Loan horses: do people expect too much?

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MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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I'm just exploring the possibility of loaning my boy out, and like you do, have been trawling on-line to see basically if anyone is looking for anything that closely resembles my boy!

But I've seen a lot of "adverts" where people are basically expecting a huge amount - for nothing basically!!!

OK so with a loan horse the loanee has to take a big chance on a horse which has probably been offered for loan because there's the likelihood of a myriad of "issues" and there's always the fear the owner will turn up and get precious over the horse and just when the loanee has got it going nicely, will demand it back!! And I appreciate this, but I've been amazed at the amount of people who want an all-singing, all-dancing horse, i.e with so many dressage points and/or affiliated & qualified etc etc, and they're basically expecting something for nothing IMO!!

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but a loan horse is just that, its on loan, and its FREE FFS, so I think some people are being unreasonable in their demands. Or perhaps I'm just a grumpy old thing (probably so!).

Also ..... having now offered mine for loan - I'm discovering the "timewasters" brigade are still active, up and running! I've re-arranged my schedule for today on the basis that someone was coming to see my boy; she sounded ideal for him when we spoke on the phone, now she's rung to say "something's cropped up" and "she'll let me know", and that yesterday she "went to see something else".

Another one rang; yes wanted to come over almost immediately to see him, then I got a phone call to say she couldn't make it till next weekend - and they still expect you to "keep" the horse on a first refusal till then!

Grrggggghhhhhh!!! Am ranting ....!!
 
I would happily join in your rant!!

I have a 19 year old ID X TB who after competing up to PSG dressage with me wil he was 15 i decided to put out on loan. This horse is so specil and does 2 time changes for fun. He is safe as houses and has done paradressage. However i still got really annoying questions like "How much do you want for him?" My answer - he's NOT for sale. Also questions like "Does he jump?" No he's a dressage horse.

People planned to come and let me down on numerous occasions and you eventully realised it's their loss not urs.

Also i feel whe loaning a horse out i have to get on with the people that have him, so some people have then got arsy with me when i have decided their home is not right for him. Hang on whose horse is this???

Anyway i have now found the perfect home, oddly only 15 mins away from me.

Word of warning, make sure yo do have a contract and it is fool proof!!

Sorry you have come across these problems but it happens to us all!!!
 
Thanks poster above!! Glad its not just me! I've had another trawl on various web-sites, and you keep seeing stuff like "Bombproof", and "must hack alone", and "suitable for a novice", "perfect schoolmaster" etc and you just think FFS!!

One thing I'm saying to people is to not expect to be given first refusal; my boy is a quirky chap and its no good letting him go to anyone who can't deal with him.

Also, I want to keep him in the local area; heard a story recently of someone from Devon who let their horse go up to Yorkshire on loan, and thought everything was OK, then they got this call from a yard to say can you please come and pick up your horse coz we don't want it anymore!!! It turned out that the loanee had taken the horse to a show, met a friend (who had a spare place in their lorry), and basically asked the friend to take on the horse from the show coz they couldn't cope/didn't want it anymore!!!

So the "friend" at the new yard couldn't cope with it either, and so the YO rang the original owner to say your horse is here please come and collect it! Owner had no idea the horse had been moved and as they didn't have their own transport had to pay up and look sweet to get their horse back again!
 
But the loaner is doing YOU a favour don't you know! :rolleyes:

Just wait till you hear how unfair it is and how much hard work they've put in (on an already beautifully schooled horse) only for you to want YOUR horse back that they only borrowed in the first place. Priceless ;)

I know some loans do work out - but be very careful.
 
When I was looking for a horse on loan I went about it as though I was buying. At the end of the day you want to take on something you can cope with and not send it back to the poor owner who then has to start the whole emotional experience over again.

A few years ago I had to loan out my horse and the first question I asked was "What exactly do you want from a horse?", before they start listing their requirements. You can tell almost immediately from their reply whether they are suitable. "I'm sorry, I don't think he will be right for what you want" is usually a good get-out!

However, a loan horse is not a "free" horse - it costs plenty to keep and if someone wants their horse re-schooling etc whilst on loan they should pay for this service.
 
I think it depends really on the situation! Some people will loan a horse because no one in their right mind would buy it!!! Others because it’s a long loved family friend and the owners circumstances have changed / children have grown up etc or even if like in my case you have ended up with two horses out of the blue and you don’t have enough time to commit to a youngster and keep another going.

