Trying to switch loan horses

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Spirit3106

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Hi!
I posted a few days ago about my current loan horse, and thought I'd be best to make a new post updating on it. She has severe separation anxiety from her herdmates which, in the month I've been riding her, and despite my efforts to help her relax and bond with me, hasn't been improving and actually feels like it's getting worse (both her manners on the ground and riding). I feel like at this point, I'm not clicking with her at all, and it seems more hassle than a typical loan should be. She actually felt dangerous today.

When I first tried the mare, I thought she was really nice, so went ahead and I signed a contract for 3 months, and have paid for the 3 months. She is owned by the yard owner as well. Today, when I was struggling with her, another woman who has her own horse on livery approached me and said she has her own horse, who she has been looking for someone to ride out and get back into work, but is supposedly good with hacking alone etc (and to be honest I feel like there's not much chance she could be worse to handle than my current mare). Loans in my area are very hard to come by, so having another potential option isn't something I want to completely dismiss yet.

I'm wondering if it would be worth trying to approach the YO/my current loan's owner, and ask about considering the other livery's offer. My mare has been paid for the 3 months, and I don't think she's in work other than what I do with her, so the contract is fulfilled in that sense, just that I wouldn't be riding the horse anymore. I'm just afraid it might seem like bad form? I don't want to try out the other horse or anything before I ask the YO because I'm not sure in terms of the yard's insurance etc,. So I'm just trying to get some opinions on if this is something that seems like it might be worth going for, and if it would be reasonable to bring up with YO? Thank you. ❤️
 
Just tell the person you're loaning the horse from that it's not working, and outline the reasons why. They'll be well aware of their horses issues, so it won't come as a suprise. Ask for a refund on the two additional months paid in advance. I wouldn't involve a third party. And would only organise another loan once this one has been terminated.
 
Amy May In A Manger said:
Just tell the person you're loaning the horse from that it's not working, and outline the reasons why. They'll be well aware of their horses issues, so it won't come as a suprise. Ask for a refund on the two additional months paid in advance. I wouldn't involve a third party. And would only organise another loan once this one has been terminated.
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Thanks for the input. The owner definitely knows the horse is difficult, I've been discussing the difficulties I've been having and she's acknowledged it herself, but I'm not hopeful about a refund, and I just checked the contract and it has the whole section about no refunds etc,. 🫤
 
Spirit3106 said:
Thanks for the input. The owner definitely knows the horse is difficult, I've been discussing the difficulties I've been having and she's acknowledged it herself, but I'm not hopeful about a refund, and I just checked the contract and it has the whole section about no refunds etc,. 🫤
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Well you may just have to kiss the money goodbye sadly.
 
My first thought was it was quite brave/maybe a bit silly or the other livery to approach her YO new loaner and offer her own horse by way or a replacement.
Then thought she must know the YO better than you do (presumably) and if she is happy to do that maybe it shows that the YO and owner or your current loan is very approachable and understanding 🤷‍♀️
I find it a little unfair that they made you pay 3 months up front, especially as (again presumably) the horse is known to be a bit hard to deal with.

I’d say as above politely give your notice, explain your reasons which are very acceptable reasons for not wanting to carry on. Separation anxiety can be an inner pita to deal with.
I strongly suspect my mare wouldn’t be easy to lead in herself from her friends to be ridden.
 
My only red flag about the other horse is: why is owner looking for someone else to bring the horse into work? Even the calmest of horses can be a bit difficult in this situation. Have you seen the woman ride the horse herself? Don't land yourself with another problem.
 
Smogul said:
My only red flag about the other horse is: why is owner looking for someone else to bring the horse into work? Even the calmest of horses can be a bit difficult in this situation. Have you seen the woman ride the horse herself? Don't land yourself with another problem.
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Yes to this. And I would ask the owner why it was out of work? But if the first loan horse is not working out and you do not want to continue then that's kind of a separate issue anyway and once finished there may be others.

I wouldn't pay a lot for bringing someone else's horse back into work until I knew it was at least relatively safe and not another difficult problem to resolve.
 
