Why is it so hard to find someone to loan your horse to?

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Nicole-Louise

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I was ready to give up and sell my girl a week ago, but now I realized it really isn't something I could do. Instead I'm offering her for loan, until I sort myself out.

Surprisingly, her age hasn't put anyone off. Instead, I have people wanting a free ride, something to gallop the heck out of or jump anything and everything in sight. Not to mention the fair share of time wasters.. ughh.

She's only 3 and a half, and is being hacked out alone and in company, first or last. No rearing, bucking or bolting, with exceptional brakes. She's responsive and not to mention comes from good bloodlines. Having King of Diamonds and Sir Ivor in her bloodlines, most of her siblings and her dam are professionally eventing, whilst other siblings are professionally showjumping. She's an angel, has taught a complete novice with autism and ADHD to ride and looks after him so good.

All I ask in return is £20 per week. This is for as many days they want, give or take (with days off in between). They can hack her out, in hand shows, ridden shows, showjumping - when mature and old enough, prospects of taking her on fun rides, hunting etc. The only thing I ask is that they do not bomb her round everywhere and jump her. I've only ever jumped the odd step over, and only once has a friend jumped her something a little bigger than this.
I just want someone with common sense to keep her age in mind.

Am I being too unreasonable? Seems anytime you mention financial contribution, every excuse possible is given! They don't pay for themselves..
 
Sorry but due to her age most persons would assume you are looking for someone to pay to school your young horse on and help during the worst months of the year - I doubt many would be interested as too many others to loan that have experience or free shares!!
 
If she was mine, I would find grass livery and turn her away. I wouldn't share a young horse so early on in her ridden career. So much could go wrong.

Being turned away will do the youngster no harm at all. She will still need to be checked etc... but you wont need to commit the same time to looking after her as you would by keeping her in work.
 
Past Experience tells me to say this "Don't let anyone you don't know ride your youngster unless they can prove they know how to handle young horses on the ground and in the saddle. The wrong person could ruin your horse, and you'd be left picking up the pieces for maybe years to come. Be very careful what ever you decide"
 
Faracat said:
If she was mine, I would find grass livery and turn her away. I wouldn't share a young horse so early on in her ridden career. So much could go wrong.

Being turned away will do the youngster no harm at all. She will still need to be checked etc... but you wont need to commit the same time to looking after her as you would by keeping her in work.
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This ^^
So easy to ruin a horse of that age, I wouldn't take a chance.
 
Meandtheboys said:
Sorry but due to her age most persons would assume you are looking for someone to pay to school your young horse on and help during the worst months of the year - I doubt many would be interested as too many others to loan that have experience or free shares!!
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Surprisingly, I've stated to everyone that has had interest, I'm looking for her to have fun with someone, not school. I can do that myself. Also, it's not due to financial issues, it's more down to lack of time with college and work prospects, so it's unfair on her. It's more the interest I've had from people wanting to jump her stupidly high and gallop her around that annoys me..
 
Shadeyoak said:
Past Experience tells me to say this "Don't let anyone you don't know ride your youngster unless they can prove they know how to handle young horses on the ground and in the saddle. The wrong person could ruin your horse, and you'd be left picking up the pieces for maybe years to come. Be very careful what ever you decide"
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Wise words. No one will be getting anywhere near unless they can prove they can handle her on ground before even getting on her back. Even if they can handle her, contracts will be made with an equine solicitor and she will be staying where she is under the watch of us all. One wrong move that is in risk of jeopardizing her and I'll be cutting the lease.
 
Also, it's not due to financial issues, it's more down to lack of time with college and work prospects
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Please seriously consider turning her away at your current yard then. Remember she is still growing, her spine wont be finished until she's approx 5 1/2 years old.
 
Faracat said:
Please seriously consider turning her away at your current yard then. Remember she is still growing, her spine wont be finished until she's approx 5 1/2 years old.
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As much as I want to, I really can't. She was turned away before I had her and she turned severely aggressive, even though they handled her. She would attack anything and anyone, I've nearly ended in a few hospital trips because of her. When turning away, she starts to become aggressive, and half the time refuses to go back into the field and drags me off the yard!
 
If it's not for financial reasons, could you afford to pay a professional either to do a little schooling (not much - she's only 3.5) or to hack her for you, a couple of times a week? Enough to keep her ticking over. Or do you have a trusted friend you could pay to do enough with her to keep her sane? At our yard I know there are a couple of people who although not professional, are capable - and better than some loaner you don't know from Adam.

In fairness to the loaners (and you may well have met some numpties recently!) she doesn't sound a very exciting prospect - not too much jumping or schooling, and just some hacking - and all in winter. Completely understand this is due to her age, but I can't imagine that many very good riders will want this.
 
