>>Anyone loaned their horse to a college??

Funkyfilly024

Funkyfilly024

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Local agricultural college wants people to loan horses for Equestrian students to learn on. I
dont know wether to send mine or not !?
It would be usefull since i lack time during the week and they will ride him everyday
He is 11/12 yo and allthough hardly a grand prix dressage horse he is responsive and has quite a sensitive mouth and does some decent jump/dressage

The students have to know how to walk/trot/canter to go on the course and i can still ride him at weekends
they pay everything except his vet bills and equipment

im not sure though :/

anyone else done it? had an experiences?

:)
 
In my opinion... Dont do it!

I was a student at a equine college in Staffs and saw so many good horses ruined due to the mixture of riders. If your horse has a sensitive mouth it might not be so when you get him back as the novice riders sock them in the mouth. Yes most courses require riders to be able to walk/trot/canter but they still accept basic riders.

If he is a good jumper he may be put in lots of jumping lessons as colleges tend to struggle to get those therefore they do a lot more and I saw lots of horses go stale.

Its such a busy environment, some horses struggle to cope and i've seen some turn nasty due to the vast amount of handlers.

Your horse probably wont get much turnout at all, possibly weekends. Yes you can pick the option where you can ride at weekends but if he has been worked for 3 ish hours a day 5 days a week, he probably deserves 2 days off!

I wish I could be more positive but there is no way I would send my horse to an equine college.
 
hmmmmmm, they turn them out overnight.
Forgot to mention he used to be at a trekking stables for a year or two, about 2/3 years ago so will have done hours a day at busy places during the past !

Yes i worry about him getting booted and pulled around in the mouth because i ride him lightly and he responds well to that :/
they say that they grade the riders ability so that they are not putting novices on horses needing better riders, but what they call an advandced rider i suppose can be questionable !
 
i really wouldnt if i were you, im studying at an Equine college considered one of the best and i wouldnt put my horse on loan in a thousand years to them.

some of the people that they put on the horses shouldnt be within 10feet of one let alone on their backs. they overwork them IMO and ive seen so many lovely well schooled mannerly horses absolutely wrecked, so many go stale and seen a horse that at college was horrible, grumpy, mareish and just generally a nightmare actually become the sweetest kindest thing once she was away from the college which just goes to show how much some horses struggle in that environment.

on a more personal note, my own horse comes with me and is on DIY livery and even he is a less happy horse at college even though he is only dealt with by me. which i think speaks volumes

ETS: he wont be turned out overnight all year round believe me. most equine colleges only have turnout through the summer months and the first half term of autumn or at least the one im at does...quick hint...it begins with H lol
 
I wouldn't personally as my pony has a sensitive mouth and I'd be worried if they undid all the work I'd done.

My friend was at college and she took her horse but within weeks, she pulled him out and placed him in a livery yard instead. The "experienced" riders were hauling on his mouth and kicking him and she found he was a different horse to ride when she got to ride him.

I don't want to put you off it that's what you want to do but from what I've heard, it's not a route that i would choose personally.
 
I had 2 loan horses that I got permission from their owners to take them to college with me.
I guess it was fine as I was there and they were the types not to fuss too much about who rode them. They could plod with a beginer and go very nicely for the more advanced. They were often used for the stage exams too.
Both got turned out at night in the summer and on odd afternoons during the week and at weekends during the winter. The only problem arose with the gelding as he got quite snappy with his rugs being constantly changed. If I were going to college again I'd still take mine if it suited, but if your not at college yourself then maybe I'd think again.
 
My mare went on loan to a college , she was on working livery, they used her 3-4 days a week,

now before i tell you what went wrong, the good bits. they were actully good about what i wanted and didnt want done with her. her actul day to day care was fine (i still went up most days) and the busy enviroment suited her.
I did notice differences when i rode her but then in some ways it has also helped her.

the reason it went tits up..

they let her vaccinations go. and I used thier farrier who done a god awful job and made her lame. this resulted in me having a major hissy fit and removing the shoes and my horse.

to be honest it depends on the horse. i was on a 6week trial on both sides so i didnt need to give notice to them etc if thats the case with the college your thinking about it could be worth a go. and stipulate whatyourhorse can and cant be used for, make sure you go and visit and ask to watch a session if possible.

OH i know it was summer tme but my mare was out most of the day and all night every night.. this would of been different in the winter but we could let them loose in the outdoor school for a bit of a blast.
 
I wouldn't. I took my mare to college with me and she was used on the school. It was a total disaster. Everything that can go wrong did go wrong.

