Should I Part Loan?????

[Oscarbear91]

Hello

I am new to this forum, but wanted to add a post to get some advice on whether or not I should part loan a horse.

Just to provide you with a bit of background - I spent most of my childhood/early adult life riding. I used to take weekly lessons, take part in pony camps, spend days down at the yard helping out, just because I loved to be around horses. I then took a break during sixth form and University (mainly because I could not afford it). I am now 25, have a good job (and so the financials are no longer an issue) and have picked up riding again for the last 5 months.

I am wondering how I have been away for this long! Back in love with it again.

Basically, I have been considering part loaning a horse in my local area as 1hr lessons once a week just arent satisfying my horsey fix. This would be my first loan as I have never loaned or owned before - although I am hoping to own one day eventually. I can walk, trot and canter confidently. When I used to ride (before I took the break) I was starting on small jumps but haven't picked that up again as yet in my more recent lessons. I love to hack (but have never hacked alone). Most of the advertisements for part loaning horses I've ignored as the horses are still quite green and require very confident experienced riders, which I don't think I am yet. However, I have responded to one ad in my area where the owner of the stables has a wide variety of horses for part loan ranging from beginners to experienced rider so I thought why not. It would be for 2 days a week - 1 week day and 1 day at the weekend. I'm going down for a chat and to see the horses at the weekend.

I've made her aware that I am somewhere in between a novice and competent rider and am extremely rusty with yard duties as I haven't done any in so long. That's the downside to RS lessons - you don't get all the practical experience that goes along with owning a horse. And actually I used to love that stuff (grooming, mucking out etc) as much as riding - still do, just havent had a chance to do much.

I am worried about part loaning my first horse and doing something wrong with the more experienced people watching me thinking 'what the hell is she doing' and am worried about the first couple of weeks as I have not really been left on my own to get on with things before (although the lady I'm seeing at the weekend said there is support etc at the yard).

I am hardworking, trustworthy and reliable and really want to take this next step up from RS lessons! I'm willing to put in the hours after work and weekends to become knowledgeable and progress my riding and generally just be around horses because I love it.

What do you all think - is this a good idea? Am I ready?

Thanks!

Jess

 

[Equi]

I think that 60% of owning a horse is the stable care. The other 40% is enjoying the horse in whatever way, be that a hack, a trot or learning to jump. I do however think you would benefit from taking a few private lessons in poles and cross poles, so that you are more able to vary the horse you take on part loans work, so do that and in another few months go back to this place that have several available. You don't HAVE to jump, but if you have not tried it you don't know if you like it. You might love it, and prefer to take one that is better able to jump than one you might take because you think you have not yet jumped so dont need one that does.

One thing i will say though is to ensure you keep up your instruction even when loaning. A novice can not teach themselves.

Good luck, you sound like you would be an asset to any horse being taken on.

 

[Shay]

Yes - you sound ready. I'd consider you for my pony (although I suspect you are not looking for a pony!)

One thing to keep at the back of your mind is why people share / part loan their horses. It can be a fraught relationship. The stable you mention sounds a good situation - but I suspect more expensive than it might be privately. Equi is absolutely right ab out keeping up professional instruction. You'll come on far faster privately anyway.

Always get a contract - it protects both sides. Clear communication also helps - ask how the owner wants things done and do it that way. (As long as its safe!). Never be afraid to ask - but bear in mind that for every 2 horsey people there are usually at least 3 opinions on what should be done.

BHS do a basic horse owner's certificate course which you can take in a weekend if you want a bit of back up for your technical skills.

Good luck!

 

[Oscarbear91]

Equi- thanks for your reply I note your comment that 60% is actually horse care. This is the area I need a refresh on but I'm sure I will pick it all up with some support and guidance.
I think that even if I do go ahead with the part loan, I will definitely still continue with private lessons as much as I can. I have a hell of a lot to learn yet!

Shay- thanks also for your reply!! I shall be asking the lady at the weekend why they have all of these horses for loan and how it's come about etc. It is rather expensive £120 for 2 days but tbh I do not mind paying extra for my first loan as I suspect there will be more support as it's a RS than if I loaned privately.
I am definitely interested in looking into the BHS certificate for some back up and extra knowledge.

I'm so excited - really hope this goes well.
Thanks again for replies x

 

[Amye]

You definitely sound ready but £120 for 2 days is very steep!!

