Full loaning - experiences?

[milesjess]

So I've been thinking of getting a second horse for a while. However, I don't know whether to just buy one and be stuck in the dilemma of having no time/ no enough money etc... Although working it all out I would be fine but I'd rather trial it.

So another option is full loaning on a trial basis to see how I get on and how my other horse takes to a new friend.

Has anyone had any experiences with full loaning? Moving to a new yard and whether it worked out or not?

Also, did you get a contract drawn up, insurance etc...?

The reason I'm after another - my boy is still unsound due to bone spavin so is in light work, having some time out and currently living out. I'm after a companion for him and something to school/ bring on and generally have fun with on a long term basis

 

[kirstyl]

I have had 3 successful loaning experiences. Definitely have a contract drawn up between you, there are good templates on BHS website. The last horse I had on loan proved not to be capable physically of the level of dressage I wanted to do, so I was able to give a month's notice to the owner, who then came and took him back into her care at her yard. Good luck with finding the right loan horse, and perhaps more importantly the right owner!

 

[Niddlynoo]

I have had several on full loan. It is a fantastic idea, providing you get the right horse. I had a couple from a charity, which is great as they really feel like your own, but you still have the back up if you need it. The ones I had that came from a private owner were lovely but I never felt as if they were mine (which they werent). In my experience, most loan horses have either physical or mental limitations. For example, one had arthritis, one had bad windgalls, one pony from a charity had behavioural issues. Saying that, I loved every single one of them! Good loan agreements available on BHS website. Good luck

 

[Mare Stare]

The one and only time I loaned was a complete disaster.

The mare I had a few years ago suddenly foaled in January - about 3 months after started loaning her. Wasn't warned by the owner. The mare didn't look pregnant. I had put a rug with leg straps on her the night before and she foaled on a very wet and icy day. The farmer I was renting the land off rang me in the morning to tell me that there was a dead foal on his field. When I went to see I was greeted by a proud mummy and a perfectly healthy little foal - the farmer had seen it a couple minutes after it was born, all wet and lying on the ground, and presumed it was dead. He was most embarrassed!

The owner she left it a month before picking the pair up - leaving me to care for the newborn foal and I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

I think she just wanted somebody to look after her mare for the winter. When she picked them up I didn't even get a thankyou and she took them both in the rugs I had bought. I was heartbroken and beyond caring. I had got quite attached to both mare and foal.

 

[smellsofhorse]

It can work out well.
Just make sure you and horse are suited, do lots if test rides.
Be honest about what you want and draw up proper agreements, the bhs do one.

Good luck!

 

[Wheels]

Yes it can work well I recently purchased a horse after I'd had him on loan for almost a year. Ex owner happy she knows horse is in a good home, new owner happy because I had chance to try said horsey out in all circumstances I wanted to + I got him for a bargain price as ex owner didn't want to sell to anybody else.

It is very important to find the right horse and the right owner tho, some owners too interfering, some are never in contact. A happy medium must be sought

 

[Montyforever]

Due to a horrible experiance in the past I would never loan again! I took on a little pony to show in hand the following summer, got him in September (owner had mentioned her yard didn't have winter turnout .. Should have smelt a rat then) got him fit, lunging, longreining, looking amazing, being ridden again, started to plan to break him to drive ect he turned into pretty much a perfect little pony!
Then she took him back in April .. He was paid for completely over the winter by me and reschooled. I think we know who got the better deal there, if it was just a winter loan i would never have agreed to it I took him on thinking it was long term. And unfortunately broke my heart because I loved that little pony so much! so if you do loan be very careful!

