Advice about loaning out your horse

[Eloisee]

Hi, not sure this is the correct thread so sorry if it isn't.
I'm looking for honest advice and opinions about loaning out horses
I love my pony to death but since I'm at uni my mum is struggling to look after him everyday and she is becoming frustrated that he doesn't ridden as often now.
He's 18 and 14.1. Still full of life but equally he is okay with living a relaxed life however he does enjoy work when he's in the full swing of things.
My mum wants me to loan him out but I just don't trust that I will find 'perfect' person for my boy. He's sharp and spooky, doesn't enjoy jumping and can't really hack out sensibly and definitely not alone! But he has beautiful flashy pases when the rider knows how he works. I don't want any Tom dick and Harry jumping on him and not riding correctly as he has a senesitive back and it was 2 years after I got him I could finally ride properly with him. I want a confident, competent teenager or young adult, lightweight rider.
I just don't know what to do!
Sorry it's so long

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I personally would be very very careful of a loan to anyone who you don't know personally and where you cannot go and visit the horse easily.

The ONLY loan I would ever consider again would be to an equestrian college, but yours may be a bit old for that TBH OP.

Have a look at the BHS website, it gives some good advice on loaning and also gives you some pro-forma loan agreement forms which you can use: if you want I can did out one I used for mine when he went on a private loan (which was a disaster).

Good sources to find a loan home are local hunt/Pony Club, and maybe any local FB groups to your area? If you are away at Uni and can't keep a watching eye yourself if you do loan him out, then try if you can to have someone, a friend or whatever, to keep an eye on your pony while you are away.

 

[Eloisee]

Thank you. I will definitely look at a loan agreement and it will only be a part loan 4 days so when I'm home I can see him.
Do you have any advice regarding what to do when people may come and view him? obviously I want to see them ride, but he can be abit of a monkey for new people

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

So, as I understand it you want to share the pony rather than loan him, your mother will still be left with overall care.
If he is difficult you need an experienced rider, and you need to arrange for someone else to accompany her when hacking, then you don't want someone who wants to jump .......... it not that easy to find such a paragon ........
A loan agreement is usually for a full loan when the loaner takes on full care.

 

[Shay]

Both loans and shares can be fraught I'm afraid. As a previous poster has said Pony Club is probably the best route if you were a member before - simply because if the branch knows the pony everyone keeps an eye out!

The terms loan and share tend to get used interchangeably but my understanding of them is that a loan is where the person takes the animal off yard and is 100% responsible for all care, costs etc. A share remains on your yard and you retain some control over day to day care (and responsibility for it of course!) It sounds like you are looking more for a share than a loan?

Basic advice? Avoid a child / young adult. They bring all sorts of issues unless there is a responsible person who knows horses with them. (I share my daughter's first pony and he goes mainly to kids so I speak of bitter experience!) A late teen (your age really!) is probably OK but you may hit problems with them getting to and from your yard if they don't drive. An adult is more likely to be more responsible (although not always!) but also more likely to have their own views about what they want to do.

A contract and very clear guidelines are essential - especially if you are not there every day. You need to be 100% sure that feed is as you want it, daily care is a good standard etc. I had a sharer (briefly) whose mother claimed to be very horsey but rugs were constantly done up wrong, tack put on incorrectly, feeds messed up etc. Make sure you or your Mum have the time to be with them to check every day for a little while. Have a trial period!

Things to watch for when they come... Are the confident and safe? Are you comfortable with their riding style? (I have a bug bear about heavy hands...) Can they give you references from other people who they have had shares with? What is their experience. What do they want to do? You are interviewing them - not the other way around.

You can find really great sharers / loans. But it takes a lot of effort and a fair amount of misses on the way. Make sure your mum wants that hassle and that responsibility! I know I am quite tough on my sharers but over the 5 years we've been doing this pony has brought on a fair number of kids and all bar one went on to own their own ponies. Some were really great sharers and we remain friends. A small handful (2 I think!) didn't make it through the trial period. Many had their first competition (and PC!) experiences with him and he always has a waiting list. So I can afford to be tough.

 

[epeters91]

I found a lovely girl to loan my horse a few years back, she rode him well and looked after him and I really liked her and her family we are all still friends now even with all of these good points when I had him back I found that he picked up bad habbits such as trying to drag me to grass (something he'd never done before) and shoving his head up in the air when it came to putting the bridle on because the girl had been allowing it to hang loose nd fall out whilst trying to tack him up. We got back to normal but it took some time so I would be very wary about loaning because even when it goes well there can be issues. Could you possibly put him on full livery somewhere? It gives your mum a rest but doesn't have the rik of a sharer you could even move him closer to your uni maybe?

 

[aspirit]

I have had lots of sharers over the years and obviously I would have loved not to have anyone riding my horse ideally, but I just did not have enough time and didnt want to sell her. I have charged hardly any money to lots of money and had every type of person. I have had loan agreements . It always gets awkward unfortuantely . You have to be very laid back, which I am as you can't intervere all the time. I served notice on my sharer today, yes, she will not get as much exercise , but I felt she was not taking enough care , eg blasting around all the time and I felt it was an accident waiting to happen. They are so precious to us.
I have had so many bad experiences unfortunately. I always interview, trial period, assess them via a riding lesson first as my horses are not novice, all seem ok at time . One sharer ended up in hospital after falling off her, not my fault but I felt responsible when she claimed she may never walk again (incidentially an overreaction on her part) . Once again numnahs / leadropes / boots have all gone missing . I put my horse on working livery at one point which seemed to work better , but eventually sold her until I had enough time and bought another one seven years later and I have started the process again ! Im fed up with it all and will only let people I have known for years ride her now . Good luck .

 

[Lizziebet]

Hi, I have loaned my tb out twice , once was great she worked in the yard he was kept on, there was no money exchanged and she loved him nearly as much as me , even when she fell off and fractured her pelvis. That was part loan. I moved yards as the yard I was at was relocating. I then full loaned him out to somebody who relocated with them, I thought it great i knew her and thought everyone else i knew would keep an eye on him. Obviously no.... took him back when he was skin and bone and had untreated abscess. ....so having a sharer is probably best idea. I know not everyone is the same but better safe than sorry .