If you went privately you could get that for £20/25 (a week).

It might take you a while to find the right loan situation, but if I were you I wouldn't be taking up the £120 for 2 days offer, it just seems far too much! You could probably do you BHS horse owners certificate for that much (and if you're still having lessons you're going to have to add lesson prices onto that too - so long as they're not included).

While you're looking for a loan horse, could you have 2 lessons a week? (still work out far less then £120). Your riding will improve quicker and then when you have found a loan horse you like and agreed, go back to 1 lesson or have lessons on your loan horse.

I part loaned my first horse at 23 (then went on to buy my own) and it was great. I knew how to do stable management stuff but had only ever done it on RS horses. I loaned the horse 2 days a week and the owner was really supportive and if I had any questions I just asked her. She came up to the yard with me the first few times to make sure I rode OK/did everything OK and then left me to my own devices, though for the first few times she would text and make sure everything was OK. If I had any problems or queries I would just ask her.

Some people put their horse on loan because they want the time off, and don't want to be asked questions constantly, but there are people out there who don't mind and will help you until you find your feet. I would consider you for my horse and wouldn't mind helping you with the basics at first for example.

Have you considered doing the BHS horse owners certificate like Shay suggested? Or does your riding school offer stable management lessons (or can you find one that does?)? You can then brush up on the horse care side before loaning.

 

[Karran]

Where are you based? Maybe someone on here knows something suitable.

If it helps, I was in exactly the same position when I got my part share - my Horse's owner supervised for the first two weeks until she was happy I could crack on alone and then I was left to it

 

[alainax]

Try joining some local horsey facebook groups and put up a part loan wanted ad. There are lots of people who have nice laid back horses and need an extra pair of hands, particularly in winter. I am sure you will find something suitable for much less than £120!

I agree with the above about just being supervised short term, it will soon all come back and then there will be no stopping you! Don't worry if you get things wrong, just pay close attention to what they say. For example the horse gets 2 nets of haylage - make sure to ask where to get the haylage from. You cant really go far wrong as long as you listen and ask questions.

 

[ester]

I would always be very cautious of the sort of set up you describe they tend to be very restrictive, I certainly wouldn't expect any care duties for that amount I would expect the horse to be on full livery!

 

[Oscarbear91]

Amye - I agree and have been told by a couple of people that £120 is rather steep for 2 days which does put me off abit. The RS I'm at atm doesn't offer BHS courses however, the RS I used to go to before uni etc does! It's a little bit further out but its a great RS - I am seriously considering asking to do BHS stage 1 training there!

Karran - I am Nottingham based and have a car so can get about easily enough!

Thank you all for your replies - some really useful tips and advice. Alainax - great idea about the Facebook groups.

What I'm hearing is that £120 for 2 days is expensive and as it's at a RS may be quite restrictive? I may still pop down at the weekend but also still keep looking for someone privately who would be willing to supervise me at first/help me get to grips with everything.

 

[Irishdiamond]

Hello OP! I've been in the Same boat as you for months, had to give up riding during to financial issues now I'm back at it. £120 per week is a rip off, if that's per month then it's more acceptable but you could still find wayyyy cheaper especially for only 2 days. Unless this yard had amazing facilities?
If you could find a BHS stage 1 course near you, it would mean you get 3 hours a week which includes riding and stable management and at the end I think you'd feel far more confident to loan privately as you would be learning all the stable management stuff again. Plus you don't have to sit the exam, where I live it worked out £33 a week for an hour's lesson and 2 hours stable management which is worth it.
That's what I decided, I'm planning to do my BHS Stage 1 so it worked out better to complete the course then I would feel confident alone with a horse.
Like you i learnt it all when I was a teen but rarely can practice it so abit nervous. There's other short horses you can do but the BHS Stage 1 training course givea you far more hands on time.
Good luck also if you want to go ahead with part sharing, post on gumtree and explain what you're looking for. You should get a good response of there. Loaning from a RS will be restrictive as you will be watched which I don't like but then you have the support of the school.

 

[Abi90]

£120 is way too much. I asked £140 a month for 3 days a week for a horse on full livery that they only had to turn up and ride at a yard with a large indoor and outdoor school and even then they complained it was too much.