 

[Escada2004]

Ive just agreed to loan out one of my horses, ive found some fab people and i will be taking her to her new home on sunday (obviously this is looking from the other side) i was worried about loaning her out as she must be cared for as i do and also she will be going with her kit it can be a worry that it will get broken etc. Ive vetted the people who are loaning well and the yard she will be going to has fab facilities. We are going to do it on a 4 week trial basis and if all is well she can stay with them until either party feels its not working. Im getting a coutract and will use the BHS one as everyone says its very good and will add bits in like what tack etc has gone with her. The people who are loaning her are taking over the insurance payments as its already in force and no point cancelling and setting up a new one. My insurance company said that all the need is name and yard aggress and also they can change the standing order to go from their bank account. I would expect from the regular updates and im able to visit my horse as and when i like. So it all depends on who you are loaning off, but make sure its the right deal for you also (you dont want to end up being messed around yourself) as its the horse that will suffer if it gets passed around. Good luck

 

[CazD]

I loan 2 from a charity (SWHP). One is a ridden pony and the other a companion pony. the companion was a little difficult to handle in the beginning as she was elderly, and I suspect had been abused, but the ridden one is brilliant. I've had her 5 years now and (fingers crossed) they both have a home for life with me.

 

[Hedwards]

I've had a few experiences of loaning

Loan 1 - everything went really well, me and the owner (who was pregnant hence the loan) got on really well, however the horse just wasnt for me. I had him from June - May - did lots of work on him, got him out doing dressage (he'd never done that before) up to novice level - but scared me s**tless jumping. His owner asked me to buy him, i declined as I just knew we hadnt really clicked, but I helped her find a new home.

Loan 2 - Connie - a 'friend of a freind' recommendation after the previous loan had found his new home. Older and out of work, but from the moment i met her I adored her. Got her home (she had been turned away for about 3 years) and realised she really hadnt been well looked after at all. I still have Connie, it will be three years this June - in that time I have seen her owner once, and dont expect I will ever see her again - Connie is retired and has a home for life with me

Loan 3 -started on Sunday just gone - its a kind of part/full loan, in that i contribute £25 a week for him, do all his jobs daily, ride him whenever i want, but the owner can hop on whenever she wants too, plus I've done a few bits for her other 2 horses. So far so good, cant complain!

Definitely get something in writing, make sure you and the owner have agreed EVERYTHING in advance of the loan, especially things like who is responsible for insurance etc.

It really can work, but be prepared that it can end if the owner should want it to!

 

[Roisin_M]

I've never loaned a horse myself before, although my sister had a big gelding on loan and it seemed to be a nightmare as the owner was constantly turning up at our yard when we werent there and poking around, leaving bizarre voicemails saying that we hadnt rugged/fed him adequatley. It was absolute rubbish, he was cared for fine she was just overprotective, didnt take long for us to realise that the gelding suffered from an itchy/flaky skin condition that was made 100% worse by overrugging but she'd have none of it and took him back.

I'm just about to loan out my own mare, as i'm too tall to ride her. I advertised her and had lots of replies, some totally unsuitable. I was very honest about all her bad traits and ddidnt over exagerate her good traits and managed to find a loan home that i believe to be perfect for her.

We'll see how it goes, she's being picked up on sunday

 

[mytwofriends]

One of my boys was out on full loan for a short time last year. They were nice enough, recommended by mutual friends, and after they'd tried him and agreed to take him on, I drew up a watertight contract.

They soon wanted to move him to a different yard. I knew it, so no big deal. They then wanted to move him to yet another yard, another one I knew ..... I thought it was odd, and I didn't understand why, but again said they could if they really wanted to. But before that move they asked if they could buy him. No, that certainly wasn't part of the deal. Next, literally about a week later, they said they were scared of him and could I take him back in 2 days time.

I took him back. No harm done, but all very weird, especially as this all happened within a 2 month period. He's with me now, forever!

So loaner/loanee beware.

 

[tiga71]

I have my horse on loan from the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust. I used to volunteer there before I got him so already knew him. I have had him for 2.5 years with no problems.

Because I know the people at the rescue and that he was a favourite there, I send them a card with pictures and a run down on what we have been up to every 6 months or so. They have been out to check on him twice since I have had him, unannounced.

