Leasing a competition horse- experiences/advice?

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Lymm

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Anyone any advice on this? I'm pregnant and unfortunately due to commitments have decided I need to loan/lease my eventer. I've had him since a baby so really don't want to sell, but he is far to good, and enjoys work too much to put in the field for a few years. I wouldnt mind him moving away , I just want him to go to a competition rider who will love him and compete him as their own. Any advice appreciated
 
That must be a tough decision for you, but I think I would do the same if I was in your situation.

What level is he at? Only I wonder if this would make quite a bit of difference to how much you could lease him for...

Sorry i can't offer advice, but I was potentially thinking of leasing a horse myself to compete so I'd be interested to see what advice people come back with.
 
He is 11 yrs old, and has only evented the last two seasons as I did showing before that. He was won and placed County Level Ridden Hunter Classes and still would but he has the most amazing jump so we started eventing. This year we started at 90 and he was always placed and won. He then did a few 100's and came 2nd and won, then he finished we two Novice events and came second in his last one, definately potential to go up the ranks with a decent rider. He has not touched a pole all year. He is 17hh but I'm only 5'3'' and he does all phases in a snaffle, never strong. He is just at the right age and stage now to peak and I won't be doning anything realistically till my baby will be at school, so I'm looking at a good few years for someone to have the use of such a good horse.
 
I considered leasing our 13.2hh JA pony when elder son outgrew her but worried that someone leasing her would not have the same long term concern for her health and wellbeing as they have no investment to protect. I just wouldn't have had peace of mind and she is still loafing around the farm being an expensive lawnmower waiting for younger son to grow just a little bit more.

I do understand that is not an option for everyone and hope you find a solution that works for you and your boy.
 
If you advertised him for loan, I'd imagine about 90 people would bite your hand off at the opportunity to have a lovely time on such a nice horse. We would have, and our horses are all loaned, and all treated like kings. They're not ours, so we treat them almost more carefully than if they were our own :)
 
Thanks, Love the last reply- I hear so many horror stories about loans, but I always thought like you- if I loaned a horse of course I'd love it like my own and treat it like that. There is hope then! I would have no objection to loaning, I only thought about leasing as it was suggested to me due to the horse. Its not about making/earning money from it, I guess some people just see a loan as a free horse and I wouldn't want him going to anyone. The idea that a small fee per year would ensure perhaps just those serious about wanting to compete/train etc would be interested.
 
From what I've seen locally, loans get inundated with interested people, especially if they're not the "never been ridden before' types so you can be picky!
 
Since having my little boy (he was 2 yesterday) my horse has been passed from pillar to post - in the nicest possible way, loaned him to a friend for 12 months so she could get experience at Elm / med. He's then gone on lease via the BD classifieds to a working pupil for 6 months, I had loads of enquiries and he has gone to a fabulous yard weekly updates and he's having a ball, I'm hoping to get him back in the Spring and told him if he behaves he can come home to me and plod about for the rest of his days. He previously evented so is happy to move around and has had loads of different riders so he takes everything in his stride. I use a loan agreement which covers every eventuality, he's only leased for a small amount which I am saving for his return, but he is working and competing which is the important thing. Would definitely recommend loaning / leasing so you can have a baby break.
 
where are you based?

I would also have a very long think about what you want out of this? is that you want to see how much further your horse can go? or someone to enjoy him as a fab all rounder? If you do decide to go the loan/lease route then again, you need to think carefully about the sort of home you want him to go to. I think for a horse such as you have described, there really would be a lot of people wanting to loan him BUT they might not necessarily be able to put as much back into your horse.

If you are looking at pricing I can ask my YO what she thinks you should ask- she has just taken on a really really nice 4 year old that came out of the blue. Came to an agreement over costs/training etc and how far they want the horse produced and an agreed price to sell at the end as well.

I think your boy sounds lovely and I am a fan of big horses - good luck!
 
I would do this through word of mouth - I loaned my Novice eventer when I went abroad for a few months, and that was the most sensible way of making sure a) I got the right person, b) enough people knew us mutually to make sure nothing went drastically wrong and c) that trainers I knew and trusted were keeping an eye on the whole setup. Whether you loan or lease, I would try and do it through word of mouth personally.
 
SpottedCat said:
I would do this through word of mouth - I loaned my Novice eventer when I went abroad for a few months, and that was the most sensible way of making sure a) I got the right person, b) enough people knew us mutually to make sure nothing went drastically wrong and c) that trainers I knew and trusted were keeping an eye on the whole setup. Whether you loan or lease, I would try and do it through word of mouth personally.
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^Absolutely this. You are looking for a specific type of loanee/leaser. The type of person you are looking for is likely to be more than capable and able to afford to buy their own horse therefore you are looking for someone in a "window" either between buying their own horse, getting experience before committing to the next level of horse or maybe current horse is not talented enough and they need to gather their own experience as a rider before committing to buying. An instructor/trainer will be the best person to identify this ideal loaner for you.
 
Where abouts are you based? Do you have a specific type of home you'd like your horse to go to? Do you want the rider to be based locally? What would you like to see for both parties?

all questions to be asked :) Personally, leasing/loaning is something i'd consider, and is something i may consider when I go to uni. I'd be very specific in who i chose as i don't want my horse going 'just anywhere' or doing something i wasn't happy with.
 
The girl who loaned mine had been a groom to a successful 4* rider, but could not afford to buy a horse of the quality/calibre I could offer. She'd never completed a BE event, she did 2 PNs with my horse then went N - she still asks now if she can have him back as she adored him.
 
I know I sound like a broken record on this subject, but my outsider's perspective . .

