Is it safe to put a horse on full loan?

SNORKEY

SNORKEY

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 December 2008
Messages
1,809
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Ive been thinking of putting my boy on loan once im pregnant ( currently trying!) as he will be too much for me. I like the idea of someone being able to have fun with him and progress his career a little more but im very worried he'l be mistreated or go missing whilst on loan.

Do loans work? im interested to hear from anyone with any experiences.

Thanks
 
SNORKEY said:
Ive been thinking of putting my boy on loan once im pregnant ( currently trying!) as he will be too much for me. I like the idea of someone being able to have fun with him and progress his career a little more but im very worried he'l be mistreated or go missing whilst on loan.

Do loans work? im interested to hear from anyone with any experiences.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I am loaning my current horse, 2 hours away from the owner, however we have known each other for 8 years and used to keep our horses together.

However I couldnt let a horse of mine go off on loan, I'd have no problem with loaning however it would be to stay on the current yard and I would be going up whenever I had the urge and checking on things! I wouldnt interfere but when I had a sharer I still had to go up after them to check on things :o
 
Yes, it can be perfectly safe, I've been loaning for a few years now, one the owner has disappeared of the face of the earth and I've had the horse since. Prior to her I had an ex racer on full loan which went really well, the owner decided to sell him (and asked me to buy him) I didn't want him so helped find a new home. I'm now loaning another horse on my yard...

There are plenty of honest people out there, but do your homework on them, get a proper contract, and keep in touch. Good luck!
 
Had one go horribly wrong - from a care point of view rather than missing etc. Overfed far too much and ended up bordering on the verge of a lami attack when I finally got her back, plus also started bucking whilst ridden through inexperience [overfeeding/lack of work/novice rider/etc] really. Was a complete mistake. And that was a loan done 'properly', contract/numerous visits/kept in contact etc etc.

Mare then went to another loan home after that for a 2nd attempt and has been there over 3 years now and is in the most loveliest home. She'll return once she's hopelessy outgrown by a kid who absolutely adores her and has done everything with her and treated her like royalty everyday of 'owning' her. I've never had a day worrying about her, have seen her out and about competing, keep up to date by looking and chatting on facebook etc but never feel the need to have to 'check up' on them as I trust them completely. I didn't 'know' them and they're a good hour away, but I had a good feeling about them and still to this day haven't done a contract [shock horror I know...but my gut feeling was right.]. She's coming back next year I think is the plan, as she's just bordering on outgrowing her now sadly but can get away with another year of competing her :( Soon as she's back, I'm putting her in foal to my lad as that was always my intention of once she's had the most fun she can teaching a lovely kid the ropes and get them started in jumping/competing etc, then she can then have a quiet life of babies again and want for nothing, as she was my first pony also and has continued to be a lot of other peoples 'first pony'. I'll be gutted actually when she does outgrow her, as they're both perfect for each other. I have however, promised her a foal from her in return for the care she's given her all this time.

My lad, was done through word of mouth/friend down at the next livery yard to us and is still in the same place, as a friend needed a happy hack after losing her horse so he was perfect for that so offered him. Casual and I still see him/ride him/etc.

So yes, one out of 3 loan horrors for me - and that wasn't her being 'neglected' as such, but more, spoilt through kindness.
 
Last edited:
My mare was on loan and they ended up giving me her because they were happy with her with me. So it worked out for me, however you need to be careful and make things clear with loaners with an agreement :-)
 
Loans can work very well if you're sensible.

I had a lovely horse on loan for over a year and am hugely grateful to her owner for trusting me with her. She was the type of horse I could never have afforded to buy and did a super job for the time that I had her.

Before I took her home her owner and I came up with a loan contract stating what I could and could not do with the horse (which included a photocopy of my driving licence and a utility bill as proof of identity/address), she let the passport agency know she was going on loan and I insured her through KBIS, letting them know that she was on loan and registering the owner's details with them (and giving the owner a copy of the insurance paperwork).

The owner only lived about half an hour away from me so was able to pop by and see her whenever she wanted to, and I kept her updated via email and Facebook. It was a superb arrangement and I would very happily loan again, or loan out mine if it came to it, providing both parties were absolutely clear on the details of the loan and I had all the paperwork squared away.

Good luck! :)
 
I have a horse on loan, and have had him since 2008, personally I would walk over broken glass to get to him if required. Yes loans can go wrong, but word of mouth and references help.
I have not seen his owner for quite a while, but she knows where he is, when I moved him I asked her permission first, if anything happens to him, I tell her. He has just been diagnosed with arthritus,but I'm not giving him back, I will deal with it. If it gets to the stage where he can not cope, she will make the decision.