I would also be a little wary that the new offer is only as good as it sounds until the spring gets here and you have the out of work horse going nicely for her. Will the owner then suddenly decide she wants to ride again and no longer need your services? Apart from anything else it sounds more weighed in owner's favour than yours, you are actually doing a job for her, bringing the horse back into work. Do not be tempted to pay much at all for this loan IMHO.
 
I think lesson learned that you need to have a cooling off period in a contract.

If your mare is this bad in winter it's likely she'll be impossible in summer when no longer hungry and coming into season so it's not going to work.

Take your time finding a suitable new horse and make sure you get a trial period.
 
Spirit3106 said:
Hi!
I posted a few days ago about my current loan horse, and thought I'd be best to make a new post updating on it. She has severe separation anxiety from her herdmates which, in the month I've been riding her, and despite my efforts to help her relax and bond with me, hasn't been improving and actually feels like it's getting worse (both her manners on the ground and riding). I feel like at this point, I'm not clicking with her at all, and it seems more hassle than a typical loan should be. She actually felt dangerous today.

When I first tried the mare, I thought she was really nice, so went ahead and I signed a contract for 3 months, and have paid for the 3 months. She is owned by the yard owner as well. Today, when I was struggling with her, another woman who has her own horse on livery approached me and said she has her own horse, who she has been looking for someone to ride out and get back into work, but is supposedly good with hacking alone etc (and to be honest I feel like there's not much chance she could be worse to handle than my current mare). Loans in my area are very hard to come by, so having another potential option isn't something I want to completely dismiss yet.

I'm wondering if it would be worth trying to approach the YO/my current loan's owner, and ask about considering the other livery's offer. My mare has been paid for the 3 months, and I don't think she's in work other than what I do with her, so the contract is fulfilled in that sense, just that I wouldn't be riding the horse anymore. I'm just afraid it might seem like bad form? I don't want to try out the other horse or anything before I ask the YO because I'm not sure in terms of the yard's insurance etc,. So I'm just trying to get some opinions on if this is something that seems like it might be worth going for, and if it would be reasonable to bring up with YO? Thank you. ❤️
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I'm not sure I would want to loan either of those. There are worse things than being between/without rides. I would just end the loan politely. I don't think that would cause bad feeling & I don't think the owner would be surprised either, I suspect her previous loaners haven't lasted long & that's why there's an unusually long contract.

I'd be more fussy about new loans. You don't want to be paying to do work for people. If you're good enough to bring on out of work & difficult horses you could ask for pay for that, or if what you want is an easier time say so & keep looking, good loans are out there.
 
I would suggest the livery broaches her offer with the YO as you could end up in the middle of a situation where YO is peed off.
If you do take the other horse only do it on a 2 week trial basis as an out of work horse is a very different kettle of fish. Why are there 2 horses unridden by anyone?
 
Could be tricky. Depends on how magnanimous/bonkers the YO is as a person. I mean, we’ve met horse people….Just because the horse sounds like it isn’t a suitable loan horse doesn’t mean she won’t be terribly offended that you stopped loaning it and started with another horse at the yard. And being YO means she has more power and influence than just another owner.

Bringing one back into work can also be a pain.
 
poiuytrewq said:
My first thought was it was quite brave/maybe a bit silly or the other livery to approach her YO new loaner and offer her own horse by way or a replacement.
Then thought she must know the YO better than you do (presumably) and if she is happy to do that maybe it shows that the YO and owner or your current loan is very approachable and understanding 🤷‍♀️
I find it a little unfair that they made you pay 3 months up front, especially as (again presumably) the horse is known to be a bit hard to deal with.

I’d say as above politely give your notice, explain your reasons which are very acceptable reasons for not wanting to carry on. Separation anxiety can be an inner pita to deal with.
I strongly suspect my mare wouldn’t be easy to lead in herself from her friends to be ridden.
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I was thinking it was a bit brazen of her myself! That's why I felt best to get some more thoughts on it. She's asked the YO about offering her own horse for loans prior to this, but she's fairly new to the yard as well, so neither of us really know the YO that well. YO seems nice and understanding in general but if I were to go for the other horse, I'd be concerned about it being cheeky to say to her "hey I don't want to ride your horse anymore, but is it ok if I sign a loan contract for X's horse instead?" 🙈
 
