loaning to a college

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LadyRascasse

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i am seriously getting disheartened by people being interested in my mare and letting me down before viewing, so i was considering loaning to a college has anyone got any experience of this (i have seen the video earlier but i can't imagine this is a regular occurrence)

any opinions are gratefully received
 
I took my girl to college with me for a year, she was on working livery and for all purposes she was their responsibilty, only thing i didnt like was the lack of control i had over feeding and who could ride her. Basically they wouldnt feed her enough incase she got too fizzy, luckily she dumped people that couldnt ride her so soon only decent riders were allowed to! On the up side, the regular work that i wouldnt have been able to do with her so done for me and she learnt alot in that year.
 
i work at a college where most of the horses are loanded to us, they are all well looked after, they get half terms off and are turned out and they get the summer holidays off to unless the are fattys where they get lightly exercised to keep their weight down. they work relativley hard, the only thing i dont like is they never get to go on hacks, i think horses tend to go stale if they go in the school all the time.
 
I loaned my girl out to a University equine centre and she was in fantastic health and shape when I got her back.
Because of relocation she went straight to a riding school where, above all things they neglected her feet so badly, she looked like a rescue case, it was disgusting, she has a rotated pedal bone now because of this. It has taken 3-4 yrs to get her front hooves more stable and resembling a hoof.
Here is a pic of her feet when I got her back after a year at a BHS approved riding school

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So my point is, just vet the place very carefully. For the first two years, like I say she was beautifully looked after.
 
very little turnout if any at all, and varying standard of riders. maybe some great ones and maybe some real beginners. Beds tend to be pretty rank. but thats just what i found at my college anyway!!!
 
Having been a student at two different equine colleges I can say I would never loan my horse to them. I've seen so many horses ruined. In term times they get usually no turnout and its hardwork for them. They are handled by loads of people and lots of sweet horses turn nasty after lots of time in such a busy environment.

Have a good think about your horse's temperament and if you think she could really cope in a busy busy yard and being worked probably 3 times a day. Plus if she is a good jumper they may put her in jump lessons all the time so may get stale.
 
well you have successfully put me off!!!! thank you for all your honest opinions, i have spent alot of time and money sorting her out so defiantly don't want her ruined.

my gelding had rotated pedal bones, and i defiantly don't want to do that again. she is very sweet and a good jumper so probably not the best idea.

back to the drawing board then
 
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Bl**dy h*ll I would be sueing them or though I suppose it's too late now. They sign a contract why didn't you take them up on the lack of care??
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So many times since I have thought I should have done something, they did sign a contract as did I. They were jumping her round cross country courses like that would you beleive
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Sad fact is, no amount of money can repair the damage
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well you have successfully put me off!!!! thank you for all your honest opinions, i have spent alot of time and money sorting her out so defiantly don't want her ruined.

my gelding had rotated pedal bones, and i defiantly don't want to do that again. she is very sweet and a good jumper so probably not the best idea.

back to the drawing board then

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Don't be completely put off, like I say she was beautifully cared for by a university equine section. Just vet the place and visit every 6-8 weeks and inspect the feet above all, that would be my advice, as no foot no horse.
 
I wouldn't. Mine got RSI in hocks from too much schooling. You sign agreement with them but even though he was in their care I forked out vet bills and box rest for long time when he came home.
No turn out.
Don't do it if you love your horse.
 
depend on the college and the horse some love it other dont. wouldn't think of it as long term like several years but for a yera or two many horses love it. some colleges although have limited turnout will tryand get them out as much as poss but will also tryand get the horses home for the holidays were poss to enable them to go out and then the owner cn still do work with them. A sign of a good college would be one with lots of horses (if they are desperate that tells you something) come with good recomendations and they should not be afraid to tell you if things are not working and your horse is not suitable. Dont rule itout have a look at your local ones and make up your own mind
 
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I wouldn't. Mine got RSI in hocks from too much schooling. You sign agreement with them but even though he was in their care I forked out vet bills and box rest for long time when he came home.
No turn out.
Don't do it if you love your horse.

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I would not do it again, but my mare is not alot of good to any one, but she is mine and I love her dearly.
If I had a young horse and was strapped financially for a while I would consider a loan again. Ideally ofcourse I would want to have the horse the whole time so I knew what was going on.
It depends on your situation.
 
I go to an equine college and work at another.
The college i attend has a much bigger yard that is constantly busy, horses schooled multiple times daily etc.
The yard I work on is lovely, i would have no issues having a horse of mine there. Quiet yard, lovely deep clean beds and minimal exercise daily (ie less damage done by students), also turnout happens whenever physically possible.
 
depends on the horse and the college!

If the horse is the kind to not mind the occasional 'sock' in the mouth and jab in the belly and enjoys work as long as its work then at a good college it could thrive.

If your horse is a bit more 'special' ie comp horse capable of allowing a strange capable rider to take it round an intro (but with scope for more) then some of the bigger more specialised courses would take him on as a stage 3/4 horse whereby no beginners will ride him only the more experienced riders, but more is required in terms of ability than the standard horses.

Another user on here (who isn't posting anymore) sent her ex intermediate eventer to a college with great success as a stage 4 horse. He she he was treated like a king and he thrived in the environment coming back to her in the holidays.
 
I personally would never put a horse of mine in a working livery at a college. I went to a equine college and they dont get turned out only in the holiday and thats only if its dry, they get ridden upto 3 times a day and are fed very little so they dont get to lively. x
 
I took my mare to college with me. She only lasted one term. Had a terrible time. The care was poor, level of alot of the riders very poor, they she ended up very poorly, she was never turned out and ended up as a loss of use. I couldn't get her out of there fast enough. Only stayed there so long as it took 5 weeks to box her to the vet for x rays.

I just thank god I was there so knew exactly what was going on.
 
I loaned my horse to a college when I first went to University, in a bid to keep her - seemed like the perfect solution, her being looked after during term time and back with me for holidays. She was technically well looked after, if you know what I mean, but there was very little turnout and she used to get depressed being kept in all the time. Plus she was a typical arab and quite fun to ride, but being quite slight in build the number of people light enough to ride her was limited, and they didn't have enough who were light enough and competent enough riders to get enough work out of her to justify her keep. So they sent her back in the end, which although it meant I had to sell her, I think I'd have felt guilty leaving her there.
 
Never. Not even to one that people say is "good". You lose control, don't see what is being done with your horse or how it's being kept. If it goes wrong, and it does, the horse goes back to you to pick up the pieces.
 
Never, our little section B pony went to our neighbours riding school one summer (more to keep him exercised as he is prone to getting fat). As I say they are my parents neighbours, and lovely lovely people that look after the horses really well, BUT he hated it. He was so unhappy we brought him back early. I guess much depends on the individual horse/pony but he certainly was not suited to riding school life!
 
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