To loan or not to loan

Asha

Asha

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Hi All ,

Just wanted to hear your experiences on loaning horses out .
I have zero intentions of selling my homebred mare and at the moment no plans to breed again . She’s a fabulous sports horse type , who loves being pampered . Sound and ready to start hacking out again . Once fit would be able to do BS/BE again . I have someone potentially interested.
Is it worth it ?
 
I've been very fortunate in my life to have been entrusted with 4 horses belonging to other people. I've taken care of them all to a high standard and tried to send them home in better condition when they arrived. There are some excellent loaners out there BUT there are also some villains. So be very careful who you trust your horse to. I doubt I'll loan again as I find it very stressful taking care of someone's pride and joy particularly when it's a horse with an inbuilt self harm gene....
 
Absolutely if you can find the right person.

One of mine went out on loan for years and she looked after him like a prince. He only came home when her yard closed and the local area couldn’t absorb all those looking for somewhere new, and I wasn’t prepared for him to go somewhere with poor turnout, etc.

We’re still friends even years after he was PTS (old age).

Make sure you agree formal terms and put a loan agreement in place.
 
As some who has had the same pony stolen on loan twice, and had to retrieve 2 others in an emergency and not great condition, 1 minus all his tack and rugs I'm inclined to say no. But I also had a wonderful loaner who I gifted the horse to and she kept him till the end of his days. So its not always bad. But when it goes wrong it tends to go wrong quickly and badly.
 
If you are sensible about your expectations and keep communication open and honest.

You may know I have loaned out two of my well bred young competition horses over recent years. One hugely successful from both sides. The other went wrong, through no one’s fault, ended on good terms and both parties have remained friends.

I can email you the contracts I used on both if it’s helpful.
 
My current pony is out on lean and has been for a couple of years, two different loaners, both friends who i had no hesitation in loaning him to. He is exactly the same as he has always been, and happy and healthy. I've also had people loan from me who I didn't know and it has always been difficult from not treating the horse as I would like, to downright neglect. I would loan again, if I had to, but only to someone I knew well.
 
ihatework said:
If you are sensible about your expectations and keep communication open and honest.

You may know I have loaned out two of my well bred young competition horses over recent years. One hugely successful from both sides. The other went wrong, through no one’s fault, ended on good terms and both parties have remained friends.

I can email you the contracts I used on both if it’s helpful.
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That would be fab . Thank you . I will send you my email address
 
it’s completely fine if you know the person is okay or they have a good reference to be honest I know a lot of experienced people who are now loaning horse after pts there own horses because the horse prices are high and they can’t afford to own again.
 
I had a lovely experience for a year or so, enjoyed seeing my horse compete and it was genuinely fun.
However, she broke up with her boyfriend one January day and I had to pick the horse up that day ….. so as long as you can cope with things like that!
 
canteron said:
I had a lovely experience for a year or so, enjoyed seeing my horse compete and it was genuinely fun.
However, she broke up with her boyfriend one January day and I had to pick the horse up that day ….. so as long as you can cope with things like that!
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lme said:
I had one (country standard show hunter) on go on loan for over 10 years before coming home to retire - still friends with the loaner. I've also had one on loan - treated like any of my others
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Thats what i had in mind, she can come home whenever, always a stable here for her. In fact she has to come home when shes ready to retire

Thanks everyone, much appreciated
 
I thought that I had found the perfect loan home for mine, with impeccable references from mutual friends.

Best advice is to keep close tabs on what is going on, and don’t presume that all is well.

It was me who first noticed that my mare was showing signs of discomfort, including refusing, and I had to pull rank to intervene. Mare turned out to be extremely broken indeed with multiple issues. When I collected her (she was never sound enough to be ridden again) items of her belongings were hurled across the yard at me.
 
My horse is on loan to me. It's win-win as their daughter has moved on and they no longer have the cost, worry or manual labour to do in looking after him, and I got a well-mannered horse who is fine for hacking out a few times a week. It would have been difficult to sell him as he is older, can no longer jump and has extra management needs as he has had laminitis and EMS. They didn't know me well, but it was low risk for them as the field he is in is next to the road they drive daily to and from work. It's very easy to keep an eye on how he's doing!

For me, part of the deal of getting a 'free of charge' horse is that I will also take responsibility for his end-of-life costs or retirement (we own the field, so no problem in that sense) when that time comes. I'd certainly not just 'hand him back' once he cannot be ridden - that just seems a bit rude really, to me.
 
I had Roger on loan before I bought him for a small fee. He had been in a couple of loan homes before he came to me as his rider had outgrown him. I got a wonderful older gent and worshipped the ground he walked on for 14 years. Could never have afforded a pony of that calibre.
I think if you find someone, ideally through word of mouth, it can work well.
 
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