Loans and sharing - give your views

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nikkiportia

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After reading so many posts about loaning and sharing I thought I'd start a discussion, because so many people seem to have problems. From horses going missing, to people argueing about who is responsible for what, it seems to be a minefield.

I've only ever had good experiences, so either I am very lucky, or I've gone about things in the correct way.
As far as a loan goes, I have had a few, including the one I have now.
I have ALWAYS had a signed agreement stating who is responsible for what, and specifics on horses requirements, which I always stick to.
The owner knows the horse and is entitled to insist on particulars of care.
Personally I prefer to take on full responsibility of the horse, keeping it on my own yard. But I think owners should be regularly updated, and the relationship between loaner and owner should be friendly but professional. Telling the owners about all the little things, reassures them and keeps them in the know.
But as carer of the horse and being financially responsible for it to, I expect to be left to treat the horse as my own and make all general decisions for it's welfare.

I think both parties should be prepared for the contract to be terminated for ANY reason with a months notice. And accept it with no qualms at all! So if either party is unhappy they can stop the situation.

I also used to have a sharer for my youngster. She had responsibility of the horse 3 days a week, could ride those days, and even on some of my days if I didn't fancy it.
The horse used to cost me about £40 a week and she paid me £15.
I felt she got to have a bit of an ownership experience, as I trusted her to help with the horses training, see him any time she liked and even discuss with me what she thought he needed.
We were both willing to change days depending on the others plans and it worked out very well.
I didn't interfere with her, and left her to it on her days, not watching her or checking up on her. Basically TRUSTING her!

Now, as I said before, am I just lucky? Or is it because I choose the owners as much as the horse? Is it because I have always had things written down and signed?

What do you think?
What are your experiences good or bad?
 
I'm sorry to say all of mine have been bad. My sister had a 14.2hh on loan years ago. It hadn't done anything before she got it. She got it going really well aff jumping, won lots of money on it's card. Then about a year or 2 the people said we could buy her or they would have her back (fair enough) but they asked for a stupid amount of money, nothing we could aford, and my sister got her to that level anyway. So we had to give her back.
 
My loaning experiances are good and bad.

I once loaned out my old pony when he was rideable to a girl a few years older than me she was probably about 17 at the time. She kept him at the same yard and i told her what went on how we ordered hay and so on well she never ordered anything gave him a tiny thin woodchip bed were mine was massive maybe slighty over the top but at 15 i was very proud of my pony and he was kept the best. I soon told her after a week i wanted him back as if she couldn't order hay she could hardly manage the rest.

I've also shared many ponies before owning when i was young most were good experiances really having pony on said days and so on apart from one when the contract came up if the pony fell lame on my day i had her i had to pay £1500 to buy her!!!

I now full loan a lovely old pony her owner has bugger all to do with her there is no contract and as far as im aware she doesn't vist her at all since the day she dropped her off which suits me just fine as i dont particually like where she was from and hope to buy her if she doesn't rip me off but her owners are well known for being a bit "dodgy" so to speak in this area.

I also loaned another before mare and her owner was lovely checked up on her had a contract which was all fine and she left me to it even helped me out when i was having issues with her napping but she went back home because of this but her owner was extremely good and i still talk to her now.
 
OK, I'm going to get flamed but I do think that the way you handle these situations can have a bearing on whether they work or not! Obviously there are alot of nut nuts out there but I didn't have any major problems with sharers I've had and the one I have now is great and helps with both boys.

I put Ty out to loan over the winter and it worked well - he had a rest really and came back happy and content and enjoying work.

I would never loan without a contract so that everyone knows where they stand.

Just basics really!
 
I will also say, and I stand corrected if I'm wrong, but surely there is more to horses being sold while they're on loan? Or does this really happen where there are loan agreements and no misunderstandings?
 
I've got a sharer at the moment and i'm finding it is working out really well. I think it depends entirely on the the person you choose. I think with any kind of share agreement there has to be a trial period and a lot of honesty. After the trial period you can decide yes this is going really well or call it a day. I trust the girl who shares my horse completely. I don't interfer with anything she does because I know that she has his best interests at heart. If there is a problem she tells me straight away and visa versa. We have set days but we both understand that if for example one of us has the day off work or during the Christmas holidays we can swop these days around to suit us best. I do however think it is really hard to find someone like this - not everyone is like this.
 
I had a bad experience with one loan that didnt work out and ended up with me fetching the horse back but I have one out on full permanent loan and it works brilliantly.
She is my friend/instructor that has the horse and she schooled him here which is how we met. She got on so well with him she now has him. I don't interfere and she feels like she is his owner. It works well for me as she brings videos over of him, brings him over to use the school and I feel that I am still part of his life which is all I ever wanted really. I cannot understand why you would loan a horse out and not hear about or see them for months on end, what is the point? He isnt a suitable horse for me as he is a bit cheeky - in a nice way but is wonderful seeing him out competing and enjoying himself. The only expense I have is I pay half for his insurance.
I would say to anybody thinking of loaning out to make sure you have an agreement and that both parties are honest and true to their word. As long as everybody has the best interest of the horse at heart it should work out.
Mine works but I have heard lots that don't.
 
