Horse loan to move yards advice

[Cheekycob2]

Looking for some advice please on pros / cons to loaning horse out to move yards. I have a pony and i dont really want to sell
Him but ive bought a bigger horse and i really need him to have more riding and time than i can offer him, so am looking at all options possible. I was thinking if i put him on full loan to move yards could anyone give me advice on how this works? Do they take over all care? Can i still see him? Do i charge for it or is it just the fees that he encounters that they pay for? Does anybody currently do it and have a happy arrangement? Thankyou

 

[JBM]

They do all care on a full loan and cover all costs
In a lease they pay you a fee as well but usually only if the horse is worth a good amount as it’s usually 10% of their value a year
You can still see him but have to give the loaner notice
Always have a contract and references
I’ve had more good experiences than bad but you do need to be careful and I would visit once a month or more

 

[splashgirl45]

I’ve done it. Horse comes to your yard and you take over all bills and responsibility . No money changes hands for that sort of loan. Each case can be different, I had a contract that we adapted from the BHS one, my owner wanted me to use her farrier and if a serious illness/injury her vet she also wanted her back checked twice a year. All vaccinations and routine stuff could be done by my vet. We agreed 3 months notice for both sides unless the horse was not being looked after and then owner can collect immediately . I was happy for owner to visit either by prior arrangement or a spot check. My owner visited once in the 2 years I had her horse as she knew my YO and would know if I wasn’t doing the right thing. My owner was really upset when I decided to give up due to my health issues as she was hoping I would have had the horse for the rest of its life . She also said if she went lame and couldn’t be ridden she could go home to retire. If you find a trustworthy person who looks after your pony it can work well. I would think a visit every 3 months would be a good idea until you feel you can trust the person. My loan was by word of mouth so might be worth sounding out your vet/ farrier and friends to find someone

 

[ihatework]

I have loaned out and been the loaner many times over the years and on the whole successfully. There was one time I loaned a horse out, had a bad gut feel but just thought I was being snobby, my gut was right and I had to step in and retrieve the horse within a month. Otherwise no disasters.

I currently have 3 out on full loan.
A 7yo 3* eventer, a 4yo potential eventer and a 17yo light hack/companion.

From my experience these are the key things to consider:
1. Do some digging on the loaner - if they are honest people they won’t mind
2. Comprehensive contract (use BHS as a guide) - it won’t stop things going wrong but it is a way to clearly lay out your expectations on what a loaner can / can’t / must do.
3. Be realistic - horses can go wrong irrespective of who they are with, create a team culture as you should both want the best for the horse
4. Insurance - good vets fees coverage and keep the policy in your name. Agree between you what % of the premium each of you will cover.
5. Go with your gut feeling and don’t necessarily go with the first person who wants the horse. The initial contact from potential loaners tells you a lot about what to expect from them moving forwards ….

As for moving yards, check it out, make sure you can have access. Loaner will pay day to day running costs

 

[pistolpete]

I full loaned a lovely pony as a companion for nearly a year. It was from a friend so no need for contracts etc. I took over all costs and she was a delight. Had to send her back when mine went lame. Sad day.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Please will you consider whether your pony might be suitable for RDA? There are a lot of RDA groups looking for suitable equines, who just can't afford the current high prices for suitable horses, many of them have adverts on Horsequest atm and they are not all looking for quiet plods!

 

[Fransurrey]

They take over all care and depending on your contract, all costs (I kept insurance going). One thing I would be absolutely clear on is you right to visit unannounced, but I visited at set times. The other thing is to check out any yard BEFORE your pony moves and if you get bad vibes, don't do it. The first time I loaned out I made the mistake of letting a horse go on loan to what sounded like a lovely yard, but didn't visit in advance. The owner was really nice, but the yard was badly overstocked, extremely muddy as a result. Like poster above I thought I was just being fussy (I wasn't on a livery yard, so thought maybe this was normal). In the end turnout simply wasn't enough for my horse, who became very stiff as a result of 4 hours max t/o per day (he lived out with me). I had to end the loan, ultimately as the loanee didn't want to move him and he had ended up on bute. Thankfully I had the BHS contract with black and white stipulations that I would remove the horse if his welfare was compromised and no agreement could be reached/concerns not addressed.

 

[Pippity]

Please will you consider whether your pony might be suitable for RDA? There are a lot of RDA groups looking for suitable equines, who just can't afford the current high prices for suitable horses, many of them have adverts on Horsequest atm and they are not all looking for quiet plods!

I'm sure not all RDA centres are the same, but I wouldn't be happy for my horse to go to one I used to be involved with. Weight assessments were done when people joined and then rarely updated, which meant a lightweight Sec D-type was being ridden by a child who was too heavy for him, and who moved around a lot in the saddle, due to their condition. It wasn't uncommon to see the pony stagger. I raised my objections, was overruled (the child's parents were essential to keep the branch going and there wasn't a horse suitable for the child), so left.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I have been both a loaner and a loanee; and also am a YO where horses have been here on loan (in fact we have two on loan at the yard currently).