Us loaners are not all numpty's some of us do know what we are doing, I hope you find a good one, as we are out here.

Good luck
 
I've just called time on the loan I agreed for our pony. Despite a carefully worded contract, (he's a bit special), and only being 8 miles away, the loaners changed his feed, bit, turnout and added gadgets, all without discussion. He wasn't properly schooled but expected to compete when lacking muscle. Final straw was when he started being difficult to load, never a problem previously. So be careful, I really thought I'd be able to keep control of his overall conditions.
 
I loaned my last horse, she part loaned him first then took him to another yard on full loan and ended up buying him :). Loans can work I think we only ever hear of ones that go wrong as others said if you loan get a contract and let the relevant agencies know.
 
Yes most definitely. You do hear about a lot of horror stories but these are just the extremes really, there are thousands of horses being successfully loaned around the country every day.
I loaned out my old boy once he retired from eventing into a PC/hunting home and it was absolutely brilliant, he had a fantastic new lease of life that I couldn't have given him and it suited us all so well. He was with them for 3 years before being fully retired from work.

Make sure you draw up a watertight contract, check homes, get references, see proof of identity/address etc and ask if you can stay in contact as much as possible. The family with my boy I had on Facebook so I could keep up with him there, but they also emailed/messaged me about once a month to let me know how he was doing, what they'd been up to etc. We became good friends and I'm still in contact with them now despite them no longer loaning my horse.

It can work very successfully, the horror stories (although horrible) are only a few loans out of thousands, most people out there are genuine - just make sure you check it all out as much as possible beforehand.

Good luck!
 
When I was younger I always had a loan pony (although we ended up buying one of them). TBH I don't think the owners were that bothered about their ponies though as they never really came over to see them and there were never any 'restrictions'.

However I have only once had a good experience loaning out my own ponies and would never do it again, nowadays I struggle letting someone else look after them for a day - I have 3 and have looked after them(along with the help of my OH) throughout my pregnancy (due tomorrow).

I lost one pony who was abandoned at a riding school after the loaners moved her without telling me, failed to pay the rent, and then disappeared.

I got one pony back with emphysema as he was kept in an inside stable with a load of pigeons (and pigeon poo) despite me asking for him to be moved everytime I visited.

One of the ponies I loaned when I was a kid developed arthritis due to the fact a previous loaner had failed to call the vet when he was badly kicked in the knee.

Despite the fact I probably wouldn't have got as much experience when I was younger, it really isn't something I would ever consider again with my own ponies.
 
I've had my pony on full loan for 3 years and haven't seen his owners for over 2 yrs. I am very lucky they trust me with him totally and I treat him exactly the same as my own horse. We had a contract but that expired 2 yrs ago, and unless they are drawn up properly by a solicitor, I don't think they mean much anyway.
 
I've had mine on loan for four and a bit years. Love her alot! And treat her as if she is mine. She's spoilt rotten, and has every rug under the sun... and we do lots of fun rides and things. Her owner is a friend so I think that makes it a bit easier, but she lets me get on with what I want to do with her, so it works out for both of us. :)

As someone else said, not all loaners are numpties, and most of them care for the horse as if it was their own.
 
I've got a horse on loan from someone I do know (6 months now) - we don't have a contract/loan agreement. She knows where we are and the set-up but doesn't visit although she did pop to see us having a lesson a few weeks after I got him. I text her now and again with any updates of exciting trips out. I took her wine and chocs at Christmas to say thank you! Its all very casual.
I have a friend who loans out two ponies to two different people. She had them to her place to try the ponies quite a few times and delivered them herself. If the place wasn't up to scratch she would have brought them home again! They have loan agreements and update her with what they are doing with them. She maybe visits every six months.
 
I think a lot depends on how well connected you are with the local equestrian folks. If everyone you know knows whos got your pony you are more likely to find out if things are genuinely OK.
I wouldn't let them go too far away, and although I had the loan agreement from the BHS, its not really worth the paper its written on legally.

My first pony went away to someone I had checked out thoroughly 2 hours drive away.
Everything seemed fine for about 5 months with regular updates. Then pony started rearing and they didn't want him. Turned out they had taken a 5yo newly backed show pony to a parade, trying to ride him between the fire engines and the marching bands! (I only found this out though other sources)
Then they didn't want to pay the transport cost to return him to me, as agreed in loan paperwork.
Eventually pony turned up unannounced in back of a transit type horsebox, when friend opened back door pony fell down the ramp, having fallen in transit and been jammed under the partition. The Driver wasn't known to me and wasn't phased, sped out yard before I could hit him.
Pony was found to be in a bit that was too small for him, making him headshy, and now rears when spooked by loud noises (he was very safe before leaving me).
These were knowledgeable people who now do very well at showing and jumping, but it just shows you can never be too careful.
I would never loan out another one.
 