I loaned my horse out (before he very sadly died
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). I loved him to bits but he didn't want to do dressage and I didn't want to jump! I couldn't have asked for a better loaner for him. She really adored him and they had a great time together and they did really well in jumping comps. We are still in contact now.
I also have a horse on loan who is lovely. Her owner spends quite a bit of time in America but still wanted to own her horse so this works well for her. I keep in regular contact with the owner and she is so easy to get on with.
Before I went into both loaning out my horse and loaning a horse I had heard about loads of horror stories. However I'm really glad I did it as it has worked out so well.
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I think that they can be a wonderful arrangement, so long as there is a clear written contract, the loanee is thoroughly vetted and the owner checks their horse regularly enough. I have had a horse on loan in the past, and my mare is out on loan at the mo due to my uni commitments. I have to say i was incredibly picky about where she went, and could not be happier with where she is - shes being looked after better than she was with me
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You will probably see the trend with a lot of the bad experience posts that the owners havn't been in contact with the loaner for months on end, or havn't got a clear contract.
 
I have loaned two horses out, the 1st broke my heart, the 2nd to op nikki, which so far has worked out stress free and really well!
The 1st was when my oh was dieing from cancer, my horse went to what I thought was a very experienced home. Ha! I never told any lies, he is either 100% angel or a total Welsh brain! He lasted three weeks there (the trial period was a month) and he was returned to me with the opinion that only a man should handle him!?! He'd been strapped down in draw reins (he has a totally stallion neck and its almost impossible for him to put his head anywhere but on the vertical) and couldn't canter. Yet previous to hubby's illness he was ready to affiliate at dressage, constantly scoring 75/80% at Novice. And even though he was still on trial she'd pulled his mane to about 2"! I swore never to loan a horse again! Until I knew Nikki!
 
Both my horses have sharers and it is working well. We communicate and that is the biggest thing to it working ( that and I have finally learn't to actually have my time away from the yard)

I must admit after hearing the horror storys I would be cautious about loaning, and if I hadn't got my first horse for nothing I would probably be loaning.

I think if you get the paperwork right and both sides communicate then there really should not be a problem, but there again it isn't a perfect world.
 
I have only ever had good experiences and have been both the owner and the loanee. When I was 15 we part loaned out Storm my 13hh Sec C mare and the girl who had her loved her and treated her with the upmost care. We had a contract and the family provided references. My chestnut TB mare was on loan to me beofre I bought her and again had full contract and I emailed owner with dated pictures once a week and she visited every 6 weeks. I think loans can work really well- just have to make sure refernces are found both from a vet and either YM/instructor.
 
I will just add though that the reason you hear more about bad loans than good- is because thats when people come on here for help or to vent- not many people who have loaned a horse out that has gone well are willing to come on here and say Blah blah rides him and looks after him better than me!
 
I have had good and bad experiences . I loaned a horses with view to buy . The owners were great but 2 months into the loan and we found out she had navicular i kept her but then my marriage broke up she went back . I have tried to share with couple of sharers in past whom turned strange . But speaking to a friend she had similar experiences to me . I am helping her with her horse at the mo its not a proper share . She is very easy going and her horse is an ex racehorse . I met another lady i helped on another site whom is coming to help me and the owner out with him . She is training to be an ra To kelly marks .

I was offered a loan recently and that was another no no . As they were ust taking the mick for there own benefit . You get good and bad and evrything in life . You have to be carefull and go threw the right channels, like people said proper contracts stating , how much we pay ect .For sharing or loaning .
 
Speaking from the loaners point of view - never again!! The horse we have on loan at the moment through no fault of ours has had to have surgery to her foot - these things happen with horses and I have insurance, but the owner is being very difficult. Have done everything correctly, loan agreement, regular contact with the owner. I completely understand that she must be very disappointed that her horse has probably lost value now but also a bit of support and recognition for looking after the horse for 5 months so far without riding it coupled with a lot of extra expense! Never calls to see how she is but when I call her makes a big fuss about how much she loves her! Don't want to give her back until she's right but my patience is wearing thin!! Thanks for the rant x
 
Wendy that happened to me with floss to . But we have to remeber not everyones the same . I woud loan with view to buy again . Also its life things happen with horses i it didnt happen with u it woudnt have happened with them .
 
OH God where to start!!!

I'll try to keep this brief but once I get started..............

