Advice on loaning.

[LAMB141]

Well I own a 6 yr old Cob who I have had for over 8 months now. He has lovely ground manners (can be a bit pushy but along as you tell him he will behave)

Before I owned him, he `apparently` was ridden by novices. However I did not buy him on this fact. I know he was abused quite a lot as well so does not trust people easily (if he does not know you he will run off till you give him confidence in you). He hasn't been ridden since I have had him, due to the fact I have no rider for him. However he gets regularly lunged and long reined. This after spending 2 months gaining his trust enough to put a head collar on him.

I have sat on him (i`m a bit too tall for him) and he was fine. However I am not confident, as I have only ever regularly ridden plods before. He is rather forward going and abit too much for me.

I know I should have never bought him, however I won't give up on him. So I looking at the possibility of loaning him. I have already had a lady interested in a full loan. I have explained all his bad points and they are still more than interested to see him. Based upon what they have said about themselves (have given references and know them through other friends) they could give him everything to build up his confidence even more and get him out being ridden.

However this would mean he would move from my own land to their own yard. I don't really want him to move but it would be the best thing for him. I few friends who know my 6yr old think it will make his confidence even worse, as moving him again would upset him a lot (previously has had over 10 different owners). I can see their point, but now I`m in two minds. Loaning to someone who has the knowledge and confidence would be the best thing for him. However I am worried it could set him back as he has only just started trusting me fully. Do i dare change this?

 

[be positive]

I think your options are limited, if the loaners are experienced enough to take him on and willing to put in what will probably be a serious amount of time and effort then it could be the best thing for him, you could keep him for a year or two get his confidence but unless you can get someone to come to you and ride him you will still be in much the same position, possibly worse as he will be a year older, still no further on with his ridden work and there may not be the ideal home willing to take him on.

If you have managed to gain his trust and build up his confidence he should be better equipped to deal with the move without going back too far.

 

[LAMB141]

I have had other people ride him but hes thrown them off him. I get on him and will go lovely for me. I am starting to ride more forward going horses so that I could ride him.

My main worry if the potential loaners do want him. Is that they will take him to their yard and find that he is too much for them (which I can understand) Then I`m in the situation where he`s moved again, getting upset in the process and i`m back to square one again.

 

[be positive]

I hadn't realised he had been unsuccessfully ridden by others, in that case you really need to think of him as almost being unbroken, he needs to go through each stage carefully until he is confident to be ridden, do the potential loaners know how green he is and that he has learnt how to get people off? it would be worth getting them to come over and do some work with him, you can then see if they will be capable and confident to bring him on with help if required or whether they are just looking for a free horse and not understanding what is entailed with bringing on a horse with history like this.
If you think you can do it yourself then maybe that is the way forward but you do want to be careful that he does not destroy your confidence, ideally get a good instructor involved who can help you not only bring him on but ensure he has a good foundation to help him become confident being dealt with by other people, it is lovely when they trust you but very much in their best interests to trust everyone, be happy to be ridden by any competent person and be able to adjust to moving about without losing that confidence, basic skills that mean they can enjoy life even when it doesn't go as well as expected.

 

[LAMB141]

Thankyou. I've just been in two minds all the time. I want to get a instructor soon to come and see him. He is very good as long as your confident with him plus I think it has helped as I`ve learnt what he will try to avoid and his quirks.
I believe the potential loaners are genuinely looking for a project horse, however alarm bells have started with me as they have now mentioned he would be for their 10 yr old. He would not be suitable for a child as far as i'm concerned, even if they have more ridden experience than me.

He has knocked my confidence in many ways, however I adore him and so far I have managed to push through his many barriers. Everyday we have had set backs with him but then were always taking steps forward. Now i`m not so sure loaning him would be for the best. However I'm making sure that other people are always handling him and he has become much better. Now I think a instructor is the way forward....

 

[be positive]

It would ring alarm bells for me, it does not sound as if he will be suitable for a 10 year old for a long while, my concern with loans is that often people see "free pony" and really don't think it through, a 10 year old child requires a kind, hopefully safe pony not a challenging project however nice it may be eventually, that they are thinking he may suit would make me question how experienced or knowledgeable they really are.
Keep doing what you can, it sounds as if you have made great progress and he will be benefitting from all you are putting into him.

 

[PorkChop]

I'm a bit unclear as to how much you have ridden him. In your first post you say that you have sat on him. In a later post you mention that he goes lovely for you when he is throwing other riders off!

