What would you do?

[horseylady]

I'm in the fortunate position to own two horses. My pony I've owned for years, she fab, every mothers dream but I can't do any more with her and neither of us want to be happy hackers. She's on loan, with me but the family are responsible for her financially I keep an eye on everything, ride with the child and take her to shows. I know I don't have to do this. I'm not sure how grateful they are either.

I also own my horse who is everything I want. She cam be daft but is still young and is really coming along. I don't want anything but her.

I'm also pregnant. Worried financially, worried that as my involvement with loaner decreases they will lose interest and hand pony back. I will not be able to afford both on mat pay.

Would you sell pony? Advertise both for sale and see what happens? Look for a new loaner or what? I've asked on numerous occasions to speak with the family but they wont so I'm stuck? The kid will be upset but I also need to protect myself and baby?

I should probably add I've attempted to sell my pony before and failed as I didn't like the prospective buyers!!! Shes such a fab pony worth her weight in gold :)

Can you move them both to grass livery? That way, you can still ride if you want to, but if the loaner goes tits up, they aren't costing you, and can have an extended holiday? You can then bring them back into work when you have the time.

Horse yes pony no, she gets hayfever so only goes out at night and mud fever in the winter so lives in!! Plus they can't be turned out together as they quite literally kill each other (I've had two 1000 vet bills!!). Horse could though so might look at how that would work out. Thank you!

Hmmm. Working livery for the pony? if she is good, you should be able to find a new loaner, even if she has to live away, you can tie them up tight in a contract covering everything.

Yes she could do that! I'm not being silly wanting to still look after her or know about what's happening to her? I'll look into working livery everyone knows her so!! She's just such a poppet, who dislikes my horse!!! I wish they could go out together but it's not worth trying again, two tries, two huge bills!!

If they hate each other, they hate each other. It can't be helped. We've been there. Got a broken splint bone and a £2k bill when it was tried on my yard!

On my new yard it ended in a pony getting killed. It is so not worth pushing a bad relationship!

Wrt where you go now, working livery is an option, do you have any local equine colleges? They tend to he better than your average riding school in terms of the hours a pony does. I think you have to accept that any loan could come to an end however committed they seem so it is sensible to safegaurd pony now rather than be stuck later. And no it is totally not wrong to want to know what happens to her. If only more owners gave a rats arse once their ponies have done their job. If I see another ad for "25 yo much loved family member for sale" I may just have to poke someone - and don't even get me.started on the sale ring

I was convinced both times I was dealing with a broken leg. Thankfully it was soft tissue damage just very nasty. Yes they can end instantly which is probably why I'm thinking a sale would be better but I'm not sure I can do it. Genuinely it hurts to think about it let alone write an advert out!!

In this case the poor pony didn't even make it out of the field :(

Selling is a scary prospect, I have been lucky enough only to sell to people I know so.far which helped. How bad would it be if she did come back off loan? Could you put together a contingency fund of a month or two livery so you could arrange another? I know good, well known, ponies around here actually have a waiting list. Fwiw I would be cautious about suggesting current loan buys her, it sounds like they could be a problem down the line

No they're not an option to buy her. I wouldn't sell to them. I have a contingency plan in place it's not I don't. I can support both easily for three months. Obv baby on way I just want to sort it!!

Well if you have your contingency plan ready why not ask about and see if you can get together the the names of a few people who would loan her and go down that route? Like I say good ponies here have a waiting list and rarely even have a gap between one loan and the next. If you can engineer that kind of situation would it feel better for you? Fwiw I hate selling them even the pony we had on trial and went back holds a place in my heart (wev still get updates on him on fb!)

Check put the Pony Club website as they are always on the look out for quality ponies and you could fix the loan for a set period and have clauses about visits added in.

Put horse on grass livery.

My horse is at grass due to dc2 about to arrive. I am considering loaning him out but always get cold feet at the last minute.