Gin&Ginger
Active Member
Hi all, basically I'm looking for some advice from those of you who have had similar experiences.
A bit of background on our situation - I am 19 and have owned my pony for 6 years. He is 14hh and 14 years old. He is talented and a fantastic competition pony, but is quirky and strong, and very forward-going, so only suits a certain type of rider.
He is currently out on loan to a lovely girl whilst I am at University. My family pay most costs (livery/farrier/insurance), and his loaner pays for feed, anything additional she needs/wants, and his competition entry fees. The reason we continue to pay so much is because this is the easier option - I know the girl well and she gets on with him really well, but unfortunately due to her families' circumstances, would be unable to pay all the costs usually associated with loaning a horse. This arrangement also means he stayed at the current yard, and I can retain much control over him, and I can hack out occasionally when I'm back from University in the holidays.
I tried unsuccessfully to sell him about a year ago - there was a lot of interest but unfortunately due to him being quirky, he was too much of a handful for most of the children/teenagers who would be the right size/weight for him. I eventually gave up and stopped advertising when I went back to University for the new term, and put it to the back of my mind.
However, my parents recently raised concerns that they are unsure of how long they can continue to pay all of the costs, and due to other committments, I am unable to contribute a significant amount myself. Although they would not directly mention it, I know that they would rather my pony be on loan with the loaner paying most of the costs, or sold.
So I am faced with a dilemma. I think I have 3 options:
Option 1 - Try to get current loaner to contribute more to costs
I'm not sure how feasible this is, due to the financial situation. I have in the past offered him as a gift, but she feels that if she was going to pay all associated costs for a horse, she would want something bigger which she would not grow out of, etc.
Option 2 - Sell.
Pro's- parents no longer have the financial burden. When I graduate I will not have to take on financial responsibility. If current loaner is no longer in a position to look after him, I would struggle to find someone who was able to do such a good job as she does. Also, I wourry that in a few years time I may not want to be tied down by the responsibility - for example, if I relocate for job opportunities.
Con's - He is very difficult to sell, and I only have a between now and September to do it, as i can't travel back from University regularly to meet prospective buyers. On top of this, he is soon to be 15 years old, which will put a lot of people off. I also don't know whenter I could bring myself to sell him, as he is my first pony and we have a brilliant bond.
Option 3 - Permenant loan to someone else
In a way, this would be my preferred option, as having him on loan currently is an arrangement which has worked well - I like to retain control and still have a role in what happens with him. However, the downside of this is that, inevitably, the time will come when his loaners will want to give him back, which I would imagine would be in a few years time, which will effectively put me back to square one - having a pony who I may not be able to be in a position to look after. He would then also be considerably older, and less likely to sell easily.
I hope that all made sense, and thanks for reading this if you got this far!
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Bex
A bit of background on our situation - I am 19 and have owned my pony for 6 years. He is 14hh and 14 years old. He is talented and a fantastic competition pony, but is quirky and strong, and very forward-going, so only suits a certain type of rider.
He is currently out on loan to a lovely girl whilst I am at University. My family pay most costs (livery/farrier/insurance), and his loaner pays for feed, anything additional she needs/wants, and his competition entry fees. The reason we continue to pay so much is because this is the easier option - I know the girl well and she gets on with him really well, but unfortunately due to her families' circumstances, would be unable to pay all the costs usually associated with loaning a horse. This arrangement also means he stayed at the current yard, and I can retain much control over him, and I can hack out occasionally when I'm back from University in the holidays.
I tried unsuccessfully to sell him about a year ago - there was a lot of interest but unfortunately due to him being quirky, he was too much of a handful for most of the children/teenagers who would be the right size/weight for him. I eventually gave up and stopped advertising when I went back to University for the new term, and put it to the back of my mind.
However, my parents recently raised concerns that they are unsure of how long they can continue to pay all of the costs, and due to other committments, I am unable to contribute a significant amount myself. Although they would not directly mention it, I know that they would rather my pony be on loan with the loaner paying most of the costs, or sold.
So I am faced with a dilemma. I think I have 3 options:
Option 1 - Try to get current loaner to contribute more to costs
I'm not sure how feasible this is, due to the financial situation. I have in the past offered him as a gift, but she feels that if she was going to pay all associated costs for a horse, she would want something bigger which she would not grow out of, etc.
Option 2 - Sell.
Pro's- parents no longer have the financial burden. When I graduate I will not have to take on financial responsibility. If current loaner is no longer in a position to look after him, I would struggle to find someone who was able to do such a good job as she does. Also, I wourry that in a few years time I may not want to be tied down by the responsibility - for example, if I relocate for job opportunities.
Con's - He is very difficult to sell, and I only have a between now and September to do it, as i can't travel back from University regularly to meet prospective buyers. On top of this, he is soon to be 15 years old, which will put a lot of people off. I also don't know whenter I could bring myself to sell him, as he is my first pony and we have a brilliant bond.
Option 3 - Permenant loan to someone else
In a way, this would be my preferred option, as having him on loan currently is an arrangement which has worked well - I like to retain control and still have a role in what happens with him. However, the downside of this is that, inevitably, the time will come when his loaners will want to give him back, which I would imagine would be in a few years time, which will effectively put me back to square one - having a pony who I may not be able to be in a position to look after. He would then also be considerably older, and less likely to sell easily.
I hope that all made sense, and thanks for reading this if you got this far!
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Bex