She only lasted 1 term and was only well enough to be ridden for half that time. Happy to PM you the details if you want. Bit long to put on here!
 
if you care about your horse don't do it, i took taz to college with me because i couldnt think of leaving him at home, and only seeing him once a week, so i put him on loan as i couldnt afford the livery, he lasted till just after the october holidays as it wasnt working he had turned into a nappy, miserable, horse that wouldnt jump ( he loved to jump) and one that would try to take off away with you when they got out to the field at the weekend to stuble fields with no grass, or fields with barbed wire sticking out everywhere even in the middle of the fields and huge holes, so i put him on diy and he was better behaved as i walked him in hand every day for grass etc and ridden but only got turned out to grass three times a week so he had to come home and he has been happy ever since and back to his usuall self however it took him over a year after a month on diy at the college to become himself again
 
I wouldn't, friends nice ID mare went because my friend was pregnant, came back as a totally different horse.
She was fairly chilled but now won't stay in on her own, friend had to buy a load of stuff that she really needed to go but got nothing back and they phoned her and said that she was to be picked up straight away, friend was 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time.
 
Ok many people saying your horse would change?! Well mine did, its been there for a year and its the best thing I did for the pony.

My sons pony is currently on loan to a college (oatridge) and he is getting on amazingly well. He was a bit of a pain at home and my son was having problems with him running out to the left, he has no problems on his other pony. Since the pony has gone to oatridge he has calmed down, is less stressed and when my son visits he jumps him and that has improved 100%, no running out.

The pony has also had the chance to do xc (I wouldnt have let my 10 yo do it on this pony) and has worked a lot on flat work which has made him more responsive and less flightly.

At home the pony was ridden regularly, jumped and flat work. We had lots of instructors over the years and the pony was still the same, jumping was not an issue he would jump the moon but he also would run out no warning what so ever that doesnt happen. He now has a fantastic walk and trot, previously canter was his best pace!

Just so you can see there is some good!
 
One of my horses was there for a week...! He turned into a crazed bronco, I guess because he couldn't stand all the different people on his back...!

He got home and reverted back to his usual self.....

I wouldn't send one again.....
 
Murph went on loan to a local college when my daughter went to university. For the first year it worked brilliantly, he was kept fit, seemed happy and we had him home every holiday for daughter to ride. I visited him every couple of weeks and he did seem to have regular turnout and as I say it worked very well. He returned to the college fo a second year in the September, and to cut things short he was back home by Christmas. I'm not sure what went wrong but he started barging, refused to go in his stable and became very unsettled and difficult to handle. Annoyingly although I still visited fortnightly no one told me this until I phoned to arrange to collect him at Christmas. The college had a new yard manager and I can only put it down to a change in management and routine, but sadly I would not recommend sending a horse to college now.
 
I wouldn't personally. Many moons ago i studied at an equine college and while all the horses received good care and were in good condition hardly any got turned out or hacked. Day in day out horses were asked to do the same things in the school with a variety of different riders although admittedly none of the horse appeared stressed or stale. I suspect it takes a certain type of horse to thrive in that environment and would rule out the majority.
 
Although I don't own my own horse, I wouldn't do it.

I would much rather keep a horse at home with a sharer where I'd know he would be getting one-to-one care and be ridden by the same person instead of by various riders of various abilities.
 
I definitely wouldn't send one. My old YO sent her mare to a college. The mare,although quite mean natured, was a great ride and had real potential in eventing or dressage (very responsive). YO couldn't give her the riding time to do her justice so sent her off. A few months later she came back not only highly strung (more so than before) and even more mean spirited but she was also unrideable because she had been put into a field with an unsuitable horse that had kicked her. So no I wouldn't loan a horse to a college or recommend anyone to do so.
 
Yes - Don't do it!!!

I sent my horse to an agricultural college, while I was at uni. In one year, they changed him from a snaffle mouthed, sensible horse to something that they decided had to be ridden in a pelham with a grackle...

When I came and found the cheif instructor riding him with his head cranked right in, two schooling whips and huge spur with german rowls.... I told her to get off my horse and I took him away the following day.

I took him to uni with me, found a field and turned him away for 6 months to get over it.

Never, ever again.
 
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DONT DO IT!!!!!

I took mine with me and the college didnt keep to any of the agreement.
No turnout- meant to have 2hrs per day and 8 hrs per day at weekends
Horse was supposed to be used for 2x1hr lessons 3 times per week, she was used alot more than that
She was supposed to be used only by capable riders, anything from competle beggingers (cant even put a bridle on) to student who think they can ride and cant.
over jumped, under schooled
tack damaged, and stolen- (an albion made to measure saddle) tack room was left open during the w/end, funny how it was only my saddle stolen
horses not cooled off,
under rugged when some student decided to do a full clip
farrier needs not met
poor hay/ some rather odd "green stuff" that i havnt seen b4 nor since?
poor instuction, by inexperinced intrustors
uncaring YO how was more instered in getting her leg over than anything else
when i turned out, as soon as my back was turned she was brought back in, turned out left, forgot something went back, YO was bringing her back in!

