Full loan advice

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ShowponyC123

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I full loan my horse on a bhs contract to a young girl who had part loaned her for a year due to her not being used as much as my other pony. She moved her to a yard closer but I am not having worries and second thoughts.

Said horse has become obese and now has a sore back and poor feet. She is ridden everyday and lives out. Checking on her, she looks to have not been brushed and has minimal water. I am worried this girl does not have the knowledge I thought she did on how to care properly, she never spends time with her other than to ride her, never takes pictures or praises her etc. I worry everyday is the day I will get a call to say she has laminitus etc. I have tried instructing how to care for her but it is hard when I am not there.

I am now unsure whether to give then the benefit of the doubt and carry on helping and hoping things improve, take her back and have her myself, request they have her at my own yard which is much more suitable, or request she goes back to part loaning if she wants to continue riding her. Im also now realising what is the point in having money tied up in a horse I can't enjoy myself who will only come back to me when she is old. would you do in my situation?
 
I'd get the horse back on your yard, and let the loan continue there but closely monitored, ending it if things don't improve rapidly. If the loaner sorts everything to your satisfaction I'd let the loan continue for now, but if not I'd end it, sort the issues and sell.
 
Well I wouldn't have let the horse move yards tbh but now I would tell the loaner that the horse has to come back home, explain why, in terms of the pony's health - don't bother with the stuff about taking photos etc - and tell her that she can only continue loaning from your yard, whether that is part or full. Unless of course you prefer to sell, in which case you might as well sell to the loaner because you will have no say in what happens to the pony after it is sold.
It depends really how emotionally attached you are to the horse and what you think you owe her
 
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There is no point in giving the benefit of the doubt, if the horse is obese that is fact, if her feet are poor and not cared for again that is clear cut and easy to see, if her back is also sore then she is suffering from general neglect and there is probably more that you cannot see, you still own her and part of the reason for loaning is so you do have the power to either get the horse back or insist on changes, by leaving her you are condoning the loaners behaviour which is not acceptable, you need to do something before the situation becomes even more serious.
 
I'm not condoning it as I have set conditions she must follow and meet but I'm still not really satisfied. I get the impression she cares more about riding than caring as it has been schooled everyday for a month apparently (hence the sore back). She did get her feet seen to when I asked however.

I've said the horse always has a home with me and I love her very much. Only let her go to full loan so she wasn't wasted
 
ShowponyC123 said:
I don't want to ever sell her and she always has a home with me. How would you go about telling this to the loaners in a nice way?
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I am curious how you know she has a bad back and how or even if the girl is involved in this deteriation? She may have pulled something out in the field slipping or hooning about. Also the bit about her feet, surely she is booked in with the farrier at regular intervals? I think you need to ascertain if this is indeed the case? I can't see how a rider can give a horse a bad back unless it has a predisposition to a back problem in the first place or the saddle isn't the right fit?But maybe I am wrong on this.

I think I would speak to her and say something along the lines of "I'm sorry but I don't feel this is working out quite as I'd hoped. I've noticed her feet have become overgrown and she is overweight and not being groomed correctly. Did you notice these things yourself? Do you feel that you are struggling to look after her? Would you like some advice or something?"

Maybe it would be beneficial to have her loaned from your yard as others have said.
 
I know because she told me she has been bucking (this horse never ever bucks) in which case I went to see her. She has a sore area on one side of her back , possibly sore in other areas too but her back will be bothering her most. Even if it was due to the field surely any owner would book the physio/chiropractor to come and check. My physio told me it can happen from them working harder than usual and not being allowed time for their muscles to repair after being worked?? She is schooled everyday Ive been told. Id replied earlier saying she has had her feet seen to but not until I requested time and time again which I'd have thought they would notice themselves they were desperate for a farrier.

Thanks for your suggestion on how to tell them, I don't want to upset anybody or sound rude
 
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You don't need to be rude about it but ultimately this is your horse and they are compromising her welfare. Inform them of this and take her back. Mistakes happen but if you have to ask them repeatedly just to get a farrier then they can't be trusted with your horse.
 
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