will remember all of the important considerations in choosing a stable, you may want to bring a notepad with you on each “inspection.”

Here are some critical considerations to keep in mind when checking out the recommended stables on your list.

Cleanliness. A clean, organized property is evidence of a commitment to quality care. Although there may be great stables that look a little “rustic,” even those that lack “bells and whistles” should be neat.

Stay away from stables that don’t look well tended.

State of repair. Notice the various structures, fences and other physical aspects of the stable. Are they in good repair? A serious stable will be firmly committed to keeping their operation in tip-top running order.

If buildings appear dilapidated, fences are sagging or other obvious problems exist, you may want to consider the next stable on your list.

Water. There should be a ready supply of clean water available to horses both in paddocks and their stalls. Like all animals, horses need water for both survival and comfort.

If a stable doesn’t seem to have water at the ready for all of its equine guests, it may be a sign of trouble.

Horse health. You are a first-time horse buyer, not a professional veterinarian. Thus, you aren’t expected to perform full physicals on the horses you see.

However, you should look for signs of overall health. Do the horses have nice shiny coats? Do their eyes seem soft and focused? Do they appear to be well fed?

If the horses at the stable look less than healthy, there may be a serious problem afoot.

Horse disposition. Obviously, at this stage of the game, you are not a horse expert. However, you should be able to get a sense of whether the stabled horses look happy. Horses should appear to be relaxed.

Look to see if their ears are pointed forward (a good sign) and that their tail isn’t rigid.

If something seems “wrong” about the disposition of the animals, you should probably trust your guts and look elsewhere.

Employee disposition. The best stables have happy horses and happy staff members. Remember, you will be spending a great deal of time at the stable with your horse and an important part of your experience there will involve your interaction with the stable staff. Make sure to note how you feel about the people you meet at the stable. It is important to select an outfit with whom you can get along.

Student disposition. The horses should be happy. The stable personnel should be happy. The students should be happy, too! If the folks at the stable don’t appear to be having a good time, think twice about the facility.

This is where you will be going, and you certainly want to enjoy yourself, right?
Student/staff interaction. Observe lessons and how instructors are conducting lessons. The stable will be your “horse college,” so you want to make sure you will be attending classes with “professors” you’ll enjoy and from whom you are likely to learn.

If you aren’t comfortable with the attitudes or teaching strategies, avoid the stable. It is possible to find instructors who make learning the ins and outs of horse ownership and riding fun.

Safety. Make a point to notice whether it appears as if the stables are safe for the horse owners. Notice whether riders are dressed appropriately and are wearing protective helmets or hard hats.

Also, look at the tack and equipment used. Does it appears to be in good shape and treated with respect? If it looks as though the stable is playing fast and loose with safety, it probably isn’t the best place for any horse owner-especially a first-timer.

Long before you start the process of choosing your very first horse, it is important to deal with some critical preliminary concerns. One of the most important is finding an appropriate stable that offers quality instruction.

As a new horse owner, you will have a great deal to learn.

Although asking others and reading helpful information will supply you with much of what you need to know, there is no replacement for quality hands-on instruction from a professional.

That’s why choosing a good stable is so important-the stable will become the locus of your horse experience. It will be where you learn how to actually deal with and interact with your horse.

Finding a great instructor is equally important.

In fact, the next part of this guide will address that subject in greater detail.

You could pull out your trusty copy of the yellow pages and begin making a list of area stables to investigate.

That approach will supply you with numerous options and, with a little work, you might just find the right spot to get acquainted with your new horse. However, there is a more efficient and productive way to find a quality stable.

Start by asking people who are directly involved with horses and who have a great deal of personal experience.

Consulting with knowledgeable individuals should give you an assortment of quality leads upon which you can then follow up.

Who should you ask? There are many different options.

Some great potential resources for direction include:

Veterinarians specializing in the care of horses.
Top local horse doctors will have a great idea of which stables one should consider and may be able to give you an idea of which outfits to avoid.

They see horses that have spent time at a number of different stables and should be able to provide some unique insight.

Local tack and feed stores.
If you want to find out about the best stables, why not go to the same places other horse owners and stable operators go? By asking the management and informed personnel at horse-related stores, you should be able to find out which stables get high marks from those with a vested interest in healthy and happy horses.

Horse clubs.
Many communities boast a number of equestrian clubs. Members of these organizations are dedicated to quality animal care and are excited about bringing new horse enthusiasts into the fold.

You can get some great stable recommendations and you just might find a community of like-minded people with whom you can share your new hobby.

After generating a list of promising area stables, it will be time to let your fingers do the walking. You will need to call each of the stables and arrange a visit.

Recommendations are great, but nothing can replace a personal, on-site visit.

You may be interested in adding a horse to your life. You might be attracted to the romance of horse ownership and experiencing an age-old tradition.

You may be a naturalist, a dyed-in-the-wool animal lover, or just feel some sort of inexplicable connection with horses that makes you feel as though you are the kind of person who should be a horse owner.

No matter what your motivations are, the first thing you should do before considering horse ownership is to take a close look at yourself, your life and your objectives to make sure horse ownership is a fitting decision for you.

You should reflect upon a number of different considerations before starting down the path to horse ownership. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before making the decision.

Consider them carefully, answer them honestly, and use the insights you glean to make a wise determination of your suitability for horse ownership.

Why are you interested in owning a horse? That might seem like a simple question, but a bit of reflection should give you a good idea of whether your interest is based on core sentiments and deeply held feelings or more shallow reasoning or whim.

Horse ownership involves a great deal of effort and responsibilities. Your motivations should be strong.

Do you need to own a horse to meet your objectives? Think about what you want to achieve from the experience of horse ownership and decide whether you need to have your own horse to meet those ends.

Would it be possible to occasionally ride at a stable or elsewhere to capture the experience you are after? Alternatively, is owning and caring for your own horse important to you?

Will you make time for your horse? We all live hectic, fast-paced life. For many of us, the rapid clip of modern life is one of the reasons we seek relief by revisiting older ways of doing things and traditional experiences like horse riding.

However, not all of us are ready to carve out the time necessary to be a horse owner. Are you prepared to spend time with your horse and on the various activities associated with horse ownership?

Where would your horse go? Is your property suitable for a horse? If not, are you prepared to make the necessary arrangements so it would be? Alternatively, if you are planning to stable a horse are realistic options located within a reasonable distance from your home?

You don’t need to have definitive answers to all of those questions, but they should give you a good idea of some of the things you will need to confront as a horse owner.

Is a horse financially realistic? This guide operates on the presupposition that anyone pursuing horse ownership should be sure they have the financial means necessary to properly care for a horse and that they should be capable of meeting necessary expenses without feeling tempted to cut corners or to compromise the quality of care provided to a horse.

The guide does include a chapter on budgeting for a horse that will give you a better idea of your financial obligations.

For now, concentrate on whether you feel as though you are already in a financial crunch or if you do have room to add a horse and the expenses associated with it to your budget in a more general sense.

The answers to those questions should give you a good idea of your suitability as a horse owner.

If you have some questions about whether or not you are the right person for a horse, don’t surrender the idea immediately.

Instead, consider the matter as you continue reading and revisit your sentiments as you learn more about horse ownership.