Loaning out you horse advice?

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Stormhillpilgrim

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Hi horsey peeps,

I am hoping for a bit of info and advice on the above issue. I don't have need as of yet to loan out my horse but, there is a possibilty that financially I may need some help in the not too distant future.

I was just wondering what your experiences with part loaning your horse are and also how you go about it?

Eg - what ground rules do you lay down and what sort of contributions do you expect from a sharer etc?

How do you get the right level of rider for your horse?

What sort of things would you need to put in an advert?

My boy is on full livery at the moment as I can not get there in the week to exercise him but, obviously if I had a sharer I could put him down to part livery as we would hopefully be able to give him enough exercise between us!
Many thanks in advance. :-)
 
First of all I would advertise the horse for 'share', not loan, to prevent any confusion.

I would then advertise through local RC's websites/tack shop's/local horsey mags, clearly stating that you are looking for a contribution to the horse's up-keep, and that it is to stay on the current yard. Be clear about what the horse is useful for ie is it a happy hacker or a competition horse? Also give an indication of the horse eg is it a novice ride or does it require an experienced person? Also would they be able to have lessons on it or compete it etc etc.

Then it would be a matter of who replies and if you think they may be suitable to both your horse and yourself. Also ask for references, proof of address etc.

Once you have found somone suitable then it is onto contracts. The BHS website have a useful one that can be adapted to your needs. The important points are to include what the 'sharer' can/can't do with your horse, and what each party is responsible for. I would also include a probationary period to give yourself a 'get out' clause if it doesn't work out, and maybe run the share contract on a 6mnth or yearly basis to allow for any changes.

I had a sharer in the past and it worked out really well. She paid for shoes, worming and vaccs, with myself covering feed and haylage costs. She had 4 designated days she would care for the horse and ride. It was also nice to know that if I went away, or was ill, I had somone else to help out and vice versa.

Good luck!
 
I absolutely would NOT loan a horse of mine out ever again.

People looking to loan are just after a free horse and will merely give it back to you when they've broken it in my experience leaving you with a load of crap to sort out and bills to match too.

You would be much better with a sharer. That way you can insist that the horse stays on the yard it's already on and you still have at least 50% input to what happens to it. You can keep a close eye on the sharer and make sure they are suitable.

If someone takes your horse on loan and moves it to a different yard, it's out of your sight and god knows what could happen to it.

Get a contract drawn up which states exactly what they can and cannot do, what's to be paid for, when and how.

There are some good templates for such agreements on the BHS website.

Good luck, but be very, very careful if you go down this route.

A.
 
autumnap said:
I absolutely would NOT loan a horse of mine out ever again.

People looking to loan are just after a free horse and will merely give it back to you when they've broken it in my experience leaving you with a load of crap to sort out and bills to match too.
Click to expand...

Sorry but that is absolute nonsense. I have sympathy for you having had problems with loaning in the past, but it's completely unfair to tar everyone with the same brush.

I've had two horses on loan in the past, both fairly short term, and both because I simply wanted to ride- I wasn't looking for anything particularly special, just a bit of fun. Both came with their various issues, and had basically been out in the field for months due to no rider. One went back to regular work, the other went on to a riding school.

If I had the time and means I would've bought one; I was at uni and actually doing the owners a favour. I paid for everything, had them insured up to their eyeballs, and was prepared to take full responsibility for them while in my care.

If anything in one case the owner was the negligent one. The horse was with me for 3 months before they bothered to come and see him- I'd met them twice (the day I went to view and the day I went to collect) and had stabled the horse 80 miles from where he was previously kept. They were lucky that he was being so well cared for IMHO.

Crucially: in both cases the duration was agreed upon before taking the horse on.

So in some ways yes I was looking for a free horse (ie, not to buy) but it is definitely fair to say that neither were 'free' once in my care. I took on all the costs of owning without the initial purchase, although in either case I would've been happy to purchase had the horse then been for sale.
 
I have to agree with sheep that it is unfair to say all loaners are bad. I know there are some horror stories out there, and I had an experience myself when I loaned my TB out as a companion. I was still paying for his upkeep on a monthly basis, but had to bring him back after a few months as he had lost so much weight and had terrible rain scald.

However, I have just returned a horse that I loaned from November last year to this August. I don't think he had ever seen a physio - he had 2 checks in the time he was with me. I don't think he had ever been wormed regularly by the worm count I had done on arrival. I got the saddle he came with checked and it was too small for him and too tight - luckily my mare is a similar shape and my saddler checked that it fitted him properly.

They said he needed double rugging during winter months or he lost weight. He lived out when he was with me, with the correct weight rug for the temperature, and I never double rugged him - ever! He had hay to supplement the grazing, and thrived even in the dreadful icy and snowy weather.

So in essence they got a horse back that was in much better condition than when he came to me - wormed regularly, physio checks, saddle check, etc, etc - and his feet were in much better condition too. They said to me how well he looked when he came off the lorry.

I always said they would be welcome to visit any time - whether I was there or not. I would have nothing to hide from them at any time.

So please give some loaners credit - I really do treat a loan horse exactly as I would my own. Probably slightly better in reality as they belong to someone else!
 
Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate it.

I am getting closer to maybe having to make the decision on whether to share him or not, don't really want to but may have no choice financially and I really, really don't want to sell him.

The trouble is he is not an easy horse to ride and I have had quite a few problems with him since I had him. We are getting there but, I do not canter him at all ridden at the mo as he is likely to buck me off (just so you know he has had every check under the sun and there is nothing wrong with him, he is just very opinionated and if you don't ride him correctly gets the major hump, literally). However, I am sure with an amazing rider (not me) he would be awesome!

So my question is after that: How on earth would I get a sharer for that? I can just see it now.....trotting round on the bit looking amazing but, sorry can't canter him I might die and so might you??? :-(
 
If you are doing it for financial reasons, be very aware that someone loaning or sharing can drop out at any time so you must not depend on any contribution they give you!
I twice had a horse out on loan who was returned to me at very short notice. In one case the person phoned me to ask if I could pick up the horse that day. This is not a criticism of either loaner. In both cases, their circumstances had changed so they were not able to care for the horse. The responsible thing was to return the horse to its owner, which they did.
 
i dont think all loaners are in it just for a free horse or to break it . i have my own horse but if im asked to look after or ride someone elses horse god im frightend to death nothing goes wrong because its not myn i watch the ground were im going to trott haha id be a terrible loaner im far to paranoid
 
Advertise for a sharer who rides at a certain level. Stipulate that part of the process is that they need to pay for a lesson on your horse with your trainer to ensure both parties are comfortable. I have a friend who shares her older horse. He is not a novice ride by any means and is still very up for all rounder/competition and this is what she does. She has found really cracking riders who wanted more than just happy hacking (nothing wrong with that btw - all my sharers wanted to do is that and that suits my mare).
 
If your loaning then I would put a contract together that you and the loanee agree on i.e what they pay for, how long the loan is for etc.

If your sharing then at least you still have your hand in with your horse and can keep an eye on him.

I shared a horse a few years ago and it worked well for me and the owner as she was pregnant at the time, she advertised on the local riding clubs message board and she was local to me. Also because I had worked at a local yard she could do a background check on me. I was able to treat him as my own, had regular lessons, compete and paid a contribution towards his keep (even though over time I gradually took over him as the owner no longer had the confidence to ride him after having her baby as he could be quite quirky - not nasty just his personality).

So if you advertise on local message boards in tack shops or other shops in your local area you may find someone. You can also assess them and have them on trial for a while to see if your horse and the possible loanee get on etc.
 
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Bangagin said:
I have to agree with sheep that it is unfair to say all loaners are bad. I know there are some horror stories out there, and I had an experience myself when I loaned my TB out as a companion. I was still paying for his upkeep on a monthly basis, but had to bring him back after a few months as he had lost so much weight and had terrible rain scald.

However, I have just returned a horse that I loaned from November last year to this August. I don't think he had ever seen a physio - he had 2 checks in the time he was with me. I don't think he had ever been wormed regularly by the worm count I had done on arrival. I got the saddle he came with checked and it was too small for him and too tight - luckily my mare is a similar shape and my saddler checked that it fitted him properly.

They said he needed double rugging during winter months or he lost weight. He lived out when he was with me, with the correct weight rug for the temperature, and I never double rugged him - ever! He had hay to supplement the grazing, and thrived even in the dreadful icy and snowy weather.

So in essence they got a horse back that was in much better condition than when he came to me - wormed regularly, physio checks, saddle check, etc, etc - and his feet were in much better condition too. They said to me how well he looked when he came off the lorry.

I always said they would be welcome to visit any time - whether I was there or not. I would have nothing to hide from them at any time.

So please give some loaners credit - I really do treat a loan horse exactly as I would my own. Probably slightly better in reality as they belong to someone else!
Click to expand...

^ This

Agree totally. I have had a couple of horses on loan to me and I have loaned out my horse (he was with a lovely lady fairly local to me for nearly 7 years when her home circumstances changed and she had to regretfully return him).

Reason for me wanting to loan is that simply put I can't afford the initial outlay of buying a horse. I have the funds to keep them and to pay for all upkeep costs associated etc but finding the money to purchase out right is just not an option for me.

I have a new loan horse coming to me this weekend. The owners are new to loaning and I bascially told them that I was expecting to pay for everything their horse needed (including insurance, vets fees etc etc). I don't see this as a 'free' horse and I am doing the owners a favour too as they need to find him a new home / rider. Win Win situation as far as I can see.

I am totally open to the owners, they can come and see their horse any time they want, regardless of whether I am on site or not. I have nothing to hide and welcome them to see their loved ones well cared for.

Just because there are horror stories out there about loanees abusing the agreement and not caring for the horse doesn't mean there aren't good ones there too.

Just make sure you put EVERYTHING you can possibly think of in your agreement. It might sound very regimental but at least then it's all in black / white and there is no room for misunderstandings (hopefully :rolleyes:). Even put things like type of bedding / feed (weights etc) / tack list.

In a rider agreement I used in the past I put down that the rider must always wear hi-viz regardless of how sunny it was (and to acknowledge other road users etc).
 
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