As one of the owners of a four-year-old mare, I have been in contact with many people who have young horses. This prompted me to write this article based on my experience, and those of others I know, on raising a foal.

Many books on buying the right first horse talk about the horse and how it should be right for you. But when it comes to discussions of the potential owner and how that owner should be right for a horse, those same books typically do not say much beyond having the time and money sufficient to own a horse. This article addresses the requirements of the rider.