Uh oh! I've been looking at the horse ads again...

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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... and I found an ad for a horse for loan. So far, so normal... but this horse is recovering from a tendon injury and it also seems to be a bit tricky as they mention confidence issues (the horse, not the owner), consistent training required and trust building.

So would you consider loaning a horse that needs rehabilitating and training then hand it back once rehabilitated?
 
Can't see any benefit to the arrangement except from the lenders viewpoint. But then if a horse is unsound why would you want someone else to take it on unless of course you really didn't care what became of the horse. No, does not sound like a good arrangement.
 
They are really wanting a full rehab by someone well qualified and experienced without wanting to spend any money, they will allow the horse to move yards to the right person, a very confusing ad unless they are possibly thinking of signing it over if the right person applies and are trying to avoid the wrong applicants who are just looking for a free horse.
 
Lol I love how it is packaged up to make it like such a great treat to do all the work.

I was wondering if basically the horse was looking for a home but no as you say seems like they just want a skivvy.
 
Faracat said:
FW -I think so, but it isn't completely clear.

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109479410/truly-stunning-friesian-mare.html

However, I wondered what people thought about taking on a loan that both parties knew would end once the horse was sorted out. Not necessarily this horse, but as a general question. :)
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Sounds like they want what would normally be a very expensive rehabilitation process done for free to me......

Of course if you enjoy doing that and have a set agreement about when the loan will end that's fine. But personally I would hate to invest so much time and effort in a horse that would never be mine and could be taken away at any point.

Beautiful horse though :)
 
So they're basically being paid to have their horse rehabilitated by someone else? She's beautiful, OP, and I can see why you would want to take her on, but I don't like the way they're asking for payment.
 
Faracat, there is a poster on the East of England page looking for someone to compete her horse for the winter, the horse has recovered from an injury but the owner is to heavy at present to ride.
 
If you were taking on a horse that needed work, but you knew that the loan would be long IE 2 years or more. So you did get to enjoy the fruits of your labours after the rehabilitation - does that make it fairer?

ETA - I'm not looking for another horse and don't want to loan any of mine out either. One of mine is doing 10 min walks post tendon injury, which is why this piqued my interest. I just have a terrible habit of browsing the ads for fun.
 
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She is only up the road from me lol. Beautiful but I think I would have to know the terms of the loan first from a long term perspective. My first thought is that they are taking the proverbial to be honest...BUT...if it was for a very long term or with the potential to purchase then possibly xx
 
They want rehab, for free, then get a fit horse back!

Yes I understand someone might want a horse to practice an alternative therapy on a horse, but to expect them to pay for livery and do all the dirty work is shocking!


Obviously I don't know the full details so the loaner may get something out of it longer term but its not clear in the advert.
 
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So she might be lucky and find a loan home for the mare then. Although I'm not sure that perverse is top of the owner's list of qualities for potential loaners to possess. ;)
 
If I was bored and looking for something to entertain myself with I would consider it. As it happens I currently have a short term loan over the winter precisely because I was bored and didn't want to buy at the time I found myself horseless so who knows.

That said, I don't think I am actually good enough to meet the criteria in the ad so although I might be willing I probably wouldn't be deemed suitable :p
 
I've not read the ad, but I took a 'probable back issues, hasn't been ridden for years' loan, with a view to attempting rehab if possible, break to drive if not. The idea was to save the horse, nothing more.

As it happens, we re-backed it without any physical issues, and have had it for years. It's been hacking/pony club/driven - even a bit of xc and a gymkhana. #4daughter was jumping drainage ditches on it this morning :)

Some of us just like lost causes.
 
Faracat said:
ETA - I'm not looking for another horse and don't want to loan any of mine out either. One of mine is doing 10 min walks post tendon injury, which is why this piqued my interest. I just have a terrible habit of browsing the ads for fun.
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LOL Faracat... You need a parental style block on you computer for x - rated horse ads ;)
 
I've had horses on loan to sort them out - from as little as six weeks to as long as a year and a half. I did it in my last year of school and through the first two years of uni - when I knew I didn't want to be tied down with buying a horse, but had enough money to keep one and time to ride it... plus if it's a loan, if the horse really is a lost cause then you haven't risked your money buying it.

I sorted out 4 different horses over three years on loan, and one I had to sort out behaviour, but turned out to have an old injury that hadn't been disclosed... long story but horse went lame and I actually ended up keeping on loan for another six months to be companion to the NEXT loan I got.

It can work well depending on your circumstances, and obviously the owner is getting the training for nothing, so good for them :)
 
I'm another ad browser, OP, and I've seen a few of this type of ad recently. It makes me very cross that people will try to offload their broken horses onto some other poor soul. Whether as a loan or a sale, the person taking the horse on has no guarantee that it will come right, all the expense and potential heartache and the owner, who was in charge when the horse 'broke' gets off scott-free. I always assume that these are the ones who 'can't afford' to rehab the horse but CAN afford to get another one.
And to answer your question, no I wouldn't!
And should one of mine need rehab, she'll get it here.
 
I've also seen a few new ads for old horses (all over 20) for sale for a pittance. Of course the owner has had then for years and years and wants to find them the 'nice companion/occasional hack home that they deserve'. Everytime I read one like that, I wonder why the owner doesn't take responsibility for their ageing horse themselves?
 
Faracat said:
I've also seen a few new ads for old horses (all over 20) for sale for a pittance. Of course the owner has had then for years and years and wants to find them the 'nice companion/occasional hack home that they deserve'. Everytime I read one like that, I wonder why the owner doesn't take responsibility for their ageing horse themselves?
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Yes, that makes me cross as well. If they can't be bothered to retire it themselves, then have the bloomin' thing pts. Take some responsibility!
 
It reads 're-hab and train my problem horse for me for free'. Who's to say they won't ask for it back when it's going nicely?

Also the owner sounds difficult, tbh. If the methods she's been using are so great, why does the horse have confidence issues?
 
khalswitz said:
I've had horses on loan to sort them out - from as little as six weeks to as long as a year and a half. I did it in my last year of school and through the first two years of uni - when I knew I didn't want to be tied down with buying a horse, but had enough money to keep one and time to ride it... plus if it's a loan, if the horse really is a lost cause then you haven't risked your money buying it.
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If you were happy to loan in that situation, then that's fine. :)
 
Faracat said:
If you were happy to loan in that situation, then that's fine. :)
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I'm well aware that not everyone would, but there are people out there whose circumstances fit this type of loan, and often the horse gets a good deal out of it as they have someone to put that time into them and give them a fair chance.

One of my friends also does short term loans - she owns her own horse, whom she jumps, but being a small rider who still loves to play about doing PC games etc, she takes out a three month loan every summer of a pony that is proving tricky for kids to ride. By the end of a summer with her, they are generally quite happy to go back to being ridden by kids!!! She has a great time whilst they have plenty of grass to keep an extra pony, and pony can have a useful job by the end of it.
 
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