Key words: TRUST, TRANSPARENCY, CLARITY & COMMUNICATION. Between EVERYONE i.e. owner, loanee, and YO. When loans go wrong it is because one of these four components either never existed in the first place, or something happened to compromise it. A loan agreement is a good place to start: and don't forget to include a "euthanasia clause" for if the worst happens - I've written one out for mine and everyone on the yard knows the protocol - because my mare reacts very badly to sedation it would be my wish for her NOT to be lethally sedated, it just wouldn't be kind. Also I sometimes work in a place where there is no mobile signal and so I need to have it firmly established what my wishes are if something happens and I cannot be contacted. This is vital for all owners to have in place!

Also everyone needs to be clear about what is expected: sooh Loanee needs to take on a horse commensurate with their experience and not take on some leggy TB straight off the racecourse if all they've ridden is Dobbin from the local riding school. Ditto livery: if they're a novice and need support tis no use rocking up at a DIY place and being totally out of their depth. Also.... I will say this, but Loaner needs to be ready to let someone else take on responsibility for their horse, and this isn't always easy. For e.g. we had a mare on loan at my yard where the owner just wasn't ready to give up the mare; she came up every weekend (3hrs journey) expecting unlimited access to her horse on my private yard, and essentially sobbed all over the place about the "loss" of her horse and how awful it all was for her and how she was "in grief" etc (seriously, it really was that bad, unbelievably); and not exactly sensitive when each and every one of us on the yard at that time (including myself as YO) had lost their beloved horse in less than a year prior. She could see & touch hers; we couldn't. That loan didn't last long, she couldn't bear to be parted anymore from her darling horse and it was mutually agreed that it went back to her. I only hope she didn't mess someone else around like she did us.

Hope this helps.

 

[WelshD]

Mine is out on loan at the moment

I had about 150 serious enquiries for him (awesome pony!) and whittled them down to 6 by looking at the peoples Facebook pages, it was not as time consuming as I thought it may be, it was amazing how many people I discounted having seen the turnover of loan ponies, who jumped 7 days a week or simply who put me off with the way they talked about their equines. There were lots of red flags!

Of the 6 children who came to try him he made 4 cry which wasn't promising but we got it down to a few possibles so I asked loads of questions and the final choice was someone 150 miles away

I then had to weigh up whether I wanted him to go locally to a less ideal home where there was a chance he would end up tied to my front door handle after a few months (when he inevitably misbehaved ) or whether I wanted to send him further afield but be more sure he would stay longer in that home

I used the BHS loan contract template and tweaked it to suit, I took him to his new home along with tack and rugs, all of this is listed in the contract individually. I needn't have included the tack etc in the loan but wanted to be sure that what he had was well fitting and appropriate

The loaners pay all of his costs including feed recommended by me and also vets bills. we had a long talk as pony isn't insured and I was happy to see we both had the same opinions on how much vet treatment would be 'too much' so they have free rein on that and also the confidence to make the PTS decision should I be unreachable or it be an emergency situation.

As MiJods says above communication is everything, I sorted all of that at the very start so that I could then leave them alone to get on with things, I advised them what feeds did and didn't work for him, what bit was needed for dressage v hunting etc, how he travelled, how he behaved with differing amounts of turnout, how he behaved at an event and what we found worked and didn't, I sent videos of him at his best and at his worst - all of these discussions were had and all expectations managed before the loan was agreed - he is after all my pride and joy and I wanted him and his new rider set up to succeed, they have the freedom to alter things if they deem fit - I am not controlling but they have been able to see why I made the choices I did regarding tack etc

I have paid for any new tack items needed (girth, breastplate, more grippy reins etc) as this makes things easier for me should the pony be returned we know he needs to come back with all tack with no worries about who owns what - this was my personal decision and I don't think usual in a loan situation

Occasionally I have sent pony down a few nick-nacks 'just because' like a new fly rug and sparkly browband or I'll buy the odd supplement here and there - for instance I sent him down a tonic which I recommended as he had a slight skin issue

The little rider has a private tick tock account where I can keep up to date with her and the pony which is lovely but aside from the odd message from her mum I leave them largely to it, if I didn't trust them to get on with things I would have chosen a nearer home for him where I could keep a closer eye but overall I am really proud of my research and advice at the start and pony has now been away 16 months being looked after like a king.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'm sure not all RDA centres are the same, but I wouldn't be happy for my horse to go to one I used to be involved with. Weight assessments were done when people joined and then rarely updated, which meant a lightweight Sec D-type was being ridden by a child who was too heavy for him, and who moved around a lot in the saddle, due to their condition. It wasn't uncommon to see the pony stagger. I raised my objections, was overruled (the child's parents were essential to keep the branch going and there wasn't a horse suitable for the child), so left.

You can't tar all RDA groups with the same brush, any more than you can all livery yards, or all riding schools. As with any other loan situation, OP, would need to check out any RDA group, to see if she felt it was the right place for her pony. One benefit of loaning to RDA is that no-one is going to suggest moving the pony to a different yard, which will also need to be checked out.

 

[Pippity]

You can't tar all RDA groups with the same brush, any more than you can all livery yards, or all riding schools. As with any other loan situation, OP, would need to check out any RDA group, to see if she felt it was the right place for her pony. One benefit of loaning to RDA is that no-one is going to suggest moving the pony to a different yard, which will also need to be checked out.

Oh, absolutely, I'm sure there are plenty of fantastic ones out there. I just meant, don't assume that the RDA will be a good home - make sure you do your due diligence.