Cheeky/ridiculous posts you see on Facebook.

That's quite a list of requirements! A confidence giving schoolmaster that can jump up to 1m20 would be worth it's weight in gold, I couldn't imagine many people wanting to lend one out for free to a random person on the internet. If I had one, the only possible reason I can think of to do so would be if I had a longish illness / injury / pregnancy, and it still wouldn't be going out of my sight!
Oh, and I really couldn't care less what brand the jumps were!
 
In my experience of loaning and seeing people look for loan horses, there’s even less sane people in that group than there are in the usual horse buying market. There are some really fantastic homes - but 90% just want a cheap horse or a temporary horse or one they can ruin without paying the eventual vet bill. The first of those means they often cannot afford decent care. The second leaves a sad horse who bonds and then is given back. The third is the worst - returning with injuries and/or ruined schooling and handling. It’s like a world of two extremes!
 
rabatsa said:
Has produced youngsters. So why not do so again and make the horse you want?
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I did also wonder this- the time it takes to bring a broodmare back into work is probably going to work out similar to the time you'd need to spend breaking in and fittening a 3/4yo. Either way, it'll be a good couple of years before the horse is strong enough to jump the courses they want.
 
I must admit those posts do grate! "I'm sick of producing' At 17! Wow poor you given all these horses to produce. And had an ex intermediate event horse for 7 years? What from 9 or 10?? Who gives a horse lile that to a young child. The scent of entitlement is pretty overpowering on that one.

As for 'she deserves a' .... . No 16 year old 'deserves' a very expensive horse for free!
 
I’m really pro loaning out. I’ve both done it myself and been the lucky recipient of actually quite valuable competitive horses.

So for me, I don’t mind the asking/advertising.

It’s the way the advert is phased that would either put my back up or not and unfortunately this one makes me look like Quasimodo
 
TheChestnutThing said:
Was cleaning out my car on Sunday and heard hooves behind me...a foal, still with a bushy foal tail, with a hunter clip! being lead down my road. I was flabbergasted.
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Foals used to be commonly clipped for showing, but I've seen some venues don't allow it now so hopefully it will stop unless for genuine health reasons.
 
Ambers Echo said:
I suspect it can't continue because it's no longer legal or insurable. And that's probably because of excess litigation and of exploitation of young people. Whether it's a change for good or bad is up for debate I think. Yes a lot of valubale opportunities are no longer possible BUT also I was able to do crazy things as a kid which were fun but definitely not safe, and I suspect unpaid labour led to some sgnificant abuses of young people's desperation to ride or be around horses.

Are working pupil roles no longer around? If they are genuinely offering training, then there should be a scheme whereby they can. But with some transparency about what training you get for your labour.
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Think your first sentence is, as you say the reason..
65 years ago🫣 I rode my bike 5 odd miles to a riding school, (sometimes my dad took me) I along with other pony mad kids, mucked out, groomed, tacked up and now and then led small children on ponies, altered fences etc etc, sometimes we got a lesson on an actual pony, but our greatest joy was riding the ponies bareback along the road on the verges back to their field, we were not supposed to get out of a walk, but you can probably guess that as soon as we hit a grass verge zoom…
Best 2 years and when my dad thought I could look after a pony properly he bought me a pony, we were farmers so pony lived out…
I must also add that my sister and I rode anything on the farm with four legs, definitely the cart horses if we could, but also the older calves!!!
Certainly often it wasn’t safe as you say, but we had great times, learnt how to care for ponies, how to stay on, and never ever abuse….
Technical things were learnt from the Pony Club blue book!!
 
Marshpiper said:
Think your first sentence is, as you say the reason..
65 years ago🫣 I rode my bike 5 odd miles to a riding school, (sometimes my dad took me) I along with other pony mad kids, mucked out, groomed, tacked up and now and then led small children on ponies, altered fences etc etc, sometimes we got a lesson on an actual pony, but our greatest joy was riding the ponies bareback along the road on the verges back to their field, we were not supposed to get out of a walk, but you can probably guess that as soon as we hit a grass verge zoom…
Best 2 years and when my dad thought I could look after a pony properly he bought me a pony, we were farmers so pony lived out…
I must also add that my sister and I rode anything on the farm with four legs, definitely the cart horses if we could, but also the older calves!!!
Certainly often it wasn’t safe as you say, but we had great times, learnt how to care for ponies, how to stay on, and never ever abuse….
Technical things were learnt from the Pony Club blue book!!
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This was me! Except we never did get a free lesson 😆 Best bit was riding the ponies about 3 miles to the field. Ride 1, lead 2.

The blue book was my bible - The Manual of Horsemanship. I memorised feeding programmes, daily routines, fittening routines... rules of feeding and sizes of stables!

