Are good loan horses still out there?

S

Spanish Dressage

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 November 2010
Messages
67
Visit site
After a disastrous few years with bought young horses - my old boy is now being retired and I have nothing to ride. Due to my purchase last year being not quite right soundness wise.
I would rather loan or LWVTB however I am not sure this is really a thing anymore! Any ideas? Or do I go back to the drawing board!
 
Yes. I have been very lucky to have some nice loan horses, however all but one were eventually sold by their owners. Some with me not even being told they were available.

Ultimately the owners are allowed to sell what is their own horse but it can be heartbreaking. You can try protect yourself by having in the contract you want first refusal but when it comes down to it they can do as they wish.

All were through word of mouth and I knew the owner before hand. Most of the horses had some quirks or were on loan for a shorter period of time whilst the owner couldn’t have them so it worked both ways as selling wasn’t suitable. Until the horse was going better, fit and looked well… then it seems selling became an option
 
Yes - I've been lucky to have a couple when between horses (including my current amazing loan) and my older horse has been on loan to a friend for over 7 years now on the same yard as me.

They've all been word of mouth but it's also possible via social media. Put a post together with your riding credentials, how you would keep a loan horse etc - basically what you have to offer - and ask all horsey friends to share it (especially your trainer / instructor). A friend did that last year and was offered some lovely looking horses.

I suspect that current costs and weather could mean there are a few knocking about, also horses for sale don't seem to be shifting so some owners may decide that loan is preferable to expensive sales livery.
 
I had a fantastic horse on loan, she was a retired hunter who was home bred, I only hacked but she was pretty much perfect , she will never be sold by the owner and I gave her up due to my physical situation nothing to do with the horse
 
Yeah.

My old boy is out on loan.

In a schooling environment he's a novice ride. Perfect to teach someone to jump. Has never stopped at a show jump and will sort himself out and go on a miss.

Box him out to lessons or show jumping and he's great. A complete novice could take him show jumping. He is point and shoot.

Can be a bit tense hacking but the more he does, the better he is.

Box out to the beach and he's mega.

I think he's pretty great. In his 20's now though.
 
I think it depends on what you mean by good. If you mean a horse of a relatively young age (less than say 13), sound and with no major medical issues, with no vices, and good to ride in the way that you want, you might find one through references or friends but it's massively unlikely there will be one on the open market (if not totally impossible). If you are prepared to work with compromise on any of the above then you might find one.
 
Thanks all - I may find one yet!!
I am an experienced rider with horses at home - what I am looking for I would say isn't particularly fussy. Something over 14hh that can hack around fields and will go in a trailer and must be a gelding. The rest I can pretty much work on!
 
My daughter has an ex intermediate eventer on loan who still jumps 90/100 and dressages to medium and one of my horses is out on loan to a hacking home so absolutely yes. 💯
 
Spanish Dressage said:
Thanks all - I may find one yet!!
I am an experienced rider with horses at home - what I am looking for I would say isn't particularly fussy. Something over 14hh that can hack around fields and will go in a trailer and must be a gelding. The rest I can pretty much work on!
Click to expand...
You could have one of mine. But he’s a bugger to load 😀
 
Lots of lovely loaners and horses for loan on our yard (part loan) we are North though so no good for you. especially at the moment with owners dying from this awful weather would love a reliable competent loaner. Put some feelers out and see what comes back. a part loan is probs a more longer term situation with full loans usualling ending up for sale from what I've observed. I was lucky to get my girl on free trial for a month before buying but was kind of a friend of a friend situation

Put some feelers out local horsey FB introducing yourself you'll likely find theres more available than being advertised / posted to the right person.. , and make sure the rider rides them first dont just jump on anything and trust your gut instinct with them, might take a few tries to find a good one
 
Spanish Dressage said:
After a disastrous few years with bought young horses - my old boy is now being retired and I have nothing to ride. Due to my purchase last year being not quite right soundness wise.
I would rather loan or LWVTB however I am not sure this is really a thing anymore! Any ideas? Or do I go back to the drawing board!
Click to expand...
Theres a lady looking to loan a mare I bred, shes put an add up on H&H
 
They are definitely out there.
Networking/word of mouth is the best way, but don’t discount advertising either. Just give a lot of thought to the way you either pitch a wanted advert or respond to someone loaning.

I’ve had a reasonable amount of experience and success from both angles.
Yes there are behavioural/medical trainwrecks out there that owners just want gone, but there are also fundamentally good horses (who may have manageable conditions) whose owners want in a good home without giving up ultimate control.
 
I have a great boy on loan, I went to view him as a purchase. I explained to the owner that I had had a LWVTB which hadn't worked out hence I was looking again. The owner asked me if I would be interested in doing another LWVTB as she wanted to make sure it was the right fit (home breed). I agreed, as the weather didn't give me much of an opportunity to try him out properly. I think it was mostly because he had a slight medical issue as his owner didn't want someone to buy him cheap and then sell him on. He's been with me for 2 years and his owner has given him to me on permanent loan to me. There has been some things to iron out, but he is fab and has a home forever with me.

I think his owner realsitically could not afford him anymore, was struggling with DIY livery and working, but could not afford assisted livery. I am sure that there is likely to be people in similar situations, so there is hope!
 
I got coblet on a loan, OK he came with far more health problems than owned up to (think intensive course in every cob ailment possible) BUT he got me driving again after a 32 year gap, makes me laugh every day and is now a permanent fixture enjoying the best retirement I can possibly give him. Good luck in your search OP ☺️
 
I have a lovely boy available for loan - but I feel like most people are similar in that they want them to stay based with them where they can keep an eye.
 
I have one I'm thinking of loaning out (no use to you op as she's a girl!) but just to say that straightforward, sound horses are out there - i suspect it's a case of contacts networking and patience to a certain extent!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top