Horse out on loan, caught loaner advertising horse for share...

[thumb3lina]

I have a horse which is out on loan at the moment. I could have him back but it would be better financially if i didn't and I also have a baby to look after now.

Loaner owns two others, so she has three horses in total. I've seen on a facebook group her advertising all three together for a 'part-share' type agreement (as in, someone can pay her and they get to look after one of the horses). She hasn't asked me if this is okay and if I say something i'm worried we won't be on such good terms anymore but I'm not comfortable with her having someone else sharing him. I'm not 100% happy with the care he is getting either but he is not neglected and she means well.

What do I do!?

I either say nothing OR say something and be prepared to take him back.

[RandomMess]

I think you should take him back and find a loan agreement you are actually happy with?

[mineofuselessinformation]

Yup, take him back.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Take him back, not fair on the horse if you are not happy with the care

[thumb3lina]

I have a loan agreement, which says I can take him back immediately if i'm not happy. The care i'm not happy about is he ripped his rug and they didn't replace straight away so I was worried about him getting wet and they don't always put his boots on when ridden so not exactly like he is neglected Its just when your horse is not cared for the same as you would, I suppose it puts doubts in your mind.

No transport until Sunday, but I agree and I think i'll pick him up then. I knew i'd have to do this when I posted the thread but the girl means well and seems to really love him so I feel quite bad about it and needed to check that taking him back is the right thing as its going to upset her and i'll look like a bitch

[SuburbanRhonda]

Could you say you miss him?(obviously not a horse person)

[Gabilan]

If you're prepared to pick him up anyway, why not have a word? I don't always replace a ripped rug straight away - depends on the rip and the weather. And I don't use boots for various reasons, although I put them on other horses if asked. Say the arrangement is with her, not someone else and see what she says. Then take him on Sunday if you're still worried.

[Butkin]

My first instinct is not to be hasty in these situations. Rather than just picking him up would be to be honest and ask why she has offered your horse as part of her share deal. Say you're not happy with this. If she does get funny with you then you can say you'll pick him up - you won't have lost anything. I suggest she may renegotiate and say that she won't offer him in her package.

Keep this conversation separate from the issues with his welfare. Our ponies sometimes wear ripped rugs for a while and we only put on brushing boots when jumping. These are subjects you can raise separately when you've resolved the possible sharer situation.

[Katnisnevergreen]

My goodness I must be a terrible owner, dpony's rug gets roped about once a week and it stays ripped til I gave time to mend it. I don't replace them else it would cost a fortune every winter. Equally, boots go one for cantering through the woods and nothing else

[iceyrider16]

Think your being a bit precious personally! I think just going down and picking up the horse is way too extreme. Why don't you talk to her and find out why she wants a sharer? Not replacing a ripped rug immediately is not exactly cause fro removal either and not booting up??? Seriously! Booting up can in fact cause more harm than good!

[Gabilan]

There's a good article by David Marlin on the pros and cons of boots. It's mainly cons.

[thumb3lina]

So I spoke to her and she agreed not to part share him out but didn't understand why I had a problem with it.

I agree i'm being a bit precious but the rug was a huge rip right on the top (no idea how he must have managed that) all the way through the rug and the boots thing bothers me as he's previously overreached and taken a chunk of his heel off so I don't really want that happening again! (we are talking over reach boots BTW)

[Gabilan]

Fair enough OP. I think a rug that lets water in at the top can be worse than none at all. The horse just ends up shivering in a sopping rug even once the rain's stopped. Dhorse has several rugs so I can swap them and repair them.

[thumb3lina]

Yes it was at the top letting in water so he would have been better rugless! He went with loads of rugs but he was kept in a ripped one in rain for about a week