Help! Loaning my horse out

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han_nah

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Hi,

We are thinking of loaning/sharing our horse out due to sister not having enough time to ride it by herself!

What are the things we need to think about? Insurance? Contract?

I would like that they would need regular lessons with either our instructor or their instructor.

what financial costs would you need to consider?

An advice would be great as this is all new to us!

Thanks
 
I am currently looking to loan a horse, and I look on preloved daily.

From an advertising point of view I hate it when a very regimented advert is out on, 'no this, no that MUST DO THIS, MUST DO THAT' (if you get my drift)

I look for someone advertising for a horse that suits my needs (so make sure you describe it fully, with good and bad points) including facilities on site aswell.

I would also make sure you put in for the loaner to acquire their own insurance, I wouldn't expect the owner to insure me.

Basically look at it from an owning point of view, what is going to help you out the most? Just riding? Or stable duties aswell, make sure you advertise what you need, not what you think someone else will want to do.

Finance wise I'd just split what you pay per week into 7 and then work it out per day. Eg if you pay 70 per week that's 10 per day. Work it out that way.

Also, do not take anyone on without a contract, BHS has some templates as far as I'm aware. It just makes things safer for everyone

I hope you find someone soon!
 
Let the would be sharer have a lesson with your instructor to ensure everyone is happy. Think carefully about what they can do with the horse (jump, hack, etc). Advise that costs are fixed (no pay as you go). Will need their own insurance or check yours covers them. Most do not. If you are on a yard, check with YO about allowIng sharers as well before someone gets their hopes up. I had one quite novicey lady on my old mare and I did not think this match would work but said lady listened to all instructions, followed to the letter and turned out to be perfect. Mare gave her huge amounts of confidence, sharer never wound said mare up to explosion point!
 
It's a good idea to be prescriptive of what the horse can/can't do - anyone who is put off by this isn't probably a good bet as a loaner.

Quiz people what level of experience they have - I've had one girl turn up who's mum described her as 'a good rider' and it turned out she had never even been off lead rein - scary!

Don't discount under 16s as some can be crackers, but do insist it is the parent who contacts you as it will be them who will be signing the contract (an under 16 cannot legally sign a contract themselves. This also stops the incessant messages from kids who love horses but really aren't actually in a position to take on a loan.

Insist on rider insurance - BHS gold membership comes includes it. The horse needs to be insured by yourself so you are protected in the event of anything happening - the loaner could cancel insurance to save money and not notify you and hand you back an unrideable and uninsurable horse. Some insurance will also pay out to the policy owner rather than the owner - they loaner could take the LOU payout and hand you back the horse.

Good luck - I've found it's harder to find a decent loaner than it is to sell a horse :(

In the end despite lots of ads I found my loaner by word of mouth - bizarrely not what I was looking for but my mare liked her. I was looking for someone experienced and over 18, I have someone who is 15 and straight out of a riding school but she is just so so keen!
 
When I put my boy on loan I drew up a form with questions on it, which I used to "quiz" people when they rang up. OK so it may have sounded a bit of an inquisition but it was certainly a great help.

Bear in mind you will get every fruitloop, freak, downright lunatic, and every novice that's ever put a foot in a stirrup and therefore know they "can ride", even if you put "not suitable for a novice" on your advert. They will turn up in droves if you're not careful.

For this reason, if I was ever doing it again, I would ask around locally first, i.e. local hunt, pony club, friends-of-friends, farrier etc. Far better to have someone who at least knows one of your contacts, than a complete stranger.

I made a huge mistake, let my boy go to a stupid numpty girl who put him at a yard where they turned him out without his sweet itch rug on the first weekend he was there. He rubbed his lovely mane and tail raw, and the YO had the temerity to tell me that he'd been in that state when he arrived :(

THEN........ only five weeks into the loan, the girl turned around and said oh dear, I can't afford to keep the horse anymore...... it then turned out she hadn't paid a penny for his livery from day one; the YO then expected me to pay it all. I told him it was between the loanee and himself and he could go do something quite vulgar with himself, and brought my boy home.

The ONLY, repeat, only loan that I would ever consider again, would be to an equestrian college. My boy was there for two years (before this occurrence I have related) and he was well cared for, content, busy, and thoroughly happy.

OP if you would like, I have a copy of the loan agreement I used, if you would like to PM me I'll e-mail it to you if it would help???
 
Oh gosh!!! Thank you for all your help! And that loaner sounds awful!

I have decided that maybe sharing sounds a little easier to control and keep her at our field and someone just ride her as much as they like.

Yes please could you send me a copy of the agreement.
 
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