When you buy a horse you want to make sure it is the right horse for you. There are so many choices available that it is often difficult to know how to make the right decision.

Here are five of the most common mistakes people make when buying a horse

1.Buying a Green Horse. A green horse is either a very young horse or a horse that has not received much training. If you want to buy a green or untrained horse you must have a lot of previous riding experience otherwise it will be an unhappy experience for both you and the horse. To train a horse you need to be a very experienced and competent rider with a lot of patience and expertise. Training a horse is a job for the experts, so if you are not an expert don't try to train a horse.

2. Ruling Out an Older Horse. Many older horses are ideal for beginners. They are usually experienced with even temperaments and make great beginner's horses. An older horse who is healthy and well trained is a far better purchase than a younger untrained horse. Most of the top trainers agree that those pupils who buy an experienced horse always learn more quickly and find riding more enjoyable.

3. Buying a Foal For Your Child to Grow Up With. In Hollywood movies you may see sweet stories of children and young foals growing up together but this is fiction and not real life. Foals and young horses do not make good pets for young children. Foals especially are playful and can be very naughty - horses being flight creatures by nature. An older and well trained horse or pony would be a much safer choice for your child.

4. Buying From an Auction. Unless you're an experienced horseperson it's best to avoid buying a horse at an auction. Horses may not react normally at an auction due to the busy atmosphere of the event. Regrettably there are some Horse Sellers who will do anything to sell a horse even if that horse is totally unsuitable for you like using drugs to sedate the horse. Or another much more difficult trick to detect is where the dealer does not give the horse water for several days before the sale so the horse appears much calmer than it normally is.

5. Buying a Horse on Impulse. It's easy to fall in love with a horse or pony but resist the temptation to buy on impulse. Just because the horse is a beautiful color does not mean it is the right horse for you from a temperament point of view. Make sure you try out the horse at least twice and try the horse in a place which offers good facilities. For example if you want to buy a jumper make sure you are able to try the horse over a course of jumps. By following these guidelines it will be easier to find the right horse for you.