Owners with horse's out on loan

I loaned Oliver before I eventually bought him I kept in contacted weekly with an off text and always putting pictures up on Fb etc I used to love it when owners came to see him as they always said how good he looked and how well I kept him etc.
Still keep In contact now with pictures etc and regularly see them when out and about with him. Follow your gut instinct
 
it could just be a misunderstanding as she does not realize you want lots of detail. she does reply, not ignore your messages, but only with a brief sentence.
I would talk to her and her mum and say that you would like more detail on how your horse is doing, as it makes you feel better.
of course it could be because they are hiding something and you have every right to check the horses wellbeing, but it could just be a simple issue of not realizing you want regular, more detailed up dates, than just 'all ok'.
my boy was on loan of 1.5 years and I tried to visit every three months (although he was 3 hours away), with prior notice. the loaner was lovely, would email me nearly every month and he was treated like their own while he was there.
 
OP I sense you are becoming increasingly uneasy about the lack of specific information forthcoming from the loanee............

I think you should trust your gut instincts.

You know where your horse is: yes OK so its a bit of a traipse, but me, I would be getting in the car and making an unscheduled visit asap whether that is perceived as welcomed or not. If the loanee doesn't like this then tough, coz it will say to her loud and clear that if she doesn't give specific answers to your specific questions then you will turn up unannounced!!

Another tack would be try and establish from another (independent) source as to whether all is well, for e.g. do you know anyone in the area who you could trust to have a quick peek at your horse and give an unbiased opinion as to whether all is well? Do you know the reputation of the yard where the horse is being kept? Could you ring the YO/YM (or even a fellow livery??) for a quick chat, at least in the first instance, to get some more info?

If you are not happy with the vague details that you are being given, then you need to satisfy yourself that all is well (or perhaps not mebbe); and if you are in any way uneasy about your horse then do what you have to do, go and visit to check in person and if necessary act quickly to get it back sooner rather than later and then if needs be find a more satisfactory loan - and make sure it is nearer to you so that you can check up in person to make sure all is OK.

I have both been a loaner AND a loanee, and the key word is in both situations is COMMUNICATION. If the loanee cannot give you specific information concerning the well being of your horse, when you have asked for specific (and perfectly reasonable) details rather than vague mumblings, then I would be inclined to be looking around for another loaner TBH as you won't be trusting her to look after your horse OK.

But think you need to check IN PERSON and ASAP, that all is well. Reassure yourself in the first instance that your horse is OK. That is the priority.

But I have to say that if I had my horse out on loan and had to deal with this kind of continuing vagueness I would not only find it extremely irritating but it would certainly flag up warning bells with me and I would be wanting to check what is going on at the very earliest opportunity.
 
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The horse I look after currently is on loan to me. He is his owner's 'baby' and I am very conscious that she's taking a huge leap of faith putting him on loan.
Consequently, I defer to her in everything I do with him: vets, feed, routine, even trainers. We are FB friends and she is more than welcome to pop by to see him anytime she wishes, and she has competed him on occasion too.
That said, she is a very supportive owner and seems to be happy that he is getting the care he deserves.
 
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