Part loan nightmare

[AuntieDee]

I have a lovely 14h3 mare that I have been trying to part loan for ages but people just seem to be taking the mick :(

The last 3 people - 1st was 32 yo woman, lasted about 6 weeks before dropping off coming. 2nd 16 yo teen - excited about the prospect of competing, came twice. The third - 14yo who seemed really keen and came through all the snow but hasn't paid for 4 weeks (she gives me enough to cover the lessons she has on my mare as she is novicy and still needs lessons) and hasn't been down for over a week.

Here's the deal - 14h3 mare, working reasonably on the flat just started doing lateral work (leg yield, turn on forhand, travers), jumps 1m single fences and 80cm courses, forward going but doesn't rush (ask once and she goes until you change pace), bomb proof hacking, on a private yard with arena, full kitchen (with biscuits and drinks provided), free wifi, opportunity to compete, weekly private lesson, BHS membership (to ensure insurance compliance) all for £25 a week. Oh and pick up and drop off and there's no jobs to do. For riders who can 'ride' I wouldn't expect any money, but the money for the novice is to cover lessons.

As for me - I do all the jobs and am there if needed but happy(er) to leave them to it.

Is this really such a bad deal that no one would be interested?? I've had so little interest when advertising and she is such a good mare...

gosh -id snap your hand off! that about covers a half hour lesson around here. im no way experienced enough otherwise id be sorely tempted

Are you anywhere near Bacup, Lancashire?

Then there's the people that say 'I'm interested but will only pay £15 and I'm not doing any jobs because I'm not paying and doing work'. The most 'work' I have asked for is bring in/turn out and topping up hay and water.

! it sounds like a really good deal to me, AuntieDee.

Just out of interest, I had a friend who was at a yard, where there was somebody so horrible, that she and a couple of others eventually left. Is there a possibility that there is something someone putting them off?

Does the 14year old maybe think that she can just turn up when she wants, and not turn up when she can't be bothered (surely not, but you never know)?

The only thing that I can think of, is that maybe these people want to be more involved in looking after the horse.

We've just taken a pony on loan for my 2 DDs to learn to ride on. They only have 2/3 lessons a week, but love being at the yard and caring for him, just as much as riding. Could it be that these people would prefer a couple of days where they are doing all the work, and having a lesson as well, or am I totally naive? We've only had our pony for 3 weeks, so we're still very much in the throws of thinking mucking out is the best thing ever! Hope you find someone reliable soon.

no.i rather wish i was.

I'd bite your hand off! I'm in Herts though :(

It sounds like a really good deal. I think the trouble with part loaning is it attracts people who are not sure about the commitment of having a horse, which is why you will get people who are initially keen, then soon lose interest. Hopefully the right person will come along soon.

It sounds like a reasonable deal to me. I have helpers in that I don't expect any money from as I need the help for when I am at work (horses at home and I work odd and long shift patterns,) but even then it can be tricky to find the right person. I have found that finding people by word of mouth is best - 2 of the 3 helpers I currently have came to me after I mentioned I was looking for help. One of them has been with me for 4 years now and I couldn't be without her. The other helper has been a friend for some years before her daughter was old enough to ride.

If you are looking for a share because you need the financial input, I would be clear that the money is to be paid by standing order a month in advance. If the person is young enough that they do not have a bank account of their own, then I would make the arrangement with a parent. No payment - no riding. No payment by the end of one month - you look for someone else. Make it clear up front.

If you are looking for a share because you need someone to ride the horse, I would also make it clear that if they don't come for a period of 2/4 weeks (whatever suits you) you will deem the arrangement to have been abandoned by them and look for someone else as the horse needs riding.

Sharers and helpers can be brilliant, but they can also be a pain. I would say that they can only take liberties with your generosity (after all you are paying the lion's share and doing all the work) once they have established a relationship of trust with you.

Thanks for all the input. I've had lots of abuse off the family now :( seems she's been making out she does all the rubbish jobs. Ive not left her doing the jobs as she takes forever - I can muck out 4 stables in the time it takes for her to fill 4 haynets... I left her to do the one stable and she took two and a half wheelbarrows of clean out of it with all the poo. I deep litter so there was no need for the poo to come out.

What I was hoping for what she could groom and ride whilst I was doing the jobs and then when I was don't I would only have one to ride instead of two.