Thanks for your replies, It seems most people have had good experiences, I think due to the fact he's not a novice ride at all Id sus out anyone quite quickly if they were not experienced, im just worried il be sat at home threating about him all the time, weather he has the right feed, rug and hay etc!
I have thought about selling him as I know he could go far in the right hands but im scared he'l go to the wrong person or keep getting passed on :(
I like to think that horses should stay in the same home for life.
 
I put my pony on loan to a friend with a riding school when I went abroad in 2004. We didn't know each other that well then - I only remembered the riding school because I'd been to pony camp there when I was about 12 and I remembered it as a really nice place so I called them up on the off chance they would like my horse for a while! As it turned out they did take her and the loan got extended for six years as I was working long term abroad then went to university abroad as well. Finally my pony came home when the riding school closed down in 2009. I visited her on my trips back to the UK so that was about every six months to every year, stayed with my loaners and they were wonderful, put me up for long weekends, took my pony off the school so I could have her then. She was always in great condition then as well.
Of course I had a loan contract (from the BHS website) and perhaps I had better proof of address than average as I was loaning to a BHS instructor and BHS approved riding school so they were always very traceable. They were very good about keeping in touch with me during the loan and now my pony is back at home she has her own facebook to post pictures on so she can stay in touch with her friends from the riding school.
 
I have loaned my horse out very successfully, it went and achieved and I got a lot of fun from watching the partnership. However, it did end very abruptly as the girl's (Boyfriend probs) circumstances changed very quickly, so here are my loaning 'rules' once you have found someone.

1) Assume you are going to have to carry on paying for somethings. Especially if you are looking for a non-permanent loan. I paid insurance, teeth, injections, some lessons and some entry fees .... then if you end up not paying it is a bonus. It also gives you an opportunity to keep in touch and maybe push them in the direction of your horse getting the experience you want.

2) Loans can end very quickly - it is less stressful if you always have a 'back up' plan somewhere just in case!

3) Put lots of effort into finding the right loan home and also make it easy for the person to try the horse in severel different circumstances (hacking, XC Course, school, etc) it will give both of you a clearer idea of what you are taking on and gives you an opportunity to understand the loaner and where they may need some help.

Good luck, it can work, but like everything the more effort you put in the more you get out?
 
Sorry but it's not always the obvious things when you check out loan homes. My boy went to a very reputable charity running a riding school, care was fantastic, staff were really helpful, my lad was well fed and not overworked. I visited several times a meek for the first few months and then once a week, gradually dropping to once a month so as not to get in their way. However, despite my asking for him to be kept in his natural balance shoes their Farrier changed his shoes, left his toes too long and allowed his heels to start to collapse. I've had him back about 8 months and he's just been diagnosed with a variety of problems including collateral ligament damage consistent with the bad shoeing. Not my opinion, that of two vets and my Farrier. I will never ever loan again.

If you can consider other options like turning your horse out for a while I'd do that, or ask a friend to ride, whatever it takes. Sorry to be so negative and I know there are good loans out there but I'll never take the chance again. Mean and blinkered yes, but it's continuing to be the most painful lesson I've ever learnt. If you absolutely must loan make sure everything is covered in a contract and keep visiting and check everything. I didn't check my lad's feet, I trusted them. My mistake.
 
bikerchickone said:
Sorry but it's not always the obvious things when you check out loan homes. My boy went to a very reputable charity running a riding school, care was fantastic, staff were really helpful, my lad was well fed and not overworked. I visited several times a meek for the first few months and then once a week, gradually dropping to once a month so as not to get in their way. However, despite my asking for him to be kept in his natural balance shoes their Farrier changed his shoes, left his toes too long and allowed his heels to start to collapse. I've had him back about 8 months and he's just been diagnosed with a variety of problems including collateral ligament damage consistent with the bad shoeing. Not my opinion, that of two vets and my Farrier. I will never ever loan again.

If you can consider other options like turning your horse out for a while I'd do that, or ask a friend to ride, whatever it takes. Sorry to be so negative and I know there are good loans out there but I'll never take the chance again. Mean and blinkered yes, but it's continuing to be the most painful lesson I've ever learnt. If you absolutely must loan make sure everything is covered in a contract and keep visiting and check everything. I didn't check my lad's feet, I trusted them. My mistake.
Click to expand...

It was stories like this that made me think it was probably a good idea to keep funding the things that were important to me for my horse (in my case there is only one vet/dentist I would every consider using) If organise and pay for them myself then I know it happens properly and also the professionals give feedback. I seem to remember that for the first 6 months I paid for the call out charge for the farrier - I knew he would have the horses best interests at heart and was another check/balance and I also know that they would be done every 6 weeks!!

