Has anyone ever loaned a horse to an equine college?

Santa_Claus

Santa_Claus

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Carrying on from previous posts I am seriously considering leasing Dan out to an equine college (if they will take him!), but I would want to put provisos in place. For example to start he would be for flatwork only. Once back to fitness if given the right care there is nothing stopping him from being able to school back at medium/advanced medium. From there if he stayed sound I would be happy for him to be used in SJ up to about 1m but only on a surface.

So has anyone loaned a horse to a college? if so what experiences did you have (pm me if necessary) what colleges would you reccomend me approaching (taking note of my location in Devon).

He has got bone spavins/navicular that have been succesfully treated but without correct management they will return. He isn't a novice ride but he isn't dangerous as long as correct brakes are in mouth if he was used for jumping. For that reason I have already discounted some colleges off my list as I wouldn't be happy a) with the standard of student and/or b) with the standard of instruction.

OPinions and experiences very much welcomed. Also what do the typical agreements contain with regard to payment of vet fees, insurance, farrier etc. Eg would I still incur any costs or would the college take them all over?
 
My friend loaned hers but found out they used it for polo cross and he fell ,rolled over and broke saddle.They did pay for another saddle but his back was a bit of aproblem after and she had him back .Just make sure you can visit and talk about him often
 
em...well I planned to - delivered him on a Monday evening - by Weds lunchtime they phoned for me to come and get him - he was allegedly 'unreliable', threatened to buck (had images of him turning around to the pilot and saying - watch out mate, planing a bit of a buckaroo') and he wouldn't canter on the correct lead (he was barely 5 and they had been looking for 'training projects'....

for him they took over all the costs, farrier, vet fees etc and his insurance but I couldn't ride him as I wasn't insured as a student....
 
My friend loaned hers to the local college, they paid everything except shoeing. She was allowed to come up and ride in the evenings, see him etc. He is used for everything, flat, jump, exams etc. The college has since bought the horse from the owner as she has gone to uni and he was too good a horse for them to let him go!
My horse is going to the local college to be used for the bhs exams, which i am completely happy about. However, I would not let him go to the some of the other colleges i have been to as they don't seem to treat the horses as well as at the local one
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We loaned 2 of ours to 2 different colleges. Biggest mistake we've ever made. Would never ever do it again.
They absolutely destroyed the schooling of one, and the other got laminitis as a result of the stress of not being turned out.

The facilities of both colleges were very very good, but the riders weren't up to much, and the tutors are unbelievably fussy. I know they have to be becuase of todays sueing culture, but they were MY horses - if i wanted to visit them whilst i had earrings in, surely thats my choice?!

Obviously, that's only 2 of the colleges in the country (neither are near you), so maybe we were just unlucky? One of the colleges we used didnt charge ANYTHING - they paid for all livery, feed, shoes, worming, etc. All we paid for was vaccinations. So i thought it would be much cheaper for me and my parents whilst i was at uni (selfish of me really!) The standard of care was very high - spotless horses, immaculate beds, etc, but we weren't happy and neither were the horses.

Good luck i whatever you decide.
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Lou. x

PS, i can pm you the colleges if you need to know (both are in the NW of england).
 
I should mention that a lot of colleges have buggerall turnout (usually none in winter and at most 4hrs in summer) - despite having huge xc courses which they want to remain pristine...

Also at one equine college, which will remain nameless, I was appauled at the sudden use of a lunge whip (without the riders knowledge or consent) as the horse was approaching the jump, causing it to spook and rider to become very broken :/ Wonder how that horse feels about jumping now
 
My horse went on loan to Moulton College for two terms and they looked after him really well. They covered all bills and I was welcome to visit unannounced which I did on a few occasions and I never had any cause for concern.
 
thanks every one so far.

Not much risk of him being used for polocrosse as well he is 17h2 and big!!!!
Currently his schooling is at zilcho squat level and will take some time to get back to medium/advanced medium but he would go back to it. BUT it won't be to competition quality due to the bone spavins which is the main reason I am not keeping on with him.

I would just let him be a lawn mower but he gets bored and needs to be ridden consistently something I'm just not able to do at the moment with work and Fleur. It will be easier over the summer as the time saved from not mucking out can be spent riding.

He doesn't need that much turnout, enough to have a good roll and he is happy to stay in with plently of hay although would prefer he went somewhere with some turnout due to bone spavins.

Pms as to which colleges were good/bad would be appreciated but I am intending that if he does go it will be in the broad south westish area (inclu gloucs etc!)
 
