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sasquatch

sasquatch

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To cut a long story short, I am still waiting on uni offers so atm do not know what I am doing with horse.
I will be going to uni in The Netherlands if I get in this year, so won't be in the country and I don't think it'll be possible to bring him with me.

B is 15, will be 16 next year and he is not an easy horse. He behaves most of the time like he is 5 going on 6, and when I am at uni I would want to put him on loan rather than to sell him. Mum has made the argument that if I don't come back, what is the point of still having ownership of him, which I can understand and completely accept and has seriously made me consider my options further. I am slightly heartbroken, I've had him for 6 years and he isn't getting any younger which makes it even harder knowing I can't be certain in securing him a good retirement and old age.

As it is, he currently has 2 lovely sharers who have him 4 days a week between them. They are two girls of about 13/14 and they all seem to have learnt from each other. Their parents are not horsey, however both dads are very involved and can muck out, do nets etc. one has even been caught playing with him in turnout. They did have him for 6 days a week at one point, and I would love for them to be able to take him on full loan however I don't know if in reality it would be possible for them or not.

As I'm not going to be sure if I have an offer/place until the end of June, I don't know how to mention to my sharers that this is a possibility I will be looking for someone to full-loan him long term, or the possibility he may end up for sale. I don't want to tell them this, for them to then work it out with their parents and let them down if I don't get into uni next year, but I also don't want to leave it until last minute either and find myself rushing to get him sorted if I do get in.

I really, really am not sure what to do, especially as my place isn't confirmed at uni yet.

My mum is a lawyer, so any loan/sale contracts would go through her, and she also is horsey (although hasn't ridden in a while!) so understands what would also need to be covered in any agreements made.
 
I'm currently in my second year at university, and for the last term have had my horse with me on full livery which although eye wateringly expensive, has been great (obviously this isn't really an option for you though!). I'm very very lucky in that I keep my horses at home for free, and my Mother is horsey so cares for them whilst i'm away. Before bringing the main boy down to uni with me I would go home every few weekends.

Given your situation, though it may be very hard to, I would be considering selling. Loaning a horse for 3 years with a plan to have him back is quite a long period. You also have to consider the risk that the loaner decides to send him back (or he gets injured), and you would then have to arrange livery etc whilst at university. You would have ample time over summer to find him a new home and could offer a trial period if you wanted to ascertain the suitability of the new owner (could even lwvtb for a few months, but again if they turn round at the end and say 'no thank you' you could be in a sticky situation). RE: the sharers, 13/14 is old enough to understand the whole university concept. If you decided to sell I would explain the whole situation to them and to their parents and they ought to understand, you could perhaps also offer to spread the word if they wanted to look for a new share horse.
 
Queenie_ said:
I'm currently in my second year at university, and for the last term have had my horse with me on full livery which although eye wateringly expensive, has been great (obviously this isn't really an option for you though!). I'm very very lucky in that I keep my horses at home for free, and my Mother is horsey so cares for them whilst i'm away. Before bringing the main boy down to uni with me I would go home every few weekends.

Given your situation, though it may be very hard to, I would be considering selling. Loaning a horse for 3 years with a plan to have him back is quite a long period. You also have to consider the risk that the loaner decides to send him back (or he gets injured), and you would then have to arrange livery etc whilst at university. You would have ample time over summer to find him a new home and could offer a trial period if you wanted to ascertain the suitability of the new owner (could even lwvtb for a few months, but again if they turn round at the end and say 'no thank you' you could be in a sticky situation). RE: the sharers, 13/14 is old enough to understand the whole university concept. If you decided to sell I would explain the whole situation to them and to their parents and they ought to understand, you could perhaps also offer to spread the word if they wanted to look for a new share horse.
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^That^

If you were going to university in the UK it would be different, but the fact that you plan to go to Holland (I assume this is to do with fees?) makes it more complicated. Loaning is very difficult - you might get lucky and find the perfect loaner, but chances are things will fall through at least once. My own horse came back off loan twice while I was at university! How will you cope if that happens? Will your Mum be willing to look after him, potentially for quite a while, while a new loaner is found?

Honestly, I would sell if I were you.
 
HashRouge said:
^That^

If you were going to university in the UK it would be different, but the fact that you plan to go to Holland (I assume this is to do with fees?) makes it more complicated. Loaning is very difficult - you might get lucky and find the perfect loaner, but chances are things will fall through at least once. My own horse came back off loan twice while I was at university! How will you cope if that happens? Will your Mum be willing to look after him, potentially for quite a while, while a new loaner is found?

Honestly, I would sell if I were you.
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Not to do with fees, but to do with courses as well as fees as what I want to do isn't offered in the same way in the UK (or even Ireland) and the Dutch system and unis are generally ranked higher than the UK ones as well.

Mum would be prepared to find another suitable loan home, and if needed could look after him for a while and there is also the possible option of loaning him to a RS, or putting him on a reduced working livery as he has been part of a RS in the past.

I am also considering offering sharers first refusal, I'm not sure if they could afford to buy but would have to speak to them about a full loan, which is part of the reason I don't want to get hopes up if I don't get in this year.
 
