positive loan stories

Chestersmummy

Chestersmummy

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 January 2012
Messages
793
Visit site
Loanees seem to get a bad press, sometimes understandably, but there are good loanees out there.
I have loaned ponies and horses since I was 12 and have always treated them as my own. Made sure if anything was amiss calling the vet or farrier, seeking advice from them where appropriate.
I would never ever dream of leaving a horse to get obese or skinny.
Fair enough I have a lame mare at the moment but she lost 2 shoes in 2 days and became footsore, my farrier came out at the first opportunity he could to put shoes back on her and she is getting better.
I was horrified when my gelding was on full livery whilst I was attending a family emergency for a few days, and I got back and saw he had an inch long deep wound to his leg, i washed it, went home and called the vet. Found out later that day he had got it the first day I was away and no one had thought to tell me! Owner of my gelding was fuming and has complained to the yo, who tried to twist it to say I didn't call the vet!! I was 200 miles away and had no idea what had happened! I rang the vet as soon as I could and the vet arrived 45 mins later!
Every loan I have had has gone back to the owner in the same condition or better than when the loan started.
We are currently looking for a horse for my mum to loan but all of the horses need to stay at their current yards.
So lets hear some more positive loan stories from loaner and loanee.
 
My boy is on loan. We've had him for 4 years now & he definitely looks better than when he came. He could hardly walk in a straight line, had absolutely no muscle & it was obvious they'd done nothing with him (he was 10).

Now he looks like a completely different horse, he jumps lovely & has come on amazingly. Still a nutter but then after 10 years of nothing I think you probably would be in the big wide world.

However, his owner doesn't know this, in the 4 years we've had him she's visited once, we think she has moved house & were discussing the other day that if we wanted to find her we wouldn't know how. So it's a good job that he's ended up with us who love him & treat him as our own than someone who abused him in one way or the other.
 
I also have one on loan, I've had him for the last 3 and a half years, he has been unsound the last 9 months, we have tried various treatments, but have not got to the bottom of it, and yes I still have him, he is still ridden once a week (vet has said this is ok) he has arthritus and various other problems, but he is 21 and the fact that he is not ready to hang his shoes up yet (well if he had any on, they are in the boot of my skip, oops mean car) His owner and myself have had many very long conversations, she does not have any where for him to go, and we have the grazing, so I will keep him as long as he is happy. And yes I am looking for another one to ride, will still keep this one as I adore him, but as someone else mentioned they all have to stay at the yards they are on. He was my first horse at the age of 47, dispite having worked with horses over 20 years. My point after all this waffle, is yes good loaners are out here, we just have to look and try a bit harder. I will mention that I have read other threads on here re loan horses, where some has commented if you can not afford to buy, you can not afford to keep one, well I can afford to keep one, and with all the vets bills I do not have the cash to buy one, simples.
 
My horse has been on long term/permanent loan to me for nearly 4 years and I have spent ££££'s on new saddles for her trying to get the right fit as she has a bit of an awkward conformation and the saddle she came with was too narrow (gave that lovely new Stubben Genesis back to her owner) spent money on vets, saddlers, back ladies, farrier, everything to keep her in tip top healthy condition. I told her owner that when the times comes, that I will do right have have Hattie put down myself, not pawn her off on her owner to deal with.

I treat and spend money on her as if she was my own horse and can't understand this mentality of some loanees who think because the horse is on loan to them, that they don't have to fork out money for feed, training, buying shavings, etc (and sadly, I do know some people like that in my area who have horses on loan).
 
When I gave my loan pony up he went back in fab condition and with new bridle and all new rugs.

I treated him exactly as if I owned him. I don't understand people who don't !
 
I've only loaned one horse but I treated her like royalty! She was clueless when she came to me but I worked so hard with her, spent loads on lessons & days out and she was great to ride after the year I had her. Bought her everything she needed (and didn't need!) from saddles to rugs to boots, the vet/farrier came out for everything on time or when they needed to (when she lost a shoe), I taught her how to be washed/how to hack alone - basics as she was in her teens but no one had taught her. I treated her as if she was one of our own (she was in a way, her owner wasn't interested) and always took such good care of her - after all, I was looking after someone elses should-be pride and joy.
Unfortunately she had to go back after a year but I sent her with her rugs etc as it was the middle of winter and I knew she didn't have anything of her own at her 'home'. I know she's gone back out on loan now, I hope she's being as loved and as well cared for with whoever has her now as she was when she was here. It broke my heart when she went back and I cried for months. Definitely good loaners out there!
 
Me! (or at least I would like to think I am a good loanee)

Have had several on loan over the years. Last pony we had for just over a year (for my son). She got too much for him, he lost confidence, and pony also didn't hack out on her own which meant I struggled to keep her fit / thin. I ended up finding new loan home for her on behalf of the owner and am now in contact with her new loaners.