 

[noblesteed]

Loaned a schoolmistress elderly mare from a colleagues daughter. First 4 years were brill, kept her at owner's yard and so had lots of on-site help. Then owner decided to 'move to ??? to work on a racing yard and get rid of her horses'. I had moved an hour away to live with my OH. She gave me the mare I had loaned, and I found her a nice yard nearby. Mare arrived in a poor state, covered in rain scald and hadn't been shod for 3 months, so I got her all sorted. Turned out she had been in a field for the entire summer and only brought in to ride by 'some girl who couldn't ride her'... because the owner had pretty much lost interest. I was told she was fit and well and sound.
3 weeks later the mare went lame. In my ignorance I had been riding her as one would expect to ride a reasonably fit horse - looking back she obviously wasn't even remotely fit. Vet came out- I did the usual cold-hosing, box rest, walking out and she got no better. Rang owner, she wasn't bothered. 'she's just stiff cos she's old, just ride her' she said. But fetlock kept blowing up whenever I even lunged her. Eventually after 3 months owner bothered herself to come out and see the horse - AND to provide me with a new saddle (??????) and told me mare was sound! I was appalled. Got the vet out again, referred to the insurance company etc and turned out it was tendon sheath, poor old lass had an operation which I arranged, sorted, nursed her back to health, took care of her on box rest, paid for various services and needs, walked her out etc etc for months - she was doing really well and the vet said it's time to turn her out...
Lo and behold owner turned up the following weekend with a trailer and took her away. Long forgotten were the plans to work at a racing yard. I have since seen the poor old lass advertised for loan at least 4 times.

I vowed never to loan again and bought my own horse after a few months of searching. Having said that, I would consider loaning off a sensible adult... Just never a spoilt brat again!!!!

 

[JosieB]

I loaned the grey in my signature out to what I thought would be long term/perm home. All was great until I received a message saying they had ridden her up the road and what a star she was. She was two at the time. Needless to say she was home within a week.
Had her lightly broken at three and tried again but most wanted to have her and start full time work with her, being a larger slow maturing type I have ended up keeping her. She will go back for a refresher in April when she will be four and I will try once again to find her a lovely loan home.
My oldie spent a year on loan, lovely home with contracts,insurance, etc in place. Regularly checked on her. No problems at all.
So yes I would loan but with as many safeguards (notifying ned, contract,references)as possible.

 

[Chestersmummy]

I seem to be in the minority as I'm on my 7th loan horse and only 2 have been a problem.
Loan 1 was a 14.2hh 21 year old that I had for 2.5years until I was too big for her. She was kept on the same yard as her owner and I never had any problems.
Loan 2 was a winter loan from a trecking centre 2 hours away.
Loan 3 was through a friend of a friend and in all honesty he was the perfect horse for me. The owner had a contract drawn up. She let me move him to different yards as his and my needs changed. I was devestated when I had to give him up after 3 years due to a drastic change in circumstances. hes now property of the Blue Cross and is at Pool House Vets.
Loan 4 was one of the disasters. Travelled 3 hours to see him, took him out for a hack and thought he was lovely. Took him home and all the problems started. Couldn't hack him out or school him. Had him for 3 months before the owner and I agreed to terminate the loan.
Loan 5 was supposed to be for 12 weeks whilst my friend was doing her RAF training. Due to her getting injured I had him for 8 months. He was a great horse!
Loan 6 was the other not so good ones. Took a TB on loan after trying him in the school and clicking straight away with the owner. After 2 months he started being a bit naughty and I lost my confidence.
Loan 7 is my current Ginger Ninja on loan from my husbands aunt and uncle. I started off with him at the yard where they are, then moved him to his current yard and in 10 days he moves again as my husband and I are moving. I'm really lucky as I've had him a year and I love him to bits. In fact once my husband has a bit more money he is going to ask if they will sell him to me.

There are good loans out there, I think the bad ones are more well documented than the good ones.