Abacus said:
If it's not for financial reasons, could you afford to pay a professional either to do a little schooling (not much - she's only 3.5) or to hack her for you, a couple of times a week? Enough to keep her ticking over. Or do you have a trusted friend you could pay to do enough with her to keep her sane? At our yard I know there are a couple of people who although not professional, are capable - and better than some loaner you don't know from Adam.

In fairness to the loaners (and you may well have met some numpties recently!) she doesn't sound a very exciting prospect - not too much jumping or schooling, and just some hacking - and all in winter. Completely understand this is due to her age, but I can't imagine that many very good riders will want this.
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I've just had an ex-riding instructor ask to trial her next weekend. Someone that is well known by a few around my area, so I still have hope.

She's not the plod along type, a simple click and she's off. As soon as you canter, she'll canter anything she sees, given the chance will gallop for as long as you let her. She recently did this to me, what turned from a smooth cantered, turned into galloping a 15 acre field straight, with her turning around wanting to do it again.

They CAN jump her, just not ridiculous heights as she's still young. They can school, hack, show, hunt and take her on fun rides. I'm not excluding that. I just want people to keep in mind her age, and not have too many expectations of her. She can jump, she has scope on her too.. when she tries.
 
Would turn her away. KOD suggests ID lines and they do not mature till 7 or 8 so give you finances a rest and let your baby have the time off she needs. She sounds so lovely! I appreciate you think she will become bolshy but babies change soooo much and physically she needs time to grow!
 
Luci07 said:
Would turn her away. KOD suggests ID lines and they do not mature till 7 or 8 so give you finances a rest and let your baby have the time off she needs. She sounds so lovely! I appreciate you think she will become bolshy but babies change soooo much and physically she needs time to grow!
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She's registered as an Irish Sport Horse :) I do give her time off. I usually work her a few days one week, and give her 2-3 weeks off the next. Don't consistently work her 24/7 x
 
Luci07 said:
Would turn her away. KOD suggests ID lines and they do not mature till 7 or 8 so give you finances a rest and let your baby have the time off she needs. She sounds so lovely! I appreciate you think she will become bolshy but babies change soooo much and physically she needs time to grow!
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Absolutely correct, my ID girl didn't mature until (sighs) a little bit older than 7/8! But she is now lovely and worth the wait.

As a thought, you could turn her away for the winter, but then do masses of in-hand work when the Spring comes. As an aside I am a late convert to clicker training for my ID mare, because she is so bright, so loves it!! (I think being bright is a characteristic of ID's). If you find the funds you there are some amazing courses on clicker which will maybe give you ideas and inspiration - or lots of people do stuff on-line such as Hannah Dawson, Ashen Equestrian Centre, Alexander Kurland and more.

It is lots of fun, helps you to bond with your horse and if you had a horse who was trained to stand - until you said otherwise, you had trained to be inquisitive rather than spooked by new things, etc. You can do all this without clicker training - and all these people will inspire you as to how much you can train from the ground, but adding in the clicker is fun, teaches you how horses learn and you can take it under saddle which gives huge amounts of confidence.

Good luck whatever you decide.
 
It's her age. Anyone capable of riding a decent youngster isn't going to pay £20 a week to do so. Maybe when she's old enough for fun rides, hunting, jumping etc. I wouldn't do any of those with a rising 4yr old, so I'd be paying £20 a week to hack a green horse. Hence you only getting numpties.
 
littlelegs said:
It's her age. Anyone capable of riding a decent youngster isn't going to pay £20 a week to do so. Maybe when she's old enough for fun rides, hunting, jumping etc. I wouldn't do any of those with a rising 4yr old, so I'd be paying £20 a week to hack a green horse. Hence you only getting numpties.
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Agree with this basically, plus other similar comments.

Its not a "loan" you're seeking really is it, its a "sharer". And personally I think you're running the risk of ruining your youngster TBH.

Ditto advice re turning away for a bit if you haven't got anyone to ride her, OR sell her as backed but green..........
 
The problem is that none of the people you would want to ride your mare, will be interested.

Anyone experienced and capable of bringing on a youngster will not be willing to pay for the privilege. At 3 1/2 she shouldn't be in any sort of hard work, so even if you say you don't want them to school her, what exactly are they going to do? Amble about the roads out hacking?

The type of people who would find that an inviting proposition, are likely to be those who aren't really experienced enough to take on a complete baby.

I'd say turn her away, otherwise either pay a professional or perhaps see if you can get someone decent to ride her for free.
 
