What would I be getting into?

For the record, I don't think there is such a thing as "bomb proof". You just have to find the right bomb.

I agree. However, to someone whose been involved in Arabians (me), most others are practically bomb proof... relatively speaking. [sm=biggrin.gif] When my reaction to a spook is, "is that the best you've got??" I consider them pretty bomb proof. []

Makes sense now, at first due to my own insecurities I was thinking you meant 'go find a musical horse at WalMart, plug a quarter in, and ride that one' cause of how rusty I am on riding []  Can you see the ticked off, impatient five year olds waiting their turn while I am whooping and hollering on a coin-op pony? lol 
In all seriousness, I would want a bomb proof horse anyway, especially considering my kids would want to ride too.   Jules

Ok Jules here ya go from Storey's Encyclopedia-

"Check the penis for a "bean" or mass of smegma that sometimes forms in the diverticulum near the urethral opening. A large enough bean can interfere with urination. Move back the skin at the end of the penis until you find a small pouch of skin. If there is a bean, it should roll out quite easily. Your horse might be inclined to kick at this point if he's not used to the procedure."

Now you know. [8|]

Oh, Lordy......did the encyclopedia mention anything about flowers and dinner first?  At least I didn't fall off my chair lmboooooooooo
It's like the 'fear factor' of horse care.  Jules

Okay, new questions...
what does 'herd sour' and 'barn sour' mean?
What is 'sacking out'?
Who is Clinton Anderson and John Lyons?
Is there any difference or benefit to feeding treats by hand vs by bucket? 
I saw some pix of 'Icelandic' horses today, I'm in love.    Jules

Jules, It's past my bedtime.
Herd sour or buddy sour -They want to stick with their friends instead of doing what you want
Barn sour - They don't want to go away from the barn and when they are away they want to run back to the barn.
Sacking out - is putting heavy sacks on a horse's back to simulate the weight of a rider? (I think)

Do you get RFD-TV? They have lots of horse and training shows. Both Anderson and Lyons have shows.
Clinton Anderson is a horse trainer from Austalia. I learn a lot from him. I don't care much for Lyons.
Always keep your palm and fingers flat when hand feeding. They can't tell your fingers from a treat.

Nighty night and happy horsey dreams. []

TY ) Silly get some sleep, we have over a year to answer these questions.  (And you'll still be a gem tomorrow.)   Jules

Hey Jules!

First stepping into the world of horses can be so overwhelming, especially when learning all the new terminology. But it is worth it! I have my bachelors in equine science, and am starting my masters in it next year. I am also doing research with a couple of different horse projects over the summer. Funny thing, I don't own a horse! (I will someday, though- hopefully sooner rather than later [] ) I do ride though.

I'd look and see if you have a local extension agent in your area. They can be a great source of information and get you into contact with knowledgeable horse people that are good at helping newbies get their feet wet. Also, look for clinics in your area. Not riding clinics, but horse management and care clinics. I live in Ocala, FL which is probably more horse-oriented than even Kentucky, so I am not sure if these opportunities will be as easy to come across in your area as they are in mine. But it is definitely worth a try!

Oh, just to elaborate on 'sacking out'. It's called that because sacks of flour or potatoes (etc) used to be used to simulate the weight of a saddle/rider before the horse was first mounted. It is now used as a general term for getting the horse used to tack being on it.

I love all your questions so far, I bet you are soaking up horse knowledge like a sponge!

P.S.- My friend removed a bean from an elderly slightly neglected gelding the other day that was probably 3 inches in diameter and a half an inch thick. Ouch!! He seemed very happy after it was gone, lol!

TY Clarzoo, each new post and perspective is really helping a lot.  The funny thing is that I have literally a thousand 'saddle' hours.  But, no one ever taught me anything else.  It was my mom's friend who owned horses, and I would come out and the horse would literally be standing there, groomed, saddled, and ready to ride.  They never had me do barn chores, grooming, saddling, feeding , or anything at all for this horse.  She turned me out into this large pasture for hours on end everyday and I would ride around as much as I liked.  I would come back in when I was tired.  My daughter is 8, and there is no way in hell-o I would ever do that with her.  So I had all this ride time and zero teaching behind it.  I can still remember his (the horse) name, and I don't even know what breed he was.  I thought I was doing great until he wandered under a low growing tree with me on him of course, dragging me through all these low branches, I came back to the house with huge red welts all over my neck and face.   I was thankful I wasn't knocked off, nor poked in the eye   But I did realize even then that it was not ME in charge, the horse was 'entertaining/babysitting' me. 
I can still remember urging him to run, I thought I was riding a four legged mountain.  It was heaven.  
This whole bean business is over the top lol      Jules

