experiences with loaning - in need of cheering up!

zoey112

zoey112

a total cob girl...
Aug 31, 2008
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Stoke on Trent
I have been looking at previous 'loan experiences' threads and i am started to feel a little disheartened at some people's bad experiences...

I have owned my own ponies in the past so i have never loaned before. I know of people who have successfully loaned, but with how things are these days, is everybody becoming too paranoid to trust a fellow horse lover?

I will be looking for a long full loan, where he/she can move yards, (as neither my mum or me can really afford to buy at the moment)...do these still exist?

i know that if i was loaning out my own horse i would be extra careful and i know alot of things have to be put in place with a contract and such, but please re-assure me that there are still some good owners out there who wont just whip the horse away from under my feet (he/she will be treated like a prince/princess i can assure you :D)....

so please, share your loaning experiences...
 
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I have had good and bad- but will just tell you the good!
First i put my old pony on loan, to the first lady who came to look at him- because she was perfect, asked loads of questions about him and was knowledgeable but genuinely interested in him She wanted something to ride out with and keep company their other loan pony and live at home with them. He spent about 5 years with the family and during that time i was more than happy that she made all decisions and took fantastic care of him.
The loan only ended because he was really old and she worked very long hours, the other loan pony had been out grown and gone back- it was just time for him to come home to me.

Presently i have a pony on loan, who we found when i moved my horse to a new yard. She was a grass livery and had not been out of her field or touched in 4 years so we have her, Its not perfect as the owner is supposed to pay for stuff and dosent but as i dont really expect a loan owner to pay i cant complain at that- she has never visited or interfered in any way. I couldn't ask for better really, It would be nice if she showed a bit
of interest but equally she is far more mine this way- I know she will never have her back.

I do think loans are still out there, sadly it seems to be a case of who you know- I looked for ages for a loan horse then once i bought mine got offered several by people at the yard. So i would maybe suggest asking any horsey friends you know, maybe farriers? also equine exchange seems good for loans.
Good luck x
 
I had 3 loans before I bought my own horse and they all worked out fine for a while.
The first one I had for about 2 years and his owner was wonderful. He taught me so much and I only gave him up because I was getting more ambitious and he has 21, a bit arthritic and looking for a quiter life.
The second one was my dream horse but had to go back when his owner's other horse went lame.
I got the last one when her owner broke her leg. I had her for a year, but it got a bit difficult towards the end as the owner started wanting to ride her again and we both wanted to do very different things. I was also having trouble with her xc and had a few falls. After that I decided to buy Boo, but I had an invaluable experience with all my loan horses.

I'm sure there are good loans out there - I got all of mine through word of mouth, so maybe spread the work around that you're looking. Horses aren't selling well at the moment so there may be some people willing to loan instead - someone at my yard has done this. Just make sure you get a proper agreement in place so you're clear who is responsible for what.

Good luck in finding a nice loan horse
 
i've had a few loans and loaned a few out, both sides of the coin had good and bad results.
i loaned one horse and after i had got him fittened up (and fattened) and going well they came and took him back, i went past his field about 6 months later and he was just sat in the field looking like poo again.

i went to look at a crazy pony for loan and decided that i would take him anyway and the owner asked if i wanted to take the other pony that was there, i jumped at the chance and when i turned 16yrs old i had them both signed over to me, (i had loaned them for 2 yrs) i kept them both for 13yrs before the original pony passed away and i loaned the other one to an RDA.

i've also loaned a little mare as a companion to my horse and after a short while the owner signed her over to me, i still have her even though she isn't my horses companion now, she is doing a great job of looking after my foals.

i also loaned a TB fresh off the track and she was great, i couldn't keep her though as between family problems and the cost of vet bills with her (one injury/cut/graze after another) it just got too much, she had to go back to her owners but they were happy for me to move her to my yard or anything like that so long as i kept in touch with them.
 
I have had good and bad experiences, i have a horse who is out on loan and a horse i have on loan! (long story)

My horse is really happy where he is has moved to another yard and is looked after incredibly well and all the time he is looked after i am happy for him to stay where he is as i have never seen him doing so well.

The horse i currently have on loan i obviously take the risk his owner may want him back but at the moment she is more than happy to just come to visit.

I have shared and loaned many horses in the past and not once had one taken off me or away from me, you mentioned peoples bad experiences of having the horse whipped out from under your feet but you dont always hear both sides of the story im sure some of the owners may have been mean but a lot of the time im sure there is a genuine reason after hearing both sides of the story :).

Im sure you will have no problem finding something to loan.
 
I've had a successful loan arrangement for the last 6 months with my friend who needed a break from the horse in question. She's moved yards (about 100 miles away too!) and owner still pays for shoes, vets and insurance. I was a little worried that it might jeopardise our friendship if something went wrong or we disagreed about something but we're both very laid back about everything and keep in touch regularly. I think it helped that the trust was already there, both on the owner's half that I wouldnt do anything to harm her horse and on my half that she would pay up when needed. The mare is going home in a couple of weeks because my financial situation has become less stable than it used to be but I'm hoping I'll have her back next easter time along with the owner's 4yo.

