A quick and easy to read an overview of good horses for the beginner:
Good Horse Breeds for Beginners
Tennessee Walkers, Morgans, and Appaloosas all make good breeds for beginning riders – all for different reasons. Most horses in your average riding stable are mixed breeds, but you are likely to find a horse that is mostly one of those three breeds. Pony breeds are very good for children who want to ride. People like to use the word “Pony” for any small horse, but that is technically incorrect. Ponies are not small horses, they are a breed in itself.
Here is a brief overview of each species and why they would be good for beginning riders:
Although Tennessee Walkers are generally medium to large in size and tall in appearance, they have one of the calmest dispositions of any of the breeds out there. Not only are they easy to train, their faster gait (lope or canter) feels the most comfortable compared to other breeds.
Morgans are widely popular. They are more compact in build and are small to medium in size. If someone does not want to start on a horse as tall as a Tennessee Walker, yet wants an animal bigger than a Pony, this would be the horse for them. Morgans make a good choice because they are versatile. If the beginning rider wishes to advance and eventually show a horse, the Morgan would be perfect.
Appaloosas are probably the most visually appealing of the three breeds mentioned, if not in general. Most people think of circus horses with spots when they hear the word Appaloosa. However, Appaloosas don’t necessarily have predominant spots, especially if it’s not a pure breed. Any breed that has Appaloosa in it will have some sort of spots somewhere on their body, but they can be very small. Appaloosas come in sizes from small to large and with different body styles. Not all are huge by all means like one might think. Their different builds make them very versatile.
There are many types of Ponies, such as Shetland, Welsh, Highland, and many more. The one thing they have in common is that they are less than 14.2 hands tall. These make them ideal for smaller children. Even though Ponies are small, they can be trained in a variety of events, even jumping.
While all of these breeds are quite suitable for beginning riders (and a favorite of many advanced riders too); keep in mind that you need to treat them well. An animal will treat you the way you treat it. Just like humans they also come in different personalities. Get to know the horse you ride and let it get to know you, and you will make this a wonderful experience.
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