I think it was a good grounding!

Packed lunches and mucky fingernails LOL.
 
Red-1 said:
This was me! Except we never did get a free lesson 😆 Best bit was riding the ponies about 3 miles to the field. Ride 1, lead 2.

The blue book was my bible - The Manual of Horsemanship. I memorised feeding programmes, daily routines, fittening routines... rules of feeding and sizes of stables!

I think it was a good grounding!

Packed lunches and mucky fingernails LOL.
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It was just the best grounding!
Lots of laughter, and eating packed lunch with those mucky nails……🤣🤣🐎🐎
 
Jacksie said:
What gets me is the ‘the horse will want for nothing’ comments. If you can’t afford to buy a horse do you really have the funds needed if something were to go wrong
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I waver on this one. I agree that the 'looking for a unicorn' ads are massively unrealistic and rather entitled.

Yet I have known situations where someone really doesn't have the budget for a decent horse upfront but can afford the monthly commitment, assuming that the horse is insured for emergency care and that there is sufficient spare for the occasional bills like dentistry. OK if they are pragmatic about taking a horse that is older, or has manageable issues, or where they are lucky enough to find one that the owner doesn't want to sell. At least the people that say it will 'want for nothing' are considering the fact that they are being trusted with someone's horse. Others, like the ad I posted above, focus on their own needs and list of requirements without thinking to reassure the owner that the horse would be cared for.

The person I have in mind is one of my lovely liveries who saved for some time to buy a horse, which broke within a couple of weeks and was PTS after a year of trying, and then just couldn't buy another. Yes she could have saved up for another 2 years, but by that time she just wanted to enjoy a horse and her requirements are modest. She was lucky enough to find a ex-eventing mare who due to an old injury couldn't compete at the same level, which suits her just fine. Lovely owners, fabulous loaner, and a thoroughly brilliant horse as well who really does want for nothing. But this sort of horse and loaner is unlikely to materialise through an ad in either direction - she came through our yard instructor who recommended both sides of the arrangement.

Equally I loaned my boy years ago to a wonderful girl who adored him but couldn't have afforded him, and I would never have sold him - selfishly I wanted to compete at a higher level and yet he was still a great horse for her needs, hacking and occasional lessons and low level jumping. They had a happy year and I was very happy to have him back when she had a baby. He's still with me aged 29.

Before that I nearly arranged a loan for him with a lady who, before collecting him, started asking questions about whether he'd cope without shoes to save money (no) and if he could live on a handful of chaff per day (no) and whether I would supply literally everything from a lunge line to mucking out equipment. I cancelled.

All I can conclude is that a personal recommendation is best, and that loaning any horse (valuable or not) is a minefield, but not impossible to get right.
 
For me 'wanting for nothing; should be a statement of the obvious. And it totally meaningless Like 5* home. I mean who is going to say "will receive adequate care in a 3* home"!

I am a fan of loaning. My YO's daughter has a 2* event horse competed by a pro on loan. She also has a green mare she has produced on loan - who is outperforming the seasoned horse BE -though both did very well last year. I'd loan rather than sell Myka when the time comes if I can find the right person.

But when sending in a query she explained how the horse would be kept (option of 24/7 turnout or stabled overnight as needed), quiet yard, regualr training with x,y,z, previous results, happy to offer routine physio or any other medical management with professional(s) of loaners choice, etc.

Ie explain what you mean by 'will want for nothing'.
 
What bothers me is how many people want a robot.

I’ve loaned in the past and my old (28 this year but still out hacking!) eventer has been on loan for the best part of 10 years now but all these must be 100% in all ways posts do my head in.

Same with buying with a low budget. Don’t all horses have /something/ they aren’t perfect with? I’ve certainly never had a 100% in all ways horse. I’d be worried they’d give up as soon as it spooked or twitched an ear.
 
I think loaning can work well and there are plenty of people who do care exceptionally well for their horses with lower budgets. But caring for horses when things go wrong can be shockingly expensive. Even insurance can only go so far and then you’re digging into your own pockets. If someone’s looking for a unicorn, wanting to pay peanuts for the privilege yet is saying the horse will want for nothing, it just doesn’t add up to me. If you don’t value the animal before you own it and get it cheap/free, will you do right by it when needed. Some people will, but it wouldn’t fill me with confidence.
 