I loaned my previous horse to Hartpury college in Gloucs and was happy with his care. He was young and benefitted from the schooling and regualr riding he received, and they loved him, using him for exams etc and jumping when he was fit enough. He didn't get any turnout, just 2+ hours exercise a day. Luckily he didn't mind and it was only for a few months until i could take him back.
You're welcome to PM me for further info.
 
Noooooooo

Please don't do it!!!!

These places only want the perfect horse, which a load of beginners will hammer
They spend as little time as possible with the horse, going in to shove the tack on only. They spend as little money as possible on the horse. If something goes wrong, they can't get rid of you quick enough. Would you send your horse to a grotty riding school? Some of these colleges are no better even the award winning ones!

I have PM you.
 
I sent mine to Bicton College. This would have been about 10yrs or so ago.

They were told he wasn't a novice ride but that he didn't buck or rear or take off, he was just sharp. They said he would just be used for their last year students so I assumed that they would have some capabilities. Well after 5 weeks they asked me to take them back as they couldn't cope with him - so what type of people are they turning out ?
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He did however look very well after the 5 weeks. He was very clean and tidy as he had no turn out !!
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My friend sent hers to a college up here and was so happy she went there for about 8 years!! She wasn't an easy ride but they all loved her character.

They paid for everything and had no worries about her welfare. She went back home in the summer and they gave her a month off then bought her back into work just before college started.
 
depends on the horse some suit college life others dont. generally riders are better than that of a riding school although it depends on the college and RS. however they do have to be over cautious with the horses due to helth and safty reason they have to ultra safe!!
 
thankyou all for your posts and PMs but please keep them coming.

When I say he isn't a novice ride I mean if you are a novice he generally won't move or if he does it will be on his forehand and a great donkey/giraffe impression
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If you can ride you then get scales of him working for you up to him being capable (well was) of competing medium, schooling advanced medium and jumping some serious jumps (see avatar!). I hope that I can get him back to fitness so that he will be able to school minimum medium again and will go on to jump up to probably 1m10ish but only on a surface to prevent the bone spavins returning.

I think he will thrive on the work as long as he can have a good roll even if in a turnout pen every couple of days! he gets very itchy does my boy
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Going to look at loaning him out to a private person as well but I think he could fit in well at a good college. And thats the thing I know there are a lot of colleges out there I wouldn't dream of sending him to but I know there are a couple I would hence my post.
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but yes please keep the comments coming.
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One of my horses -15 year old by Dallas, 16.3, elementary dressage, jumps-is in his second year at Lincoln University where he is as happy as Larry and I have no concerns. He likes the routine, is in American barn stables so he can see all his friends, is not over worked and the horses are looked after by the book. They pay everything except vaccinations and I have the choice of having him home for the holidays or paying livery to keep him there. I have been leaving him there Christmas and Easter and home for the long summer break. My partner is a lecturer there, so can see him any time and I do part time lecturing there so ditto, but I don't think that makes any difference to how he's kept, they keep them all the same whether you see them or not. They actually asked for him back this year as he is so useful, despite having a few quirks, ( which he actually doesn't seem to display when he's there -just with me!) but nothing evil or they couldn't have him.

You do have to expect to let them get on with it once the horse is in their care without putting loads of stipulations on, as you would with any loan agreement. Basically, any loan arrangement works on trust. You can have a loan agreement the size of the works of Shakespeare, but in my experience of loaning in and out, it either works between you or it doesn't and no amount of do's and don'ts will change that. I speak as a lawyer who has drawn up and advised on loan and livery agreements and I can usually tell from what people want in their agreements whether it's going to work or not! Lincoln does have an agreement, but on my private loans the agreement was quite basic and was really there to have some proof that it was a loan and I hadn't sold the horse or given it away. (Incidentally, I also bought my dressage horse unseen, untried and unvetted and he has turned out an absolute gem, so it's a case of do as I say, not as I do....)
 
thanks for that and don't worry I know what you mean, trained as a lawyer myself but jumped ship after my LPC and gone elsewhere career wise!

Stipulations would basically be no jumping on anything but a surface and for his own well being, to be allowed somewhere for a roll and stretch of legs every couple of days if no turnout (for example in a lunging pen which a lot of places have!) not too much to ask I don't think especially when vast numbers of colleges don't do any riding on grass anyway other than XC and there is no point them even thinking of doing it with him as they only need try once and realise there is no point as he just doesn't 'do' xc ha ha.

Still trying to find a private loaner first but a college is still a very possible option. Working hard now to get him fit and hoping he will then stay sound as at end of the day he can't go anywhere on loan be it to a private person or a college unless he stays sound!
 
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