Loaning to Hartpury

[ycbm]

He would be used for the level 4 riders with the option that the instructor that is assigned to him would also school.

Well if you can get a written contract that says that, with penalties to be paid if they ever use him any other way, then go for it because that could be a good deal.

But they will probably tell you whatever they think you need to hear to get a useful weight carrier in the school.

Honestly, I've heard the "he'll only be used for the experienced riders" so many, many times over the years.
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[Eleanor2003]

Well if you can get a written contract that says that, with penalties to be paid if they ever use him any other way, then go for it because that could be a good deal.

But they will probably tell you whatever they think you need to hear to get a useful weight carrier in the school.

Honestly, I've heard the "he'll only be used for the experienced riders" so many, many times over the years.
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Thats a good point to get it into the contract etc. To be fair to them, with my mums horse, who was of similar build and temperament, she didn't allow him to be used in the lessons on the weekend and they respected that so maybe it's about having it very much written in stone of what he will be able to be used for etc. But from the sounds of it, they may not be as loyal to that as they used to be!

 

[Snowfilly]

I used to live fairly local and the vets had horror stories of picking up the pieces from ulcer ridden, crooked, newly lame horses who had gone badly wrong there.

I’m all for riding schools and horses working hard but that place has a terrible reputation and works horses into the ground without access to turnout, appropriate care or a decent level of oversight from the instructors.

There’s been some hassle with the current crop of students making Tiktok videos showing them drinking while out on hacks, not all on horses they own.

Avoid!

 

[humblepie]

I can't help you about Hartpury but many years back my then horse went to an agricultural equine college as a school horse due to family circumstances at the time. He got on fine. He was not the easiest horse - well schooled and out competing but not straightforward. He got turn out (which seems like they don't at Hartpury) and came back looking super.

 

[Eleanor2003]

I’m near Cheltenham and grew up in this area so know it well.
Would you like to pm and let me know whereabouts you’ll be so I can recommend something close to you?

Have messaged you- whether it's correctly done is another thing ?

 

[Shilasdair]

a friends daughter took her pony (fell) to hartpury and only lasted 3 weeks. There were various reasons but mainly the management of the yard. He was 'different' to the others and they weren't set up to manage him. He also had mild sweetitch (which they said wasn't a problem) but their management of this was to keep him in 24/7 and the poor lad couldn't even see over the door. The yard staff have probably changed now but they just weren't accommodating and the poor girl was picked on by staff and students for not having a 'proper' horse even though he was school to a far higher level than the 'proper' horses stabled there.

I'd recommend you find a livery yard close by and get a sharer if you need too.

Was he a Shetland? How little was he that he couldn't see over a standard stable door?

And all horses are kept in during the winter (hence the horse walker) - it's not a sweet itch management regime.

 

[dorsetladette]

Was he a Shetland? How little was he that he couldn't see over a standard stable door?

And all horses are kept in during the winter (hence the horse walker) - it's not a sweet itch management regime.

he was 13hh.

I don't consider September 'winter' but that could be a difference in opinion I suppose.

 

[Shilasdair]

he was 13hh.

I don't consider September 'winter' but that could be a difference in opinion I suppose.

The trouble with a 13hh pony is that very few of the students will be small enough to ride him, even if he is well schooled, which is probably why they sent him home. A 16hh horse, or a 15.2hh more middleweight horse can be ridden by tall and small riders, so much more useful.

 

[ester]

I read it that the owners terminated the 13hh pony not hartpury because he was too small

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I wouldnt want to be keeping a Fell pony without turnout-or any horse for that matter-but the smaller natives tend to come out of the box breathing fire lol.

 

[SOS]

I have no experience of Hartpury, bar some friends going there and all of them kept their horses on DIYs down the road (don’t ask me where I have no idea). They would help each other and on the odd Sunday that everyone was going to be hungover they would have arranged someone non-uni at the yard to feed/Chuck hay/turnout until they got there later in the morning.

A few of the people I knew though had major issues with holiday cover for their horses, unsure what Hartpurys policy is, but some colleges ask for horses to go home during the holidays or if you’re on DIY my friends found finding cover esp. for Christmas and Easter, really difficult. One of them ended up getting their towing license and bringing the horse 3 and a half hours home every holiday. They had space at home but finding a livery to have them just during the holidays at home is again hard. That said so many yards around there have uni students, some must offer part livery and then full livery during the holidays.

However all of the above either competed with their horses or rode most days. I personally feel that if I only wanted to ride once or twice a week perhaps I would begin to resent a horse if it was using up all my spare time/spare money/a big inconvenience. I know you don’t want too but selling or loaning out back home might be a better option. Think about after uni too… a 9-5 uni course is pretty untaxing. After uni that could be you working much harder, would you even have a time for a horse then?

I went uni in London where livery yards were hideously expensive, however not many uni students went out at the weekend as it was so expensive. We tended to go out during the week… so I spent Friday/Saturday/Sunday back home, working at local yards in exchange for a horse on full livery whilst I was away during the week. It worked well for me but it was stressful and I didn’t make friends for life at uni as I was only there 50% of the time.