I put my 16.2hh ex eventer out on loan to a "friend" who had ridden her since I bought her and thought everything would be just fine.
She paid half of the livery, half of the shoes and all the hard feed. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

I moved abroad thinking the horse would be in excellent hands and I had nothing to worry about, after all this person had worked with horses for 20 years.

First time I came home she was ok.

Second time she was lame, I was told she was "a bit footy" and while I was home she was ridden daily and she seemed to be fine. Lost a bit of weight (she looked seriously podgy) and was sound after a couple of days.

6 months later I came home because my mother had died. Tried to take sollace in my horse but when I went to see her she was now seriously overweight and could barely walk! Turns out she'd developed Laminitis because of a c*** diet. After speaking to he farrier it would also appear that the last bout of lameness was also caused by laminitis and he had told the loanee about this but she had chosen to ignore this.

I was understandably furious, 5 years with this horse and no problems at all.

At that point I drew up a very strict contract about the horses care and put everyone else on the yard on surveilance and everything seemed to be ok.

She was on a carefully controlled diet and was to be exercised every day. I had to get someone else in to share the load of riding and care. After all I was paying half the costs even if I wasn't in the country. This was fraught with problems that I'll not even go into.

9 months later (and one baby) there was another problem.the horse had injured itelf while out on a hack. She'd been eating grass with her rider sat on, got a fright at somethng and then went mad. She was obviously in loads of pain. Turns out she'd been spinning round in circles a few times and nobody had told me!!!

Got the back man out and she was out from her poll to her tail and that she must have been in agony for a long time. I knew she'd had a back problem when I bought her and it was always kept in check!
She went on box rest for 4 weeks and he came to see her and then said at the age of 18 that I'd never ride her again!!! She had no muscles at all along her topline.

Obviously I was devastated.

She was put on Baileys number 4 and D & H Safe & Sound (laminitic concerns) and 6 months no riding but turned out once a week, increasing to every other day. We tried to walk her in hand but that was a huge no no.

In August last year she was becoming a serious pain in the butt and the decision was made to try and bring hee back into work.

I had only just had a baby and my riding confidence was low, however she was my big girl and my responsibility.

Our first ride out was at warp speed and everything since has been pretty much the same but her back is good and she's happy.

I now have someone who helps me with her at no cost to them apart from time. This works out great, and because she's pregnant just now, she looks after my little girl while I ride and sometimes I lunge her little boys pony for her.

It goes to show that even with a written agreement and a friend it can all go horribly wrong!!!

Sorry for the "War and Peace" but I feel better n ow that's off my chest!!!
 
Its been good for me both loaning and sharing. I had a horse on loan for a year she came up for sale so I bought her. I bought a horse with a friend we go halfs on everything for her. Its working well, she mucks her out on a morning and I do the other one and 2 poines. Me and OH do them all on an evening, I ride weekends (I working during the week) sharer can ride during the week, so it works really well plus I dont have livery costs anymore when I go on holiday as sharer looks after them all.
 
I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful person loaning one of my ponies, we signed a loan agreement, which is very important, and she looks after my mare like she is royalty, I am very very lucky.
 
My old horse has gone out on loan to a lady and she is fantastic with him. He is now ridden a few days a week by her young daughter and they have said he has a home for life. However, I always make sure I have somewhere to bring him home to if i need to.
We also have a contract and I have references. I also go for visist and Im welcome anytime. The lady keeps me updated and I try not to bother them too much.
I was also very honest about my horse and the lady was very honest about what type of horse they needed.
My horse is very much part of our family and we have a fantastic situation that works perfectly and I trust her compleatly.
 
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I felt she got to have a bit of an ownership experience, as I trusted her to help with the horses training, see him any time she liked and even discuss with me what she thought he needed.
We were both willing to change days depending on the others plans and it worked out very well.
I didn't interfere with her, and left her to it on her days, not watching her or checking up on her. Basically TRUSTING her!



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Yes I too have had good sharers, 3 in the last 15 years. They had my horse 3 days a week to ride, groom, get in ect NEVER had a prob !
 
I have my own horse and have had three loans for my daughter .I have just extended the last loan for another year as it is working out so well.I still keep in contact with old loanees they are all good friends and we ride out together.The owner of our current horse will be coming to watch her at a show at the weekend she never had the courage to jump and loves watching her pony enjoying herself.As long as you are honest I think its perfect when the children are young and grow out of the ponies.If there is a next time I think I would like to buy as we get to attached when its time for them to go .
 
I share Ellie and I think its working well for us. I ride as much or as little as I want through the week as her owner works full time and I contribute to the cost of the livery. If theres a problem I let the owner know and if she changes anything tack wise she lets me know.
Maybe the communication is a key part of whether the share/loan works or not?
 
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