Agh - loan issues

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Penguinboots

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Hello - I'm after a bit of advice!

I took a sweet 4yo mare on loan in early July (I was previously sharing her). I was hesitant about taking her on loan at first as I wasn't sure what my career/finances/life was doing, but the owner assured me that if anything ever happened I could keep her free of charge on her own land (rather than at livery where she is now).

Everything was going nicely for the first couple of months - I did a couple of dressage tests with the horse and she was going really nicely, she came on leaps and bounds with me. Until suddenly she just did not want to work any more - she became unbelievably lazy almost overnight (this was around the end of August). Usual checks of back, teeth and saddle were done (at my expense of course) and I upped her feed and gave her a vit & mineral supplement to make sure she was getting everything she needed. But since then not a lot has changed, and I feel that I am just constantly nagging at this poor horse who does not want to/cannot work. After discussing it with my instructor, I feel the best thing would be to turn her away for the winter and bring her back into work in the spring.

So I speak to owner about this - but she now says she doesn't having enough grazing and if I don't want to continue riding her, the only option would be to sell her. She also thinks I'm giving up too soon and I haven't given the mare enough of chance. This has made me feel like I'm being incredibly selfish! Am I??

I don't really have an issue with her selling if that's what the owner wants to do. As sweet as the mare is, I wouldn't want to buy her. But I feel like I'm letting the mare down.

Should I continue plodding on with a horse I don't enjoy riding and who doesn't enjoy being ridden? Perhaps I haven't given her enough of a chance after all. Or should I turn her away and keep her on livery (at quite an expense to me for a horse I can't ride)? Investigate grass livery for the winter (hard to come by in this area!)? Or just let the owner sell her?

We have a contract in place and I can give 30 days notice to end the agreement - but would it be selfish of me to end it now?

Sorry for the ramble. Tea and biscuits for anyone who got this far!
 
Have you had the vet out to her?...It's likely that her reluctence to work is pain related...perhaps something like ulcers or low grade laminitis.
 
Have you tried different ridden activities - maybe she's just bored. It's hard to tell from your post and I'm no expert on youngsters but lots of schooling might have simply caused her to sweitch off? Does she hack out? How is she then? What about giving her a month off and then starting again but keeping it light and fun.
 
This is why you loan and not buy its "easier" to get out of a situation with a horse if it does not suit for some reason .
IMO the owner is a bit silly I presume she loaned out the horse because she did not want to sell it so now for the sake of having it at grass for a while she's going to lose her loaner .
The mare may well just need a holiday or she may be brewing a problem and you just have not managed to locate it yet .
Having a horse is expensive and time consuming so have one that does not suit does not make sense .
If I where you I would write and give notice you might find the owner magically finds the grazing .
Shame for the mare but your not selfish just practical there's not much point of loaning a horse if you dont make use of its main advantage .
 
_HP_ - I got the vet out to check her back (and I explained the situation), but no other investigations were carried out. If I did choose to persevere I think getting the vet back out would be the next step.

AshTay - I have tried all sorts! Polework, groundwork, lots of variation. She's a little bit more forward hacking, but I've also noticed a change in her attitude to this too.
 
Goldenstar said:
Having a horse is expensive and time consuming so have one that does not suit does not make sense .
If I where you I would write and give notice you might find the owner magically finds the grazing .
Shame for the mare but your not selfish just practical there's not much point of loaning a horse if you dont make use of its main advantage .
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Thank you for making me feel a bit better Goldenstar - this was my thought all along, but I don't want let owner or horse down!
 
I think that you have done enough work on a 4 year old and she should have some time off. Looking at the rain at the moment, I suggest that this is the perfect time for a long rest,and get going again at the end of February.

We don't know how much work she had done before you took her on and how fit she was, but you have done quite a lot with her and she is probably still growing and needs a break.
 
Orangehorse said:
I think that you have done enough work on a 4 year old and she should have some time off. Looking at the rain at the moment, I suggest that this is the perfect time for a long rest,and get going again at the end of February.

We don't know how much work she had done before you took her on and how fit she was, but you have done quite a lot with her and she is probably still growing and needs a break.
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This is what I feel too. The horse hadn't done a huge amount before I took her on, and although she is level-headed, I think she's just had enough! Unfortunately, owner thinks I'm using it as an excuse to 'dump' the horse back on her (her words, not mine).
 
Don't be too disheartened that she feels like your going backwards not forwards. If a minibrrak doesn't seem to work keep things light and fun.
My mare was getting a bit ploddy and uninterested so I hacked her out and rode up the fields to get a bit of spring in her step. Try riding with others on hacks with safe trotting together.
Don't be quick feed alot a starch /quick energy releasing feeds as it could cause alot of the simbiotic microbes in the hind gut to die and release toxins. Fat and fibre diet is best to support her wellbeing.
If you truely are not happy anymore with the mare, horses cost too much money and time for you not to be enjoying yourself. I'm sure the horse will either be loaned or rehomed to someone who wants her and you could take on another horse. And yes the owner will be unhappy because she is losing a valuable reliable loaner but such is lifw.
Good luck
 
4April said:
Don't be too disheartened that she feels like your going backwards not forwards. If a minibrrak doesn't seem to work keep things light and fun.
My mare was getting a bit ploddy and uninterested so I hacked her out and rode up the fields to get a bit of spring in her step. Try riding with others on hacks with safe trotting together.
Don't be quick feed alot a starch /quick energy releasing feeds as it could cause alot of the simbiotic microbes in the hind gut to die and release toxins. Fat and fibre diet is best to support her wellbeing.
If you truely are not happy anymore with the mare, horses cost too much money and time for you not to be enjoying yourself. I'm sure the horse will either be loaned or rehomed to someone who wants her and you could take on another horse. And yes the owner will be unhappy because she is losing a valuable reliable loaner but such is lifw.
Good luck
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Thanks 4april. I think I've got some real thinking to do - part of me is inclined not to struggle on (which is what I'm doing at the moment tbh) as there's always the risk that the owner will take her back off me/sell her after I've put lots of blood sweat and tears into her. I obviously knew it wouldn't all be easy with a 4yo, but I've always enjoyed schooling youngsters in the past and I just don't seem to be clicking with this one anymore.
 