Abacus said:
Here is another. Although the competitive ambition may be low (although 90 isn’t all that low), so is the budget. Admittedly she doesn’t specify that it must be both sound and not a lunatic. I guess she might find a little ex racer…
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What bothers me about this and I’m not being judgemental or elitist here. But if you only have £1500 in the pot at a stretch to buy a horse in the first place, where’s the rest of the money coming from to look after it? If you have that spare income then save for a few more months and buy something better, if you don’t then you shouldn’t be buying a horse. I’m not saying every horse needs to be expensive, you can buy a cheap horse because that’s what you think it’s worth and what you want to spend. Heck my best horse cost me £1300 which including the cost of transport from Ireland! But I’ve just seen it so many times on yards, the cheap TB someone has picked up that never sees a saddle fitter, physio, goes without vet treatment, sees the farrier every 12 weeks etc. because they don’t have the spare cash. Horses are expensive unfortunately and some people need a reality check whether they can actually afford to provide for one properly before taking them on.
 
KikiDee said:
What bothers me about this and I’m not being judgemental or elitist here. But if you only have £1500 in the pot at a stretch to buy a horse in the first place, where’s the rest of the money coming from to look after it?
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It could be that they have so much money set aside for horses, say £7000 but if they bought a £7000 horse then there would be no money left for saddle fitters, physio, trainers, possible vet bills.
If they spent £1500 on a horse then they would have a decent contingency for help or emergencies.

And yes they could continue to save up but the risk of a horse hurting itself and having to be retired is the same wether you spend £1000 or £10,000 and so maybe that’s as much as they are willing to risk on purchase. I know I could never justify buying a £10,000 horse on my wages but I also know I won’t be getting the perfect all rounder for my budget.

But yeah I know someone who was going to buy a £1000 horse unseen because she couldn’t afford to go and view it. I told her if she can’t afford to travel she can’t afford a horse. She also says she is always skint but she is, in the nicest possible way, not very intelligent so whether she would understand the ongoing costs or not I don’t know.
She’s grown up with horses but her mum would’ve done the work and paying.

So there probably is plenty of dreamers out there.
 
Im also not averse to loaning out. When I was a teenager I loaned a beautiful pba (between 3) and when she went unexpectedly lame our loan owner found us an ex pc eventer. Neither were perfect but both were fab teen ponies.

I too have advertised (not on face ache im not that brave) for horses to ride and I found a highland pony who needed rehab for a stifle issue and had an owner who was terrified of it (adored this one wish I'd bought her), a giant cob x whose owner had fallen off due to cow terror and needed him fit to sell, and a young Clydie who bolted (i was not told of his history). Thus ended my free horse search 🙄 I admit I did not specify sound/not insane.
 
I also have nothing against loaning / sharing. I have done my fair share in both directions. However I have never actually had to advertise looking for one, I have asked a friend to borrow her barely backed pony for the summer holidays for a project, I have ridden another friend's pony that was too small for her, another friend's pony with a bad rearing habit, more recently Enormosaurus whose owner doesn't ride and she is a very quirky horse, and Green TB that I'm slowly bringing on for her rider. Strangely, no one has walked up to me and offered me a ready made 1m20 jumping school master... (and TBH, I can count on two hands the number of times I've jumped 1m20 in my life - once bareback when I was young and fearless: does that add bonus points?).
I did once sit on an ex-European champion eventer; I hopped straight back off as the poor lad was ancient at that point and obviously not even up to the quiet hack we were planning. I took the bicycle instead.
 
I just think it's hard to keep a horse properly for less than £700/month these days.

Say you're basic DIY livery is £50/week. Hay is costing about £40/week this winter. Bedding - couple of bales of shavings at £20/week. £30 a week for a bag of feed (because your cheap TB probably isn't going to live off a bag of balancer all winter). Farrier every 5 weeks at £90-£100. Physio every 6 months at £95. Saddle fitter every 6 months £120 if you're just needing a basic check and flock. And say you don't insure and chuck £50/month in the pot for vets bills - you're at £700+ already.

If you have that, you can save it for 6 months and buy a £6k horse instead of a £1500 one.
 
KikiDee said:
I just think it's hard to keep a horse properly for less than £700/month these days.

Say you're basic DIY livery is £50/week. Hay is costing about £40/week this winter. Bedding - couple of bales of shavings at £20/week. £30 a week for a bag of feed (because your cheap TB probably isn't going to live off a bag of balancer all winter). Farrier every 5 weeks at £90-£100. Physio every 6 months at £95. Saddle fitter every 6 months £120 if you're just needing a basic check and flock. And say you don't insure and chuck £50/month in the pot for vets bills - you're at £700+ already.

If you have that, you can save it for 6 months and buy a £6k horse instead of a £1500 one.
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It can be done considerably cheaper than that.

I spend about £500 a month on mine who is on Part livery (full during the week, assisted at the weekend) and if I went either just onto assisted or DIY it would be much cheaper.
But he is a little welsh fattie and not shod
 
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