If you loan a horse ....

My horse went out on loan several years ago and although we did have a loan contract (which I wrote) I am fairly certain that wasn't covered. She never needed a new saddle but she did need other things such as new turnout rugs when she went to living out 24/7 the last winter she was there. I paid for it all as the understanding was always that she would return to me at the end of the loan period (which we kept extending) and all tack and equipment belonged to me. Had she needed a new saddle, I would have sold the existing one and bought her a new one.
 
When I loaned I bought the saddle and kept it when the horse was returned to the owner. I can see why a lot of owners would be reluctant to buy the saddle.
 
When my loan horse needed a new saddle I had one made for her. Horse on full loan which I take to me to mean loaner covers all costs! She is my perfect horse though and I would begrudge her nothing!
 
I loan a horse for me and I bought all his stuff - he came with a headcollar only, clearly I'll keep it if he every goes back (over my dead body!)
I loan one of mine out and I own all his tack and rugs - if he needed a new saddle I'd happily part ex his old one for a replacement that fitted - I wouldn't expect it to cost me much money as swapping one saddle for another - I wouldn;t shell out for a fancy pants brand new one!
 
This happened with my loan mare recently; the saddle she came with didn't fit anymore and was giving her a sore back.

Owner just couldn't afford to replace the saddle, and because the mare is basically on a long-term sort of arrangement where I can keep her forever if I want, I was happy to pay for a replacement saddle for her just so she was comfy, as she does have some back/arthritis issues.

But I appreciate that not everyone would be happy to do this. The owner came over to my yard, and we had the saddle fitter there, and so both owner and loaner were happy that the saddle fitted.

When my boy went out on loan, he didn't have a saddle, and the person loaning him sorted something out, at her own cost. However the saddle she had bought (she didn't use a saddle fitter :(), just didn't fit him, which caused a lot of problems when I turned up and it was immediately apparent the thing didn't fit!!! She had paid out for a saddle, and wasn't very happy to be told that it wasn't a good fit! Even thought it was in the loan contract that any saddle had to be done by a proper fitter.

So whether I was a loaner, or an owner, personally I'd want to be satisfied that the saddle had been fitted by a professional; and re-checked at regular intervals (which should be in a contract anyway...... ehm, sorry to ask stooopid question, but WHY no loan contract in place??).
 
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I think it depends on the agreement and what has been discussed with the owner. When I had a loan horse they didn't even give me a headcollar for her when I went to collect her, so I bought absolutely everything including all tack & rugs - though other owners are probably easier to get on with than she was! x
 
TBH if it came with a saddle I'd expect owner to ensure that saddle (or a new one) fit the horse.

Having said that if owner can't/won't afford or would choose something rider didn't like then it might be easier for loaner to buy and keep if a) they are willing to and b) owner is hat.appy with th
 
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