Current one had since October and having a great time with him.

Am in very regular contact with owners (emails most weeks) with progress updates. They have open access to him, come up and ride occassionally and I have just recently offered to take owner to RC if she wants to do some events with him (they didn't have transport of their own so never managed to do many RC type things).
 
I part loaned a horse before buying my own, years ago now. The horse was on full livery and was kept at the riding school I had been having lessons at, I couldn't treat the horse exactly as if it was my own as it was only a part loan, but she definitely was better when I stopped loaning her.
She was 23 and the woman who had loaned her before hadn't ridden her for ages because she had bought her own horse while still loaning the mare, so she was quite stiff at first, and not very fit. I only loaned her for about 7 months, until my mum had an operation and couldn't drive me up there anymore, but at the end her owner commented on how great she looked, and how supple she was. She was ill for a while, we were told she was off her food and not to come up for a few days, when we did go back to see her, we noticed what the grooms hadn't- she wanted to eat her food but couldn't reach due to a reaction to her flu jab that meant she couldn't move her neck- her hard feed was given on the floor, hay from a high manger, and water from a low bucket, when we put it within reach she almost bit our hands of for the food, and drunk a whole large bucket of water- her owner was so grateful for us noticing this. So even if its a part loan, it can still work out well :)
 
My loan horse came to me after a bad situation after a sale (won't go in to details, but he was sold - had hard time - was bought back and then I got him after that - on loan). I had him on loan for one year, loved and cared for him like my own. I was offered the chance to buy him - assumed I could never afford him (or in fact anything of his quality). I got him for £1 :D Still the beest £1 I ever spent.
 
We loaned a lovely pony for a year for my rugrats to learn to ride on... She was an absolute star and if she'd have been a hand higher or me a hand shorter, I'd have bought her for myself I loved her so much...

My eldest daughter has loaned a pony for over a year for my grand daughter... Pony was cresty, overweight and with a history of going lame - the owner loves her dearly but was struggling with a toddler, a baby and returning to work so didn't have the time to ride and exercise as she'd like... Pony is an older girl and she's in much better shape now because we watch her diet and body condition like a hawk... She's rewarded us by being a fabulous introduction to riding for my grand daughter...

Have more recently loaned a 19yr old ex eventer as a confidence giving hack for myself and a schoolmistress for son now he's ready to do a bit more... She's a real sweetheart and another with a totally besotted owner who competes her younger horse and had the choice of loaning her older girl or putting her out to retirement...

We have been very lucky and privileged to loan and have great relationships with the owners who are pleased with the home their beloved equines have with us...

:)
 
My old SJ/Eventing mare is on long term loan over in Norfolk about 60 miles awat with a fabulous family!!!

I had a bad experiance with one loanee but it did not put me off I just was more determined to find her a perfect home and vetted it very carefully and got references!! I get e-mails from my horse all the time hahaha
 
I had a very good loan with a member found on here, and is someone who is now a very dear friend.
I had a young TB who I needed to rehome, dollface's friend Cosmosam saw my posts and put us in touch. dollface took TB on 6 month LWVTB. 2 days prior to the 6 months naughty TB bolted and put dollface in hospital. She rang me to say he had frightened her and could I have him back. While it wasn't ideal I appreciated her honesty and collected him the next weekend. To this day we are good friends and I feel very blessed to have had such a positive experience.
I think communication is the key, if one party feels they are losing out/missing out then the loan won't work.
Lots of loans go perfectly well, I think part of the problem is that people see loaning as less hassle than selling, when quite honestly it is far easier to sell.
 
I loaned my horse when I was away at college, to a woman who is now one of my best friends! She looked after him better than I did, I'm sure he'd say :p It was nerve wracking because he had bone spavin and I was relying on someone to not over work him, but I soon learned I never had to worry. :) And I've just bought the horse I've been loaning for 8 months, so I guess his owner thought I was a good enough loanee too!
 
A number of years ago I shared a horse/ had on loan whilst his owner was pregnant. He was on the same yard he had always been on and it worked really well and me and the owner got on really well, over time I took on more responsibility for him as his owner just didnt have the time to do alot with him and was looking at getting something a bit smaller. He was something I could go out and compete on (showing & dressage) and have some fun with. He sadly was PTS about 3 years ago. Me and his owner are still friends now, and it can work, you just have to find the right people.
 
Last edited:
Zimzim said:
A number of years ago I shared a horse/ had on loan whilst his owner was pregnant. He was on the same yard he had always been on and it worked really well and me and the owner got on really well, over time I took on more responsibility for him as his owner just didnt have the time to do alot with him and was looking at getting something a bit smaller. He was something I could go out and compete on (showing & dressage) and have some fun with. He sadly was PTS about 3 years ago. Me and his owner are still friends now, and it can work, you just have to find the right people.
Click to expand...