My solution was to offered a "share loan” setup which in the way i arranged it was that i allowed the loaner to move my horse to another yard of their choice (with in 30/40mins drive of me) but I kept passport and continued to paid insurance, vaccinations, teeth and physio etc so i knew these things were being done and I had an excuse to keep checking on the horse about once every 3 months for one reason or another plus loaner had monetary benefits! But also the loaner felt like the horse was "theirs" as we all tend to "spy" on what other people are doing at the yard! Sadly did not work out for long with the first loaner as she was made redundant but next loan home were great and decided to buy her off me after a while so was win win really. Not how everyone would do it but I think it gives you plenty of security, just an idea.

P.S - If you horse is quirky (but safe) try advertising via pony club you can find some great confident young riders that are often looking for a horse whilst they come off ponies and we all know how positive a confident rider can be for a horse that is not straight forward. Again just an idea.

Sorry for the long post :rolleyes:
 
sellers/advertisers can also be timewasters as well - regularly spouting lots of flowered up rubbish for you to turn up to see a horse which has clearly seen better days!

remember - timewasters are on both sides!
 
As well as having a loan agreement take up references and check driving licence/passport. Its your horse and you owe him that.

If someone doesn't think thats fair, then they are not the sort of person you want to have any dealings with, let along give one of your precious friends to!!

I think it is easier also to start with 'musts' you can always drop these if you come to trust the loanee, but they are more difficult to add in later(!). To counterbalance this, I take the horse to shows and carry on paying some bills - like insurance, teeth and back, etc. I also like my farrier to be used and will pay the call out charge (he would always warn me if things weren't right.) None of these are not things i want skimped on and it also means that I keep in contact.

As it happens, the girl who has loaned me horse has become a really great friend - so it can work well!!!
 
Sometimes yes. I came across an ad the other day - teenage girl wanting a showjumper schoolmaster that would jump at least 1m15 courses for her to progress on. Mustn't stop/run out, must be good at shows, not strong or silly etc etc. That sort of horse would be worth an awful lot of money. So that girl is expecting someone to LEND her an asset of that worth, and she's about 14yo judging by the photo, still at school, to move to her yard etc. Would you lend out a car worth that much, to be kept at someone else's home?
 
Dancing Queen said:
sellers/advertisers can also be timewasters as well - regularly spouting lots of flowered up rubbish for you to turn up to see a horse which has clearly seen better days!

remember - timewasters are on both sides!
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^^^^^^ this.

My horse is on loan to me and I had loaners offer me all sorts of unsuitable horses like 13hh ponies when my ad stated my height (5'9") and my weight (at the time, 12 stone).

My RI said to look for a loan horse as if I was buying it. Yes, I didn't expect to get a free horse that could do PSG dressage and that was on the British show jumping team but again, didn't want something dangerous as being an arthritic middle aged woman, my days of hitting the ground lightly are gone.

My ad was very specific (wanted to do local dressage/RC shows, and something to bring on side saddle), nothing too hot or green, along, age range (10+), height range (a must since I'm tall), with my own experience and age.

Maybe it put some people off (well clearly not some people since I still got offered ponies and unbroke 4 year olds) but in the end, I found my dream horse, who although did need work (which I didn't mind since it was within my riding experience to handle it), is the best horse I've ever ridden. I've had her 3 years and my loaner is happy too.

So to the OP, please do not be too hard on very specific ads as they are invaluable with telling you who may be good for your horse and who not to touch with a barge pole! :D
 
I'm having a nightmare trying to loan out my horse at the moment. She's been advertised for months due to me leaving for university, I now have less than 3 weeks before I go and I've still not found anyone.
In the advert I have stated that she needs a lightweight rider, and yet I've had people who are 14.5stone calling me expecting to come out and ride my horse. She's a fine 15hh little thing, who in reality is probably not much more than 14.2hh. In the end I had to resort to asking people their weight before they came out and telling them they couldn't come if I thought they were to big.
I've also had people come out, pat the horse and then tell em they want it for their novice daughter to learn to ride on. This is without having seen it being ridden, they've then expected me to give them the horse without even seeing the daughter to prove that she even exists let alone actually rides.
I've also had a fair few who have come out and watched me ride and seen her be a saint, then get on walk one lap of the school and then get off crying and shaking! :rolleyes:
So be very prepared to not have any normal people come out. Also noone wants to pay a penny for the privilege of having your horse. Instead they believe I should pay for everything and they just get all the riding and fun.
Don't get me started on the ones you waste an hour on the phone too who don't even bother to show up to view the horse, with no contact to let you know they're not coming. Or the ones who agree a date to have the horse and then text 2 days later after you've turned people away and tell you they've changed their minds.

