How hard is it to find a competition horse on full loan?

SeasonalSituation

SeasonalSituation

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Well I keep thinking about ideas or what I want in a next horse/pony, and though not in a postion yet to do it (well I am, but I want to know it's all thought through), do people loan out competition horses?

Being inspired whenever I read people's posts like black_horses with D I want to have a horse that I can compete on but know it is highly unlikley that I will ever get the funds to be able to get a top quality horse.

So do people ever full loan out competition horses and if you have any experience of this what has it been like?

Thanks.
 
They do, they are far and few in between.

I've had two nice horses on loan (one a hunter/sjer and the other an eventer) who both competed 3'6+ (not massive for most people but large enough for me!) and were lovely to do. Owners very supportive but left me to my own devices.

It depends what sort of level, affiliated level it is probably harder to come across one, leasing is more likely, either that or you just have the horse to 'ride' if the owner is lacking a competition rider.

I am on the search for another but have had no luck as of yet :( So will watch this thread closely... ;)
 
Well I've had no luck whatsoever! People don't seem to want to loan out established, safe competition horses, yet green 4, 5 & 6 year olds are being loaned out in abundance.

Or when I have found one, they don't want it to go out of a 25 mile radius which is fair enough I guess!
 
I guess they are rare because competing is risky and it takes a lot of time and effort (let alone money) to get a horse to any level.

You could end up getting a useless knackered horse back.
 
I would be too worried about loaning my horse out incase a) she came back knackered and crocked, b) she was over used and mentally broken or c) went missing on loan.

I wish i'd loaned out dee and gave myself more time to heal when i got injuried. In the future, i will loan her out when shes bred a foal. But not just yet.
 
That's why I asked, if i was in the postion of having a top horse then I would be very worried myself about loaning him or her out.

I am not going to rule out a green horse though, as long as the potential was there, I imagine a potential horse is easier to find.
 
sitch said:
That's why I asked, if i was in the postion of having a top horse then I would be very worried myself about loaning him or her out.

I am not going to rule out a green horse though, as long as the potential was there, I imagine a potential horse is easier to find.
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Well, im planning on putting dee in foal may next year, and when the foal is born maybe sharing her :)
 
sitch said:
That's why I asked, if i was in the postion of having a top horse then I would be very worried myself about loaning him or her out.

I am not going to rule out a green horse though, as long as the potential was there, I imagine a potential horse is easier to find.
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I think it depends how long the loan is. If owners could guarentee me that the loan would be around 4-5 years then I would consider a young, green 4,5 year old. But if (like a lot of loans are) it's only for a year or 2 then bugger am I investing serious time and money in training etc, installing the basics, just start getting it out competing etc and then they take it back. Total waste of time.


That's why ideally I'd want something a bit older and definitely something relatively established, not a world beater but capable of going out and doing a Novice test at least at the point of taking it on loan. Just something to go out and have fun on, do some affiliated BD and take up to Elementary. Something sane and good to hack. It seems there just isn't many of the above around!
 
Its very difficult I had my old BSJA mare up for full loan for a quiter life and I had so many people asking if she was still fit and able to jump larger tracks!! In her loan advert it said all she wanted was hacking schooling and low level jumping. One girl just could not understand why i did not want her to have her to jump for 2 years then have her back knackered!!!! I did find her a super home where she has been for 2 years and doing some endurance riding now!!

TBH I would not want my horse ruined by someone so I can understand why the only competition hroses for loan are always for share under the owners control
 
The thing is, it is all too common for owners to put all the time and effort to train and produce a horse, then when the horse is doing well, for people to suddenly want to loan the horse for the purpose of winning some reds...
 
SummerxStarsx said:
I think it depends how long the loan is. If owners could guarentee me that the loan would be around 4-5 years then I would consider a young, green 4,5 year old. But if (like a lot of loans are) it's only for a year or 2 then bugger am I investing serious time and money in training etc, installing the basics, just start getting it out competing etc and then they take it back. Total waste of time.


That's why ideally I'd want something a bit older and definitely something relatively established, not a world beater but capable of going out and doing a Novice test at least at the point of taking it on loan. Just something to go out and have fun on, do some affiliated BD and take up to Elementary. Something sane and good to hack. It seems there just isn't many of the above around!
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Turn this around and why should someone spend time, money and training to produce a horse then give it on loan to someone else to enjoy. There are going to be a few where circumstances change, pregnancy, uni etc but many people will then opt to sell rather than risk loaning.

If people want guarantees when taking on a youngster they really need to buy, otherwise the owner can have their horse back when they want, they do own it after all.

This is not getting at any one but just stating the facts, loaning is not going to suit everyone and the horses available are often those with issues that make them unsaleable, through injury, technical unsoundness, age or temperament.

If looking for a loan I think you need to be proactive and place ads on some good sites, stating not so much what you want but more what you will offer the right horse.
 
But that would only be if the horse was up for loan in the first place surely? I don't know many people that would badger and hound someone to loan them their horse without it first being advertised. And if it was up for loan, especially advertised as a competition horse then isn't it only natural for someone to be intersted in it for competiton purposes. You get people that need to loan out due to pregnancy, long-term illness etc. These might be happy for someone to compete the horse and see it out competing if they can't do it themselves.

