2 year contract abroad - what do I do with my beloved horse?!

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oliviacharley

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Been offered a fantastic opportunity to work abroad on a 2 year contact. Had an extremely terrible year so I'm keen to get some space and try a new challenge but I don't know what to do with my horse.
Ideally I'd like his part loaner to take him on but she's at uni so has commitments and time issues.
My concern is I'll have to full loan him to someone who I don't know and won't have the time to trust.
I have no issues with loaning him - I part loan him now which is working really well.
I don't leave until April but due to being based in Singapore so I won't be able to visit him often to check on him.
I don't have family in this country so I have limited people who could check on him and I'm also a bit OCD about his happiness and care.
He's currently on DIY and I don't have the finances to keep him on full livery :( really stuck
 
Options (from a UK perspective, not sure if they'll all apply to Sing)
-take him with you (depending what level you're at/where you're going it might be an option to include relocation costs for him in the package)
- find one or more other part-loaners for the 'spare' parts?
- find a full loaner
- working livery (assuming available/he would be suitable)
- turn away (retirement/cheap grass livery - not sure how available that would be in Sing)
- sell
- don't go
 
Can you find another part loaner to do the bits your current sharer can't do and back that up with ad hoc services so you know he's covered if there are any days they can't do or if there's a short term problem?

Is the job with your current company? If so, it's possible that they'll give you an allowance for living/working abroad which might help towards the costs of keeping him if you're careful with money. I have a friend who was seconded to work in another part of the country. Her rent was paid for the time she was there, which meant she could rent out her house back home and this paid for her horse to stay on full livery.
 
ThursdayNext said:
Options (from a UK perspective, not sure if they'll all apply to Sing)
-take him with you (depending what level you're at/where you're going it might be an option to include relocation costs for him in the package)
- find one or more other part-loaners for the 'spare' parts?
- find a full loaner
- working livery (assuming available/he would be suitable)
- turn away (retirement/cheap grass livery - not sure how available that would be in Sing)
- sell
- don't go
Click to expand...

^^^^ This.

I know I'm soft-hearted and pathetic, but know which "option" I'd choose.....
 
Colud part loaner continue to pay her costs and you make up the difference? So could he be on DIY on her days and full livery on your days? It would cost you extra but peace of mind is worth a lot and he would continue with his same routine and you know, like and trust her already.

People who are suggesting you shouldn't go because of the horse (I assume) please do go, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity and we only live once.
 
I dont know what to do about your horse, all i want to say though is do NOT put him before your job dreams. This is a truly amazing opportunity for you and it will benefit in so many ways - your horse might be nice but unless he is going to pay your bills don't let him dictate your life.

For what it is worth, the best option for me would be to find a full livery that your part loaner could still do her bit and you then know he is cared for and ready when you do (if you do) come back..

Thats another thing though - does this job come with any possibility of moving back to where you are now? Will there be a job for you? It may mean a move away from the local area indefinitely.
 
Is it worth looking putting him on H4H?
Apart from the cost, I'd be amazed if you could take him with you. From what I remember Singapore is very busy and very urban. And VERY hot and humid...he'd take a while to get used to it, even if you could find somewhere. But I agree that you shouldn't turn it down because of him. If you can full loan, would your part loaner be prepared to keep an occasional eye on things?
 
I actually think loaning could turn into a nightmare. You have to think worse case scenario, you're there for a few months and get a text/email/call saying 'change of circumstances I can't have him anymore', what the hell do you do from Singapore? For me the most sensible option would either be working livery or a college loan, making them fully aware that you will be gone for two years and his upkeep will be up to them.
 
For a two year contract it really might be best to think about selling. As others have said, there are a lot of risks with a loan and if it all goes wrong it's going to be incredibly difficult for you to manage from Singapore. Even with a working livery type arrangement, if he doesn't settle or gets some sort of health problem or non-trivial lameness things could suddenly become really problematic. Two years is a long time to bank on a run of good luck! Unless there is somewhere you know and really trust where you could put him on full or grass livery, it all feels a bit risky to me.
 
