How often would/do you check on your loan horses?

MissSBird

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Title pretty much says it all. I have a pony who's just gone on loan, and I've never loaned out before.

I was just wondering how often people feel is appropriate to check? When becomes the owner interfering too much, and when becomes careless?

I do have plan of how often I am going to go see her, but was curious for others opinions. :)
 

MrsHutt

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I had a loaner (before I bought H) and the owner asked to be regularly informed and if she could visit every couple of weekends for a ride. I said 'fair enough'! and emailed photos and little reports of what we had been doing. She came ONCE! (in 7 months) and all she did apparently (I wasn't there) was stand in the stable with her - didn't groom her, look her over, talk to YO or anyone else. I wouldn't necessarily expect more visits than that, it was just that she had said she wanted to come every couple of weeks! She answered one email about insurance details, but other than that I never heard from her until I decided she had to go back (too much for me, after all!)

Now, some people would think that was great, but I thought it odd that she didn't want to hear about her (supposedly greatly loved) horse. I wanted to share my experiences with her, too. Maybe a more experienced person would not want to?

I think it would be ideal for an owner to visit every 6 months or so (if it is a long-term loan), but I would guess you would like the odd email or even text to say all is well?

I did appreciate the fact that she left me to do what I wanted and didn't interfere (I think she realised I had a very experienced and knowledgeable YO who was always there to help).

Don't know if that's any help to you - I found it a positive experience, in retrospect ;) , I was very grateful for all my loaner horse taught me and she gave me the experience to know I could cope with owning a horse (the right one, this time!!) - even though the little so-and-so broke my leg! :D
 

Allie5

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I have a mare on loan just now and keep in touch with her owner via text (I send her pictures etc) and Facebook so we are never really out of touch. She sees my updates/pics on Facebook and comments etc. She physically comes to see her once every month to six weeks. She sometimes has a little sit on her but has a bad back so just walks in the school. I'm happy with this level of contact as I don't feel pressured and her owner likes seeing pictures/updates as she is reassured without having to visit constantly.
 

redmerl

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I loaned my old dear to a lady abbot 90 mins drive away. When he first went I visited every other Saturday for 6 weeks then once a month then every 4 months. But I had access to the farm and didn't need to bother the lady when I went she was more then happy for me to wander around. There was a couple of teething problem, nothing major but he was my first horse so v picky, after a couple of months everything was fine and he was looked after amazingly.
 

redmerl

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I had a comp horse out on loan about 3 hours away. Only went twice in a year as loaner was happy to txt and Facebook often and we used to see her when she was competing near home
 

aliceeventing131

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i loan a horse of a girl who has gone to uni, i keep in touch with her through texts and facebook and me and her along with other girls at the yard are all friends so it is easy for us to keep in touch. she can check on her horse through pictures i put on facebook and she trusts me to look after her properly as i had her for a month or 2 before she went to uni when we did alternate days and we do that when she comes back from uni during the holidays :)
 

Natz88

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We have just loaned a pony of ours out, although he is only out on loan until march/april. He went 2 weeks ago so we are planning to go see him around xmas time, but in the 2 weeks he has been gone we have had a txt & 2 emails one with pictures so all seems to be good!
 

Keimanp

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My mum Loaned her horse out to a family close to Cardiff, We live in Yorkshire. At the time I was studying at Cardiff University and when they requested some help I would go up to their farm to help them out. Normaly contact was by email and text with no overal planned visits unless we were driving past or near for any particular reason.

Had we not have recieved any information or reports about progress of dificulties we would probably have been more active in needing to know how he was. It entirely depends on the loanee and how forthcoming they are.

Other loans have happened but they have all been to people already on the yard.

Robert
 

unbalanced

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I loaned my pony to a friend with a riding school when I was living and working abroad. The longest I went without seeing her was over a year (she was on loan for five and a half years) and the shortest about three months. When she first left we spoke on the phone every day because she tied up after the long lorry journey then I left the country and my loaner was very good about letting my emergency contact (my mum) know exactly how my pony was getting on (not just emergencies!) so she could pass it on to me as where I was at the time I didn't have Internet. When I moved to the US we also emailed and later on FB became popular (don't think it was even invented when pony went on loan!) and eventually the horse got her own FB account.
For me going to visit my horse was always exactly that, going to visit my horse, hang out with her and go riding. It was never about checking up on my loaner as I was kept up to date with what she was doing with the horse, if there was a problem I knew about it and it never even occurred to me that she would sell the horse or anything like that. Obviously we had a standard BHS contract but to be honest that was more so I could list my rug collection and put things like 'horse must wear brushing boots when worked' and 'you are not allowed to trim her feathers' which to my mind was a far more serious concern than the idea that my horse might go missing on loan bearing in mind the loaner I had!
 
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