Being sensible....

DragonSlayer

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I've been offered a horse.

That is, on loan until spring, then going back to friend to breed from, then when the foal is weaned, providing all is well, she comes back to me....A Free Horse To Keep, as they say....she will be mine, signed off, official and all that...

Big mare, excellent breeding, primarily a competition mare, with BE points, BD points and over £500 BSJA winnings to her credit, though apparently the points have expired now, however that works...

Doesnt like tractors, can be strong XC (ALL mine are!)

Sound too good to be true? Well, I know her history, she isn't ancient, I've seen what she can do, lovely to handle and perfect at shows. Friend has reasons as to why she not going to keep her after the foal, reasons are genuine, but not for me to post on public forum.

Can I justify time to her? I already have a herd! (2 on share, one on full loan - couldn't sell so these options work!) so that takes the pressure off time-wise....I have a busy career, and when I school at night (not in the wind and rain though!) it's a generator running portable lights job! :D Works well...

The mare wouldn't need to be hacked much, because she is not use to it....this is what I have issues with, she is fittened through schooling, lunging etc. It's what she is used to, but I'd feel mean doing this all the time, or it's a case of 'guess when no heavy traffic is about' to get her out and about....because I hack to get MY horses fit....am I just being daft?

Certainly, she would want for nothing, fed, warm, shoeing, blah blah blah all done...I suppose a show once a month would be what she gets to....she hasn't been doing much of anything recently...it would be local stuff, I don't do BE or anything like that...

Am I sensible to say yes? Or say thanks, but no?

I'm leaning towards No at the moment, but outside opinions woud be welcome.

:)
 
I would say no.
You have sharers and one on loan to help save you time so why do you want to take on another?

She may be a great horse so why doesnt the owner sell, loan of find help for her?
 
id say no too..


she wants to give you the horse till spring (you pay for it)

breed off it.... then shove it off on you when finished??


no thanks.... if you want the horse wait till shes finished breeding off it and then sign it over.... i wouldnt want to be the stop gap between homes!
 
Yep, that's my thinking!

She was hoping to still have contact with the mare if you know what I mean....

There's that saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth' and all that, but in this climate..it's not as true as it once was!

My friend will advertise her she said, if the answer is no.
 
I'd say no she's not worth the effort, if you had nothing else to do or work with then yes but you've got your own so it's not like you need a ride.
 
breed off it.... then shove it off on you when finished??

I know what you are saying, but she only asked because she knows I like the mare! My friend is a kind soul really...honestly!

Heheheh...

Understandable this would be people reaction, perfectly acceptable. :)

I think I'm just soft, wondering where she will end up.....NO! Must NOT NOT NOT go down that line of thinking else i'm sunk!

slap me someone, quickly!
 
I'd be worried that they'd want to reclaim her in the future - so you'd have to buy her for £10 and get a receipt to make it legal. You could draw up a document to say that the horse will go back to its previous owner to foal, then returnto you - just in case you took on all the costs this winter, and then they changed their minds.. Then I'd consider it - this would be your very own horse, whereas the others are just shares/loans - so I'd be inclined to stop having one of them instead. It could put a strain on the friendship if it went wrong.
 
If present owner can't keep the mare I'd question her being able to keep the foal and she isn't likely to make heaps from something out of a mare with average breeding/comp record. Doesn't sound like a very responsible plan from the few details here. Either make it yours now or don't consider it until after any foal, you might not want it if anything goes wrong with the foaling either...
 
I know what you are saying, but she only asked because she knows I like the mare! My friend is a kind soul really...honestly!

Heheheh...

Understandable this would be people reaction, perfectly acceptable. :)

I think I'm just soft, wondering where she will end up.....NO! Must NOT NOT NOT go down that line of thinking else i'm sunk!

slap me someone, quickly!

ohh i know i bet your friend is lovely but i dont know her from adam!
:D



you are soft. as am i. and if i were in your shoes id be tempted too!.....

if you can afford it etc go for it as long as she signs her over now and now in 12 months time!! :)
 
I'd say, yes she maybe a nice friend, but she's got a damm cheek if you ask me.

"You feed, keep, have responsibility for my mare cause I don't want her through the expensive and hard work winter months, and I'll have a foal out of her for free! Thanks."

Now just where does that sound advantagous for you????
Don't be nuts, be savvy.
 
I'd say, yes she maybe a nice friend, but she's got a damm cheek if you ask me.

"You feed, keep, have responsibility for my mare cause I don't want her through the expensive and hard work winter months, and I'll have a foal out of her for free! Thanks."

Now just where does that sound advantagous for you????
Don't be nuts, be savvy.

Yes Sir!

:D
 
Just another thought to think about. I used to have a horse that was bad in heavy traffic (tractors, lorries, etc), finding exclusively off-road hacking was impossible and going out on the roads was unpredictably lethal. It did make keeping him fit and entertained that much harder and I would never knowingly get another one that was bad in traffic.
 
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