I disagree about the sharer bit. It's basically a full loan to stay at present yard, but with hardly any costs. I'd bite your hand off if I was looking! I'd say its your wording. People will read "want her to have fun with someone" as gallop and jump. I'd advertise as wanting someone to "quietly hack a well behaved horse" (assuming she is). You may get a few people misunderstanding that as saying she's a light hack ie semi-retired, but most would think great just hacking and the occasional bit of schooling and jumping. Hopefully you'll get a few sensible people apply. You'll also still get lots of numpties apply, because lots of people loan purely so they can hammer somebody else's horse into the ground (either intentionally or through ignorance) with no responsibility for vet bills.
 
xspiralx said:
The problem is that none of the people you would want to ride your mare, will be interested.

Anyone experienced and capable of bringing on a youngster will not be willing to pay for the privilege. At 3 1/2 she shouldn't be in any sort of hard work, so even if you say you don't want them to school her, what exactly are they going to do? Amble about the roads out hacking?

The type of people who would find that an inviting proposition, are likely to be those who aren't really experienced enough to take on a complete baby.

I'd say turn her away, otherwise either pay a professional or perhaps see if you can get someone decent to ride her for free.
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i completely agree with xspiralx here.
Honestly, OP, id really listen to what she and littlelegs have said. They talk sense.
I personally think it would be less risk turning away then dealing with the 'aggression' issues if they materialise next Spring when you bring her back, than having your nice little horse potentially ruined by too much work/the wrong kind of work by someone else in the meantime.
plus, financial issues would be sorted out and you wont be worrying about what the 'loaners doing with her.

seems a no brainer to me
 
The horse is older and has obviously been trained by the OP to be well behaved. It's possible that the aggression wont return as long as she's still handled regularly.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
It's because lots of people loan purely so they can hammer somebody else's horse into the ground (either intentionally or through ignorance) with no responsibility for vet bills.
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err, that's a bit unfair..

yes, a small bad proportion might but you cant say 'lots of people'
Ive had a few horses on loan over the years and have treated them exactly as if they were my own. i dont loan just so i can 'hammer them into the ground' thankyou very much!
 
I know that there are a whole host of bad loaners out there but I feel the need to speak on behalf of the few of us who do have the best interest of the horse they loan in mind.

I have been riding off and on for over 15 years. Due to finances I have previously been unable to own my own horse.

I loan a 16 year old who due to a previous ligament injury I had to bring back into work very slowly. By slowly I mean months of not riding her and working on ground work / our bond, followed by months off getting her fit, I have then had months of lessons to improve our riding as a team as I realised that I was being too soft with her as she was 'an oldie / previously had an injury' and that in itself wasn't helping her.

So there are some of us out there who would look at your horse as a 3 1/2 year old and see what her needs are out of a rider and match them. Admittedly it may take some searching but if that is the route you feel you need to go down then i would suggest you persevere and good luck.
 
Lula I'm sure you can recognise a general comment when you read one. It was clearly not a personal insult to you and at no point did I say all loaners/sharers are bad. I've also loaned lots of horses and treated them well.

I've met many people who loan and share horses too and IME 50% do want nothing more than to charge about and jump and have little regard for horse welfare, as I said, some through ignorance and some through intent. Of the rest many were novice riders with little or no horse care knowledge who are looking to gain experience, but whose heart may or may not be in the right place. There are reasonably (or very) experienced people out there, who are also considerate to horse and owner, but IME these are the minority.
 
Love the way you've changed my quote and taken it out of context too, Lula.

The rest of that part sentence should read "you'll also get lots of numpties apply, because...". By changing that to "its" you've effectively changed the meaning slightly.
 
Thank you all for your advice. I now have found someone perfectly matched for my girl. She's trustworthy and I will be working with both when needed.

To any that question. I never jumped on my mare and hoped for the best. I did months and months of ground work/bonding, walking out every single day. I've brought her on slowly, and that's the way it will stay. The person I've found does not want to run her into the ground, but enjoy the experience of being around horses, as she can not afford her own. My girl is in very safe hands. And I will keep a watch on her anyhow.

My wording is pretty bad. I struggle to put thoughts into words. But I understand what you have all said, and appreciate your input x
 
EAST KENT said:
At three and a half I would`nt be starting her until next Spring! Unbelievable.
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Unbelievable? Everyone has different opinions as to what age to start. She's had weeks off in between any light work she has done. Also, I was advised for my own safety to start her off at 3 because of how AGGRESSIVE, strong and uncontrollable she was!

Please, you don't know the background, or her history. It's taken months and months of being reared on, kicked, barreled, charged, headbutted, could go on! She is MY responsibility. She is regularly checked over by a vet and I have been given positive results. She is in good health and is NOT worked to the bone!!
 
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