Loaning experiences - good + bad please

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FinkleyAlex

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Well I'm going to university in mid september in central london 30 mins from my house although I'll be living in halls. I originally planned to keep my pony of 8 years at his current livery yard and hopefully find sharers for the week and then go home and an additional 30 mins to the yard. However having received the news that my student loan is barely going to cover my living I know I'm going to have to work at least a few days a week, some more than likely being on a weekend. I have also totally outgrown him (a couple of years ago!) and I'm out of all my classes with him, I'd like him to go and do some PC or something as he's never had the opportunity with me and would love it, and it would give him something to do for potentially three years. If he was happy in his new home I would also be looking to get myself a horse as I should have moved onto them years ago.

For this reason I've started advertising my boy for loan, and have had lots of interest. I've said I prefer him to stay at his current yard but I know that's somewhat unrealistic. Have also mentioned I will be wanting references, will have a contract drawn up and will be wanting to visit fairly often (is once a month too clingy?)

However, amongst my phonecalls and emails with genuinely lovely sounding homes, I've had a fair few emails telling me their horror stories and advising me not to do it!

I am now very confused about whether I'm doing the right thing, or whether I should keep him where he is and try and find people to ride him and let dad keep paying £100 a week to livery him
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Could you try speaking to the DC of your local pony club.........there might just be someone looking for someone like your boy. Perhaps, in additin to following up references you could set a trial period with him staying at his current yard for that time?
 
Not all loans are bad, do you know anyone that would be willing to loan him? Maybe keep him at current yard where people can keep an eye on him and loan him on that basis?
i out grew my pony a few years ago - he is currently with a friends daughter who rides/looks after him. I pay everything towards him (they cannot afford another one) i would much rather pay and know hes in safe hands than have to worry about someone mistreating him. Some people may think im crazy but hes happy and im happy.
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I too have had to face the agony of loaning a horse when I went off to university. Here are my good and bad stories (enough to put most off for life, so read with caution).

Horse 1

Went on loan to fantastic PC family, who had him for a year, treated him as their own and did lots with him. Unfortunately loan ended after a year, as they wanted to buy him and I wouldn't sell, so they found another horse to buy.

Second home - after vetting lots of potential candidates, I decided on a lady who had come runner up in the 'Your Horse, Win a Horse' Competition. She had been throroughly vetted and examined on all things horse, and was deemed to be extremely capable, so I thought she would be ideal. However, after several weeks I got a phonecall to say my horse was going to be PTS. Luckily, we saved him, and after lots of investigation I found out what had gone on. The dopey cow had tied him up for the farrier, and he had pulled back breaking the string. It was a really windy day, and thundering and lost of stuff blowing around the yard. She then tied him up to the metal ring, saying "try it now you s**t". He pulled back again as he got hit on a side by an empty shavings bag, but the front of the stable came down on top of him! He then galloped off with several planks attached, slipped on the concrete and skewered his hock on an 8 inch nail. Getting up, with plank still attached to leg, he jumped a fence, catching his back leg in the electric wire that ran along the top rail, severing his fetlock down to the bone. He spent three months in the vet hospital, and as soon as I told the lady she couldn't have him back (she was surprised) she cancelled his insurance policy. Luckily they paid out most of it anyway, but I had to find the rest.

Horse 2
Put on loan to a lovely girl, who told me she was riding everyday, hunting and competing. Went to see horse regularly, and she was always in good condition (although never ridden while I was there). Then, nine months into loan, I asked to go and ride horse, only for horse to rear up and fall over backwards. When I quizzed girl, she admitted she had not ridden the horse for nine months, after she had scared herself by getting bit ring trapped on martingale, rearing and falling over. (horse shouldn't have been ridden in martingale as definately didn't need it). She said she hadn't told me because she loved the horse, even though she couldn't ride her, and didn't want me to take horse away. Horse was collected that afternoon!

Pony 1
Fantastic loan home, she has been with family for three years, and they love her as if she was their own pony. Cannot fault them at all, they do everything for her that she needs.

