Mnetters with horse experience please!!!

[muppetisacat]

My dd (aged10) has been riding since she was 4 and her fave pony at the stables has just become available for loan/part loan...

I am pants at knowing about pros and cons of doing this... can't believe i'm even considering it actually but wondered if there are any pitfalls (apart from cost) that you can think of?

Am going to discuss with stable owner what conditions are etc - but (and i realise this sounds like an ignorant question ) what are the advantages of having him on loan if he will be ridden as a schooling pony by others anyway? Plus i will still have to pay for lessons.... albeit at a slightly reduced rate!

She currently only goes once a week but for the same money couldn't i just book her in for more lessons anyway?

Loaning can be a really good way to effectively own a pony (it's not as expensive as owning one outright). In terms of what the pitfalls are, it depends on the details of the loan arrangement. You might want to check out certain things, such as whether your DD would be allowed to take the pony to competitions (if that's what she's interested in). Also, would she have to spend time looking after the pony, grooming and mucking out? Who would be obliged to pay the vets bills, the farrier's bills, etc? BTW, if you do decide to loan the pony, it's a good idea to get that sort of thing in writing (much better than having an argument about it later).

Thanks for that wildseahorses

I need to phone the stable owner and get all financial details in depth a bit more... i think farrier/vets etc are all included and i also think the amount you do regarding grooming/mucking out is up to you.

We're only down the road so there's plenty of opportunity for dd to go and spend time there but my next question is at 10 years of age do you think she's too young? Would you leave here there?? There are other grooms who work full time and the owner lives on site.

I have a 7 year old ds1 and 10 month ds2 so not an option for me to be there too much.

Owning or part-owning teaches you lots of things that you never learn in lessons - it gives you a new level of responsibility. Will she be able to hack out with other girls for example, aside from lessons?

It may need a greater time commitment than at present - agree with wildseahorses that you should get it all sorted in writing - what she can and can't do, and how much the pony will be used by the school etc.

Also, consider the finances carefully - she will be heartbroken in a year if you decide it is too expensive after all...

good luck!
T

Well, I know people who owned their own ponies at a younger age than your DD, so I don't think her age is a problem per se. I think that if she thinks she might like to own her own pony someday (even if not in the near future) it would be a good trial run for her. At the end of the day, you're only loaning the pony and not actually buying it - if it doesn't work out, you can cancel the agreement (but you might want to check the notice period for cancellation).

You might want to check what would happen if you didn't take the loan - would that mean that your DD would no longer be able to ride her fave pony in her lessons? That would be awful for her.

thanks tickle and notjustamum. All good points.

I think all ponies are used in the school at w/e's b4 4.30pm - specially this one which is a firm favourite and one of the smaller ones.

After 4.30 it becomes "yours". In a way this could work for us as we wouldn't go to the stables on the w/e during the main day as it is RAMMED! lol. dd has her lessons after school in the week.

But you are right notjustamum - there is an element of what exactly is my money getting me here!?

Wouldn't want to buy him as he's quite old and gets laminitis! Trust dd to fall for the old knackered ones!

Wildseahorses - you are right - it would be a great way to test the water with regard her trialing ownership.

I would love to get her a pony of her own - i just know it's not appropriate at the mo having ds1 and 2 at the ages they are. I have no doubt the commitment would be there on her part - but i would struggle.

By the way - i LOVE going to the stables and am happy muck picking etc - tbh it's a welcome change from being a sahm - but not practical with ds2 being so little.

My dream would be to get us a shared pony eventually... although I am such a numpty rider we may have very differing needs

notjustamum - happy for you to be blunt and you're right... i am concerned that it is indeed just a way to make money for the stables. Plus - where we live there are an awful lot of women with too much money who wouldn't even question whether they were getting value for money

i am NOT one of them i hasten to add!

So, if your DD has lessons after school, and all the loan ponies are "owned" by their loaners after 4.30pm, I assume that that means that your DD won't ever be able to ride him if he is loaned to someone else. I think that's a key thing to take into account. How does your DD relate to the other ponies at the riding school? Would she be happy riding the others, or is it the case that this particular pony is the only one that she really trusts and feels safe on? Is she a confident rider generally, or does a lot of her confidence come from the bond she has with this pony?

We are in surrey. She is a confident rider and tbh she does ok on the larger ponies... but clearly she loves him most (as do many of the littlies there!)

And you're right notjustmum - at the w/e if she wanted to take him out with some of the others but he was being used in the school then that's pretty pants.

Think i need to have an in depth conversation with owner - it's a tricky one!

I completely agree with notjustmom - everything she says makes complete sense, and tbh if "your" pony has been used for lessons in the day at the weekend is he honestly going to want to go out again with your dd - especially as he is getting on in years. hth

I agree that finding another pony for her to have on full loan might be a better solution for her, but you will then probably be charged full livery + full lessons so might be more expensive? Perhaps you can come up with a more flexible arrangement regarding who gets to use the pony when?

As it stands I think it's just a way for the yard to make more money and poor pony could end up over-worked. If they just use it say Mon, Wed, Fri that might work better?

Loaning is a great way for kids to come to terms with responsibilites so definitely worth investigating

thankyou all for all your advice

think i will investigate the loaning further and see how flexible they can be with him... if it all sounds unworkable then i may see what else is around... i know that finding her own pony and keeping it at that stables is beyond us financially at the mo... i am not working and am sahm at present... plus it is full livery and the owner won't consider anything else!!

Unfortunately it is the best stables for tuition around here - the owner is wily and knows there are people round here with more money than sense - but at the same time her instruction is good and she really does know what she is talking about!