To lease or not

[GeeQued]

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So a little off topic than most on here but I've been going back and forth on whether I should lease one of my horses out. I was contacted by someone from the horse show team at my undergraduate school (they weren't aware that I went there just liked the stats on my horse) about the potential for leasing her for their team. I'm hesitant because I know the barns at school aren't great but the again not 100% bad. Its a typical situation where the students take care of the horses and I pretty certain that there are times where people "forget" to do their chores like cleaning, feeding, watering which concerns me (Ive been the one answering the phone at midnight to a team member calling me b/c they forgot to feed and asked if I would). For the right people my mare would work out great for the team since shes talented yet slightly spooky and not the caliber of horse I needed to be competitive on the circuit I was on. They would use her in team practices and at the competitions with other schools which I think she would be fine at.

I guess my question would be what would you do? It'll save me a lot of money and I'm already bringing my gelding up with me so Id be able to spend more quality time with one horse versus having to split that between two. My only dilemma is the care and use of her, they will have multiple riders riding during lessons so the horses will be worked quite a bit and then she'll be in an outsde stall versus inside like now. A good thing is I have people that I know who will keep an eye on things here and there and are apart of the team. Its just so hard letting someone else use your horse because you dont know how everyone will treat them and they are like family for me since I raised this one.

 

[smm482]

I've been in your shoes before and know it's a tough decision to make. On one hand, you'd like your horse to earn her keep (this could be as a lesson horse or simply just making you happy), but you also want to make sure her needs are being met and that she's happy. Lease situations are tough b/c there are so many unknowns. I have had my horse in two different lease situations. The first was my freshman year of undergrad b/c my parents didn't want me to bring him to school right away. I leased him to a reputable and very high end show barn to be used for upper level riding lessons. I gave them a young but very quiet honest horse in August and got back a possessed spooky monster in May. He was used to being ridden in the ring and on trails and I think he got bored with the program. Unfortunately, when he started being goofy, the riders they were putting on him weren't skilled enough to handle it (he was so quiet/good in the beginning that they started letting anyone ride him that wanted to) and it quickly turned into a habit. I can't totally regret the lease b/c my other option was selling him and I've had many fun times with him since then, but it's something to consider. I think it's hard for some spooky horses to be ridden by someone different everyday b/c they rely on the trust they have in their rider to combat the demons in their head I have also found that most trainers don't have time to correct behavior problems in lesson horses b/c they're pressed for time so rather than fixing things, they just put the horse away. I am not saying this is always the case, but the possibility always exists. When you lease your horse to a lesson program, you can't control who will be riding her. Personally, I wouldn't do it again but I have had a very positive experience leasing him to a single rider to be used as a personal horse. She treats him as if he was her own and loves him to death. At this point, he is 11 but still very, very spooky. Some days you can pull him out of the stall and he'll jump around a 3' course like a seasoned veteran and other days you can't get him past the door of the indoor without balking or spinning to save your life. She's very patient with him and treats him fairly. If this mare is your baby I wouldn't put her in a situation if you have any major hesitations, but if you have friends that will be able to check on her you could always give it a try and see how she does. That's just my personal experience, but I hope this helps!

 

[AidanEvieCleo]

I know that I am way too possessive of my horse, so I would never lease her out to a lesson program. I have seen too many horses be brought into lesson programs and be ruined by inexperienced riders and lack of discipline. I would however consider full/half lease if she stayed at my barn so I can keep an eye on her. Next year my roommate may half lease her if they get along, which will be great for saving time (I won't be asking for money, I just want someone to get her out working when I am stuck in class all day!) Maybe you could bring your horse to Davis with you and find a leaser up here, then you could keep an eye on her yourself!

 

[badcats]

Maybe just try an find someone up in Davis willing to take her on a feed lease at the barn you plan on having your gelding at or something nearby. That way you could check in on her, make sure she is getting the proper attention if you ever felt the need, plus like smm482 said, she would be a one person horse.

From the perspective of someone who has had a horse on a lease, it really provides a great opportunity for younger or less experienced riders to get a feel for what having their own horse is like and really develop the relationship before they go out and buy one of their own. I guess what I mean is it provides a good stepping stone and lets people who can't afford to buy ride something other than the barn lesson horse. Because the lesson horses do tend to develop bad habits, even when people have the best of intentions.

 

[1Vista1Grey]

DONT DO IT!... I had a leasee try to steal my horse, and another one stopped feeding her... not worth the drama...

 

[jglovicz]

I would not lease out my horse to an outside facility. I have done a number of on-property leases and that has worked out great (and I've been able to keep an eye on them). If I knew the person leasing my horse really well, I may let them take him off the property, but i have seen too many situations where horses weren't cared for the way they should have been. I completely understand wanting to lease out one of your horses to help with finances--I'm wanting to do the same thing, but I plan on doing it when I move to IA! Good luck!

 

[ImaJerseyGirl]

Trust your instincts! If you have your doubts and keep running that worst case scenario through your head, that's telling you something. Can you take her with you and lease her out there or somewhere nearby? Then she can still earn her keep and you can drop in whenever you feel like it to check on things. Good luck