Bit of a rant - or why I didn't want to loan in the first place!

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spacefaer

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Long story short - retired our lovely old hunter to a friend of an acquaintance. Husband to hack around the farm and round the lanes. Horse has been there 2 months (ie in the nice weather) and now she has messaged me to say that husband has lost interest and she would like the stable back so she can buy herself a horse.

No notice, we have no room, and now it's raining. Now what am I meant to do with him???
 
Mmmmm, unfortunately this is the nature of a "loan" unfortunately. The loanee is at liberty to end it when they want; and TBH, would you rather they were honest and up front now about it, or keep him when they didn't really want him and he was chucked out in a cold field somewhere and went downhill fast.

At least they've been honest....... small comfort I know.

Is there anyone at all that you know could take him at short notice? Anybody on here?? I am in East Devon if that's any help.
 
Well, the agreement was that he was theirs, until he was no longer rideable, and then we would have a further discussion about his future. Not that he would be returned when it rained and they were bored of him.

Thanks for the offer - I've got a field I can put him in, but he'll have no friends - everything else is in and clipped!
 
This happened a few times with me , usually with people I know, I am a lot tougher with strangers and they really have to prove they want the horse/pony. Only once has someone given me proper notice that they want to return the animal.
I just smile though gritted teeth and give myself a mental slap across the face.
 
Perfect excuse to buy a mini companion! :D seriously though I can appreciate that you feel a bit let down but if he's the weight carrying, ploddy kind i guarantee you will find another loaner very quickly! I had people fighting over my old semi retired boy because he was a big, sturdy, bomb proof and it suited him to just be hacked out slowly a couple times a week and he had quite a few health issues and other quirks!
 
Exact same thing happened to me. I put my lovely lad out to loan as a happy hacker and the lady promised me she wanted more than a summer hack. October came and the weather turned and she suddenly couldn't afford him and hadn't had his feet done in 8 weeks (it was in the contract he was done every 5 weeks max due to an ongoing condition). I had 2 days to collect him and he was 2 hours away and then had to find somewhere for him- I don't have my own yard so he had to go on livery. Was so tricky but he ended up with a lovely new owner so in the end it was the best thing.
 
Stupid people :( I feel for you...

We have a fab elderly pony on loan for my son, and even if something went wrong with her, I would guarantee to keep her through until the spring.

Fiona
 
At least they have contacted you and you can take your horse back , circumstances do change. Having picked up my pony from a loan home in the summer because he'd been starved and misused, I personally think you have got off lightly. A pain I know but getting your animal home and having him lie down on the end of the lead rope as your turning him out, because he is so tired and weak, is soul destroying. Having put my lad on loan it meant I could go and demand him back as soon I was unhappy. My loaner was a lazy cow, who talked the talk and put on a good act, fooled me. Then lost interest and couldn't even be bothered to check on her horses or feed. Yours have got in touch. I think your lucky. My lad is back out on loan, I'm currently visiting every week. I hope things work out for you.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
At least they have contacted you and you can take your horse back , circumstances do change. Having picked up my pony from a loan home in the summer because he'd been starved and misused, I personally think you have got off lightly. A pain I know but getting your animal home and having him lie down on the end of the lead rope as your turning him out, because he is so tired and weak, is soul destroying. Having put my lad on loan it meant I could go and demand him back as soon I was unhappy. My loaner was a lazy cow, who talked the talk and put on a good act, fooled me. Then lost interest and couldn't even be bothered to check on her horses or feed. Yours have got in touch. I think your lucky. My lad is back out on loan, I'm currently visiting every week. I hope things work out for you.
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That's awful! Horror stories like that really put me off ever wanting to loan my pony, or anything else I'd ever have out, some people are really unbelievable...
 
OP that's so frustrating for you! I have loaned horses and would never dream of doing what your loaner has done. The last horse I loaned developed a chronic lameness issue and could no longer be ridden, but I kept him on and pampered him just as much as I would a riding horse until his owner had found retirement livery for him.
Hope you find a loan home who deserves your horse!
 
Thank goodness you have him back rather than him be neglected by someone who has lost interest. It's good they have been upfront and are returning him because they don't really want him. Always be prepared to take a horse on loan back, they are your responsibility, or sell. Perhaps it's not to do with the weather, maybe just bad timing. Don't think the worst of them. Sounds like they've been honest.
 
I hate loans for this reason. The actual reverse happened to me, I loaned out one of my horses years ago, he had been loaned for almost a year, when I lost my other horse. I gave my loaner 18 months notice and she gave him back in a week.
 
Achinghips said:
Thank goodness you have him back rather than him be neglected by someone who has lost interest. It's good they have been upfront and are returning him because they don't really want him. Always be prepared to take a horse on loan back, they are your responsibility, or sell. Perhaps it's not to do with the weather, maybe just bad timing. Don't think the worst of them. Sounds like they've been honest.
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Obviously I would rather have him back and I do appreciate that they have been honest - it's just that they assured me that they would keep him regardless of his rideability, as they have lots of grass, until the time came to make an end of life decision about him.

I don't have lots of grass or space for him at the moment and do feel a bit let down.
 
This happened to me when loaning to a friend, she drove in and dropped my mare back to me with a morning's notice and then did not wait for me to walk down the field to the yard! I would now prefer not to loan to friends. I now advertise, set up a contract and take references - it is a lot easier to be tougher on people you do not know. Good luck, in finding him a new loan home but you will need to advertise.
 
spacefaer said:
Obviously I would rather have him back and I do appreciate that they have been honest - it's just that they assured me that they would keep him regardless of his rideability, as they have lots of grass, until the time came to make an end of life decision about him.

I don't have lots of grass or space for him at the moment and do feel a bit let down.
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People will be people unfortunately, and some will P!ss you around more than others.

Can understand totally how you feel, my boy went on loan and only 5 weeks into the loan the loaner gave me notice that she "couldn't afford it" anymore...... it then transpired that she'd paid diddly squat to the YO from Day One. THEN the YO thought to try and pump Yours Truly for it, plus shoeing, plus "extra feed" that my horse had allegedly had. They'd also let his sweet itch get desperately out of hand despite my putting it in the loan agreement that he had to wear his sweet itch rug at all times. He was in an awful state.

I didn't have a stable, only a cold windy field for him and whilst there were other horses on the place there wasn't anyone out with him in the field. But I brought him home, didn't want him there a minute longer. He was fine. We got a makeshift stable put up for the worst of the winter, and it all worked out.

I'd bring your old boy home PDQ if it was me OP. If they don't want him, don't leave him there a minute longer than necessary. Yes it is a huge inconvenience, and yes it is damned annoying, but you'll manage somehow, simply because you love him. If you're really stuck, a rescue centre might be able to help with a tiny companion......
 
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