 

[Amye]

Jessy - If you have the time you could always go and see what they're offering for £120 a week but like others have said, it is much more expensive then your average part loan. I'd ask tons of questions when you're there about how much riding you're allowed to do, how much stable management is required, if you need help is there anyone around to help or would someone be there the first few times to show you the ropes? Ask if there are any lessons included in that price, are you allowed to hack/what kind of hacking routes are there/are there other people to hack with? What arenas have they got and can you book them for sole use or is it a free for all and everyone just uses them when they want? Ask exactly WHY they charge so much compared to the average part loan?

Obviously they will try and sell it to you as they want the money, but if there's nothing exceptional there then I would look for something different.

Yeah have a look into doing the BHS stuff. Or if you really like the school you're at, just ask them if they can give you a stable management lesson as well as your riding lesson, doesn't have to be BHS course

Good luck! Let us know how you get on

 

[abbijay]

For £120 a week you could almost buy your own and put it on full livery - certainly put one on part for that! When you go to the RS there are a number of things I would want to check:
- Do you get to choose which days you have? Can you choose to vary the days - e.g. if you have to go somewhere with work?
- On the days you have the horse what chores are done for you and what must you do? E.g. do you have to go at breakfast to turn out, bring in at a certain time. Or is the horse on full livery those days and you can just do as much or as little as you like?
- Are your days solely yours all day or does your horse have to be available for others' lessons?
- What are you allowed to do with the horse - can you ride at any time? Are you only allowed to ride in lessons? Will you be allowed to go out hacking on your own or with other part loaners?
- Are lessons with the instructors included in the price? Private lessons or group lessons?
- What times is there an arena available to ride in? Do you have to pre-book? If there is only one arena and lessons run all day every day when are you going to ride?
- Are you allowed to take the horse out? Competitions or fun rides?
For me, at that price, I would expect one lesson to be included and the other day to be allowed to do what I chose, horse on full livery and no one else allowed to use it that day.

I had similar experience to you when I started part loaning at 23 although a slightly shorter break and slightly more confident on the riding front. I did get involved with a local RDA group as a volunteer which helped me gain extra experience on the ground in a very supportive environment. It's something to consider.
There are a variety of part loans out there - I need someone competent to be left unsupervised and have fun with my horse but when I started part loaning it was for people who had more than one and they wanted someone to ride out their safer one while they rode their younger/more nervous/tricky horse. If you can find a deal like that you could have a lot of fun.
At 25 I took my first horse on loan (from a very supportive owner who stayed in contact throughout) and 9 months later I bought him. I've never looked back!

 

[Vodkagirly]

Check the price, is it not £120 a month for 2 days a week?
Otherwise have a look on preloved, tends to be a lot of part loans on there or post your area and someone should be able to advise what the local horsey facebook groups are to look at.

 

[Oscarbear91]

I have contacted the lady again and she's confirmed that it's £120 a month for 2 days a week... is that still expensive or more reasonable? From looking at other ads it seems as though £120 a month is on the expensive side but pretty average? I have posted a wanted add on Preloved this morning so will hopefully get some offers from that too

Thank you guya for your list of questions - has given me a lot to think about! I deffo want to get as much info from them as possible on Saturday! I think you're right in that I do want a steady sensible horse (nothing too lazy) that I can gain experience from and refresh my yard duties etc whilst I'm still learning and taking private lessons. I think those kind of loans seem to be less common than the slightly more green horses.

A stable management course sounds interesting...

 

[abbijay]

I have contacted the lady again and she's confirmed that it's £120 a month for 2 days a week... is that still expensive or more reasonable? From looking at other ads it seems as though £120 a month is on the expensive side but pretty average? I have posted a wanted add on Preloved this morning so will hopefully get some offers from that too

No, that's at the higher end of prices but for a supervised and supported environment it sounds quite reasonable. I would still bear in mind the questions above but at that price I would be more flexible inmy expectations.

 

[ester]

In which case given the added support it might well be a good place to start. Just make sure you ask about access to your horse on your days and how much each one does on a day

 

[Amye]

£120 a month is still on the higher side pricewise for 2 days but much more reasonable I would go view and see how you get on. Take the questions you want to ask and don't feel silly about asking them! Do they have a range of horses for you to view for loaning or just one in mind?

