Before you buy a horse
Not every horse is right for every purpose. Before you buy a horse, have a long think about your skill level, your ambitions and your financial capability.
If you want a reliable trail horse, but a trail horse, not a dressage prospect.
Buying a horse is an incredibly exciting adventure so it's no wonder that we sometimes get more emotional than rational about it. I know the feeling of »falling in love« with a horse on first sight is intoxicating and intuition is a strong thing, but nevertheless, we should retain a sense of rationality when deciding which horse is right for us.
Why am I saying this? Because all too often I see scenarios where someone buys a horse they fall in love with, only to realise a year later that the horse is too much for them. Too much power, too much temperament, too many medical expenses... When you are buying a horse, first have a long hard think about what you want from the horse. Is your plan to have a nice, trail riding horse that you take out three times a week and spends the rest of his time enjoying life in a herd? Are you looking for a horse to work with every day, teach tricks, explore the outdoors on two or three day rides? Are you looking for a horse to compete with twice a year? Or every weekend? These will all be different horses.
All too often people get the flashy Warmblood with incredible gaits, because they're drop dead gorgeous and then regret it when they turn out to be too much. Because they did not realise that the Warmblood will need a year of groundwork and lunging to teach them good posture and develop their core before you can do any riding. Because they did not realise that due to hyperflexibility, the horse will need to be trained very, very carefully. Because they did not realise that the horse will be over-reactive on the trail and will have to be ridden by an experienced rider. Obviously, every horse is different and there are big Warmbloods out there that do just fine being ridden twice a week on the trail. But, if you, like many riders, are not looking to make your way to the Olympics, do yourself a favour and get a draft mix. They might not look quite as fancy and they might not make it to high level dressage, but they are reliable and healthy. They are naturally more stable, so they will need less time to develop a strong core and good posture. They are generally quieter so they will be safer out in the woods. Obviously, these are generalizations too. There are plenty of draft horses out there that are spooky and reactive. (And many, who are far from healthy).
The point isn't that some horses are better than others. The point is that you need to think about what kind of horse can give you what you want and then go out and buy that horse. If you are an inexperienced driver, you won't go and buy a Ferrari. If you are an inexperienced rider, don't go and buy a horse you can't handle.