 

[dorsetladette]

The trouble with a 13hh pony is that very few of the students will be small enough to ride him, even if he is well schooled, which is probably why they sent him home. A 16hh horse, or a 15.2hh more middleweight horse can be ridden by tall and small riders, so much more useful.

The owners terminated it. Daughter was picked on by staff and students for not having a 'proper' horses.

I read it that the owners terminated the 13hh pony not hartpury because he was too small

Hartpury couldn't see they had done anything wrong

I wouldnt want to be keeping a Fell pony without turnout-or any horse for that matter-but the smaller natives tend to come out of the box breathing fire lol.

He came back fire breathing.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

No way would I be sending him to be used in lessons. I have no experience of Hartpury but it effectively sounds like working livery which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. You have no control over who will be riding him, what they will be doing, and how. What if you wanted to ride at the weekend and they "needed him for a lesson as another horse was lame". What if he hadn't had a day off all week, and the only way for him to have one was when you were due to ride?

Could you put him out on full loan, to stay at current yard for the duration of your degree, with a clause that you would like to ride when you're back home on holidays. Or find a livery near the college and get a sharer/ share shifts with someone at a local livery especially if another student.

 

[honetpot]

I can not understand why you want to do this. A good young horse is expensive, and very difficult to replace, there are enough experiences on here of the costs of vets investigations, and the trauma of their horse being wonky, when they have done everything they could to prevent injury. You will not be in control of who rides it, or know how it will be ridden on a daily basis. I have had horses backed and ridden by professionals, I had seen them ride, visited the yard, and the bigger the yard the one size fits all approach is used because there are so many. One was only there a week, and they managed to make him head shy. You just need one person giving them a slap or a thump and you have a problem which weeks to sort, if you are lucky.
My daughter was going to take her horse to uni, we looked at yards, and in the end I decided it was safer to, 'pay myself' to look after him, I bought in extra help, even if she only rode in the holidays or had a long weekend. Yes you could say he didn't do a lot, but she could pick up where she left off, but we both knew that his daily care would be suitable for him, not what fitted in with the yard routine.
It is cheaper because they are going to work the horse, they are doing it because they get something out of it, and for any RS there are only so many competent riders.

 

[stangs]

The poor management practices and unreliability of working livery aside, is he used to being ridden by lots of different riders? If not, you really have no way of knowing if he'd be settled there or not.

I certainly wouldn't keep a horse there.

 

[Umbongo]

Didn't realise you wouldn't be studying at Hartpury and would not be on-site to over-see his care. I would not be sending a horse there if you are in need of training livery and furthering its education. I personally would not believe any riding school that says the horse would only be used by x level of rider. I think your options would be to pay for training livery, loan or maybe get an experienced sharer? Or sell, focus on your studies and buy a horse in the future when it suits your lifestyle again? Or send to Hartpury but to have a back up plan incase it goes wrong? Good luck in making the decision!

 

[ycbm]

Is very significant, isn't it, that not one person has anything good to say about a working livery at an equine college?

I think the colleges need to be asking themselves why that is.
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[Shilasdair]

Is very significant, isn't it, that not one person has anything good to say about a working livery at an equine college?

I think the colleges need to be asking themselves why that is.
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I did.

 

[olop]

Not hartpury but I sent my boy on loan to writtle a few years ago when I got in to financial problems and didn’t want to part with him.
He is a dope on a rope and could literally be ridden by anyone but he hated college life, he lasted 6 months there bless him but I wouldn’t recommend if you want the same horse returned to you.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It was Writtle that my mare was at before I got her.

I believe that the college no longer have their own horses or working liveries, thank goodness.

 

[laura_nash]

Is very significant, isn't it, that not one person has anything good to say about a working livery at an equine college?

I think the colleges need to be asking themselves why that is.
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I would have been very happy to have mine on working livery at the college I went to. Sadly they wouldn't take her, they had very high standards and mostly took older successful competition horses looking for a quieter life. That wasn't Hartpury though, and was some time ago.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I was at Writtle for a course more than 10 years ago, I was shocked that every horse I saw had bull nosed hinds. Once I noticed it in a couple, I looked at every horse I could-all of them. I think some were working liveries and others school horses.

 

[teapot]

What about Talland if you’re Gloucs based?

If you have to loan to a college there’s BCA? I know horses that have gone there from Wellington and they wouldn’t do that lightly imho… Wellington would be another option in itself, they look after the horses well.

 

[Upthecreek]

Regardless of how often the horse would be ridden and by what standard of rider, the lack of turnout would be the deciding factor against Hartpury for me.

 

[YorkshireLady]

Would you not consider perhaps a sharer while you study? would seem to be a better solution?

 

[HashRouge]

Was he a Shetland? How little was he that he couldn't see over a standard stable door?

And all horses are kept in during the winter (hence the horse walker) - it's not a sweet itch management regime.

I worked as an SJ groom for a bit and the stables on the main yard were set down from the yard (so the horses stepped down into them). The SJ horses could all see over no problem, but my little Arab had to go on the main yard for a few weeks and she couldn't see out of the door, so I can imagine it happening, especially for a 13hh. My mare is 14.2hh and you could only see her ears over the door (I should add, she moved out of the main yard as soon as possible, but was just a temporary arrangement).