Advice loaning - loan my pony

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LOZHUG

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Im in need of advice and experiences of loaning......

Today I got a call I wasn't planning on having. My pony is at my friends and some people were coming to try her Shetland to loan but it's wasn't right for them so then my friend thought about my Shetland that's at her house. She phoned me to ask what I thought but it was a bit of a shock I wasn't sure I said they were welcome to tack him up and try him and see what they thought. In the mean time I went up to see them.

Well my Shetland who can be a very naughty boy and who hasn't been ridden in almost two years was a little star and didn't put a hoof wrong!!!! He seems to know when adults or children are dealing with him and is a good as gold for children. They rode in the ménage he was a star and popped a couple of jumps. The lady looking for a loan pony asked if I minded if they took him up the road to which I agreed and he was again a star. A oil lorry, motorbike, bicycle and numerous cars went past him and he didn't flinch. Proud mummy moment!!!!! :)

I have owned my Shetland for about 6 years now but don't have any small children to ride him so his is just a field ornament and I would say he is bored and that's why he misbehaves and escapes etc because there isn't a lot going on.

The lady looking to loan lives an hour and a half away which is my main worry and I have no experience of putting a pony on loan or loaning myself.

My questions:
Would it be worth doing a short loan to start with?
Do I get him chipped just in case?
Who pays for his vaccs?
What type of loan agreement? Have looked at the BHS one.
I don't have him insured should I or should I ask them to?
What happens if they get injured am I liable?

Anything else I need to think of or do before saying yes? I would go and check where is going before he goes and would do visits to see how he is. Get references etc.

You help and advice is much appreciated hot chocolate and cookies if you made it this far :)
 
Definitely a contract based on the BHS one, with it written in that they are responsible for personal liability insurance. I usually say a month's trial both ways - they can send back/you can collect without notice, but then there has to be a notice period unless the pony isn't being properly looked after. I'd get him chipped. All day to day running costs are down to them, and I would ask for him to be insured.
 
If you don't want to or need to loan I wouldn't hurry to loan so far away. The absolute key (IMHO) to sucessful loans is to be able to pop and check on them regularly. Especially in this instance where they want to use him for something that he hasn't been doing for several years.

I would be aiming to go weekly for a few weeks, then monthly after that for a while to make sure he and they are both happy. A 3 hour round trip will make that a real chore.

They pay for all costs including vacs and any veterinary treatment - so I'd leave it up to them to decide whether to insure or not.
My recommendation would be different if he was usually ridden by you - usually the owner insures and the loaner pays the premium (to avoid the nasty situation where loaner returns injured horse back to owner and owner has to pick up the pieces!)

You should have third party liabilty for him

The BHS agreement is a great start, I think that allows for a months notice on either side so in effect you'll only be loaning for a month initially anyway. But do be aware if after a couple of weeks it isn;t working out they'll give you notice and bring him back - it's rare to leave returning horses with the loaner for the notice period.
 
Echo'ing what others have said basically.

YOU should have insurance for him; Third Party minimum. And you should pay for this, its usual.

IMO its a bit too far away for you to be able to check on him regularly enough. Ponies can and do go missing on loan, and TBH I think that IF you're going to loan him - and it sounds like this is all a bit rattle-the-pigs-bucket-and-run - then you'd be far better advised to keep local. Perhaps the local pony club/hunt would be a good place to start??

The BHS agreement(s) are good, but you need to personalise them to suit your own situation.

If you PM me, I'll try to dig out the old loan agreement I used for my horse when I put him on loan.

The other thing you need to/must include is the "euthanisia" clause: i.e. if something happens, you are authorising them or the YO at where the pony is, to PTS on humane grounds without you being present. Not a nice thing to think of, but you will have to grit your teeth and do it if you're committed to loaning him out :(

But it sounds like, to me, you need to sit down and figure whether you actually WANT to loan him in the first place, and if so, then to whom. And when you've got to that stage, start looking for WHO.

It sounds like your little Shetland needs work............. had you thought of having him broken for harness???? That way he'd get some work and stimulation, plus you'd have a new focus with him. A friend of mine did it with her little Dartmoor; then hubby got into horses for the first time ever!!! So just a thought.

PS: please don't be affronted when I say this, but IF you're going to loan him, think you need to be a little firmer with your friend/yard sharer TBH. Think she had a bit of a cheek TBH to suggest yours be put on loan, but appreciate that they may have gone to the yard, other pony was unsuitable, then saw yours, and it went from there. But ultimately it will/should be, YOUR decision to loan or not!!! :)
 
Thanks for your replies. If feel it would be better for him to go on loan as he would have something to do like he used to and wouldn't be bored as he is at mine.

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite I think she was only thinking about the pony it would be better for him. It's odd every time he goes there someone wants to loan him!! Someone wanted him on loan last time he was at my friends but I wasn't sure but after seeing him riding again today and enjoying him self I think he would be a much happier pony. I will message you if you don't mind for an idea of a contract.

Thanks again :)
 
OK fine. I'll try to dig it out for you OK.

Sounds like your little man is an adorable little guy who obviously catches people's eye........ which is why you'll need to be ultra careful. Sorry to frighten you, but when mine went on loan the numpty girl that had him, in spite of being told, plus it being in the contract, AND the YO was told, he was turned out without his sweet itch rug on the first weekend he was there (it came out very hot) and within two days he'd rubbed his lovely mane and tail, all raw. To say I totally vapourised is an underestimation :(

With a Shetland, the thing you'll need to watch obviously is his grazing: the last thing you need is someone well-meaning turning him out on rich pasture, and he gets lamminitis.

OK..... so I'll dig out that loan agreement for you!!!
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
OK fine. I'll try to dig it out for you OK.

Sounds like your little man is an adorable little guy who obviously catches people's eye........ which is why you'll need to be ultra careful. Sorry to frighten you, but when mine went on loan the numpty girl that had him, in spite of being told, plus it being in the contract, AND the YO was told, he was turned out without his sweet itch rug on the first weekend he was there (it came out very hot) and within two days he'd rubbed his lovely mane and tail, all raw. To say I totally vapourised is an underestimation :(

With a Shetland, the thing you'll need to watch obviously is his grazing: the last thing you need is someone well-meaning turning him out on rich pasture, and he gets lamminitis.

OK..... so I'll dig out that loan agreement for you!!!
Click to expand...

This is another good point he won't have loads of grass like he does at mine that's why he goes to my friends. He will have a little paddock with hardly any grass and be in work. He was starting with laminitis at the beginning of the month my friend takes him in for me as she has a shettie bare paddock I struggle with the combination of an ISH and a Shetland one needs grass other doesn't ahhhh.

I need to get my land sorted with permanent fencing so that when he is back with me when ever that will be he can have a bare paddock to him self and one he can't get out of hut one that my ISH can be the other side of.

Brill. Thank you so much :)
 
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