by Angela Blair

Created on: November 15, 2009

When the right horse and the right rider get together it's truly a match made in heaven. They seem to compliment one another, whether by accident, great good luck or hard work. The first step in finding your perfect horse depends on what you want, need, can support and are capable of riding. A good rule of thumb is pretty is as pretty does! The best looking horse in the world, if an ongoing problem, is no pleasure to ride or own.

First consideration should be given to the rider's age and skills. For our purposes here we'll assume the potential horse owner is 16 years or older. We're definitely not talking about choosing a horse for a child. Various levels of rider skills follow; it's imperative to know where you fit in:

A "novice rider" is someone that's ridden maybe once, twice or never and has no knowledge about the nature of horses, their habits or health. This person is also totally unfamiliar with saddles, tack, grooming and the care and feeding of horses. Basically they have "want to" and not much else. "Want to" has produced some of the finest horseman in the world.

A step above the novice rider is what we'll call the "wannabe rider." This person has ridden enough to mount, dismount, tie, lead and occasionally knows how to load a horse in a trailer. Some, if they've had instruction, sit a saddle well, understand what "leads" mean and can neck rein a horse gently and effectively. The wannabe is rarely knowledgeable about what or how horses think nor has the ability to prevent bad horse habits or change them.

A person with medium riding skills is usually aware of how a horse is performing, what's the right lead and if the horse is responding properly to both leg and hand commands. This rider sits well and comfortably in the saddle, recognizes problems that need correcting and is in charge of what's going on. These people have reached a level of skill where they no longer give mixed signals, panic at unexpected situations and they understand saddles, tack, grooming, manners and proper feeding and health of horses. They've ridden enough to have instinct and awareness of what's going on with a horse and everything around them.

The "medium plus" rider is very knowledgeable and rides well. This person understands a horse's mentality, recognizes potential problems, is very familiar with the care, feeding and health of horses and is always concerned about the horse's well being. They know and take good care of saddles, tack, horse trailers and equipment. Their

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