I lasted 4months with mine, never ever again. took around 5months to get my horse back to normal.
 
Forgaot to add that say college, actully caused to death of one horse.
A mare very domient was turned out with a little pony, they got on really well but if a third horse was added all hell would break loose.
So YM turned out another domient mare with the words "they will sort them selves out". Promptly a huge fight broke out, little pony got stuck between the 2 mares and was kicked to death. 1st mare had a broken leg, which did heal, not sure to what extent it was broken but obs fixable.
The other mare did some ligament damage and was never ridden again. This happened the week after i left. Totally imcompant!
 
Check out the place before you send him - you never know what you might find; it might be good, it might be bad, you dont know until you see for yourself.
 
Yes, depending on the horse and the college. I would happily loan a horse to the college that I went to.

My stepmother's horse was loaned to Hartpury of two years - it suited her down to the ground, she was the sort that needed work. After she was sold my Dad's mare went there in her place. She also needed work as she was still green when she went there as a 12yo and I thought it would do her the world of good also. I was not worried about her being 'ruined' by the students as my Dad is a dreadful rider and they could not possibly be any worse than him!

But one of the students 'took pity' on her and asked my Dad if she could loan her privately and foolishly my Dad agreed, and the mare is doing next to nothing again! :mad:

I've had some horses that colleges would not suit at all. Those that are sensitive, need a one to one or lots of turn-out. My only beef with Hartpury was that they did not keep the mare very tidy - she came back for the holidays with a long mane, tail nearly touching the ground and not pulled :mad:. At the college I went to, the horses had to be smart.
 
I think it depends on the college. I have been to a large college as a student and now work on a small college yard, so I have seen both sides of it.

I would never send a horse of mine to a big busy college yard, the horses are overworked, no turn out and they are all seen as a number.

On the yard I am currently at the horses are all cared for very well. They missed 1 day of turn out in the christmas hols - because the path to the fields was inches thick in ice. We were completely under snow for a good 6 weeks and they still went out to allow them some form of exercise.
The horses are barely worked - i think of it more as a holiday camp for them! And staff ride them once a week to pick up on any problems / changes in their ridden work.

Some colleges are not bad, particularly the small ones. I advise any one thinking about loaning to a college to go to the yard, have a good look around, look at the condition of the horses they have in and then think about it.
 
I bought a horse privately for £450 having been previously been 'broken in' by two equine students and when the then owner tried to sell him and couldn't because he was mental, she lent him to the very same college where they jumped him in draw reins, taught him to gallop off in the woods and allowed him to gallop up to the fields loose rather than be led in a headcollar. He was then sold through the college knowingly to a novice rider who lived out in the sticks and only had woodland hacking, guess what? she got bolted with and didn't ride him again, if I hadn't come along he would have gone for meat.
At six his was mentally and physically deranged and it took me two years before I actually sat on him.
Sold him as a medium dressage horse.

In other words do not let your horse go on loan to a college.
 
Pixxie said:
i really wouldnt if i were you, im studying at an Equine college considered one of the best and i wouldnt put my horse on loan in a thousand years to them.

some of the people that they put on the horses shouldnt be within 10feet of one let alone on their backs. they overwork them IMO and ive seen so many lovely well schooled mannerly horses absolutely wrecked, so many go stale and seen a horse that at college was horrible, grumpy, mareish and just generally a nightmare actually become the sweetest kindest thing once she was away from the college which just goes to show how much some horses struggle in that environment.

on a more personal note, my own horse comes with me and is on DIY livery and even he is a less happy horse at college even though he is only dealt with by me. which i think speaks volumes

ETS: he wont be turned out overnight all year round believe me. most equine colleges only have turnout through the summer months and the first half term of autumn or at least the one im at does...quick hint...it begins with H lol
Click to expand...

I went to the same one as you and I also had 2 unhappy horses on DIY... I can pretty much echo everything you have said. Thats was 10 years ago.

Don't do it!!
 
Don't recommend it at all - we once tried this with two of our horses while daughter was at uni. We were suspicious so did an unannounced spot check to find one, 15hh was ridden by someone far too heavy who 'bounced around' uncontrollably on him and gave him a back problem. The other horse was a retired jumper who was being used for 4 hours jumping lessons each day because the other horses they had didn't jump as well as him - needless to say, he started stopping.
we removed them both immediately, the college had broken all of the promises and agreements we had made with them (in writing) about work load and rider weight limits for each horse.
 
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