Penguinboots said:
Thanks 4april. I think I've got some real thinking to do - part of me is inclined not to struggle on (which is what I'm doing at the moment tbh) as there's always the risk that the owner will take her back off me/sell her after I've put lots of blood sweat and tears into her. I obviously knew it wouldn't all be easy with a 4yo, but I've always enjoyed schooling youngsters in the past and I just don't seem to be clicking with this one anymore.
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There's nothing wrong in saying this ones not for me and moving on , as an owner or a loaner is ok to do this.
 
My first thought was a physical reason for her sluggishness but you've had the vet/saddler etc so perhaps it's a baby thing. Options then, would be, turn away, as you're thinking, or forget schooling and put the spark back over the winter with fun hacks, maybe a trip out to a country park /mini fun ride or something similar.

However, the main question is, did you enjoy riding her before she changed or in hindsight, have you never really clicked with her ? If that's the case, then seeing it through over the winter won't do either of you justice.

You say you wouldn't buy her, so you know that the work you do with her will eventually lead to the owner selling her anyway. Of course, the owner will benefit from your input, just as you'll benefit from the experience.
The bottom line is- do you feel that the highs and lows of bringing this youngster on over the loan period will be good for you and the horse ?
If you really can't see a point when you're excited about riding her, then give her back. Nobody clicks with every horse in the saddle. Whether you own or loan, the answer's the same, give the horse a chance with someone else.
 
dogatemysalad said:
My first thought was a physical reason for her sluggishness but you've had the vet/saddler etc so perhaps it's a baby thing. Options then, would be, turn away, as you're thinking, or forget schooling and put the spark back over the winter with fun hacks, maybe a trip out to a country park /mini fun ride or something similar.

However, the main question is, did you enjoy riding her before she changed or in hindsight, have you never really clicked with her ? If that's the case, then seeing it through over the winter won't do either of you justice.

You say you wouldn't buy her, so you know that the work you do with her will eventually lead to the owner selling her anyway. Of course, the owner will benefit from your input, just as you'll benefit from the experience.
The bottom line is- do you feel that the highs and lows of bringing this youngster on over the loan period will be good for you and the horse ?
If you really can't see a point when you're excited about riding her, then give her back. Nobody clicks with every horse in the saddle. Whether you own or loan, the answer's the same, give the horse a chance with someone else.
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very true
 
dogatemysalad said:
However, the main question is, did you enjoy riding her before she changed or in hindsight, have you never really clicked with her ? If that's the case, then seeing it through over the winter won't do either of you justice.
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I did enjoy riding her, but she's never been 100% my 'type' - the loan was never really planned - I was quite happy sharing, but owner had another horse come back off loan due to ongoing lameness (turned out to have done a suspensory tendon) and offered the mare on loan to me - I think she was hoping that I would buy her, but I always made it clear that I wasn't in a position to buy (not to mention the fact that the mare has sweet itch and was treated for a sarcoid while I was sharing her, so even if she was my type, I don't think I'd buy!).
 
If she's not really your type, irrespective of current issues (which IMO warrent a vet visit), then I would just give your 30 days notice.
 
If they have not already been done you should get your vet to carry out some blood tests to rule out any metabolic reason for the laziness. We have had some of our competition horses produce some very low white blood counts this year that have taken ages to put right and even when the bloods are showing the right levels the horses have not been back to A1 for some time after.

Even if you turn away you need to know for sure what is going on so that you can treat if necessary as well as rest.
 
sport horse said:
If they have not already been done you should get your vet to carry out some blood tests to rule out any metabolic reason for the laziness. We have had some of our competition horses produce some very low white blood counts this year that have taken ages to put right and even when the bloods are showing the right levels the horses have not been back to A1 for some time after.

Even if you turn away you need to know for sure what is going on so that you can treat if necessary as well as rest.
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This would be our next step if we did continue. When I first mentioned the issues to owner she appeared reluctant to have a vet visit even to look at her back (as part of the agreement, we agreed to split vet fees 50%). I think owner thinks I'm just a worrier!
 
Penguinboots said:
I did enjoy riding her, but she's never been 100% my 'type' - the loan was never really planned - I was quite happy sharing, but owner had another horse come back off loan due to ongoing lameness (turned out to have done a suspensory tendon) and offered the mare on loan to me - I think she was hoping that I would buy her, but I always made it clear that I wasn't in a position to buy (not to mention the fact that the mare has sweet itch and was treated for a sarcoid while I was sharing her, so even if she was my type, I don't think I'd buy!).
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You're a softie really, you were happy sharing but ended up loaning to help the owner out. It's a shame because in hindsight, a share instead of a loan might have continued to work.
 
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