older horse right decision or wrong decision?

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neighnay

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Hi everyone. i was purely writing this in the hope you might agree or empathise with my story.
Basically about 2 years ago a friends family were saying how they had a older horse who was a carriage horse put had lost his partner, he wa sa ride and drive but they didnt want him anymore as he was no use for them and their business, i stepped in and said i would love to take him on a permanent loan, stupidly i didnt get a written agreement witht he permenant loan, as i thought being good friends they wouldnt much around.
Anyway story continues and i have the horse for about two years i got him at the age of 20 so at this point is is 22,. When i first got him he didnt know how to canter as he was a trotter, he'd done carriage driving his whole life. i got him to experience cross country which he loved i took him for sponsered rides and he becasme very keen friends with my other horse they were inseperable. anyway so tow years down the line i get a phone cal saying they want 1500 pounds for him, i said i coudlnt afford to buy a 22 year old horse for tat price, adn it was not what we agreed, as they wouldnt budge on the price i had to give him back and they had him doing nothing for a long time, and eventually gave him away to someone..... not sold .... gave!
when he was taken back it turned my horse in to deep depression who lost all of his hair and took a long time to get over his depart.
i just wondered if anyone ahd suffered the same sort of problem?
 
That's awful, I can't believe after all that he was just given away. I've had friends who have loaned horses and they have been taken back prematurely as owner has either wanted to sell or got jealous of new partnership forming (again not sure if they had a formal arrangement/contract!) I really want to loan eventually as I can't afford my own horse and can't afford even to loan at the moment, but stories like this scare me.
I'm so sorry for your bad experience, big hugs xxx
 
what a terrible shame
frown.gif


Its all too easy to get so caught up at the beggining, and overlook proper written agreements.

I have chales on permanant loan. We have an agreement written up signed and witnessed and also witnesses to the situation, as well as plenty of emails.

I would liek to think that the owners would stand by the agreement, especially as charles has come on so well since i have taken him on. I have addressed many issues and he is in all respects a different horse.

I am in regular contact with his owner and give regular updates and i have no problem with them comeing to see him.

As of yet they have not been to see him, but i am sure they will be 110% happy with him when they eventually do.
 
Unfortunatley most loan agreements, even if you had had one, would have a clause allowing the owners to take the horse back with a given notice period (or possibly none if there was a welfare concern.) So, you're not much worse off than if you'd had something written down.

At the end of the day the /only/ way to ensure that your preferred management of a horse continues is to own it and to keep owning it. (And have limitless funds to ensure that you can give it whatever you think it needs of course...)

I'd be very sad to loose my share boy but appreciate that it *could* happen any day.

I hope that your own horse has nice new company now, shame that the owners of the other didn't see fit to give it to you if they'd come to the decision to do that.

(Hugs)
 
Hmmm. I am in similar position, Was given a horse on short term loan as no good to the owner, used to team chase but had tendon probs in past so not worth getting fit again... 5 years later I still have said horse and have never spoken to the owner.

Personally, if the owner came back asking for him, I simply wouldn't give him back, he's not worth anything financially (meat money) and as I've had him so long with his owner not giving two hoots I wouldn't put up with it, realistically if he ever did, I would just move my horses and not tell him - he's mine now! lol!
 
With friends like that who needs enemies?

Seriously though I think it is even more important with friends to have something written down as otherwise a friendship could easily turn sour. I do think they were taking the mickey out of you as £1,500 for a 22 year old is about £1,000 too much.

Sorry you were forced to hand him back. It sounds as though you did a really good job with him and his 'owners' did not have his best interests at heart.
 
I got one of my horses (similar to yours, x landau horse) on a free, forever loan, but we had written conditions signed. The main condition was, if i did not want him anymore he must be destroyed, his last owner did not want the horse passed from pillar to post as he had worked full time as a carriage horse for most of his life, she needed to know his future was secure. (she didn't want him back, it took her two years to find a person like myself willing to take him on and spoil him for the rest of his days).

I feel for you so much, all that time money and much love given to an older horse that needed an owner just like you.

However, he wasn't yours which is a sad statement and was on a loan without a contract, so the owners would have wanted him back at one point and only rightly so.

They were unrealistic in wanting such a sum for him and its such a shame they didn't give him to you if they cared where he went in his old age. Not only does it show the importance of written agreements, it also shows you need them with regards to 'so-called-friends' .

They gave you a horse to enjoy for two years though, that is one good thing that has come out of this.

(edited for spelling error)
 
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