Dont be put off by the horror stories but go into any situation with your eyes open, and also dont be put off if the first horse doesnt work out, good luck!
 
I've had part loans/shares in the past and several times have had the horse taken away or sold at a moment's notice. Yes it's heartbreaking.

I went to see Connor with a view to part loan, I really fell for him straightaway but the farm had crap facilities and owner didn't want him moved. But then 8 months later she phoned me up and offered me him on loan. He moved to my yard, she paid for insurance and vet fees, and came to visit occasionally. Then after 8 months she signed him over to me so now he's mine.
 
I had Bronson on loan for 8 months - his owners allowed us to take him away from their yard, and just let us get on with it. They came to visit him a couple of times. Then they rang up and told us that they wanted to sell him, as the daughter wanted some money to put towards a car. I'm not sure if they would have took him away had my Dad not bought him, but we weren't going to risk it!

However, I've known a few loans end a bit messily, often if the rider is wanting to do more with the horse than the owner would like, so just check before you take the horse to any shows etc. with the owners :)
 
I think the trick is to be careful who you loan from. If you are loaning from someone who now has another horse and genuinely doesn't want to sell their previous then you will be fine. The problems tend to lie in 2 situations - 1a) you have someone who is putting their horse on loan because they are overhorsed - you school the horse for them and they then take it back because they can then ride it, 1b) they sell it because it is now sellable due to the work you have done, 2) someone loans out their horse because they have bought a bargain. Getting someone to loan it is a cheap option for schooling. Once it has a few miles on the clock they sell at a profit (sometimes to the person who was the loan and added the value in the first place grrrr).

These type of people seem to be far more common that you think at first. The first type more so than the second. Lots of people buy a horse and are completely overhorsed but still love it. They cannot bear to sell so they put the horse on loan. Two things can happen in this time - the rider improves their riding to the point that they can take the horse back or the horse gets improved to the point where the owner can ride it. And take it back...

I think you need to ask the loaner why they are loaning the horse out. If they even hint about being overhorsed - don't touch it with a barge pole as you could end up falling in love with a horse that then gets taken off you :( Also make sure you watch the owner ride - this can give hints as to why the horse is being loaned. I went to try a lovely connemara x arab. He was my ideal horse and I wanted him soooo much. Another girl tried him and she was a much better rider than me so the owner went with her. 8 weeks later I saw the horse advertised for sale. Turns out the horse had been taken to a few SJs and was doing really well so the owner decided to sell - for far more than she paid for him too ;) All the loaner had done was made money for the owner...

Mind you my current loan is the same - I know that I have her until spring and in spring she will go up for sale. She is my project for the rest of the year. I'm happy with this situation as I am going into it eyes wide open. It wouldn't be a nice situation to get tricked into...
 
L34NN3 said:
I think the trick is to be careful who you loan from. If you are loaning from someone who now has another horse and genuinely doesn't want to sell their previous then you will be fine. The problems tend to lie in 2 situations - 1a) you have someone who is putting their horse on loan because they are overhorsed - you school the horse for them and they then take it back because they can then ride it, 1b) they sell it because it is now sellable due to the work you have done, 2) someone loans out their horse because they have bought a bargain. Getting someone to loan it is a cheap option for schooling. Once it has a few miles on the clock they sell at a profit (sometimes to the person who was the loan and added the value in the first place grrrr).
Click to expand...

While I sympathise with people who fall in love with their loan horse and then have it taken away, sure this is what a loan amounts to? The owner doesn't want to sell (or can't sell for some reason) and the loanee is not in a position to buy a horse but wants one to ride and look after. So, the horse does still belong to the original owner, and if a loanee wants a guarantee that the horse will not be taken back they need to buy their own!
 
hammie - i agree with you to an extent..whereas there is always that possiblity the horse can go back - but it's not always possible to just go out and buy your own! believe me if i could i'd be out looking today..
I understand that it is still the owners horse and they have the overall decision on everything , i just don't want to spend all that time and money, and forming a bond with horse, just for them to snatch it back without even a notice.

i will still go ahead with loaning - i'm just going to ask alot of questions as i'm sure my mum will too! i especially agree with asking the question about why they are loaning them out in the first place.

I do get attached i know that but with having shared two lovely horses in the past year and dealt with it, i'm sure i will be fine. just wanted some good stories that i know are out there.

thanks all :D
 
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I had a fab loan arrangement, it worked because I got on with his owner so well. She was very knowledgeable and I was a novice, I fully respected her wishes and kept my word and had a lot of fun with her pony.