Mrs. Glittery Jingle Balls said:
I would also be a little wary that the new offer is only as good as it sounds until the spring gets here and you have the out of work horse going nicely for her. Will the owner then suddenly decide she wants to ride again and no longer need your services? Apart from anything else it sounds more weighed in owner's favour than yours, you are actually doing a job for her, bringing the horse back into work. Do not be tempted to pay much at all for this loan IMHO.
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She bought the horse earlier this year and hasn't ridden her yet, she's sent me some videos and said that the previous owner said she's a "forward but safe happy hacker". She's going to move the horse in a few months to a different place and said if she has a rider now then they can keep riding at the new place. In my head I know it sounds like a risky one, I'm also fairly certain she mentioned something about wanting the same rate as my current horse (which is relatively cheap where I am for loans but for working her horse and bringing it back into work I'm not so sure about it!).
 
St Nicnaclaus said:
I would suggest the livery broaches her offer with the YO as you could end up in the middle of a situation where YO is peed off.
If you do take the other horse only do it on a 2 week trial basis as an out of work horse is a very different kettle of fish. Why are there 2 horses unridden by anyone?
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The YO has a few of her own horses, she doesn't ride them much herself as she has work etc but offers them out to others. One alternative I'm debating is asking if I could switch to one of the other horses she has, although when she told me what horses she has the one I've got now sounded like the most sane!
 
Glitter is Fun said:
I'm not sure I would want to loan either of those. There are worse things than being between/without rides. I would just end the loan politely. I don't think that would cause bad feeling & I don't think the owner would be surprised either, I suspect her previous loaners haven't lasted long & that's why there's an unusually long contract.

I'd be more fussy about new loans. You don't want to be paying to do work for people. If you're good enough to bring on out of work & difficult horses you could ask for pay for that, or if what you want is an easier time say so & keep looking, good loans are out there.
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It feels like loans come up so rarely where I am! My last loan situation I was basically paying (a high rate) to exercise a woman's horse for her via very repetitive, dull roadwork. I'm not a particularly strong rider but I'm not a fair weather rider and I've got a flexible schedule, so things like keeping a horse ticking over etc,. Is what I'd be ideal for. In terms of the price, flexibility, yard itself etc the loan I have right now is actually really suitable for me, the only issue is that the horse is so difficult that I don't get to enjoy it!
 
Spirit3106 said:
She bought the horse earlier this year and hasn't ridden her yet, she's sent me some videos and said that the previous owner said she's a "forward but safe happy hacker". She's going to move the horse in a few months to a different place and said if she has a rider now then they can keep riding at the new place. In my head I know it sounds like a risky one, I'm also fairly certain she mentioned something about wanting the same rate as my current horse (which is relatively cheap where I am for loans but for working her horse and bringing it back into work I'm not so sure about it!).
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I'm getting some concerning vibes off the backstory behind the other horse you are being offered, but I am rather a notorious old cynic these days so maybe nothing. 🤷‍♀️ Please proceed with caution whatever you decide. Good luck.
 
Mrs. Glittery Jingle Balls said:
I'm getting some concerning vibes off the backstory behind the other horse you are being offered, but I am rather a notorious old cynic these days so maybe nothing. 🤷‍♀️ Please proceed with caution whatever you decide. Good luck.
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Thank you. If the owner had actually ridden the horse herself before it'd be one thing but I'm going off of secondhand information, and I was also told the horse I'm riding is a quiet happy hacker so as keen as I am for a good loan I'm worried about going from one bad situation to another!
 
Hmm speaking from experience over the past three years, loans come in different shapes and sizes. Generally I have found the type where you pay to bring a horse on/ride because owner doesnt have time or circumstances have changed usually there is something a miss with the horse itself and the owner does not want or cannot tackle this. Whereas the traditional full loan, where you treat the horse as your own and have a full contract etc you tend to find are few and far between but do have horses that are sane and manageable, this is just from my experience though as in my area shares where you contribute and ride a certain amount of times a week at owners choice of days are more common.
 