Don't despair! I'd happily take on the right horse on loan for 2 years as my horse is currently recovering from an injury and is likely to be turned away for a year or more.

Just get plenty of references and maybe ask a friend to keep an eye on things. I think two sharers might be a recipe for trouble though.
 
Please take the job - what a wonderful opportunity. I would try to get him into a suitable working livery, one where you already know he will get excellent care, because a two year loan when there is no-one else here to keep an eye on him for you is a long time to trust things will go right. Otherwise (this one is very difficult for you), bite the bullet and sell him.
 
OP, Just realised that you probably meant you are based here now and the contract is in Sing? Hadn't read it quite right until seeing other replies...

For the sake of adding some balance to this thread...

Sing is pretty dull (clean, weirdly law abiding/apologetic for existing, repressive atmosphere with not that much quality culture and if you are used to Europe the shopping is both expensive and not all it is hyped up to be).

Food and 'ex pat lifestyle' good though... which brings me on to... most of the service industries out there are likely to have plenty of money (absolute terms, not relative to other points in economic cycle)/negotiate on individual contracts.

And the tax regime is pretty permissive...

Are you really sure you can't afford the full (or full on non-share days) livery based on negotiation/low taxes/likely income?

Selling is fine as long as you don't care what happens to the horse - in the sense that it isn't really any more secure a future than loaning, you just don't necessarily know about/have the hassle of dealing with the outcomes.

For Sing though I personally wouldn't bother. Three of the top ten things to do there are go to the zoo. (Seriously: normally; at night and specifically to see the orchid collection - I really don't see the attraction for much longer than a weekend and yes, I've worked there). It sounds as though you may have already made some kind of move (from your comment about not having family around) and so there'd have to be a pretty strong draw to Sing in particular/the precise role (sure you couldn't do a similar thing here?)/other locations near by it would let you travel to at weekends etc to make it worth while.

Edited to add: you might find the 'opportunity' amazing for some reason... I really posted this to balance the thread. But at the end of the day the company offering it think they are getting a good deal by getting you at the price they are offering, they aren't doing this from the goodness of their hearts/becasue people really enjoy moving around that much. And that means you need to make sure it really works for you too.
 
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ThursdayNext said:
OP, Just realised that you probably meant you are based here now and the contract is in Sing? Hadn't read it quite right until seeing other replies...

For the sake of adding some balance to this thread...

Sing is pretty dull (clean, weirdly law abiding/apologetic for existing, repressive atmosphere with not that much quality culture and if you are used to Europe the shopping is both expensive and not all it is hyped up to be).

Food and 'ex pat lifestyle' good though... which brings me on to... most of the service industries out there are likely to have plenty of money (absolute terms, not relative to other points in economic cycle)/negotiate on individual contracts.

And the tax regime is pretty permissive...

Are you really sure you can't afford the full (or full on non-share days) livery based on negotiation/low taxes/likely income?

Selling is fine as long as you don't care what happens to the horse - in the sense that it isn't really any more secure a future than loaning, you just don't necessarily know about/have the hassle of dealing with the outcomes.

For Sing though I personally wouldn't bother. Three of the top ten things to do there are go to the zoo. (Seriously: normally; at night and specifically to see the orchid collection - I really don't see the attraction for much longer than a weekend and yes, I've worked there). It sounds as though you may have already made some kind of move (from your comment about not having family around) and so there'd have to be a pretty strong draw to Sing in particular/the precise role (sure you couldn't do a similar thing here?)/other locations near by it would let you travel to at weekends etc to make it worth while.

Edited to add: you might find the 'opportunity' amazing for some reason... I really posted this to balance the thread. But at the end of the day the company offering it think they are getting a good deal by getting you at the price they are offering, they aren't doing this from the goodness of their hearts/becasue people really enjoy moving around that much. And that means you need to make sure it really works for you too.
Click to expand...

lol i have heard people say the best thing about it is the airport - and i can testify that the airport is awesome.
 
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