I can understand people not wanting to loan out, I don't know if I would be too happy about it and if I did I certainly wouldn't want it to go too far. But I think if you REALLY checked someone out, had them come and try your horse many times and watch them ride in different situations, ask them for references etc and go and visit that horse every few weeks it is possible for it NOT to get ruined. You may get a really good rider! Plus, good loan horses are often snapped up by word of mouth anyway.
 
be positive said:
Turn this around and why should someone spend time, money and training to produce a horse then give it on loan to someone else to enjoy. There are going to be a few where circumstances change, pregnancy, uni etc but many people will then opt to sell rather than risk loaning.

If people want guarantees when taking on a youngster they really need to buy, otherwise the owner can have their horse back when they want, they do own it after all.

This is not getting at any one but just stating the facts, loaning is not going to suit everyone and the horses available are often those with issues that make them unsaleable, through injury, technical unsoundness, age or temperament.

If looking for a loan I think you need to be proactive and place ads on some good sites, stating not so much what you want but more what you will offer the right horse.
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I did last year and got nothing but totally unsuitable replies, they clearly hadn't read my advert. All people kept offering was their barely done anything 4 & 5 year olds and I just really didn't want that.

I didn't have to bother anymore as got taken on as a 'rider' by someone to ride and compete their mare so it worked out well. Still riding/competing said mare but tbh she's kept 27 miles away from where I live and I have a free stable, field and floodlit, all weather school next door to my house so I am thinking now of looking to loan again as I just can't afford to buy at the moment, perhaps in 8-9 months but even then it would only be a youngster and this mare I've been riding for this lady is a youngster and whilst I've had fun and adore her, I really just fancy having a couple of years of FUN with an established horse who is just fit and ready to go. Perhaps asking a lot, it's not like I'm in any hurry though so can search for a long time if need be.
 
Ime look at the end of the season or around August times.

Think people who's beloved pony has been outgrown but they don't want rid so they're loaning out or people who are off to uni and don't have the time but don't want rid either.

If you're looking for something like this you're going to have to try hard, think adverts everywhere and checking websites a few times a day! Also have you thought about just rides rather than loan?

Manged to scoop a few nice rides when people have gone to uni :p
 
My 14.2 was a competition pony in her day, but as she has always been a pet if circumstances dictated it she'd have been loaned out but ponies are different anyway. When I could no longer keep my sportshorse following divorce if I'd forseen me having him back within a few years I would have loaned to the right person. But for long term I wasn't about to provide anyone with a very good horse for nothing when I could sell to a good home for a fair price. Reckon there are some short term ones available but long term your more likely to find older horses who could be downgraded for a quieter life.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, seems a bit of a mixed response.

Like summerstars, I have posted on various websites, saying what my experience is, how old i am, what sort of loan/ride I want, and I have had totally unsutiable responses, the worst being from an owner over 100 miles away from me! But I'll keep chugging away and hopefully something will come up.

Thanks emma.is though, I never really thought about looking at what times to look for loans, but now it makes sense now. Slow moment from Sitch. :o

I keep one eye on the youngster market, and one eye on the loan market, as realistically i won't have the money for a top competition horse, but I might for a quality youngster (if I save, save, save!). So I guess its just a case of keeping an eye on both, if I find a quality youngster then snap it up and same for loan.
 
be positive said:
Turn this around and why should someone spend time, money and training to produce a horse then give it on loan to someone else to enjoy. There are going to be a few where circumstances change, pregnancy, uni etc but many people will then opt to sell rather than risk loaning.
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Very few people put a horse on loan to benefit a potential loanee - it's either for the good of the horse, or for the good of the owner. Loaning a nice competition horse out isn't an act of charity.

In most cases, I imagine it is because the owner doesn't have the time or facility to keep the horse in work, but doesn't want to sell the horse or turn it away. By loaning it out they keep the ownership and the horse is paid for and kept in work, for them to take back at some point in the future if they wish.

It's not something that they've done just so a potential loanee has a nice horse to enjoy.


annunziata - I'm not saying it is, but could it have been the way you worded the ad? It always amuses me when I see horse for loan ads which use a jumping photo and talk about the horse's competition experience, and then say "wants a quieter life so must no longer jump" or words to that effect. I don't think there is much point bigging up the horse's abilities if just looking for someone to hack and school.
 
It's a tough one all around. What you are looking for would probably sell for really good money (flashy Elem comp horse, good to hack), so you would need to stumble upon someone who did not want to sell. The owner would probably have their pick of loanees and I can see why they would chose someone who was near them (to visit often) and possibly someone who could bring the horse on a bit (e.g. someone with competition experience at Elem/Medium). For all that to work out you need quite a bit of luck, but keep trying you never know!
 
I'm sort of in the same situation my little eventer is injured so I'm on the possible hunt for a comp horse to loan or youngster to buy. I would have thought there would have been a few about with the current increasing fuel costs and entry fees! It makes it difficult for everyone to compete as much as they would want. Good luck in your search!!!
 
The other consideration is that a competition horse, of whatever age, will always be quite a bit of work and a loan can be taken back at any time. I don't think this is a youngster only issue, an older competition horse will need to be ridden regularly, have time for lessons, transport for competitions, etc. all of which are quite a commitment, so for some people buying makes more sense. I doubt there are any 'easy' competition horses out there that can just teach someone how to do all the moves, either for loan or buy!
 
I've been considering loaning out my little mare to a competition home. BUT, I don't want her too far away, she is too small to be ideal for many, and apparently we are in the wrong part of the country!
I also have the minor problem of not knowing what I'd do with one 2 yr old filly!!
 
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