are There any genuine people who loan out their horses these day

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Claire.81

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As a long time reader (but first time poster) of the forum I know you guys are always happy to give advice, so I thought I’d ask what you all think.
I’m currently (very tentatively) looking for a new horse to either loan long term or lwvtb in the future. I’ve been looking on and off for a while but only recently decided to post wanted ads here and there.
I’m not looking for anything fancy. I don’t want the next Olympic jumper or HOYS winner, just a nice horse who I can have fun with, hack out on, do a bit of schooling and just generally pamper and enjoy.
Being tall I’m looking for a horse over 16hh, not fussed about age, breed, gender etc. I have said in my ad the ideally I’d prefer under 12 years old and preferably not full cobs/Tb’s, however that’s not set in stone and I will consider anything suitable.
That’s really my main requirements.
I’ve had lots of people message me offering their horses but most of them it seems are just looking for someone to have their horse over winter then they want them back once the cold weather and dark nights are over.
Or they want someone to take on their just backed youngsters, school them for a couple of months, then have them back once they are going nicely.
Are there any genuine people wanting to loan their horses or would I be better giving up on my search?
 
Most people with a horse that fits your requirements will either be enjoying it themselves or selling for a decent price, the few left will be available for loan because the owner is injured, pregnant, off to uni or possibly for some reason cannot cope short term and will probably want it back at some point, I don't think there will be many sound horses under 12 for loan, lwvtb is a minefield and high risk for the owner.

Your best options would be to look for something older/ semi retired and accept it has limitations but it could do well for the job you want, take on one of the young ones and treat it as a learning experience you never know the owner may sell or continue the loan, you should get a 12 month contract in place when you start, or start to save so you can buy one which gives you complete control with no risk of the owner taking it back but all the risks of ownership.

It may not be a lost cause but you do have to be realistic that genuine people are out there but may not want to loan their much loved horse, ensure your ad puts in what you can offer not just what you want, a really good yard with plenty of turn out and company would be essential for most owners, happy to take on one with an issue or two may make you more appealing.
 
be positive said:
Most people with a horse that fits your requirements will either be enjoying it themselves or selling for a decent price, the few left will be available for loan because the owner is injured, pregnant, off to uni or possibly for some reason cannot cope short term and will probably want it back at some point, I don't think there will be many sound horses under 12 for loan, lwvtb is a minefield and high risk for the owner.

This.
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I have my horse J on permanent loan .
He just did not want to do the things i wanted to do I was lucky to find hima loan home with a working mum who just wanted a nice hack and he was a very smart looking easy hack .
The thing is I don’t think you can loan permanently and expect a wish list like yours those horses sell like hot cakes and are not easy to find to buy even with a good budget .
There’s nothing ungenuine in offering short term loans people are offering what suits them not you if someone never wants their horse again they will usually sell if it the type you describe because lots of people want horses like that .
Basically you are saying I want a nice horse without paying for it so I can give back when it suits me , my experiance is most horses are loan because they have something that makes the owner unhappy to sell them or the owner has a reason the loan is time limited .
Perhaps you might’ve find a share as a start point .
 
On the opposite side of the coin, I tried to loan my daughters horse out. He’s a fab little horse, very easy to do. Would happily hack, school fun ride RC etc.
Smaller than your after OP but I had no interest whatsoever!! Not even one enquiry.
My reason for loaning was that I wanted to retain control over him. Not necessarily to have him back but to be able to keep an eye on him and step in if he was ever mistreated or neglected. Impossible if he was sold.
I also have a horse on loan, he’s very genuine. His owner had competed him as far as he was able and decided to call that a day with him.
So I do think genuine loans are out there.
 
We currently have 2 out on lwvtb.
One - a newforest mare- has gone to the most perfect family, and after having her for 3 years, are buying her and paying monthly.
The other is a green Welsh D gelding, HOYS potential. He’s actually gone to a young mum who was missing having horses, to bring on and have some fun with. She’s not aiming at HOys but is giving him lots of life experience which will all add to his ability to qualify for HOYs in the future.
The Nf mare was originally a loan which turned into wvt. The welsh d has gone wvtb and a price written into the contract.
Both of these are fantastic ponies and would fit your above description.
Maybe widen your search further. They both can carry my 6’ tall daughter. The Welsh d with ease, the NF was ok until daughter out weight on. Welsh D are not only capable of carrying a decent weight, but take your leg up, too. Important when you’re tall.
So, widen your search, don’t height or type limit and the right owners are out there.
 
