Adverts for loan horses needing work

[honetpot]

Thank you. It's such a specific description I always thought there must be more to it for some reason.

When you sell a second hand car, someone comes, kicks the tyres, sucks their teeth, says,'there's not much tread on them', then haggles the price down.
With horses, it's smaller, older, looks lame, will you give X off if we do not have it vetted, or just a very cheeky low offer.

 

[SEL]

When I was younger and braver I did a share on a very tricky horse. I rode whenever I wanted during the week and it meant his owner could ride at the weekend without taking flying lessons - but there was no payment. I mucked out the days I did him.

A few winters ago when turnout was limited a fellow livery was struggling with her young TB who'd come out of the stable on fire. I had a very, very experienced friend looking for a bit of riding and hooked them up. Livery got her horse schooled, friend got to ride. All went well until livery started to moan that she was letting her horse be ridden for free - completely missing the point that he was unrideable without turnout and was being schooled for free. It didn't last sadly.

 

[Cloball]

I wouldn't mind a share at the moment and I have spare cash. I've done the free share to bring a horse back into work before when I was younger, a poor student and more confident and it worked well twice and terribly once which really put me off. At the moment all the adverts I see are for difficult experienced only riders and I just think why pay for to be a crash test dummy again when I can put the money towards my own in the spring. Yes I don't get to ride as much at the moment but if I'm going to put all that effort and money in I'll just buy my own. I'm a bit fed up of the 'Im doing you a massive favour' attitude.

 

[Annagain]

I think loans and shares have got conflated here. I wouldn't mind a loan that needs bringing on. Generally with a loan it's like your own horse for the duration of the loan period so the time and emotional investment is "worth it". a share is pretty different, I'd be less keen to have to bring on a share horse you only get access to for a couple of hours a week.

Is that a hypothetical wouldn’t mind or are you in the market for one, MP? I know of a sharp but beautiful Welsh x Irish 16hh gelding looking for a loan home. His owner is pregnant with twins so needs to loan him for a year or two. He was entire and feral until he was 5, he’s now 7/8. He’s lovely and already doing prelim really well but he just needs some boundaries and educating, especially on the ground. He hacks like a dream.

 

[ycbm]

I would be very happy to let someone pay £160 a week livery to finish backing Joe for me. Form a queue please ?
.

 

[milliepops]

Is that a hypothetical wouldn’t mind or are you in the market for one, MP? I know of a sharp but beautiful Welsh x Irish 16hh gelding looking for a loan home. His owner is pregnant with twins so needs to loan him for a year or two. He was entire and feral until he was 5, he’s now 7/8. He’s lovely and already doing prelim really well but he just needs some boundaries and educating, especially on the ground. He hacks like a dream.

In the market, please send me details. going to meet one on Sunday but if that falls through then i'd be interested to hear more

 

[Annagain]

In the market, please send me details. going to meet one on Sunday but if that falls through then i'd be interested to hear more

I’ll pm you.

 

[Antw23uk]

I've recently seen an ad again (same photo three? years running) for a 'mum with four equines' that want two of her highlands ridden, hack only, no school, contribution required' (I believe they are kept at her property, i might be wrong)

Just sell them for gods sake!

 

[MagicMelon]

I totally get asking money to share, but not if theyre expecting their difficult horse schooled for them. But then again perhaps someone would happily pay for a challenge. Id pay for my son to ride a safe kids pony locally if there was anyone who offered, Im currently paying £17 for a very basic disorganised lesson at a riding school which he doesnt get much out of but I simply dont have a suitable pony otherwise. Id happily pay to take an outgrown pony out for a lead-rein hack etc. pony gets some exercise and might be cheaper than the riding school (plus I can teach him!)

 

[scruffyponies]

I've recently seen an ad again (same photo three? years running) for a 'mum with four equines' that want two of her highlands ridden, hack only, no school, contribution required' (I believe they are kept at her property, i might be wrong)

Just sell them for gods sake!

This is the perfect arrangement for someone who enjoys hacking with a friend, but doesn't want the commitment of ownership. Nothing wrong with it.
The contribution is necessary to weed out freeloaders. If she advertises for free, she will get to spend 2 weekends wasting time with (and having her ponies pulled around by) some numpty who then just doesn't turn up the 3rd week.

 

[Auslander]

I once advertised for someone to ride Alf a bit. No financial contribution - just a but of poo picking. Someone messaged and said they would charge me £20 a session to "school him up" for me. I was highly amused - shame I got no answer when I asked how they would go about improving him!

 

[stormox]

I think what some newbie horse riders don't realise is some experienced riders would be bored with 'the perfect horse'
I myself much prefer riding one I can work on and get pleasure from seeing the improvement every ride however small.
I wouldn't have any motivation to ride a well schooled, well behaved one, I wouldn't know what to do each day!
And I know what horses cost to keep so would be happy to pay a contribution towards shoes, feed etc.

 

[Snowfilly]

I've recently seen an ad again (same photo three? years running) for a 'mum with four equines' that want two of her highlands ridden, hack only, no school, contribution required' (I believe they are kept at her property, i might be wrong)

Just sell them for gods sake!

That sounds great to me. Current baby isn’t great to hack and I miss going out in groups. I’d gladly throw a bit of cash around to just jump on and hack a few days a week. I can do endless circles in my own time at home!

 

[Annagain]

I once advertised for someone to ride Alf a bit. No financial contribution - just a but of poo picking. Someone messaged and said they would charge me £20 a session to "school him up" for me. I was highly amused - shame I got no answer when I asked how they would go about improving him!

Maybe they could teach him to do it all in reverse or poo pick his own paddock?

 

[cauda equina]

I think what some newbie horse riders don't realise is some experienced riders would be bored with 'the perfect horse'
I myself much prefer riding one I can work on and get pleasure from seeing the improvement every ride however small.
I wouldn't have any motivation to ride a well schooled, well behaved one, I wouldn't know what to do each day!
And I know what horses cost to keep so would be happy to pay a contribution towards shoes, feed etc.

And there are probably also plenty of riders who enjoy pootling about with no drama, especially if it's someone else's horse

 

[ArklePig]

I think what some newbie horse riders don't realise is some experienced riders would be bored with 'the perfect horse'
I myself much prefer riding one I can work on and get pleasure from seeing the improvement every ride however small.
I wouldn't have any motivation to ride a well schooled, well behaved one, I wouldn't know what to do each day!
And I know what horses cost to keep so would be happy to pay a contribution towards shoes, feed etc.

There is a difference though between having an enjoyable challenge, and basically getting something fit and ready for the owner to terminate the agreement, which I suspect is what happens in a lot of these arrangements.

 

[stormox]

And there are probably also plenty of riders who enjoy pootling about with no drama, especially if it's someone else's horse

But if a 'quirky' or 'green' horse isnt what they are looking for, they won't answer an ad for that type of horse..... but it could well suit someone else.

 

[spotty_pony]

I’ve even seen some horses up for loan who are unbroken and are wanting somebody to loan them and break them in! Not something that should be done by just anybody and also getting a horse broken in for free is unheard of… dream on!