Has the potential loaner ridden him? Is your plan to have him back to ride when you are more confident? I agree that an experienced loaner who is potentially going to put a great deal of time into him is a real find

 

[LAMB141]

I haven't ridden him much, other than walking around. I have let other more confident people get on him and he tries to get them off. Basicly anyone he doesn't know he doesn't want on him. But I haven't got any further other than walking.

The potential loaner has not ridden him, as I have stated to them he needs to go back to basics. Which they have took on board. Eventually if he were to go, I would want him back. However I don't want it to seem like i`m just off loading him to someone to do all the hard work with him. Then I have him back once he's trained more. The potential loaner sounds good but I'm worried now that even though i've told them all his bad points they still seem to think he`s suitable for their 10 yr old. This 10 yr old may be a more experienced rider than me but I don't like the thought of him throwing a child off.

 

[Jazzy B]

He does not sound suitable for a 10 year old child personally that wouldn't sit right with me at all! I think you would be better enlisting the help of a good instructor and doing this yourself - it sounds like he quite likes and trusts you. Maybe get a IH associate out to give you some confidence building ideas on the ground as well which you could take on to the saddle.

 

[Wiz201]

I haven't ridden him much, other than walking around. I have let other more confident people get on him and he tries to get them off. Basicly anyone he doesn't know he doesn't want on him. But I haven't got any further other than walking.

The potential loaner has not ridden him, as I have stated to them he needs to go back to basics. Which they have took on board. Eventually if he were to go, I would want him back. However I don't want it to seem like i`m just off loading him to someone to do all the hard work with him. Then I have him back once he's trained more. The potential loaner sounds good but I'm worried now that even though i've told them all his bad points they still seem to think he`s suitable for their 10 yr old. This 10 yr old may be a more experienced rider than me but I don't like the thought of him throwing a child off.

He's not really 100% broken in then. I would have him trained by a professional trainer really.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I haven't ridden him much, other than walking around. I have let other more confident people get on him and he tries to get them off. Basicly anyone he doesn't know he doesn't want on him. But I haven't got any further other than walking.

The potential loaner has not ridden him, as I have stated to them he needs to go back to basics. Which they have took on board. Eventually if he were to go, I would want him back. However I don't want it to seem like i`m just off loading him to someone to do all the hard work with him. Then I have him back once he's trained more. The potential loaner sounds good but I'm worried now that even though i've told them all his bad points they still seem to think he`s suitable for their 10 yr old. This 10 yr old may be a more experienced rider than me but I don't like the thought of him throwing a child off.

How much experience do you have OP? You previously mentioned he'd had everyone off but you, but then here you've mentioned he's tried to get other riders off. To me the two are very different and would change my advice somewhat depending on which it is. What does he do to try to get the rider off? Also you mentioned you have him kept on your own land at present, what company does he have?

Going by the post I've quoted it sounds like the best thing for him would be to either send him away to a pro or have one come to yours to ride him assuming you have the facilities for this. This would be a much better way of ensuring his future and education than sending him off to a loan home where you have no guarantee he'll come back better than he went away.

 

[LAMB141]

How much experience do you have OP? You previously mentioned he'd had everyone off but you, but then here you've mentioned he's tried to get other riders off. To me the two are very different and would change my advice somewhat depending on which it is. What does he do to try to get the rider off? Also you mentioned you have him kept on your own land at present, what company does he have?

Going by the post I've quoted it sounds like the best thing for him would be to either send him away to a pro or have one come to yours to ride him assuming you have the facilities for this. This would be a much better way of ensuring his future and education than sending him off to a loan home where you have no guarantee he'll come back better than he went away.

He has never tried to get me off. However when someone else gets on him he bucks them off, once he had to roll to get the rider off him. I have had this back checked and the vet can't see anything actually wrong with him other than his behaviour. He is kept with other horses and is quite happy being lead alongside a horse being ridden.

I am currently looking for a instructor to come out to him and hope to make some progress there with him.

 

[LAMB141]

He does not sound suitable for a 10 year old child personally that wouldn't sit right with me at all! I think you would be better enlisting the help of a good instructor and doing this yourself - it sounds like he quite likes and trusts you. Maybe get a IH associate out to give you some confidence building ideas on the ground as well which you could take on to the saddle.

Exactly soon as they said 10 yr old, I thought No. Currently looking for an instructor, though a reliable one is hard to find at the moment.