My first horse was a loan horse. She was 12 when I began the loan and absolutely fantastic, had been ridden and competed by the owners daughter who had lost interest. Mother couldn't bear to part with the horse hence the loan. I loaned her till the day she sadly died aged 25 from colic. The horses are out there, just not very many of them.
 
Agree with the other posters. If you think about it on the flip side, why would someone with a good horse like that want to take the risk? What’s their upside? So for that reason, they are few and far between and will likely be very picky, or be wanting something you aren’t keen on eg to bring the horse on or return after a short break (which could be their upside).

I did loan my boy to my sharer when I bought a 2nd but he stayed on the yard and I already knew her. My sharer eventually bought him.
 
Yup, I have one that I would loan out. Absolute schoolmistress TB mare. Was on loan last 7 months and only came back due to loaner losing her job. She's basically perfect, impeccable manners, no vices, sound, sane, fun. Jumps for fun, works well on the flat. Would be as happy in a competitive home as she would be hacking. But she is a bit older and smaller than you want. If/when I decide to loan her out again I will vet everyone very thoroughly and try to find someone through word of mouth, or I might just keep her for myself and enjoy my lovely girl again. I can't see myself ever advertising her for loan and sending her out to some random person for an indiscriminate length of time.

As already said OP the type of horse you want doesn't come up for long term loan very often - why would it? You may have to accept that you will have to compromise on something or just look for a share.
 
Posting a wanted ad probably isn't necessarily the most effective route. You might be more effective trawling the likes of "right horse right home" or "horses 4 homes" You are looking for one of the most sought after brackets so your pool to fish in will be small. There probably are horses out there - but they will be scarce.

Don't necessarily take issue with the fact it seems to you that folk are only looking to loan out over the winter. That is partly a product of the time of year you are looking in. If you had done the same advert in March you may well have found as many short term loans but over the summer instead. (That said I do not debate that folk would rather loan out during the difficult months!)

Keep looking - something may turn up. If you get too frustrated with it change your criteria a bit.
 
Thanks for all the replies, it’s much appreciated. Reading through them it does sound like I’m asking for the impossible, and like someone said, it does sound like I’m after a good horse without wanting to pay.
What I should have said (but being dippy, completely forgot) is that I have said in my ad that I’m happy to take on a horse with no issues or medical conditions as long as he/she is okay to work I don’t mind.
My last horse was a chunky Tb mare with a slew of problems, navicular, gastric ulcers and ovarian cysts to name but a few. We took her on loan a few years ago and she was with us until the end. So I’m definitely not ruling out any horse.
The reason I put the age on my ad was because I’ve had a fair few people offering me their very elderly horses (think 29 year old Tb in one case, but he’s fine because he thinks he’s 4!) I’m not ruling out horses over 12, as I said that would be my ideal, but not set in stone.
I’ve had horses for almost thirty years and loaning is a fairly new thing to me (my last mare was my first loan horse, and we got her from a friend)
Maybe time to go back to buying.
 
The best loan horses tend to go by word of mouth rather than be advertised. We got a lovely horse this way who has taken my daughter clear round the PC National Open Tetrathlon Championships, evented to BE Novice and been an amazing hunter who will jump the biggest hedges and will field master or whip in. He has a few drawbacks though, in that he has some physical issues that means that he wouldn't have much value if offered for sale, and his breeder is just happy that he is in a home where he is kept busy and active and is looked after. But we heard about him from a friend and I doubt he would have ever needed to be advertised for loan.

So you need to make sure you let everyone know you are looking - your farrier can often be a very good source of leads in this instance! It is also worth doing lots of volunteering for your local Riding Club because you can meet lots of new horsey people this way who might know of something nice for loan. But you do need to be realistic, particularly in regards to older horses, as these tend to be the ones most often offered on loan.
 
Claire.81 said:
Thanks for all the replies, it’s much appreciated. Reading through them it does sound like I’m asking for the impossible, and like someone said, it does sound like I’m after a good horse without wanting to pay.
What I should have said (but being dippy, completely forgot) is that I have said in my ad that I’m happy to take on a horse with no issues or medical conditions as long as he/she is okay to work I don’t mind.
My last horse was a chunky Tb mare with a slew of problems, navicular, gastric ulcers and ovarian cysts to name but a few. We took her on loan a few years ago and she was with us until the end. So I’m definitely not ruling out any horse.
The reason I put the age on my ad was because I’ve had a fair few people offering me their very elderly horses (think 29 year old Tb in one case, but he’s fine because he thinks he’s 4!) I’m not ruling out horses over 12, as I said that would be my ideal, but not set in stone.
I’ve had horses for almost thirty years and loaning is a fairly new thing to me (my last mare was my first loan horse, and we got her from a friend)
Maybe time to go back to buying.
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I've just taken on the loan of a friends pony, top class M&M who has won a lot and is still fit and happy (far fitter than I am!), he is however 17 years old so whilst we will still do a few HOYS qualifiers, we wont expect much and they will only be the ones at my favorite shows.
The catch is that he is only 13.2hh but he takes up my leg better than my 15.2hh hunter does. so dont rule out anything smaller if it is nice and broad.
 
