Ever loaned a horse to a college?

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emmysophie96

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I lost my nerve on my horse after a fall and two years on although I'm loads better I still have some confidence issues. My boy is lovely but big and spooky and can be a bit of a handful around other horses, nothing that would have bothered me before I had my fall. Thinking about putting him on loan to a college for a year and getting a schoolmaster to get my confidence back then getting him back. Or, should I have group lessons in a riding school and just get him used to having other horses around him? Anyone ever had a similar issues or has anyone ever put their horse on loan to a college ??
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I'm not really sure a college would be ideal for him- sounds like he needs schooling and colleges generally require more established horses which they can trust (insurance necessitates!)
 
Yes due to having to many for the winter, cost, time, etc. She is a fab horse and the college were great but she came home miserable so wouldn't do it again.
 
My horse was on working livery at the local college. It worked well to start with, but after a while he started to get depressed etc so I brought him home. He's now a lot happier again. However, there are some horses at the college that seem to love being there so I guess it depends on your horse
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yes mine was on working livery at a very well known college but would never do it again,her livery was soooo expensive and they used her all time and put people on her that were tooo heavy,she became a nightmare as there wasn't any turnout all winter.I had a bad experience but it does work for some horses
 
Myn horse came to college with me but was used on the yard so i did not pay for keep. He was actually a type though that loved the attention and was adaptable to more experienced or novice riders, i have to say his flatwork came on leaps and bounds although i don't think it did him any favours jumping wise as a think a few too many novices knocked his confidence a bit.

He was only 6 at the time and I'd had him since a 4 yo. He is a very sociable chap though and the college loved him although his stable manners didnt improve a whole lot. I warned them he was v quick at undoing the stable door catch and they weren't quick enough most of the time so he's often open in and barge out. He also got worse going to and from the fields and apparently at one stage it took 2 students wth 2 stallion chains to lead him!

A friend of mine's horse is also on a college now, he is a bit of a sod too but apparently he's doing brilliantly there (unfortunately my friend was taken ill last year and is now longer able to ride). I think it takes a bold horse to be able to cope with the workload and, as said mine's flatwork was soo much better but I can see how some horses woul; not handle it.
 
Not a college, but Huntley have several of the school horses on a loan basis - and most of them are horses that are too much for the average rider to cope with on a day to day basis. However, all of them are quite talented - ex intermediate eventers, adv med dressage horses etc.

They have a great quality of life there, but any loan would be on a very long term basis - if it was only for a year, I imagine they would want to ask for you to pay a working livery fee, unless the horse were exceptionally talented.
 
I have a horse going into his third year as a loan horse to Lincoln University and he loves it. He is a very talented horse and a dream to handle so suits them perfectly. He likes the routine and the fact that he is not asked to do too much - he could actually do much more. He is looked after very well indeed and the slightest problem is addressed as if it were a major crisis. I can visit him and ride him whenever (mind, I am employed part time by the university) and it was a solution to a problem when I thought I was going to have to sell him, which would have broken my heart. I am fortunate to now have a place with 11 acres, so I could have him back, but as he is so happy, there is no need to. It worked for me.

In answer to your other problem, I was an extremely nervous rider, but with the right instructor and the right horse, I blossomed and can now do lateral work and flying changes and the like, which i never imagined I could do. Persevere.
 
i was very close to doing it, had an appointment booked for the college to come and test my boy, as others have said, heard too many bad things about it so i cancelled. also was worried about the psychological aspect of having to bring him home for holidays, too unsettling.
 
I think it depends on the horse and college. I had mine at my first college and because I was there all the time and a bit clingy, I found it very hard watching other people ride him and him being in a routine which wasn't what I would have chosen.

When I went to a bigger college which had a lot more horses 'on loan' they had a wider range of specifcations about which level of student could look after and ride which horses. I fell in love with a gorgeous horse while I was there and his owner let me give her lessons to help with my BHSI training and let me compete him a few times. Quite often there will be students who live in and they end up treating the horses like their own.

I think you should make an appointment to visit the college you have in mind, ask lots of questions, find out if they have turnout as most colleges don't and i think this contributes to why some horses get so misserable.

Worst case senario - you bring him home!
 
Mine went to a well known college and came back with RSI in his hocks.
What does that tell you.
They also lost two horses to colic when I was there and there was no turn out over winter.
Don't do it
 
My boy was on loan to a college - and he loved it - however I was not very far away and I was forever going to check on him - and I got very loud to make sure things got done for him - teeth / saddler / vet / physio.

He wasn't the best behaved horse - and would love to take the p**s out of most of the students - but he did have a nice bit of talent when peeps asked him the right questions.

He loved it at college - loved the attention - and he really seemed to benefit from being on a big yard. I think ultimately it comes down to the individual horse - not all colleges suit all people - so they aren't going to suit all horses are they! You can always give it a try and see how he gets on.
 
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