Rant over :o
 
I think OP was referring more to people who expect a pretty high class type of horse for nothing.

I loaned out my event mare when she could no longer jump. First loan she went off as a broodmare (proven, graden and already been a mum). Did not work with bells on and mare came home pronto. 2nd home she stayed for 4 years but has now come back and is enjoying life as the laziest hacking horse ever. I have to keep my wits about me on my youngster and with my mare - if she could tack herself up she would. Hardly needs a rider! just likes to remind me every now and then she is a TB x and did event!

Still, all these talk on the board about a loan has made me think it might me a good idea to see if I can find an older horse I can go out and about on while getting my youngster up and running..so watch out for the greedy ads!!
 
I advertised my mare on two sites only. got a huge response. as i never had loaned my horse before. this is all new to me... i wanted a particular person do therefore i cut the number of viewing that way. i also had people say they will turn up...never did or call to postpone...the one or two that said they call to rearrange i would not call back...if they are really interested they would come.

I have had my mare for 14 years and she deserves the right home and the right person.
By chance i think i have found the right person. she goes on Saturday its going to an emotional day but while i have two foals to bring on, my mare will enjoy getting attention and work.

Not all horses offered for loan are bad (well mine isn't) if i could afford 3 on livery i wound not be going thus route.
 
PiebaldPeril said:
Thanks poster above!! Glad its not just me! I've had another trawl on various web-sites, and you keep seeing stuff like "Bombproof", and "must hack alone", and "suitable for a novice", "perfect schoolmaster" etc and you just think FFS!!
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Its not terribly unreasonable for someone to want a horse that hacks alone, or indeed is suitable for a novice - IF they happen to be a novice or nervous rider!

Some people will always be chancers - at the same time, they aren't getting something for free - they are taking on the full time costs and care of a horse - why would you want those expenses for a horse that doesn't answer your purposes?
 
I can see it from both sides as we have two ponies out on loan and one horse on loan to us.
When we were looking for a horse i drove for over an hour, the horse was lame and the owner as a vet student SHOULD have noticed, and didnt!
The horse we have, came with a badly fitting saddle (shes wearing one of ours) and although only a five year old seems to get quite stiff sometimes, she also spends most of her time going backwards.
Im not sure if people expect too much, but a lame horse costs the same to keep as a sound one more if you add vet bills, so why saddle youself with someone elses cast offs?
 
rascal said:
Im not sure if people expect too much, but a lame horse costs the same to keep as a sound one more if you add vet bills, so why saddle youself with someone elses cast offs?
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Indeed - why not save up and buy your own? Loaning is a wonderful thing for older horses/ponies, or ones where there's a physical issue and the equine wouldn't sell but could still be a lot of fun for someone, with the proviso that should things get worse, they can go home. Mostly, anything seriously saleable will be sold, so if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is!
 
Hang on , sounds like you're maybe trying to offload a horse who has issues and are surprised when people don't want to take this on?
Many loans work because an owner has no time, no money, limits in space etc, older horse (quite often schoolmasters) that isn't up to doing high level competing. It is useful for them to have someone else working the horse, taking on the resopnsibility. So it works both ways.
Expecting a loaner to take on a horse with issues as you don't want to deal with it anymore is not generally how it works.
 
SusieT said:
Hang on , sounds like you're maybe trying to offload a horse who has issues and are surprised when people don't want to take this on?
Many loans work because an owner has no time, no money, limits in space etc, older horse (quite often schoolmasters) that isn't up to doing high level competing. It is useful for them to have someone else working the horse, taking on the resopnsibility. So it works both ways.
Expecting a loaner to take on a horse with issues as you don't want to deal with it anymore is not generally how it works.
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Any horse can have issues in the wrong hands. In fact many horses have issues when changing homes and faced with a new owner, that take time to iron out as each get used to each other. But since the loanee is avoiding paying the purchase price in the first place, its not exactly costing them any more to keep than any horse would.