I had a lovely horse on permanent loan. He had won at Hickstead, but was 18 so was taking a step down. He took me happily round an BS 80open after I’d had him 3 days and we came 3rd. I had him for 6 months and jumped and got placed a lot, up to 1m, and did some arena evening with him. They owner had a couple of horses, and didn’t ride anymore so loaned him out. He was fab, and I only sent him back as I just can’t afford a horse anymore. I found him on a horsey Facebook selling page.
 
Good loans and good horses tend to go word of mouth. I loaned my 16.2 ISH RC allrounder out a couple of years ago but it was for a year initially and then a review because I wanted a break from horses and wasnt sure I'd go back to them! The lady who took him was recommended from a good horsey friend. As it was I spent that year finding and moving to a property that came with land and stables so it was obvious he would come back off loan and the feeling of 'giving up' has pretty much gone (but its summer so ask me again in a few months!)

As someone else has said you are asking for a horse that either someone is already enjoying or someone is selling. They are out there but in my opinion you need to be in the right horsey circles to be in with a chance and your average hobby rider on a livery yard is unlikely to hear of said horse!( IMO of course)
 
Claire.81 said:
Thanks for all the replies, it’s much appreciated. Reading through them it does sound like I’m asking for the impossible, and like someone said, it does sound like I’m after a good horse without wanting to pay.
What I should have said (but being dippy, completely forgot) is that I have said in my ad that I’m happy to take on a horse with no issues or medical conditions as long as he/she is okay to work I don’t mind.
My last horse was a chunky Tb mare with a slew of problems, navicular, gastric ulcers and ovarian cysts to name but a few. We took her on loan a few years ago and she was with us until the end. So I’m definitely not ruling out any horse.
The reason I put the age on my ad was because I’ve had a fair few people offering me their very elderly horses (think 29 year old Tb in one case, but he’s fine because he thinks he’s 4!) I’m not ruling out horses over 12, as I said that would be my ideal, but not set in stone.
I’ve had horses for almost thirty years and loaning is a fairly new thing to me (my last mare was my first loan horse, and we got her from a friend)
Maybe time to go back to buying.
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That should have said happy to take a horse WITH issues/medical conditions, not no issues. God I hate auto correct!!!
 
They are out there but in my opinion you need to be in the right horsey circles to be in with a chance and your average hobby rider on a livery yard is unlikely to hear of said horse!( IMO of course)

Having been on a DIY livery yard, I’ve learned a lot about myself lol, mainly that I don’t fit in with the teenage school ground rubbish that tends to come with being on said livery yard. Too much hassle and bitching for my liking.
Guess I’ll never hear about the good horses ��
 
I've been a loaner AND a loanee, both.

The ONLY loan I would ever consider again would be to loan a horse to an equestrian college for working livery. My boy was there for two years, the routine suited him well and he thrived from it (not every horse can deal with the busy-ness and the bustle of this sort of yard; noticed that mares particularly, when mine was there, weren't so able to deal with it).

I had to put my cob on loan purely because of the need to care for my mum in her latter years; he was way too quirky to sell, and I knew that he'd go from bad to worse if I did so, so loaned him out.

After college, I did loan him out to a girl for a while. I made sure that my advert SAID that he was "quirky" and "not a novice ride", but I had every dreamer, drifter and dunce turn up to ride him. I've heard from others that this is a common - and very annoying - occurrence as soon as you advertise anything "for loan". The girl that had him seemed OK, she wanted to keep him on livery at a riding school - and bearing in mind he had been at college before - I didn't see why this couldn't work. However, he has sweet itch, and despite my putting on the loan agreement in LARGE print that he had to have his sweet-itch rug on at all times when turned out, the first weekend he was there it was a mini-heatwave, and he was turned out without his rug. After only two days, he was in a helluva state, rubbed raw on his mane and tail and absolutely frantic with itching! My poor boy. However, I stupidly gave them another chance, only to have the YO challenge the fact that I "hadn't said he'd got sweet itch" and that he'd been sent to them in that condition; I then invited him to speak to my vet who'd seen him very recently before he'd been sent on loan and who could verify that his sweet itch was well under control and he had a full mane and tail. YO at this point shut his face and accepted my view of thing.