I have had other loan experiences, but I could go on for ages! If I was you, I would draw up a watertight contract, detailing exactly who pays for what (insurance, vets, vaccinations etc). I would try to see your horse as regularly as possible, and get references from the yard where it is going to be kept. Personally I would always go for people who have their own outgrown ponies or horses that they refuse to sell, hence not having money to buy 'the next step'. Going through the pony club is also a great way of placing a loan horse, as you can ask the PC instructors and DC for their opinions on the riders.
 
Should also have said have loaned a pony out in the past - loanees ended up buying the pony. Have had a horse on loan with a view to purchase - which we did for a nominal fee after a year. Have loaned out a mare to a stud - sadly she was returned due to a chance in their circumstances. Thats not much help really I guess!
 
I have always loaned horses from people i know locally and never had any issues. If you can ask around at your yard and local tack shops etc you may be able to find someone local who may want him. Horses to loan are usually in demand as many people cant afford to buy.

However my current loan horse has had a couple of bad loan homes before he came to me and is rather messed up because of it. I think loaning is a good idea as long as you vet the home their going to (if being moved) and keep in touch, most people have no problems with the owner keeping in touch and visiting.

Good luck with everything x
 
Go for it, but just be very careful about the loaners.

My boy is out on loan and I couldn't have asked for better people. His loaners are the nicest, most genuine family and I'm really lucky to have found them. I advertised him on horsemart and the NFED. Got loads of phone calls (I said I would let him move yards subject to yard vetting etc), spoke to everyone but only let people I really liked come and see him. You have to be patient and the right people will come along - if you have any doubts about someone, don't let them come and look. Be clear about what sort of home you want for him - I stated my pony wasn't a competition horse and that he needed a fun home. I had lots of peopole calling telling me their 12 yo daughter was going to be the next Pippa Funnel and they wanted a competition pony (he's 14.2hh), but I turned them down as that isn't the sort of home I wanted for him.

I had a few people come and look, they all adored him but I only considered the people I really liked. The first loan went disastrously wrong and he was returned within a few weeks (the loaners weren't what they said, had no where near as much experience) so I contacted a family who came to see him first time. They've now had him nearly a year and I'm hoping they will buy him. I took up references, have copies of things like passports, driving licences, been to their house, checked out their yard, spoke to their YO, everything. I have a contract, based on the BHS one, which was signed and witnessed. I don't check on him as often as I should, but I get regular emails and photos from them.

It can work, and it has for my boy. He is really happy there and doesn't even know who I am when I go to visit! I have a mare on loan and that's been great too.
 
You mention PC activities - does he have experience doing PC? If so then I would contact the local PC DC as they may know of someone looking for a loan pony. You are right it is unrealistic that he will be able to stay at your yard, but if you can find someone through a friend or in PC know to you that is better. I loaned out my old SJ when I went to Uni. He went to a friend of a friend and it was the perfect home. I then decided to sell him to her after a couple of years as he was so happy. It can work and it is good that you are starting to look now. Remember though if you find someone they may want to take him asap so that they can enjoy the summer with him.
 
I loaned a pony when I was 10 he was fab and we had him for many years until basically me and my sister had outgrown him and he was subsequently loaned to someone else.

I loaned a 14.1hh when i was about 15 as my 14.2hh had done spavin so couldn't compete to the level i wanted and we thought maybe a loan would be better at the time. The pony was aged 15, in poor condition when we got him, owner was too busy and basically he was on full livery and being used in a riding school type place i think. Anyway, we bulked him up on our nice green fields and he was a super jumper. Owner came to see and ride him but then was being relocated with her job down south and offered to sell him but, for what he was (we hadn't discovered his amazing jumping by then) she wanted far too much for him so we kept him til the end of the contract and agreed to send him back in the transport arranged by her. This pony travelling at the best of times but I sent him for the 5 hr trip booted up (owner had sent nothing)
and craied my eyes out cos he was so distressed at the yard we had to leave him at over night (still makes me cry now).

Owner rang up when he arrived at hers and accused us of starving him/mustreating him etc cos he looked like a hatrack (he dropped weight with stress from travelling, always did). It just proved she knew nothing about her own horse. It was very upsetting and UI wish to thsi day we'd bought him cos god knows what happened to him but i know he was at least happy with us for the time we had him.

