Should I lease my dressage horse? (& How?!)

[ginatina]

I have a gorgeous 15 year old kwpn dressage horse, competing advanced medium.

He's a total sweety, not a schoolmaster exactly but would thrive with an inexperienced competitor who wanted to go out and compete in the lower levels prelim-elem, or equally he has more to give at advanced medium if the rider knows what they're doing and can push him!

I don't really want to sell, so am considering leasing, but I have no idea how it works, how much people charge etc?

I guess his sale value as a 15yo would be somewhere around £8,500?? That's a total guess though!

If anyone has experience of leasing i'd be grateful to hear your thoughts?

 

[gunnergundog]

How many points does he have and is he eligible to be down-graded?

 

[ginatina]

Thanks for your reply gunnergundog.
I really struggle to understand the eligibility/downgrading rules these days but he has 63 points in total; 34 at novice, 24 at elem, 2 at medium and 3 at adv med.

Does that help?!

 

[milliepops]

With the new rules downgrading and points aren't so important, he'd be eligible for Prelim Silver and Novice Bronze with a rider new to BD.

I haven't the faintest idea about leasing but it doesn't sound like he has a lot of competition experience above elementary so I wouldn't anticipate that at his age you'd be able to ask a great deal for someone wanting to ride at medium or above unless you can evidence his training/scoring potential?

TBH he sounds to me more like a candidate for a competition loan home but I'm sure someone else will come along who knows more about leasing horses.

 

[ginatina]

With the new rules downgrading and points aren't so important, he'd be eligible for Prelim Silver and Novice Bronze with a rider new to BD.

Thanks Milliepops, that's helpful. He is very low mileage you're right, but very well schooled & sound so he'd be wonderful for someone. I just have to be brave and think about advertising him, but it's heartbreaking!

 

[showjumpingharry]

Ginatina what area are you in??

 

[ginatina]

Ginatina what area are you in??

We're in Sussex

 

[showjumpingharry]

We're in Sussex[/QUOTE

I know of someone in Cornwall looking for a schoolmaster, fabulous competitive BYDRS home but don’t know if it’s too far. If it would be suitable then please message me

 

[ginatina]

Thank you showjumpingharry, I think that might well be too far really, but thank you for the suggestion

 

[showjumpingharry]

Thank you showjumpingharry, I think that might well be too far really, but thank you for the suggestion

Ahh never mind! Could be worth contacting you your area reps for seniors and BD youth, as they would know of suitable people

 

[ginatina]

Ahh never mind! Could be worth contacting you your area reps for seniors and BD youth, as they would know of suitable people

that's a great idea, thank you so much.

 

[Bernster]

I’ve seen one advertised recently for lease as an RC type schoolmaster on a local Facebook page. I reckon Facebook or one of the good sale sites like horsequest. You see lots of wanted ads for loan and I wonder if people would consider a lease instead as I think they are wanting a lot for a free loan most of the time!

 

[Auslander]

Thank you showjumpingharry, I think that might well be too far really, but thank you for the suggestion

If you're thinking about leasing - it's a more "business" like arrangement, so if distance is an issue because you anticipate wanting to still be a big part of the horses life, you may be better off looking for a loan home for him.

 

[Shay]

Leasing is a business arrangement usually for competition purposes. I leased a couple of showjumpers for my daughter when she was in juniors - its quite a common arrangement. I also let one of mine on lease for PC Competitions and helped a young rider on yard lease for their first season in Seniors last year. The leasor pays a flat fee to lease the animal for a specified period and a specified purpose. Then the day to day costs work like a loan. They take the animal, have full responsibility for it, pay for everything etc.

I've always done this through the relevant affiliated body - BSJA (then now BS of course), BSI or PC. Other than the up front fee the arrangement really works like a loan. You need a contract, clearly defined expectations etc. The leese fee depends on the animal and the period but I paid anything from £1K to £4K for the summer season and that was (eek!) 8 -10 years ago. The young rider paid £3K + transport last year as that particular horse came from Ireland.

What you are paying for is the proven competition record - an animal fully fit, ready to compete and with a decent chance of getting you to wherever you want to be.

 

[Littlebear]

I think its a great idea, I had a year gap without a horse to ride and would have happily paid for a lease, it would have been better for me to pay a fee plus all the costs of keeping them than going out and buying a horse, tack, vetting etc etc - I would think you will be inundated with suitable candidates!

 

[ihatework]

If you lease I think you need to be prepared to be fairly hands off - you agree the terms of the lease up front, they pay you the money and they take the horse for the agreed period.

I’m actually not convinced your horse sounds like it has sufficient competition mileage to command a lease, but you never know. He does however sound like a highly desirable loan horse and a lovely schoolmaster for someone wanting to buy a lower level dressage horse. I’m sure you will place him in a good home whatever route you take.

 

[oldie48]

He sounds like the sort of horse that many riders would want but I'm not sure he's a lease horse, i think he'd need to have an established record at Adv Med at the very least with good scores. Even at 15, he'd sell very easily, I think, especially if he hacks nicely alone and in company, but I understand that you don't want to do that. Reading between the lines, he's reached his limit and you want to go further? I'd look for a long term loan home. Several friends have done this with their competition horses and have derived a lot of pleasure from seeing a less experienced rider enjoy their horse and progress. He sounds lovely!

 

[EventingMum]

I know of event horses that have been leased at 10% of the horse's value pa.

 

[HashRouge]

Whereabouts in Sussex OP?

 

[HLOEquestrian]

I agree with the above not sure he sounds like he has enough competition experience at medium / advanced medium to be a lease candidate. Fantastic opportunity for someone as a loan horse though!

 

[Leandy]

Agree with the above, I looked into lease costs a little while ago and it seems to be about 10% pa of the market value of the horse. A good solution if you want a serious competition prospect or schoolmaster for say a junior rider who will grow out of it in a year or two. I think its only really a thing for top quality competition horses though for ambitious competition homes. I wonder whether there would be significant risk for the lessor in the arrangement. It is quite easy to break a competition horse and I would presume the lessor would ultimately bear the loss in value if the lessee returns the horse injured or otherwise not in the good condition it was originally leased in. I'm not sure everyone would treat a leased horse as considerately as they might treat their own, knowing they will hand it back at the end of the term (although perhaps that goes both ways and some would give it every care on the grounds it is not their own). Even if the lease contract covers that eventuality it would seem an area ripe for dispute.