NoodlesHalloween said:
Hmm speaking from experience over the past three years, loans come in different shapes and sizes. Generally I have found the type where you pay to bring a horse on/ride because owner doesnt have time or circumstances have changed usually there is something a miss with the horse itself and the owner does not want or cannot tackle this. Whereas the traditional full loan, where you treat the horse as your own and have a full contract etc you tend to find are few and far between but do have horses that are sane and manageable, this is just from my experience though as in my area shares where you contribute and ride a certain amount of times a week at owners choice of days are more common.
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The last one is what I've been doing/looking for the last year, sharing a few days a week. I don't need the absolute perfect horse, and I know every one will have their own quirks, but I just want something that isn't trying to kill me or itself 😵‍💫
 
Spirit3106 said:
I was thinking that. It wasn't as expensive as other loans I've had so not the biggest loss I suppose. My main worry really is about burning bridges at one of the few yards in my area!
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Your only problem will be if YO takes umbrage at your riding the other horse. You will need to use your judgement about the best way to broach the subject. I think I would tell YO that you think for the horses safety, it might be best to stop riding her, you don't think your riding is good enough - take the blame yourself, rather than saying the horse is a lunatic.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Your only problem will be if YO takes umbrage at your riding the other horse. You will need to use your judgement about the best way to broach the subject. I think I would tell YO that you think for the horses safety, it might be best to stop riding her, you don't think your riding is good enough - take the blame yourself, rather than saying the horse is a lunatic.
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Good tact! I think that's what I'll go with if I'm trying to switch.
 
Spirit3106 said:
She bought the horse earlier this year and hasn't ridden her yet, she's sent me some videos and said that the previous owner said she's a "forward but safe happy hacker". She's going to move the horse in a few months to a different place and said if she has a rider now then they can keep riding at the new place. In my head I know it sounds like a risky one, I'm also fairly certain she mentioned something about wanting the same rate as my current horse (which is relatively cheap where I am for loans but for working her horse and bringing it back into work I'm not so sure about it!).
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I think it’s a bit cheeky to be asking someone to pay to bring her horse back into work, especially when she’s not ridden it herself. I would be very cautious - it may well have been a safe happy hacker in its previous home but could be different in a new place with a new rider after a long holiday.
Might be worth putting a wanted ad on Facebook outlining your riding ability and what you’re looking for. Where I am (north east) there seem to be plenty of horses available for part loan and not much interest. Granted most have quirks/aren’t beginner rides, but that’s just horses. I put a post up for one of mine a while back and didn’t find anyone, I might be biased but I was a bit surprised as he’s quite nice!
 
Sail_away said:
I think it’s a bit cheeky to be asking someone to pay to bring her horse back into work, especially when she’s not ridden it herself. I would be very cautious - it may well have been a safe happy hacker in its previous home but could be different in a new place with a new rider after a long holiday.
Might be worth putting a wanted ad on Facebook outlining your riding ability and what you’re looking for. Where I am (north east) there seem to be plenty of horses available for part loan and not much interest. Granted most have quirks/aren’t beginner rides, but that’s just horses. I put a post up for one of mine a while back and didn’t find anyone, I might be biased but I was a bit surprised as he’s quite nice!
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That's the thing. Paying for the privilege of slowly getting someone's unknown horse back into shape doesn't sound like the best deal! Are you in the UK? I'm in Ireland and I don't think the whole thing of loans and leases has caught on yet! I may put a post up on the FB groups if things don't go well at this yard with my current prospects.
 
Spirit3106 said:
I'm in Ireland and I don't think the whole thing of loans and leases has caught on yet! I may put a post up on the FB groups if things don't go well at this yard with my current prospects.
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Oh my goodness, I wish I had known you three years ago if you lived in my area in Ireland. I had an absolutely stunning horse that had manners to die for, moved like a dream and had a great deal of natural presence, and he was as near bomb proof as one can safely say. He was my 70th birthday present to myself, my dream horse. Unfortunately I became physically unable to ride and eventually after hoping for some sort of health miracle I had to sell him back to his previous owner as he was literally just standing in the field growing fat with my retired mare. He would have been a perfect loan for you and I would have just loved the pleasure of still owning him and having him around.

I know it is difficult to get a decent loan offer here, but equally it is very, very difficult to get someone that one would trust enough to loan their horses to. A quick leg up and gallop out the yard or wanting to thrash him around the hunting field was the best I found, he was too good for that and safer back with his old owner. Pm me if you can give me your area I might put a few feelers out for you if it would be of any help to you.
 
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