My mare is a load and we get on great! Love her to bits and treat her as if she was my own!
 
I have loaned 3 horses,

1st - Polar - an ex-racer, brought him on in dressage, had a great relationship with his owner, she asked me to buy him - however he was not the horse for me, so instead i helped her find someone for him, all ended very well! I cared and treated him as if he was my own.

2nd - Connie - I have spent so much time and effort with Connie, I adore her...her owner has dissappeared off the face of the earth (not seen for 2 years!) so I plan to keep her to the end of her days... shes a big expensive retired pet now!

3rd William - have him now, on loan to me since January. Have bought new tack and spent a lot of time teaching him manners and fittening him up. Even his owner (who is a little annoying! ;)) has said he's never looked better.

It can work, sadly however, as with most things in life, there are people out there who have no respect/knowledge/care of other peoples belongings!
 
I've had several horses on loan over the years.
In each case I never had any problem. Owners were told they could check on horse any time they wanted without prior notice and I kept them informed on what I was doing with the horse via regular email etc including pics.
 
The positive bit!
Been loaning my lad for 10 months, but my siggy will be more accurate!
Brought him on, had two lessons a week on him, he's a different horse thanks to my instructor. This time last year he didn't jump, hack and god help you if you tried to take him to a show! Now he loves his jumping (though it's just for fun and needs a lot of work) hacks alone and in company on the buckle and in the last two shows with me he's got 4 1sts, 3 2nds and a 3rd. I treat him as my own and have already had a good few crying sessions over leaving him :(

Not so good bit...
Offered to buy him and I'm currently being taken for a total mug and the owner is attempting to sell what I bought for him back to me. I'll never loan again and will definitely be taking the stuff I bought for him with me when I flounce off into the sunset and leave her to sort her own mess out!
 
Last edited:
I have the oncome to afford a horse but not the cash to buy so i am forced to full loan. Although i am saving i can only save about £100 month so long way to go! I had my first for 2 years, stunning horse, treated him as my own and adored him, the tears when he left me! He broke his pelvis after me having him for a year and his owner was off abroad by then, i did everything as it should be done, then the rest off work caused bone spavin to flair up, an old injury that neither mtself or the owner was aware of, once again i paid for everything, got him every supplement and did everything i could for him, 6 months not ridden but i kept him as my own whilst others told me to send him back! I then brought him back into work slowly, and she came back from travelling so thankful for all i had done. she did offer to sell him to me but he wasn't the right horse for me, i kept him for his sake and hers and cause i loved him but buying him was a different matter. he's back with her now and doing well still. about 2 months before she took him back i got another full loan, this one with view to buy, i thought i could save the whole time (which i am) to buy him, 2 days in he got his leg caught on wire...once again paid for all treatment, emergency vet out and taken straight into surgery...this was optional, they said they could stitch there save me paying transport and overnight fees and the owner said it was my choice but i chose to take him in. 6 months later he's still with me and everyday i am working with him as he is possibly one of the hardest horses to work out i have ever known but i am determined to carry on as i really want to buy him! I treat all of them as i would my own....everyone should and many do i think the main thing is that the owners need to visit often until they are satisfied and always stay in regular contact! It's sad that many ungrateful people who are given the chance of loaning a horse ruin it for us good loanees, also the owners who take no care in keeping in touch then just moan about them on here once it goes wrong, all giving loans a bad name. :rolleyes:
 
I've been really lucky with loans, we had a pony on long term full loan for 8 years, I still see him every day even though responsibility has passed back to his owner.

I sent my quirky TB mare off to Hertfordshire on a lwvtb and though it didn't work out she was returned unharmed with her full complement of stuff so I can't complain. She is out on loan again now to a more knowledgeable and realistic horsewoman and if after 3 months they're happy together then she will legally own the mare and I will be happy for them both as the mare was wasted with me!

My daughter's gelding is on a kind of full loan at his yard but we still see him most days and look after him when the loaner is on holiday or busy. I pay for his insurance and am responsible for any vet fees that result from non-ridden incidents.

The loaner is free to do what she wishes and I trust her with him completely, he is pretty well schooled, tends to get a bit flat and rushy sj and very strong xc but my daughter had no problems in sharpening this up so I don't foresee the loaner really adding to his value even though it is lovely he is fit and happy and in full work. My only stipulations are I want her to use our farrier, vet and to keep him on his balancer feed.

When she first took him on I think I might have said that I'd review the situation in 6 months time, maybe sell him or perhaps go to a part loan depending on my daughter. I know that she is keen to buy him but right now I don't foresee selling him, but if I did I would give her 1st refusal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top