I just think that if you are paying for things you have more right to insist on certain standards. After all, even sitting in a field the horse would cost you something?
 
Iv had two horses on full loan but knew both of the owners beforehand. I never had any problems with them doing spot checks and visits whenever they liked, so if the person who he goes too (after home checks etc) if very willing for you to come up everyday if needed to give you piece of mind, then i think he will be in a good place. If on the otherhand they dont want you to come up or try and skirt round the issue, i wouldnt let them anywhere near :)

Contracts are a must though :)
 
Ive heard of loans going bad with a legal contract.
Ive had my section A for 6 years and not seen or heard from her owner in 4 years. Pony is on loan till payed for but its complicated.
Id never loan my cobblet out to anyone.
 
SNORKEY said:
Ive been thinking of putting my boy on loan once im pregnant ( currently trying!) as he will be too much for me. I like the idea of someone being able to have fun with him and progress his career a little more but im very worried he'l be mistreated or go missing whilst on loan.

Do loans work? im interested to hear from anyone with any experiences.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I've got Jazz on full loan, and have been given Thunder - very long story. Essentially, I wanted to bring Mouse back from Dorset but if I rode Jazz out then Mouse would be on his own so the YO in Dorset suggested me taking Thunder (Mouse's companion over there), even though he wasn't theirs :o. They squared it with the owner of Thunder :) so I now have three horses :D!!! Thunder was just a field ornament over there so it didn't really make any difference who had him!!! The YO over there trusts me so Thunder's owner was fine with it, even though I've only met her a couple of times YEARS ago!!!!

I would like to think that I look after all three to the best of my ability and all three are looking pretty healthy and are very happy :)

There's the drawback with loans that the horse could be "dumped" back on you when you least expect it - we've been the victim of that many-a-time, but we've always got a fallback position anyway - the yard in Dorset are brilliant and make space if needs be :)

There's the other more serious drawback that you may "lose" the horse but I'd say that's pretty rare. I've never heard of it in RL, although some stories on here :(

Although the passport must go with the horse (to travel it, or to document medications etc), it is NOT proof of ownership. You can put info on NED to say the horse in only on loan and still stays in your ownership. Gives you a bit more of a leg to stand on.

A contract is fine, but doesn't really cover you :(
 
I've loaned my lovely horse out twice. She has been returned twice - the first after a few weeks and the second after 6 days. Never again. Loaning was the most stressful experience of my life so far! The first time was to my instructor, who had a big falling out with my yard owner (and who also was using my mare to teach on, which was NOT part of the deal, and was never mentioned to me - not even out of courtesy - so my horse came back. The second time was to a friend of the same instructor - fed her racehorse feed, took her hunting at a meet over an hour away after 5 days of having her, did something to her in the trailer (god knows what, she has always been a great traveller) and sent her back lame with 3 cut feet, a bruised hip and filthy tack.

Suffice to say, my mare is now up for sale and I will never loan again. Other people are a liability!
 
Harvey is on full loan to me so they can work out well.

I would deffinately insist on a full contract stating who is responsibe for what and happens if anything is damaged.

Also is there any way you can insist (in the contract) he stays at the current yard so you can keep an eye on them?
 
I have my Red on loan and own both my boys. When we took her on loan we were asked to keep her farrier as he already comes to our yard as shes had bad experiences at previous yards. We were also asked not to pull her mane as she wants her natural. I would never do anything that her owners have asked not to. We treat her like our own and all the belongings she came. It's just trying to find the right home to suite ur horse.
 
There are definitely good homes out there but you hear so many horror stories about horses going off to 'dodgy' loan homes and coming back ruined. You'd have to be extremely thorough in checking out where your horse was going, get references off who was going to have it, question the loan-owner-to-be over everything under the sun and make sure there is a full contract in place. If possible it's probably best to have the horse at the yard its at now or one very close by so that you can keep an eye on it.
But as I said - the good homes do exist, it's just a case of finding someone you trust with your horse. I recently had a horse on loan and she was treated as one of our own (if not better!), I was so very grateful that her owner had chosen me to look after her - I respected what she'd said we could and couldn't do together, and I sent regular updates etc of what we'd been getting upto. It can be a huge opportunity for someone who for various reasons cannot buy a horse of their own, you just need to find somebody genuine. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Could you start looking now for somebody who would be happy to share initially and then up his/her involvement as and when necessary? That way, you would get to know him/her and he/she would get to know your horse before the time comes that you need someone to take over full time and the likelihood of finding someone local who could keep your horse at the same yard would be greater.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top