At LEAST a year of riding lessons under a professional instructor and TONS of research about everything horse care. I have been riding for over 9 years and I am still learning (and still don't have a horse)! I would definately suggest leasing first, because then you get a taste of horse ownership and you can decide whether its something you really want or not.

I personally recommend that you ride for at least 1year at least before getting a horse ideally 3years as you will have to be able to cope with every situation from your horse bucking and rearing to bolting through fear and you will need to be able to distinguish between when a horse is misbehaving through fear, boredom or just because he/she is misbehaving

At least a year. You don't want to buy a horse and then not be safe on it.

Good Luck!

It depends on how quickly you learn, not the length of time.
Before buying a horse - riding wise I think you should be able to walk, trot, canter and gallop confidently, jump a 2 foot course confidently and deal with more difficult horses.
Care wise there's a lot more to it.

Riding wise, you should have at least a year to a year and a half of lessons. And you should feel very comfortable on most horses your trainer puts you on at your level.
Horse care wise, you should know just about everything possible.

not a easy question to answer. there is a lot of things to take into account. if you where keeping a horse where there is loads of knowledgeable horse people to help and give you advice.then i would say a yr or two. but you really should be able to ride to a good level. you would learn from a well schooled horse but it would also work out you didn't know your stuff and push you. you could end up getting hurt.

I bought my first hrse when I was 7 no I wasnt spoiled I worked my butt off and now if I get below an a i lose the horse. I had beeen "riding" all my life but not seriously I was being ponied around. I got an older horsse that many ppl rode before we even considered him. then I rode him for months before we finally got him I still have him to this day and I'm glad I got him because he is SO sweet I'm about to get a new horse to get really serious with. but it all depends on the person

Well, I'm leasing my trainers horse so If you have a trainer then you should lease one of his/her horse.
Especially if it is for a beginner rider.
Because if you buy a horse when you don't know anything about them, then it could definitely be dangerous for you, and the horse.
I would do lots of research and go to the local library and get horse care books and study them HARD!
Because owning a horse isn't going to be easy, you have to know quite a bit before you buy.
Leasing is much easier.
So if you have a trainer like I said, then ask him/her to lease one of their horses.

in my opinion the length of time doesn't matter its your confidence that does. you should always buy a older horse that is super easy for you to learn on. you could always get your horse and take lessons with it. the horse learns while you learn just make sure you are super confident in yourself or it won't work out!

You don't have to wait, You could buy one now. The whole waiting a year thing is ridiculous. Everyone starts somewhere. There is no law or rule that says you have to wait, you just might need to get some lessons or have someone around you who can help you better you riding skills if you run into trouble.
I grew up with a bunch of friends most of which had horses and we didn't know how to ride, just learned as we went.
Go for It.

Jenny

While knowing the basics of horse care is an important factor, I think it's also important to know exactly what kind of riding you want to engage in and to be realistic about your level of expertise before you buy a horse.

That sounds obvious, but it isn't always. I've known people who rushed out and bought a nice hunter, only to realize after a while that they were really more interested in dressage and the horse isn't right for them. I've also known people who bought a beginner horse and quickly outgrew it, and people who bought an "experienced rider only" horse under the assumption they would "grow into it," only to find that the horse was too much for them and always would be too much for them. I've also known people who thought they'd just do pleasure riding, but found out they wanted a horse to show, and so the nice backyard horse they'd bought wasn't right for them; or the other way around, someone who bought an expensive show horse only to find that they really wanted a horse they could just go out trail riding on.

I have never met anyone who regreted taking their time deciding what kind of horse they wanted to buy and then took their time finding the right horse, but I've known an amazing number of people who regretted buying a horse too quickly.

1 to 2 years.

i didnt follow rules,
i started leasing after 4 months of riding
but i had people watching me and teaching me
i have now been riding for over a year and i own the horse i leased

im a fast learner and i take really good care of him

it depends on what your instructor thinks
but i think you should have a year of riding.

It Really Depends On The Person You Can't Just Say That Someone Can't Have A Horse Because They Haven't Ridden For A Certain Amount Of Time If Your At A Yard Where Someone Could Help You Out If You Weren't Sure I'm Sure You Would Be Fine. It's Good To Lease A Horse Before You Buy one Then It's Just Like Having Your Own And You Can Get Used To Things And Used To The Routine And Everything. It's Good To Read Up That Will Help Your Knowledge About Horses.

Before You get Your Own Try And No The Answers To Some Questions Like….

1) What Would You Do If Your Horse Hurt It's Self? Who Would You Call? How Would You React?

2) Are You Sensible Enough To Know Not To Push Your Self Or Your Horse Not To Do Anything That's To Hard?

You need To Know The Basics So You Can Learn More Double Check That You Can . . .

*Put Your Tack On Properly.
*Muck Out Properly.
*Know The Correct Feed Your Horse Needs.

Make Sure That If You Buy One It's The Right Horse for You And Remember that Sometimes You Can Choose The Wrong One And It Happens (=

If You Could Keep Your Riding Lessons On That Would Be Good And Maybe If They Do them Go To A Few Pony Clinic Or Own A Pony Days??

Good Luck
x.x.x.x

At least one year. To be more experienced, I would suggest 5 years. The longer the better, because you don't want to buy or lease a horse and then find out you're not experienced enough to handle it.

I've been riding for 10 years and have only half- leased a horse I still have so much to learn. I absolutely love horseback riding and would love to get a horse! but, i am perfectly okay with where i am now. It depends what your situation is. I definitely suggest you wait though. Hey if you think you're ready.. lease a horse to get a taste of it! You might think you know most everything it takes but i assure you there is always more. If you love it then go for it! as long as you're in a place with experienced people =] But good luck!! I'm glad you're picking it up quickly. Enjoy every second of it!