 

[maree t]

I have the kids outgrown pony out on loan at the moment, she is with a family that I know through kids and she is very happy although I miss her badly and look forward to having her back when they are done with her.
My first pony was on loan (I was 21 at the tiime) but due to some bitching from somebody who interfered the owners asked for him back. I would have kept him to the end of his life as I doted on him. Fair took a chunk of me when he went so swore that I would never loan again.
Now my lad needs a bigger one and we are having to look at loans from later in the year, just hope we can find a great horse that we can look after

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I sent my boy away on loan, drew up all the contract papers etc and waved him goodbye; but only five weeks into the loan, the person that had him basically couldn't afford the livery fees and so that was the end of that!!!

I wish she'd sat down first before I'd gone to all the trouble (plus expense) of getting him there (I paid for the transport), plus the upheaval.

Also, he has sweet itch, which the YO promised faithfully they would deal with properly, however he was turned out without his sweet-itch rug in the hot weather we had at the end of the summer, and during the course of just one weekend, rubbed his mane raw. Then the YO tried to tell me that he'd been sent there in that condition He hadn't, and I had witnesses to say otherwise too. I was furious. I'd worked so blimmin hard at keeping him free from sweet-itch, only to have this happen just a week after he got there.

My boy is now back with me; I will NEVER loan him again, he's staying here at my yard. Loaning out is just too much trouble, I'd far rather have a sharer who comes to the yard and I can then keep an eye on what goes on.

 

[gillianfleming]

I loaned my boy from a very good friend, she had owned him from when he was 4, took her daughter through pony club and loads of other stuff and then had a couple of loan homes. The last one had family problems and she needed to find somewhere for him and my sister got him.
Then he came to me and my friend gifted him to me.
He's now nearly 23, in fairly light work and will end his days with me, i love him to bits

 

[TheoryX1]

We loaned Mini TX's first pony, just to see if having a horse was for her. He was a total and utter gentleman and she had loads of fun with him. We did move him about a year after starting the loan to our current yard with the owners permission and he settled in well with my horse. Think the only real issues I had was when we decided to give him back as she wanted to do more than he could really do (he was 25 at the time), and I had found a pony to buy for her. The owner was a very spoilt, older teenager and she kicked off at me about it, even though we had had him nearly 2 years and daughter wanted to event properly. His owner also had a habit of just turning up on the yard. We didnt mind that as we had nothing to hide, but she would demand that he was brought in from the field to see her, and if he had any mud on him, she would scream at either one of us, or any of the other liveries that he had to be cleaned up straight away. Her mum or dad always accompanied her and they werent much better. Still, we have some lovely memories of a fantastic old boy, who we loved to pieces and gave my daughter so much pleasure. Would we do it again though. No.

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

I have sent one out on loan and had two on loan.

Loan one- our lead rein pony went out on loan, was happy stayed there for a year and got a phone call with a few weeks notice. We had no space at our yard so had to squeeze him in short term. We decided we couldn't keep having him back and decided to sell him.

Loan two- through a friend which knew the pony for years. We took her on with a good contract, she came with everything, long term, owners said they will come down as 10mins away but not been since. They see how she is on fb and at odd shows. My sister has out grown her but we love her so much and can't send her back so rang owner to see if we can get a sharer to help costs and exercising, they were fine and said we can treat her as our own. So we've had her 3 and a half years.

Loan 3- pony was lovely, had a few vices, it was a short term loan. Owners wanted to still compete at odd weekends, just felt we were paying, looking after and keeping fit for them to ride. Decided to send him back and buy our own so we dont have the pressure.

I think theres plenty of good and bad loans. It also depends what important to you And if u can cope if the Horse is taken away.

 

[MrsHutt]

I had a loan for 7 months. We had a contract and had agreed everything in advance. She was supposed to be long term, but it turned out, once we had got her fit etc that she was just 'too much horse' for me!! I gave my month's notice and the owner came to get her.

She did teach me a lot, however. Improved my riding no end and I learnt a lot about how to care for a horse and what's entailed. I think it could have been more successful if I thought of her as 'mine' - which I never did; it was always in the back of my mind that the owner could give her month's notice to me.

It was a valuable experience though - it made me realise I wanted my own horse, which I now have