Leasing (rather than loaning) is very common in North America. Sometimes for eyewatering amounts of money if the horse is say, competitive at Young Riders or likely to be an Equitation winner, but even quite low level horses get leased, sometimes over and over if the owner has outgrown the horse, moved away etc. (In fact "free leases" are very rare, people are much more likely to "part-board" which is effectively a share of a horse on livery, with the owner still involved.) Leasing competition horses is more common in hunter/jumpers but increasingly moving into eventing and dressage, too.

It would be very, very rare for someone to send a horse on lease from a advertisement to an unknown party. It might not necessarily be someone known to the owner but it would almost certainly go through some other connection, such as the trainer of the lessee is a regular business contact of the lessor. Often horses are leased between students of the same trainer. Usually the leases contain very clear conditions about where the horse can live, who can ride it, at what level it will compete, who will coach the rider, insurance, responsibility for vets fees and/or regular maintenance etc. and may even specify who can shoe it, what it eats etc. Obviously these can be negotiated as the time passes but the general feeling is the owner is offering the lessee a valuable commodity.

Free leases tend not to have those sorts of conditions, but with those the feeling is the lessee is doing the owner a favour by taking the horse off their hands.

Blah blah blah. ;) My point is, if you want to lease him out as a competition horse, to someone who will develop him, do it through word of mouth or, at the very least an agent. Start with your own trainer and work outwards. It's worth contacting a sales agent for event horses, too, as they might have someone on their books. A working student/employee/ex employee on a professional yard is a good bet. As is someone with some experience and already in a program, say a teenager coming off ponies, who is not in a position to buy but is otherwise ready to move up.

If he's an easy going sort of horse then you obviously have more options, as a year at the level he's at or below with a decent rider won't likely do him any harm.

The fear is always something will happen and you'll get the horse back "broken" but then that could happen in the field, too. Another option might be to send him showjumping for a year, since he has proven form (and is then both more attractive and more likely to adapt to a new rider) as it's marginally less risky.

A third option, since you say he looks like he's going to go up the grades, is to shop him to a professional looking for rides, so you provide the horse and they provide their effort etc. Again, I'd go through word of mouth but I think that's generally easier than finding an amateur as anyone in this group will have been to training days etc. and be a known quantity. You can also ask a bit more of such a person, including speaking to other owners, insisting on regular visits and reports etc.

I know it's really unpopular but I wouldn't necessarily be looking for someone to "love" your horse - although that would be great, obviously - but someone who can look after him properly and will be responsible for him and to you. Also, just because someone has ambitions doesn't mean he/she won't love the horse! The situations like this I've seen work the best are when they're treated as business, everyone communicates effectively and knows the score going in.
 
I'd agree with this - the contract I had with my loaner was dictatorial down to feeding, frequency of shoeing, agreeing with me before she stepped up, who she trained with etc etc etc. It was pages and pages long, and I specified everything, down to which boots he had to wear for hacking/schooling/jumping. On the flip side, I also paid for insurance and BE affiliation (for me and him - so he always ran with me as 'owner' as I figured it gave me a bit of security since the passport doesn't mean jot when it comes to ownership!), so there was some give and take. I wanted a fit, up and running horse when I got back from my travels, and that's exactly what I got.
 
If eventing is anything like dressage if you advertise and you pitch it correctly you will no doubt find you have interested parties who have shared a trainer / you have mutual friends with / ect ect, I had numerous enquires for miy horse a few nutters as expected but of the top 10 genuine there were 3 or 4 I would have sent him to 100% happy. He has ended up with someone who did all the BYRDs stuff with good friends of mine and has ridden under the same trainers, it is a small world, other prospective leasees had similar connections it didn't mean they could offer the best home and I didn't want to feel oblidged because they knew so and so. It isn't just about riding capabilities you have to have a relationship with these people and be able to communicate with them for the duration of the lease this is just as important if not more important.

Also think carefully about your leasing fee (mine was too cheap I was informed) and was inundated with offers, pricing the lease correctly may sort the wheat from the chaff too. PM me if you like to know the details.
 
All food for thought. With regards to the professionial riders - thats rather what my YO is doing. She has her goals firmly fixed and her plan in place. She is doing and funding it all herself and is going down the time honoured graft of buying and producing good young horses onto produce to the next level and pay for the next horse up. Because she has made such a good start now she already has had 2 youngsters come to her for producing/selling on - and both are really REALLY nice babies! (says she jealously). 1 of the people who is helping her is directly connected to our british eventing team so he has been advising on her planning - and has already been looking out for horses for her so that route does work
 
Thanks for all the replies. It seems a lot of people assume I am expecting someone to develop my horse for me. This is not the case, he is just fit loves work and competing, and I can't do this for the next few years. I don't intend to ever sell him so not looking for an increase in value etc. He is just getting towards his peak and I just want someone who is capable and wants to enjoy a great horse for a few seasons and love him like I do. If the partnership went well they could keep him as long as necessary.
 
Lymm said:
Thanks for all the replies. It seems a lot of people assume I am expecting someone to develop my horse for me. This is not the case, he is just fit loves work and competing, and I can't do this for the next few years. I don't intend to ever sell him so not looking for an increase in value etc. He is just getting towards his peak and I just want someone who is capable and wants to enjoy a great horse for a few seasons and love him like I do. If the partnership went well they could keep him as long as necessary.
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That sounds very sensible and lovely of you.

I think all people are really saying is if you want him back as he is now - sound, sane and liking his job - then there are ways to increase the chances of that and they're probably worth looking into. At Novice level it's starting to get "serious" and the margins narrow - you don't want someone experimenting unsuccessfully with your nice horse and leaving you to pick up the pieces!
 
Lolita said:
I don't think you'd have any problem finding a loanee for your horse, he sounds lovely, I'd jump at the chance!
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so would most people - so it looks as if you can really afford to be fussy! Maybe find someone who would be keen to keep you involved - come to events etc?.
 
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