NOVICE OWNERS - mild rant

[R2R]

I know, everyone is a novice once!

I have a "child lost interest" loan pony on the yard for one of the kids. The loan period is up mid-June and child needs to move on to something a bit more scopey.

I told pony owners this was the case at the weekend...their reply

"Oh we cant afford to have him back, cant you keep him here - we really dont want to sell him"

GAH!!! It has really got my back up! They expect me to keep him for free!

I have negotiated a deal whereby they pay his costs (hay, feed, shoes, insurance) and they have free (yes free) livery whilst I (yes I) look for another loaner/sharer for him, but I am mildly irritated that I am expected to do them this sort of favour!

Will someone please slap me for being to soft for my own good!

 

[NeilM]

We can't afford to keep him.
We don't want to sell him.

Two phrases which are incompatible and also incomprehensible. You either want the horse / pony or you don't.

People like this, and there are LOTS of them, drive me nuts.

Isn't it amazing how it is also always somebody else's problem and how these people always require a favour to 'help them out'.

You have my sympathies, I have nearly found myself there recently...I'm saying no more

 

[skint1]

Well, I guess you could look at it as they clearly aren't capable of keeping him or finding a good home for him so even though they're benefiting from your very good nature so is the pony, if he went back to them God alone knows what might happen to him.

If I were you, I would be looking for a buyer and then tell his owners you can't find a loan home but x is willing to purchase the pony for £x, if you are brave enough you can even say "oh and I am taking x% as a finder's fee" You could always say you need the space for another livery or something and so keeping him around on loan for ages isn't an option

I bet they would go for it.

 

[E_Lister]

That is a really nasty situation to be in, I don't envy you at all!

However as a novice, I feel that a better title would have been irresponisble owners! I think the majority of novices would be with me when I say that people like that are the minority, if you say novice owners you are tarring a lot of people with the same brush.

Now I don't personally own a horse (I share, I don't have the experience, time or money at the moment to own one of my own) but if I did, just because I am a novice, doesn't mean I would act in such an appauling way, I would treasure the horse (or pony) because they would be helping me. If I loaned one out I would find a way to fund taking it back once the time came, it is only fair on the horse, especially if I didn't want to sell it.

Ungrateful or irresponisble people are not always novices, just as not all teenagers are louts and criminals! (Can you tell I am a teenage novice?)

Anyway, my own mild rant over(!), I hope that you find someone far more suitable to loan the pony than its curent owners

 

[CalllyH]

This is not your responsibility - If you have no room for him or time then say you are selling him unless they collect by such and such a date etc or charge for livery costs and then if they dont pay issue a court order

What a cheek! Surely the issue is with the loanee too and her parents and not you?

 

[skychick]

Well, I guess you could look at it as they clearly aren't capable of keeping him or finding a good home for him so even though they're benefiting from your very good nature so is the pony, if he went back to them God alone knows what might happen to him.

If I were you, I would be looking for a buyer and then tell his owners you can't find a loan home but x is willing to purchase the pony for £x, if you are brave enough you can even say "oh and I am taking x% as a finder's fee" You could always say you need the space for another livery or something and so keeping him around on loan for ages isn't an option

I bet they would go for it.

I totally agree. At least with you he will have the best chance of finding a fab new loan home with someone who is right for him. If his owners dont care about him at all he could end up anywhere....not that this is at all your problem.
The idea of finding someone willing to buy him and suggesting you take a bit of comission for your trouble is also a v v good idea.

 

[Spudlet]

That is a really nasty situation to be in, I don't envy you at all!

However as a novice, I feel that a better title would have been irresponisble owners! I think the majority of novices would be with me when I say that people like that are the minority, if you say novice owners you are tarring a lot of people with the same brush.

Now I don't personally own a horse (I share, I don't have the experience, time or money at the moment to own one of my own) but if I did, just because I am a novice, doesn't mean I would act in such an appauling way, I would treasure the horse (or pony) because they would be helping me. If I loaned one out I would find a way to fund taking it back once the time came, it is only fair on the horse, especially if I didn't want to sell it.

Ungrateful or irresponisble people are not always novices, just as not all teenagers are louts and criminals! (Can you tell I am a teenage novice?)

Anyway, my own mild rant over(!), I hope that you find someone far more suitable to loan the pony than its curent owners

Totally agree with this - I have never owned a horse and therefore would be a novice owner but I would never dream of behaving in this way.