When I advertised my mare (16.1, 10 yo, £600 BS winnings, bombproof, excellent cross country, hunting, etc) for a decent price, the first TWO calls I got were from people wanting a loan horse. What annoyed me is that both of them was a mature woman who wanted a pretty near perfect horse for their daughter and saw nothing wrong in asking me loads of questions and then at the end saying "Would you mind, if she was suitable, if we took her on loan with a view to buy for (six months/indefinately/whatever?). And when I said no, definately not, horse is for sale, not loan, tried to play on my heartstrings by saying they could provide a lovely farm home with their own horses. If you're lucky enough not to have to pay livery bills, buy your own horse, instead of asking someone else for a free one!
 
I have 3 horses out on loan at the mo with another 3 prob going out on loan soon, And my god i think i have met every type of potential loanee in my time.
1) talks the talk, dont turn up
2) talks the talk turns up and is terrified of the horse as its is soooo big (yep its is the size it said in the ad)
3) The want to have a day trip out look at horses with no intention of taking the horse.
4) comes to see a advertised green horse, expecting it to be working perfectly in the school.
5) The i would love to loan you horse as she is pretty without getting on or even touching the horse.
6) And the best one to date the nutter who did not ride the horse and decided horse was perfect, and wanted to buy, i said no so they reported me to the rspca because one of the horses had a touch of mud fever lol
Crumbs i could go on forever, but its the ones that dont turn up frustrate me more than anything as with a yard of horses i dont have time to hang around waiting for people to turn up.
At the end of the day everyone would like the perfect horse on loan and why not advertise for just that you never know you may just get lucky.
Hasten to add all the people who do have my horses on loan are just brilliant, so hang in there there are some completely wonderful loanees, but you have to meet a few oddballs first lol
 
i am currently looking for a loan horse [ have my own older mare - hence loan rather than buy another] & have been reaasonably specific simply to ensure that i dont waste my or an owners time or take on a horse that will be too much for me & risk having to return
sometimes very specific needs are for very good reasons - my yards' exit is onto a busy [& fast] A road - so any horse i loan [ or indeed buy] needs to be safe in traffic - for its sake & mine
i do a bit of low level dressage so am looking for a horse that enjoys schooling [ i am not expecting a finished product] as i feel it would be unfair to take on a horse for that job who would be deeply unhappy doing that
 
Blimey, it does sound like some of you have had a tough time with loaners! But yes, when I was looking for a loan horse, I wanted one that was sound, safe, hacked alone, etc etc, why wouldnt I? Why would I want to pay for something that had problems, i.e lameness, to me it seems sometimes the people loaning the horse out are just trying to palm a problem off onto someone else!
 
mystiandsunny said:
Indeed - why not save up and buy your own? Loaning is a wonderful thing for older horses/ponies, or ones where there's a physical issue and the equine wouldn't sell but could still be a lot of fun for someone, with the proviso that should things get worse, they can go home. Mostly, anything seriously saleable will be sold, so if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is!
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The horse we have at the moment is here because the owner has severe money problems, and has loaned her two horses out because she doesnt want to sell them and lose touch. Its not just for old horses. Our ponies were 9 and 5 when they went on loan but we dont want to lose touch so we didnt sell, both of them are nice sound ponies and their loan familys love them to bits. We wanted a sane sound loan horse for my youngest daughter as her own horse is now 28 and she wants something she can ride while my cob grows up. l
 
When I was looking for a loan horse, I simply said that whatever I got had to be sound and sane, but I wasn't concerned about them being a bit green or difficult, as long as they weren't dangerous. I just wanted to have a bit of fun.

I ended up with a 12yo ex p2p, he didn't get as much work as his owner would like so she was happy to send him my way. I had a lot of fun with him and he went back to her happy- I only had him for the summer. The arrangement worked well for both of us. The only thing that worried me was that she didn't actually come and see him for 3 months- I had only met her once before I took him (and didn't ride him before I did!)- I could've been anyone.

I don't think people expect too much. There are various reasons why someone might choose to loan a horse out. I don't think a horse being loaned necessarily means there is something wrong with it.
 
QR

Ooooh I had the best (maddest) response to my loan ad. Stated in ad needed to loan out my boy as I was pregnant, and couldn't afford to keep him anymore. That he was a very good doer, and was not suitable for 24/7 grass turnout. At the time he was fit and sound, a very handsome 6yo TB x who was competing in RC hunter trials and had started sj. - a really good offer for someone.