It takes lots of $$$$ to own a horse!  The cheapest thing is buying one no matter what you pay for it.  Lots of good suggestions given here, read all you can on care etc.  My suggestion  would be to go to a riding stable and take lessons.  The trainer might need help caring for the horses she or he has in their care.  This will give you plenty of experience on what is involved in keeping and caring for a horse.   Or someone might be going on a a long vacation and needs someone to exercise and feed their horse.   
 
We've had two horses and a pony for over 35 years, they have since gone to RainbowsBridge and now we have a couple of Min. Donkey's.   Hoof trimming/shoeing is every 6-8 weeks and not cheap.  Having the vet out for an illness can be very expensive.  If a vet call is needed it can cost $50. or more just to come to your property that doesn't include the treatment(s).   I found a link to give you some ideas, but I'm sure the prices are much higher now.  I remember we had to pay $8-$12 for one bale of alfalfa, so it depends on what part of the country you are in.     I would think long and hard about this idea.   Good luck!
 
[linkhttp://lorienstable.com/articles/owning/100-costs/]http://lorienstable.com/articles/owning/100-costs/[/link]

TY Pat, yes indeed I am giving it some very serious thought.  I have been thinking about this for several years, but as I get older, I have more drive to put it into reality.  I figure about $400 a month or so to keep a healthy horse alive, but that doesn't include things that can and do happen, plus buying a p/up truck and horse trailer, fixing up housing and related things, (stalls and the like) and on and on.  I did go to that site and I will go back several times to read it all.  I don't turn down info that educates me on 'what I would in fact be getting into.'   Anyway, I'm off to work so more questions prob later.  TY everyone.  Love to all.....  Happy Birthday to you danehaven, whatta big cutie kissy face you got lmbo!!   Jules

You might want to look into volunteering with a rescue or equine non profit.  We are always looking for strong backs, groomers, and treat feeders.  It's also a great way to log some "barn hours" before you commit to a horse of your very own. 

Lillodawg you had an excellent idea.  I started googling on it today. 
It's hard because once you start googling on horse rescue all the pix of abandoned and neglected horses are like a tidal wave and it's overwhelming to see.  They are everywhere and there are so many of them.  Skinny, abused, neglected horses drink at your soul.  Jules

Here's an update on what I have been up to.  Lots of reading.  I follow every link someone posts and follow the links they post too.  I am not having a lot of luck finding a nearby rescue for horses, it looks like the only place at all maybe Wasatch Humane.  The website didn't give me much, so I am going to call them on the phone today.  I bug everyone on the horse forum with questions and they all very patiently explain everything.  I'm going to look for the encyclopedia someone recommended and dig into that.  The hard parts are when I find horse abuse and horse slaughter sites, they are very upsetting to see.  Apparantly Europe and Asia are eating 'our' horses.  This is outrageous and disgusting. I don't even remember how I stumbled onto the 'JustSayWhoa' website but the photos are very graphic.  The other site I saw on 'soring' was bad even without photos.  One of the cool things about the horse forum is I found and can talk to a lady who lives an hour south of me. 
It seems to be a whole new horse world, but with the same old dark secrets.[:@][:'(][].       One thing I am doing is more yard work, so lots of sun and hard labor so no one is seeing much of me lately but I do check in a couple of times a day.  Thankyou so much horse ladies and to a certain AlphaMare whom I really appreciate!  Love to all........ Jules

Sorry for chiming in so late, but good for you Jules!  Sounds like you're doing all the necessary research to make some informed decisions
 
When it's time to buy, post the horses and their bio's up here and maybe we can give you some food for thought about the different prospects.
 
I did something similar when I bought my boy.. and I've never regretted my decision, several people on the board really helped me make my choice.  []  Thanks again, Guys!
 
Goodluck and let us know what other questions you have.