melbiswas
Well-Known Member
I have in the past taken on a lovely retired eventer who was neglected in his previous loan home. His owners were visiting regularly but he declined rapidly over a winter period when they couldn't visit. The loaners were very convincing in their commitment to him and his condition was a huge shock when the owners saw him.
When I met the loaners the following Summer they were thinking of loaning again!
I have seen a family borrow one pony after another (not local owners), totally trash it and give them back broken or not wanting to jump again!
Again they come across as loving and caring.
In the latter case I was tempted to contact one of the owners as their young pony's ad was on the PC website just to say you might want to keep a close eye. However that one started rearing quite early into the loan and was sent back. Part of me wished I had been interfering.
I have felt it would be useful to have some sort of register for new homes where owners could feedback, both positive and negative.
I understand this could be open to major abuse and I don't know how you could bring confidentiality into it.
I think it would be essential that the owners had copies of contracts to prove the loan had been in place and photos of before / after if applicable.
Nosey bystanders like me could contact the register if they saw awful practises / condition on a horse but didn't know how to warn the owners.
It wouldn't need to be all negative; good loan / new home experiences could be registered too!
My IT skills would be seriously challenged; have yet to work out how to do those smiley faces even tho they are on the screen in front of me!
I suppose this would be an awful lot of work potentially.
When I met the loaners the following Summer they were thinking of loaning again!
I have seen a family borrow one pony after another (not local owners), totally trash it and give them back broken or not wanting to jump again!
Again they come across as loving and caring.
In the latter case I was tempted to contact one of the owners as their young pony's ad was on the PC website just to say you might want to keep a close eye. However that one started rearing quite early into the loan and was sent back. Part of me wished I had been interfering.
I have felt it would be useful to have some sort of register for new homes where owners could feedback, both positive and negative.
I understand this could be open to major abuse and I don't know how you could bring confidentiality into it.
I think it would be essential that the owners had copies of contracts to prove the loan had been in place and photos of before / after if applicable.
Nosey bystanders like me could contact the register if they saw awful practises / condition on a horse but didn't know how to warn the owners.
It wouldn't need to be all negative; good loan / new home experiences could be registered too!
My IT skills would be seriously challenged; have yet to work out how to do those smiley faces even tho they are on the screen in front of me!
I suppose this would be an awful lot of work potentially.