Loan horse

[Courbette]

As others have said I'd be cautious due to the 12 month contact however once you have your feet in at a yard there are often other horses that come up through word of mouth once you known to owners. I am also viewing a share horse this week that I came across this way.

I have had a few loans and the best advice I can offer is the owner is important as the horse, especially if the horse may have soundness issues. Horses can and do change through schooling where owners don't! I'd also have a think about what you want to achieve with your loan. I had a wonderful horse that I also wasn't able to compete. At the start I wasn't too bothered as he was a lovely horse but as his schooling progressed my attitude towards competing changed. He then had soundness issues so I ended up walking away but it was a hard decision and can cause a lot of heart ache so I would definitely clarify why he can't jump or do circles. Good luck with your viewing : )

 

[smolmaus]

I have had lessons on and off since I was a kid, im 40 so a very late starter when it comes to doing my stage 1. I'm not at an advanced stage of riding, my main aim with this is to learn about how to care for a horse properly and to a level that would get me through stage 1 and 2 for now.
Thank you very much for your reply.

Good on you! I'm also a late starter myself so can't really advise as to prices etc. but I can offer a suggestion that you could find a local sanctuary or rescue center that are looking for volunteers (which is what I did, got the idea lurking this forum actually) so I get to do the basic chores and take the pressure off the staff and learn on the job. Where I am they have a lot of eager teenagers but not so many older people who can be trusted to be steady and know how to handle themselves so you could be an asset. My hope is that it's also going to help with local contacts when I start looking for a share or a loan in a few years.

I learned a lot on an older horse that belonged to my instructor who also couldn't really jump or do much in the way of tight turns but he was a perfect dressage schoolmaster otherwise so I wouldn't hesitate to share a similar horse if one came along. But I would want significant support if they had limitations. I would want my hand held for at least the first few months, which maybe is what the owner is expecting, hence the price.

 

[WHWMo]

Thank you very much,

I am hoping it will help me with the knowledge I need to get through BHS stages 1 and 2 care and riding. I am worried though if he is lame ? xx

It might also be worth considering that just to pass BHS Care 1 you need to learn to lunge, which wouldn’t be possible if he can’t do tight circles. Correct me if I wrong but I also think that Riding 2 requires jumping a 75cm course too? Not sure off the top of my head! Which it doesn’t sound like he can do either, unfortunately.

As a vague reference point on price for you, when I shared a horse (9 y/o, 14hh, sane!) about 5 years ago to get back into riding/owning it was £25/week unlimited access and no chores, just leave her how I found her.

Sharing is a wonderful thing to do and good sharers are worth their weight in gold so don’t give up! Good luck!

 

[Chianti]

£37.50 a week for 4 rides a week is £9.37 a ride so I don't think the owner is fleecing you. When you say that you have to do all of the work what does that mean? Do you have to do a full muck out or a bit of poo picking? I started riding my first horse 30 odd years ago when she was 18 and paid £5 a ride. She had navicular so I knew I couldn't jump her and could only school occasionally. That didn't worry me as she was lovely hack and taught me to ride after only being in a riding school. I suggest you think about what you want. If you are doing BHS stages then you probably need something that you can jump and school and so this may not be the horse for you. I don't think it necessarily means that the horse is lame but the owner is just being careful in what it's asked to do. I don't know which area you are in but I think you have to be prepared to pay a reasonable rate and/or do some work if you want to share a horse. I was once told that you have to pay for horses in varying combinations of time and money. If you're very lucky you might find a free share but they're a bit like unicorns.

 

[Goldenstar]

I can understand the owner wanting commitment however I think you should insist that if the horse became unable to be ridden the contract would be void .
Tbh I think it sounds a lot of money I would happily let anyone nice inexperienced and keen to come and ride Fatty for nothing he can’t school much or jump but he’s experienced and bombproof .
However when you look at it another way you are going to gain a lot of experience and £37 a week if perhaps worth paying when you look at it like that .

 

[Otherwise]

It might also be worth considering that just to pass BHS Care 1 you need to learn to lunge, which wouldn’t be possible if he can’t do tight circles. Correct me if I wrong but I also think that Riding 2 requires jumping a 75cm course too? Not sure off the top of my head! Which it doesn’t sound like he can do either, unfortunately.

This was what I was thinking, stage 2 ride you still have to jump it's only from stage 3 onwards that you can choose not to leave the ground. I guess it depends on what you mean by taking your stage 1 and 2, whether you just want to do the grooms pathway so no riding but even then you need the stage 2 lunge. You don't have to lunge for stage 1 so he could be great for helping you practice towards that but then you'd want to move onto something that can do more.

 

[Leo Walker]

This might be an ok starter horse but its not even close to suitable to use for exam training. The price is also OTT. People charging sharers like that really annoys me. If I had to pay someone to look after and exercise my horse 4 times a week then it would be over £100 a week. I understand asking for a token amount but asking for someone to pay so much and do chores as well, all with a lame horse is utterly ridiculous

 

[Lois Lame]

Has there been any mention of a trial before signing a contract? I'd walk away if not.

 

[Gloi]

I'm going to stick up for the owner wanting a years contract, though a trial period first would be a good idea. My friend gets sharers for a pony she has no rider for and every time they come reliably in the summer then as soon as the weather turns they vanish. The share doesn't even have any payment or mucking out , just an occasional poo pick and it's a nice pony.