They will probably want to see you ride at some point to make sure you and the horse get on, so be prepared for that but always see someone else ride first.

Might be worth the extra money if you get on with the horse and they are willing to be supportive

And don't be afraid to say no. If you go and the setup sounds amazing but none of the horses fit you then don't do it for the sake of it - something else will come along. Also don't be worried to ask to go back a second time to make sure that it is what you want!

 

[onemorehorse]

I part loan from a riding school, around the same rate, plus I have to pay for regular lessons. I have full access but have to fit in around their lessons and school availability so I tend to ride 3 times a week but could do more if I wanted. It's a great scheme as you have people to learn from or ask questions plus you don't have the pressure or responsibility of visiting every day as you know that they will be looked after. I don't have to pay vets fees/farrier/physio/feed/tack expenses. It's a win win for me and suits my circumstances.

 

[ihatework]

£120 a month for a novice to keep learning within a structured environment is perfectly acceptable. Be sure to factor in extra budget to keep having lessons

 

[Micropony]

Sharing can be absolutely brilliant and I would definitely encourage you to look for a suitable share. The RS arrangement might very well suit you, at least for a while, but don't rule out a private share arrangement either now or in the future.

It can be tricky to find the right thing for you privately, so be prepared to take some time choosing, and I would suggest erring on the side of under selling your riding ability in that situation rather than the reverse. Choosing the right owner is just as important as choosing the right horse!

I was lucky enough to find my share through my riding school RI, who also taught my share horse's owner privately. The owner was looking for a sharer to help with costs and give her a day off. I paid about the same as you for two days a week, one weekend day and one week day. At the weekend I was responsible for all care, and on the week day I just rode and the owner did everything else.

When I started the share I had never mucked out, caught in or even tacked up for myself! The owner actually liked that as it meant she could 'train' me to do things exactly as she wanted. Her standards of horse care and management were really good, so I learned lots and it was incredibly useful to me.

The horse was a saint, a retired 4* eventer, so he knew all the moves and had masses to teach me, but he was (in fact still is!) a total gent and very safe. We used to hack on our own for miles at all paces. I had fortnightly lessons on him with the same instructor who put us in touch, which was really helpful in getting to know him.

The owner gave me lots of help and support in the first few weeks and was always at the end of the phone and never minded me calling if I had a query about anything.

The other thing that really helped was that the yard the horse lived at was really friendly, and the horse's owner introduced me to people so I had others to hack with and learn the routes, and the owner was also really good about letting me know who to ask for advice about specific things, e.g. so and so is really good on wound care, so and so is the person to ask about yard rules and routines etc. I am sure they were also keeping a friendly eye on me and would have mentioned to her if they saw anything of concern, or the reverse!

The only reason things came to an end was that the owner moved out of the area, and I now have my own horse at the same yard. Without a doubt, sharing really set me up well for having my own.

Not all share arrangements work as well as that, I was really lucky, but there are a lot more owners looking for sharers than the other way around so you should be able to find something suitable if you ask lots of questions and take your time choosing.

Best of luck and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[Oscarbear91]

Thanks for all your responses. Thought I would provide an update.

So I went to view the horses/yard last weekend - rode a beautiful (but huge 16.3hh) horse. He was absolutely lovely to ride in the school (forgiving yet I could tell he would help me progress/challenge me and boy he's strong). However, the owner told me that he can be quite forward on hacks as he gets abit excited!! So that raised an alarm bell as I'm not a massively experienced rider and want something safe to hack on .... although some of the girls at the yard said they would be more than happy to come out on hacks with me until I'm comfortable.

Next, I tried another horse (15hh) that was the opposite end of the spectrum. Was ok when he had warmed up but definitely needed a lot more leg. I (and the YO) felt he may be abit too laid back for me.

So tomorrow I am trying two other horses before I make my decision on which to loan. I have been told the horses I am trying tomorrow are a nice middle ground between the previous two which sounds exactly what I am looking for - so I am quite excited to see what tomorrow brings!! I think if it came down to it I would go for something less challenging and 100% safe on hacks rather than a more forward going horse, due to the fact that this is my first loan and I have so much more to learn!! I need a confidence giver at the moment really.

Excited for the things to come!

The yard is great and the surroundings are beautiful (plus is very close to my house). The girls and YO seem lovely and willing to help/support me whilst I get into the swing of things.