Where are all the full loan horses hiding?!?

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roz84

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I have had an advert up for a while now looking for a horse on loan, my demands aren't great - 15 - 16hh, sane and sensible for riding club activities etc, great home on livery yard with lots going on - and had no response whatsoever! Are people not loaning their horses at the moment? I am happy to provide references and sign a contract and have happily loaned before, very frustrating!
 
I am in the EXACT same boat, with pretty much the exact same advert bar mine is 16-17hh haha! I'm in northampton and everything is either to share, or for ridiculous money!
 
I've just full loaned my mare out for the rest of the year due to going abroad to work for the summer! I would recommend local horsey facebook pages as your best bet, that's how I found my loaner. My local one is 'Wiltshire riders' or the Bristol/South West page...I also think you're more likely to find a loan on local pages like this because people will be more inclined to full loan out to someone local/someone they may know of or know someone who knows of them.
 
Where are you OP? It might be your area as around me (at home not uni) it was the opposite - everyone loaning out and no one to take them! Luckily I am sorted now but it has taken since September - now to find a sharer!
 
All get in touch with me! I keep umming and aahing about loaning Prince out or just letting him be a paddock ornament forever. He is happy being a paddock ornament tbh! He is 17hh ISH, nice horse and straightforward but not good in heavy traffic on his own. Oh and he won't travel in a trailer, loads OK but keels over when you move forward. Fine in a lorry.
 
roz84 said:
I have had an advert up for a while now looking for a horse on loan, my demands aren't great - 15 - 16hh, sane and sensible for riding club activities etc, great home on livery yard with lots going on - and had no response whatsoever! Are people not loaning their horses at the moment? I am happy to provide references and sign a contract and have happily loaned before, very frustrating!
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What's your wanted advert like, it might just be you haven't put enough information to encourage people to respond. Perhaps put exactly what you can and can't cope with, 'don't mind a bit spooky but no etc etc etc' 'happy to cope with sweet itch/sarcoids/etc/etc' 'must be safe in company but doesn't need to hack out alone' 'happy to take on a sensible youngster/oldies welcome' anything like that would probably encourage people who might have something suitable that isn't a perfect horse but might suit your needs.

Alternatively if you do need a perfect issue free horse they do come up for loan but more rarely and tend to go through word of mouth so its just a case of waiting longer and getting the word out through people you know who are prepared to put a good word in for you. It might also be worth putting more about your facilities at the livery turn out routine and things like that to attract an owner that's looking for the best situation for their horse.

Best of luck, they do exist!
 
my advert is ok i think, it gives a good idea of what I am looking for, what I don't want etc, i don't mind sweet itch etc as have had one with it before and managed well! will try to be a bit more patient and try to find out through friends etc, i know the right one is out there somewhere but it is just a case of finding it!!
 
My advert is quite long but I said what I was after (I know there is no such thing as a 'perfect' horse although some are close as) and have had a few people contact me but they're all horses that have recently had surgery and are too small (being 5"10 I need something 16hh+)

Then when I do find the perfect one, the owner doesn't get back to me, has already gone, or says yes come an look and then completely ignored my contact to arrange a visit :(

I wish I had a spare £3000 laying around but with a wedding next year, loaning it is!
 
weebarney said:
I've been looking for my friend and they all either want a sharer or if full loan to stay on present yard ��
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See, I don't mind the staying on current yard bit. In theory, the horse is probably settled there, so it could work well, depending on distance of course. But what do you do if the owner is really just after someone to be their groom, iyswim? That is what puts me off...have had my fingers burnt previously with this.
 
Arizahn said:
See, I don't mind the staying on current yard bit. In theory, the horse is probably settled there, so it could work well, depending on distance of course. But what do you do if the owner is really just after someone to be their groom, iyswim? That is what puts me off...have had my fingers burnt previously with this.
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But that wouldn't be a loan... l don't understand?
 
Fides said:
But that wouldn't be a loan... l don't understand?
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Well, if it is on a livery yard already say, and the owner prefers it to stay there to have an eye kept on it etc. That would make sense for a loan, unless the person wanting to loan had their own land etc. I don't mind what livery yard I am based at if it is a loan, as I don't own my own land, iyswim?

However I don't like it when you look into loaning a horse and then realise that the owner is actually just planning on using the loan person to serve as their unpaid groom, as that isn't a loan to my mind.
 
Arizahn said:
Well, if it is on a livery yard already say, and the owner prefers it to stay there to have an eye kept on it etc. That would make sense for a loan, unless the person wanting to loan had their own land etc. I don't mind what livery yard I am based at if it is a loan, as I don't own my own land, iyswim?