When I eventually bought my own horse and ended the loan, I felt like I had let her down and she ended up selling him :eek:

The right loan can be brilliant, good luck :)
 
thank u fleabitten - my excitement started to get dampened as it seemed that there was so many problems...but i knew the good stories were out there.
:D
 
I do think loaners often get good value for money in that - they do not have to spend money on purchasing the horse and loan horses often come with their own tack and rugs so you save a massive amount of money and if you don't get on the with the horse or it gets sick and you can't ride it any more you can just return it to the owner.

There is little risk involved with loaning a horse compared to buying as if the horses is not as described, has an undiagnosed health problem etc you can send it back if you want. The downside it that either the owner takes it back when you don't want to part with it or perhaps won't take it back when you want to return it! I know of a few people who have wanted to return loan horses and the owners have threatened to PTS the horse if it is sent back.

Whatever the reason the person has for loaning rather than selling the loaner has to appreciate that the person has not given them the horse and that they may well want it back in the future should their circumstances change. Both parties are allowed to change their minds for whatever reason.
 
My daghters 12.2hh Exmoor pony is currently out on loan.
This is his second loan home, and both have been great.
1st loan home he was there for a year and we would visit every month, loanees daughter got own pony so he came back to us.
He is now at a trekking centre[ he needs to be worked every day]
for the first 3 months everything was great we then got a phone call from loanee to say that they were having problems with him mounting mares...
blood tests came back that he is a rigg.
Loanee has been brilliant, she put him in a field with a youngster for company and is wanting him back after his operation later this month.
He is on A Scottish Island [6 hour journey from us] but we keep in touch via e mail /phone,.
We have been very lucky and happy with our loanees
 
The way i looked at having a loan horse was just that it is a loan and when they go back its not like your selling it but its going back so someone who loves it as much as you do and who will have its best interest at heart- Giving our last pony back was easy I know she's cared for and i can still see her if i wanted to.
The present loan pony will not go back and i swear if the woman who owns her ever tries (which she wont) I WILL steal her and hide her away somewhere in secret;)
 
On a more positive note from my last post. My last loan was an ex competition tb. The owners inherited him where their mother died. They already had two and they inherited another two. The other two they put on loan as for sentimental resaons they wouldn't sell. The couple were lovely - as they had no kids they used to take us to shows so it was great as a loanee. They also had all 4 horses on the same yard so if you couldn't get down one off the others did your horse for you (and you repaid the favour at a later date). I used to do all 4 horses in the mornings before work with one of the owners and my repayment was that when I was working a shift I didn't have to go down.

I moved jobs eventually and moved to a different area and my loan horse got retired. He did his last ODE at 25 but is now babysitting weanlings as he is a really balanced chap.

Flexibility is the key for making a loan successful :)
 
I have just put Jerry (the horse that I brought for my o/h then the novelty wore off :mad:) out on loan, he is staying on my yard as that was 1 criteria I needed meeting just in case anything went wrong whilst he was on loan and he needed to come back, as we have a waiting list on our yard that might of been a bit tricky, but he is staying where he is, yey!

The loan officially started yesterday, although new loanee has been riding him the last week. My own horse, Syl was yesterday diagnosed with arthritis, now everybody has been saying to me oh don't put Jerry out on loan then, but I had already verbally agreed the loan and won't go back on my word like that. The loan agreement has only been printed out today so not signed yet but I gave my word it was agreed so will stick to it.

This means that I now have to go find another horse to compete thus making my horse ownership amount to 3 but I'm happy with the loan I have agreed for Jerry and his new foster mummy, have a right to buy clause in the contract and have pre agreed a price so that loanee doesn't put a load of work into Jerry only for me to up the price, not that I would do that but some people would and its a clause I would want in the agreement so I suggested it. Makes things clearer in the end.

So yes, there are still loans available, I have loaned in the past, numerous times. I had syl on loan before I brought him and have never had a bad experience - touches wood :rolleyes:
 
dont be disheartened. I have had 2 loans one for 3 years full loan never saw the owner (in a good way) until I handed her back and they were over the moon with her condition and fitnes. The second was a share loan for 5 years with the same result.

They are out there just keep looking (local tack shop is where I found mine) also try blue cross etc as these are just loans as well

Good luck and all the best
 
we've done it from both sides!

our pony is on his second loan home

1st one was fine

2nd one is brilliant

we loaned our pony for a year - people were on our yard and loaned him to us - was hard in some ways and brilliant in others - we now own him and his previous owner is next door stable block so always there to ask - and I've always got a very very willing babysitter for him!!!!


we would only loan out locally - not necessarily on our yard but if not on our yard, it would have to be local

I only loan out on word of mouth - when Snowy's current loan finishes I think we'll sell him :( We weren't going to - but to be blunt, he's been away from us now for 18 months and is thriving so clearly other people are just as capable as us of looking after him :eek: So I think its time to wake up and smell the coffee and let him go to another permanent home (however, that is at least a year away so be interesting to see how I feel in a years time - his current loaner is a dream to loan to - I couldn't wish for a more perfect home for him so that does colour the judgement!)
 
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