Woman emailed me, with quite a snotty 'demanding' email. Wanted him for her 15 year old daughter who had "won lots of rosettes this week at pony club camp". He was to be kept in their field (so no stabling), for which I was "expected" to pay £90 per week, which wouldn't cover farrier, feed, hay, dentist or insurance. If I wanted him to be in a stable then that would be extra, plus extra for bedding! I was informed my money would be going towards her daughter having lessons "on her own horse, and occasionally [mine]". - So my horse wouldn't even be getting schooled!!

I replied that I was currently paying £65per week for full livery which included schooling etc, and her 'offer' was madness. And that if I was wanting to spend that much per week on my horse, I would send him to a professional schooling yard for the same price, rather than a 15 year old childs field. Her response? "whatever, its you that needs the loan, not us!" - I'd had about 50 replies to my ad, I was hardly desperate!

I also informed her that my advert was clearly for a loan home, and if her daughter wanted to set up a professional livery yard/schooling business then they would need to check their insurance etc.
 
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Dancing Queen said:
sellers/advertisers can also be timewasters as well - regularly spouting lots of flowered up rubbish for you to turn up to see a horse which has clearly seen better days!

remember - timewasters are on both sides!
Click to expand...

this went to see several that really what they wanted was for us to take their sad old lame horse and they would gift it to us after a few weeks :eek:

Also why not be picky, it is owners choice to loan! if the horse doesn't do what loaner needs then why would they pay bills each month for it??

'If you don't ask you don't get' so if someone does want a horse that does all the BSJA stuff you wouldn't want them to take on your happy hacker and thrash it. At least they are saying what they need, if your horse isn't that don't ring them simple
 
i had a sharer for weekdays but within a week she was turning up at weekends and taking over my horse, she was sharing my step daughters horse and step daughter only stayed with us at weekends. the sharer wouldn't listen and even when the horse was returned to the owners (to be bred from), my horse was sent to another field for rest she still insisted on coming to the yard to help me out with the one pony i had left there, in the end we loaded all her things up in the truck and took them to her house.

i've also had someone come to meet my horse on a share basis, i explained that he was 17.3hh lots of times yet when she turned up she said oh he's a bit big and i don't think i can manage a horse that size!
another one is that i advertised my 5yr old for loan and had a couple of people turn up, they said he was too green for them........advert clearly stated he had been recently backed and needed more school work. the one person felt he would be too unsafe to hack out. a couple of weeks after that he was taken to a fun ride for the first time and behaved impeccably and then he was taken to 2 shows and again was well behaved. alot of people thought he had done it since a foal as he was so good.

i now think it's their loss as he's a cracking pony and if need be i'll keep him for myself to continue doing in hand showing.
 
EEEkkkkkkk ......................I have just had the most awful experience loaning out my horse!!
I have a beautiful welsh x TB 4yr old that I bred. He's broken and super quiet, pretty much bombproof and very talented. He obviously still needed work schooling etc but was perfect to hack alone and in company and was jumping happily. I was even teaching a total novice to ride on him as he is (was) such a lamb.
Unfortunately he isn't really big enough for me and I didn't want to sell him as being home-bred he's very special. So I decide to loan him out. I had an ENORMOUS response.
Someone came to see him the very same night. She seemed nice - wasn't going to push him as she didn't seem overly competitive so I thought it would be a nice home. She rode him ok and was a vet nurse so all seemed good.
She had my boy and every other day would text or phone gushing how amazing he was. 3 weeks later she phoned crying saying he was too much for her and he was too strong and bucked (this horse could be ridden with a piece of thread in it's mouth and never did anything wrong). Obviously I was a bit shocked/confused and suggested the bucking could be excitement (he is only 4!) Anyway I thought it was strange so I told her to bring him straight back.
When he returned he was a total dog. She has completely ruined him in just 3 weeks. He had no mouth, would take all 4 feet off the floor and somehow invert his body while leaping/bucking..................I was gutted.
I've had him back for a month now and think I have sorted the problems out and he seems to being going quietly and kindly again.

BUT please be careful who you loan horses to - people talk the talk...........

:(
 
I've loaned out one of my section a's she really is phenomenal with no issues, she was on loan because I have no use for her but won't sell her. So not all loans have issues!
 
It works both ways.

There is the odd person out there who expects a perfect comp horse for free, and I agree, very cheeky.

But there are plenty more who loan out horses they can't cope with, that need schooling, bringing on or those who loan out 'cause they simply cannot afford to keep their horse. In these cases, it's the loanee doing the favour and the loaner should be grateful to find a good one.
 
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