Where would you advertise a horse for loan to avoid the endless phone calls from timewasters and totally unsuitable people? I have previously loaned my horse without problem but now see that those people were a rareity!
I doubt if there is such a place....you will always get dreamers contacting you.......sometimes it may be better to try to go through local riding clubs...less chance of wasters there I would imagine.
I'm having the opposite problem of trying to find a sane sensible horse that I can move to my place.All such horses are to be kept at present yards or else the ones that can be moved have major issues that the owner doesn't want to know about. I can't afford to go and buy another horse outright and either want a long term loan or else one on loan with a view to buy in around 6months time.My youngster is not ready to be backed yet and may not be able to be ridden even but I am so missing being able to ride.
I found Grace on Project Horses... she was for loan with a view to buy or for sale. However, I phoned up the lady who owned her, explained that I had a mare in foal and was looking for a 12 months loan where I could bring on a younger horse and she agreed to let me come down and meet Grace after we had a chat.
I took Grace on, rebacked her and started bringing her on with the view of selling her at the end of the 12 months period for the owner (any value added to her would be split between the owner and I... this was written in the contract we both signed). However, it went a little wrong and my Dad ended up buying Grace for my birthday and I am so pleased he did because I don't know how I would have parted with her because we got a strong bond incredibly quickly and I soon realised she had so much potential to be the horse I was trying to breed (my top hat and tails horse
).
So, some loan stories do have a happy ending...
P.S. The chesnut in the signature is Grace... she has now qualified for the Area Festival Finals at Prelim and Novice and is going to Hartpury in April
I think word of mouth works best, and making it VERY clear that while you are loaning the horse you still expect to have input to its life/expect to be kept in touch etc
well currently I have had no one ringing up about Dan, not a single person! He is all the local tack shops but not online as well I'm one of the awkward ones who state he must stay at current yard
16.3 schoolmaster - not beginners horse but fab rc event type, hunts, Trailblazer National finalist qual SJ 85cm and 1.05, PC camp, everything really. Must stay in south east however, and that's been my problem.
Definitely word of mouth - I've chosen both of the loan homes that I've sent my boy to and (touchwood) they've worked out brilliantly. He's currently in a really nice home where the daughter adores him, and goes out to comps most weeks (which he loves).
I saw her riding one day, and thought - she'd get on with Joey, so spoke to her brother and then the mum rang me and it went from there.