However, only six weeks into the loan, the numpty girl decided she "couldn't afford the livery" any more, and basically chucked him back at me! Fortunately I was in a position to bring him home, which I did, with a huge degree of relief, where he's been ever since, and as he's 22 now he won't be going anywhere ever again, bless him.

So that's my experience of being a loaner. I wouldn't loan to a private home again UNLESS I knew the person well, and knew them a long time not just a little while, and I knew where the horse was going and it was near enough to drive past the field-gate regularly and just see that all was well. OR if it was a good chum of someone I'd known for a long time and who could vouch for them over a period of many years.

I have also been the recipient of a loan: my old school-chum, who we'd re-ignited contact with a good few years ago now and is my equine mentor, let me have her lovely mare as she was looking for a quieter home for her. She's been with me for eight happy years now and her owner has gifted her to me for ever, she is retired and isn't ridden, but is a lovely tutoring mare for my little youngster. So a loan CAN work, but owner and loanee need to really know each other well and trust each other. Key words are trust, reliability, honesty, and above all COMMUNICATION. If there is a problem in the early days of a loan - and there will be! - it is important for owner and loanee to communicate and work together to sort out any problems. It is essential IME for the owner to live locally enough to go and visit the horse regularly; personally I am very happy for the owner to turn up unannounced, that's usually the time when horse has got poo all over itself and everything is chaotic! But to me, it matters not one jot. That's about being honest and open and everything above board. But I appreciate that this might rankle with some..........
 
conniegirl said:
I've just taken on the loan of a friends pony, top class M&M who has won a lot and is still fit and happy (far fitter than I am!), he is however 17 years old so whilst we will still do a few HOYS qualifiers, we wont expect much and they will only be the ones at my favorite shows.
The catch is that he is only 13.2hh but he takes up my leg better than my 15.2hh hunter does. so dont rule out anything smaller if it is nice and broad.
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I have looked at smaller when I was thinking about buying. Saw a lovely welsh D gelding, 15.1 ticked all the boxes. Quite a chunky boy, but being five feet ten tall, I looked ridiculous on him. Weight wise I’m under ten stone so wasn’t heavy, just too tall. Hence the reason I’m looking for something 16hh+
 
I completely agree about being open and honest, and definitely with the communication bit.
I’m 37 years old and communicating has worked well for me so far.
If I do find a horse on loan, I have no problem at all with the owner coming to visit (either announced or unannounced) it would be their horse they have the right to check on him/her.
 
silv said:
be positive said:
Most people with a horse that fits your requirements will either be enjoying it themselves or selling for a decent price, the few left will be available for loan because the owner is injured, pregnant, off to uni or possibly for some reason cannot cope short term and will probably want it back at some point, I don't think there will be many sound horses under 12 for loan, lwvtb is a minefield and high risk for the owner.

This. Also from the other side I had a completely incompetent loaner cause no end of issues with one of my horses (I had known her for a few months around the yard i was on she talked the talk appeared to be older knowledgeable type and the horse was to be kept on the yard still alongside my other horse so seemed like a win win. Unfortunately not. The lies about when she was actually going to the yard or riding, not appearing for days in a row or messaging me late at night to say she hadn't made it to the yard (luckily theyre out 24/7 in summer) then after witnessing her let to horse piss about so much being led to the field (never had any issues previoously nor was i having any issues) so much that she slipped on the concrete injuring herself (horse not idiot) I called it quits telling her to never come near me or my horses again and go to a riding school. In 2 months she had caused so many issues and left me with a broken horse.
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Claire.81 said:
I have looked at smaller when I was thinking about buying. Saw a lovely welsh D gelding, 15.1 ticked all the boxes. Quite a chunky boy, but being five feet ten tall, I looked ridiculous on him. Weight wise I’m under ten stone so wasn’t heavy, just too tall. Hence the reason I’m looking for something 16hh+
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I think it is down to the individual because My husband who is 5ft10 only looks ever so slightly big on my 13.2hh section C! I'm 5ft4 and perfect leg length for him.
However there is a 15hh section D on the yard that I wouldnt feel right riding because whilst she is chunky compared to most of the others on the yard, the shape of that chunk leaves me looking huge on her, I've also ridden a 15hh section D who was truely chunky and felt (and looked) like a pea on a mountain.
 