If the current girls are capable and able to take him on full loan then it could work out well for all involved, in 4/5 years they might be heading of to uni themselves & you should be finished by then and will be able to care for him in his dotage :)
 
ailbheg said:
Have you looked at loaning him to one of the equine colleges?
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I don't know if he would be suited or if Cafre take on horses - I'm in NI.
He also does need a more one-on-one type home, he has been used in a RS but wasn't suited to it, his confidence seems to come from if he can find someone he trusts.

wills_91 said:
If the current girls are capable and able to take him on full loan then it could work out well for all involved, in 4/5 years they might be heading of to uni themselves & you should be finished by then and will be able to care for him in his dotage :)
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That's what I would hope, or if I am not back in 4/5 years he will either be at an age of slowing down and a life of retirement or I should hopefully be in a position to bring him over to wherever I'm living.

I need to speak to them about it, but I'm not sure how to word it as I don't yet know if I'll definitely be away or not, and don't want them to give them false hope. It would be an ideal situation if they could take him on, he knows them and trusts them and they know him and what he's capable of and seem to be having lots of fun with him.
I'm just not sure how to approach them but feel it needs to be done soon so they have time to talk it over and gives me more time incase they can't take him and he needs to be advertised elsewhere :(
 
I went to uni close to home so I could keep my horse and go home every weekend, I am lucky to have a supportive horsey Mum! In my final year my mare came to live with me so I didn't have to keep going home. Obviously you won't be in a position to do this and as you sound like you are planning to be away rather long term (deducing that from 'if I am back in 4/5 years') I honestly think it might be better to sell, at 15 he is not old. It would break my heart but in the long run may be better for both of you.

Equine colleges would be a good idea and generally want all sorts of different horses but they often have to 'go home' in the holidays so this probably wouldn't work for you.

I also think the teenagers could be a risky option, I don't like saying it as I was dedicated at that age but many lose interest and if one stopped sharing your Mum would have to take over or find someone else. I would speak to them both and explain your situation and gage how serious they are about him, if they seem genuine I would then speak to the parents about how you would arrange it contractually, explaining you would need notice if they were to stop loaning him so you could find someone else. Ideally I would want one of them to be more serious than the other so one (parent) can be the named responsible loaner.
 
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What a tough decision to make. I am not sure that you need to make the decision right now though. Maybe put him on loan in the first instance (not necessarily to the teenagers, though great if they want to and you are happy with them) and review it when you come back at the end of your first year? If you are back in the UK during the holidays, any decent loaner will be more than happy for you to go and see him and ride as well. I bought one of mine after having him on loan for 2 years, because the owner could see that he was well-loved and would have a home with us for life. When we took him on, it was good to know that he was intended for long-term loan and that she wasn't going to ask for him back very quickly, or at all. Had we not bought him, we would still have him on loan. He was nothing flash, just a nice 'person' and a good allrounder and confidence-giver; there will always be willing homes for horses like that :)
 
Anna26 said:
I went to uni close to home so I could keep my horse and go home every weekend, I am lucky to have a supportive horsey Mum! In my final year my mare came to live with me so I didn't have to keep going home. Obviously you won't be in a position to do this and as you sound like you are planning to be away rather long term (deducing that from 'if I am back in 4/5 years') I honestly think it might be better to sell, at 15 he is not old. It would break my heart but in the long run may be better for both of you.

Equine colleges would be a good idea and generally want all sorts of different horses but they often have to 'go home' in the holidays so this probably wouldn't work for you.

I also think the teenagers could be a risky option, I don't like saying it as I was dedicated at that age but many lose interest and if one stopped sharing your Mum would have to take over or find someone else. I would speak to them both and explain your situation and gage how serious they are about him, if they seem genuine I would then speak to the parents about how you would arrange it contractually, explaining you would need notice if they were to stop loaning him so you could find someone else. Ideally I would want one of them to be more serious than the other so one (parent) can be the named responsible loaner.
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I would be home for most holidays, I know definitely summer and christmas I would be home and depending how long/if they are off for easter I would be home then too, however I don't know of many equine colleges in NI.

re. the two girls, this is something I would have to talk to them about. Mum would be the one helping me with drawing up a contract, so that is something to be worked out once we know what is happening to him, as we would with any possible loanee.
electric_circus said:
What a tough decision to make. I am not sure that you need to make the decision right now though. Maybe put him on loan in the first instance (not necessarily to the teenagers, though great if they want to and you are happy with them) and review it when you come back at the end of your first year? If you are back in the UK during the holidays, any decent loaner will be more than happy for you to go and see him and ride as well. I bought one of mine after having him on loan for 2 years, because the owner could see that he was well-loved and would have a home with us for life. When we took him on, it was good to know that he was intended for long-term loan and that she wasn't going to ask for him back very quickly, or at all. Had we not bought him, we would still have him on loan. He was nothing flash, just a nice 'person' and a good allrounder and confidence-giver; there will always be willing homes for horses like that :)
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That would be an ideal situation, I'm glad you've been able to give such a lovely boy a home, and the idea of a year 'review' sounds good as I will definitely be back for summer and christmas during my first 2 years (I think it's actually a 3 year course) and probably during my 3rd year too.

It's reassuring to know that there are good, positive loaning stories like yours :)
 
sasquatch said:
I don't know if he would be suited or if Cafre take on horses - I'm in NI.
He also does need a more one-on-one type home, he has been used in a RS but wasn't suited to it, his confidence seems to come from if he can find someone he trusts.
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There's Gurteen in Tipperary too. Though if he wasn't suited to a RS it may not be the best idea, as if it didn't work out and he had to go back home it's a long spin and you're back to looking for a loan home again. Though I suppose that's the case with any loan.

Hopefully it'll work out that your sharers can take him full time. As you're not sure about whether you have a place yet, how about speaking to them to see if they would be interested, but make sure they know it's only a possibility at this point?
 
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