I have since loaned another 14.2h of mine to 2 girls on separate occasions. He is what I would describe as a 'challenging' pony but both these girls loved him (i think young girls like something a bit flash and crazy sometimes!) and we visited on occasion.

I think you would be best maybe advertising on PC websites if that's the type of homes you want for him. I would hope most people are like the majority and are sensible and genuinley care for the horse. I would assume there are more happy loan stories than horror ones.
 
ooh Lady T I had a simialr experience with loaning a pony and I would never do it again.
We were accused of allsorts even though I had tried to get the owner of the pony to come and pick her up herself so that I could discuss what had happened after she had been unwell. I think that wanting to see the pony every month is a good idea as you can have a chance to discuss any issues with the loaner and make sure that all is well. I would also say that many horse owners have many different ways of doing things and it is easy to get hung up on people not doing things "your way". If you are easy going it is ok. I loaned my horse out for a short while because of financial reasons and I think I resented it, so I became a bit obsessed about how the loaner did things. I loaned a pony out and it didn't bother me so much....but that was a different circumstance. Ho hum. I try not to touch loaning either way with a bargepole - it can be fraught on either side, but lots of people do have wonderful arrangements, so I wouldn't advise not doing it if it is right for you and your horse. Just have a foolproof contract and always keep the lines of communication open and friendly.
 
I have had my mare on loan since I was 13 im now 31, Misfit is now 33, I still see her owner who, since then, has also bred me my younger horse, who is now 14! I can honestly say that Mist has a home with me for life, I just thank god that her owner has never asked for her back! it would have broken my heart. Although in recent years she has taken her stables down & has a swimming pool in its place, so not much chance of giving her back now even if I wanted to!!
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I have a pony on long term loan, and we had a contract, we have however become friends, and I can visit my pony whenever I want. She is in a particularly loving and wonderful home, and I couldn't wish for a better one, so loan homes can work. I agree wholeheartedly with getting in touch with your DC, their might be a great pony club family just right for your pony.
 
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You mention PC activities - does he have experience doing PC? If so then I would contact the local PC DC as they may know of someone looking for a loan pony. You are right it is unrealistic that he will be able to stay at your yard, but if you can find someone through a friend or in PC know to you that is better. I loaned out my old SJ when I went to Uni. He went to a friend of a friend and it was the perfect home. I then decided to sell him to her after a couple of years as he was so happy. It can work and it is good that you are starting to look now. Remember though if you find someone they may want to take him asap so that they can enjoy the summer with him.

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He doesn't have PC experience as I've never had transport to take myself there
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and I think I'm a bit old now! However he is a jack of all trades (dressage, showjumping, etc) and master of showing! I'm sure he'd have a go at XC and le trec and jumpcross etc, he's very sane and sensible and loves doing new things, especially loves hacking! I will try and get in touch with the DC of my local pony club, no idea where to start but I'm sure I'll get there in the end!
 
I have had both good and bad experiences, i have loaned ponies in the past - one of which the owner decided she wanted back after the year (was on perm loan) as she wasnt going to move to Oz afterall - which is fair enough and didnt hold that against her, was a bit annoyed when we found out she never had any intention of going and was just broke.

I also loaned a pony of my friend and that went really well, i loved her and i kept the owner informed of how we were going, then i decided to buy my own and i still see the pony every now and again when i go visit the family, she still has a special place in my heart bless her she was lovely and i learnt tonnes with her.

On a bad note i loaned out my mare, the loaners didnt keep in touch unless i contacted them, didnt really want me visiting, wasnt doing anything with her, wouldnt let me see them riding and didnt want to pay the insurance as agreed in the contract. She had lost a bit of condition when i last saw her and told the owners i had to pull out and was coming to collect her, 3 weeks after my last visit she was really thin and ribby and all the muscle had gone. wont do it again.

Have a fantastic sharer now though so its all worked out for the best.
 
i had a full loan and moved her - i was not a bad person, took A1 care of the mare so don't dispair but i would agree there are lots of horror stories so research well, visit often, get a contract etc and if you dont feel 100% happy dont do it.
 
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