The best horse I ever had was a loan horse (ended up being permanent). He was 17 and had one eye - at 22 he was still the one who sometimes got in so much of a tizz we couldn't canter on hacks XD 12 is far too young a cut off age for a loan horse - you just won't find them. Look at something in its late teens and enjoy a few years with a lovely horse.
 
apercrumbie said:
The best horse I ever had was a loan horse (ended up being permanent). He was 17 and had one eye - at 22 he was still the one who sometimes got in so much of a tizz we couldn't canter on hacks XD 12 is far too young a cut off age for a loan horse - you just won't find them. Look at something in its late teens and enjoy a few years with a lovely horse.
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I agree with this, my horse is nearly 17 and would hack all day over pretty challenging ground if he had his way. Iv'e been out on horses in their mid 20's who have looked and felt wonderful to ride and if you're lucky they are pretty bomb proof by that age too. I'd rather have a wise older horse out on the roads than a nutty youngster !!
 
i saw an ad in H & H dated 26th july for 16hh ish gelding age12 looking for a loan home for a year as owner is going to uni. ad also says loan can be extended. dont know where in the country but phone no is 07710 828995...may be worth a call to see if he is still available.
i currently have a loan horse who i found through word of mouth locally, she is an ex hunter who the owner felt was getting too old to be hunted hard, she was 18 (now 20) sound, willing ,easy to deal with, an absolute dream for me as i needed something safe to hack....they are out there but i think you need to perhaps try to ask around, do you have any friends who are in a riding club or pony club who may be able to ask around for you...
 
conniegirl said:
I think it is down to the individual because My husband who is 5ft10 only looks ever so slightly big on my 13.2hh section C! I'm 5ft4 and perfect leg length for him.
However there is a 15hh section D on the yard that I wouldnt feel right riding because whilst she is chunky compared to most of the others on the yard, the shape of that chunk leaves me looking huge on her, I've also ridden a 15hh section D who was truely chunky and felt (and looked) like a pea on a mountain.
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Agree with this. I'm 5'6 and my Highland is only 14hh and takes up my leg perfectly.

On another note my mare is going on trial loan to an equine college in Sept. She is going on loan as she can be tricky and I got to the stage where I just lost my mojo and didn't want to ride. She is the sort to get passed from pillar to post so I will never sell her. My point is that most horses going on loan are being loaned for a reason.
 
Would you be prepared to travel to see a potential loan horse? When I advertised mine some time ago, the only enquiries I had were put off by our location. I thought that if they were the 'right' person I would want to loan my horse to then a couple of hours drive to see him shouldn't be a problem.
 
Claire.81 said:
Thanks for all the replies, it’s much appreciated. Reading through them it does sound like I’m asking for the impossible, and like someone said, it does sound like I’m after a good horse without wanting to pay.
What I should have said (but being dippy, completely forgot) is that I have said in my ad that I’m happy to take on a horse with no issues or medical conditions as long as he/she is okay to work I don’t mind.
My last horse was a chunky Tb mare with a slew of problems, navicular, gastric ulcers and ovarian cysts to name but a few. We took her on loan a few years ago and she was with us until the end. So I’m definitely not ruling out any horse.
The reason I put the age on my ad was because I’ve had a fair few people offering me their very elderly horses (think 29 year old Tb in one case, but he’s fine because he thinks he’s 4!) I’m not ruling out horses over 12, as I said that would be my ideal, but not set in stone.
I’ve had horses for almost thirty years and loaning is a fairly new thing to me (my last mare was my first loan horse, and we got her from a friend)
Maybe time to go back to buying.
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I would go and try horses of any age. My best horse was still competing at 29yrs and almost bucking me off, and the best riding school pony I have ever had the pleasure of teaching with had been at that particular yard for 28 years!
I would agree with previous posters, it may be easier to look for something older, or to be prepared for issues. My horse is currently out on loan to a forum member. I couldn't sell him because he is INCREDIBLY quirky and already has one coma to his name, so I don't want him hurting anyone else. I know this person can handle him and won't put up with his nonsense, and I trust her implicitly. He is also on loan because I will want him back in a couple of years.
Good luck in your search! I think your best bet would be to get in touch with local yards and riding schools to see if they have anything or know of anything.
I have to say though, you would find what you're looking for straight away I think if you were to buy.
 
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