However I don't like it when you look into loaning a horse and then realise that the owner is actually just planning on using the loan person to serve as their unpaid groom, as that isn't a loan to my mind.
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No, l don't get what you mean... Perhaps that attitude is the very reason you are struggling?
 
I've been trying to full loan my mare but shes only 14.3ish and has jumped BSJA/BE so all we seem to get is 'Hi, I am 12 and have been riding for 2 years in a riding school and consider myself advanced! I am in the top group at my riding school and I can jump 2 foot!' Finding it hard to get a sensible adult loaner who appreciates that she just isn't that type of horse anymore. I think the majority of people looking for something to loan want the perfect, well mannered horse that can jump 1m plus and do a reasonable dressage test, normally over 16hh. Those are hard to find because if you have one you don't want to let it go, particularly to someone you've never met before.

Also I'd love our mare to stay at our yard so we could keep an eye but there seem to be very few people who would want that.
 
Fides said:
No, l don't get what you mean... Perhaps that attitude is the very reason you are struggling?
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Which part don't you get?

Part one: I have no issues with keeping a loan horse at the yard of its owner's choosing. I understand and appreciate the owner wishing to keep an eye on their horse.

Part two: I feel that if I loan a horse, then surely I should be doing so in order to enjoy caring for and riding it myself, in exchange for my paying for its upkeep and veterinary care etc. Obviously I am referring to full loans here, as opposed to shares.

I feel that owners who put their horse on full loan and still expect to be the only one who does all the fun parts with the horse are taking the proverbial a tad.

And I am not struggling, btw. I am reminiscing.
 
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We full loaned our Nf mare out, in late November. I did not expect to loan her easily, as was going into winter. We were inundated with replies. She is uncomplicated, but not easy to load. That didn't put people off, many were prepared to overlook that, as the mare is bombproof, jumps has done PC etc.
Also, I don't understand why people wanting to loan, put in required heights, you are often missng the perfect partner, who maybe taller or shorter. My daughter is 6' tall,and rides our 14.3hh welsh cob easily. Being a cob, she takes her leg up well. And, is quite capable of jumping a 110 course.
Maybe be less specific and more open to suggestions?
 
I agree Spottyappy, I'd be happy with a 6 foot girl on our 14.3 provided they were not to heavy, she also takes up leg well. She will also happily pop round a fair sized course. She isn't a flashy 16.2 sports horse but she will do more than many of them and is much saner doing it. Its annoying when people discount because 'it's a cob' or 'its to small' when smaller horses are often more fun, saner and cheaper to keep than a big horse.
 
Spencer93 said:
I've been trying to full loan my mare but shes only 14.3ish and has jumped BSJA/BE so all we seem to get is 'Hi, I am 12 and have been riding for 2 years in a riding school and consider myself advanced! I am in the top group at my riding school and I can jump 2 foot!' Finding it hard to get a sensible adult loaner who appreciates that she just isn't that type of horse anymore. I think the majority of people looking for something to loan want the perfect, well mannered horse that can jump 1m plus and do a reasonable dressage test, normally over 16hh. Those are hard to find because if you have one you don't want to let it go, particularly to someone you've never met before.

Also I'd love our mare to stay at our yard so we could keep an eye but there seem to be very few people who would want that.
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I'm not after that type of horse at all actually! just something 14.2 - 15.3 and sensible to do a bit of riding club (low level), hacking and fun rides etc. don't mind something a bit older etc - in fact the kind of horse that is never going to make a top showjumper etc is what I'm after - a family horse type.
 
I know what you mean in regards to size, but I personally don't feel comfortable on anything smaller then 15.3hh and I'm very long legged, it's just a preference, I prefer bigger horse. A well mannered horse on the ground, yes, but like I say, my advert says I'm happy to bring on, don't mind spooky or strong or one that puts in the odd excitable buck, but I've had a bad experience with a rearer.

I also only want to do some local RC, unaff ODE's if poss and have said I've no interest in affiliating unless the right horse came along and it was capable and I felt like I wanted to go further, but at the minute I'm happy with schooling and local competing. Nothing fancy :)
 
Bav, try looking on Facebook groups. Rushden and District Riding Club, Keysoe Riding Club classifieds, Emberton and District Riding Club, HorsePoo Bedfordshrie, To Neigh or not to neigh that is 'equestrian', Everything equine herts beds bucks and cambs
 
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