With part loans the attitude seems to be 'If I am paying you, why should I do the jobs too?'. It's easier not to even ask.

It's not the cash I was needing, just a few days off having to school two (though at one point it was 3) and someone to hack with.

I'm sad it's come to an end and I'm not readvertising as it's just too much mither with all the day trippers :(

I've had a lovely ride today and had a little jump too :) guess it's just me now.

I went through the same. I had an advert for my mare, she's done BE and BS and won most classes at rc level, but wasn't a novice ride. I either got complete novices who thought they weren't or people that just wanted to jump her ('can I try her on Sat then take her to a show on Sun!'). One girl got on really well with her but only turned up on Sundays when we have a groom and she knew there were no jobs to do. Even the groom used to ride her and have dressage lessons on her, but wouldn't turn up , even when I'd given up
My riding day for her. I ended up giving up!

AuntieDee whereabouts are you?

There will be someone out there, Auntie Dee, but you might have to wait for them to find you instead of you looking for them, iyswim.

Some people are very ungrateful and don't know how lucky they are. As I said, I need the help, mainly due to very complex job commitments but also due to having to small children (horses are at home so can't just pay the yo for days I can't do.) I had a girl who I allowed to ride my horse, take him to Pony Club, hunt, etc, (and I actually drove her to most of these places, or at least let her borrow my trailer for her dad to take her,) and she kept her own pony for free at mine, and her cats too (I don't like cats!) In exchange for all of this I wanted my horse riding and mucking out the days I was at work - about 2 days a week. The only things I vetoed were riding him on the day of the week that I go hunting, and I did not want him drag hunting. We had big words when I found photos on Facebook of her drag hunting him while I was away with work. We then had a very unpleasant situation where her dad ganged up with her against me as she had told him I was making her do all of the rubbish jobs and 'using her like a slave!' Err, no - I was just asking that she keep her side of the bargain and not leave me with no help and an extra horse and 2 cats to sort out, thanks!

Backinthebox - that's exactly it. We expect a little bit of hard work for a lot of return but are being told we are expecting too much.

Ive been in a similar situation as you - I had a deal with a woman where she could keep her horse at mine free of charge and use all the facilities as long as once a week she would do turnout and bring in of mine whilst I was on my night shift. I'd have everything ready - I cheat a little as I have horses at home so both horses had two stables. It meant that she could turn out and leave the stable still dirty and bring the horses in to a stable with the waters topped up, hay nets done and a feed ready. Started great - until I found out she wasn't turning up until midday (sometimes as late as 2) and the horses had been stood for hours without any hay. Apparently I was unreasonable when I asked her to turnout earlier as she was doing me a favour (never mind the £160 a month I was saving her). It was once a week and she had my rota 3 months in advance. Oh and weekdays I would either turn hers out with mine or put a net in for her...

Arsenal I have my horses at home so it must be me that is the issue ;)

Ride and lead is the solution you need! I do it out hacking to save time. Was a hassle training them up to do it, but now I hardly notice the other horse is there. Can even scool with one attached and it's not a problem now!

*school

It's not possible for me to ride and lead yet :( my 2nd horse is newly backed and not ready for hacking out. Also he is a stallion and my 'loaned' horse is a mare so that possibly could be a disaster lol (have visions of him trying to mount her whilst I am onboard). He's very polite around her and I can turn them both out at the same time to their respective fields, but I think ride and lead might be too much temptation ;)

I do loose jump them together as they egg each other on which really helps lol

Someone asked where I am? Rossendale, Lancshire

Hi there. Your set up sounds amazing. I found my loan on a site called preloved. I found that when I googled horse loans the websites than came up were really difficult to navigate but preloved is easy. Just put your area in your description so it comes up. If I was in your area, I'd have been there like a shot.

Another thing you could try is putting up a notice in local stables for those people having lessons that want to take it to the next level. I'd been having lessons for years and didn't even know that part loaning was an option until I met someone who did it.

Auntiedee I'm so sorry to hear you have had all these issues.

I wanted to tell you it can work, dpony was on part loan for 18 months to one family and is now on part loan to another, both families are lovely and the girls who rode/ride her are great. They contribute £25 a week towards keep insurance etc and can ride pretty much whenever they like, they also have to check and poo pick twice a week. The previous girl did loads of pony club and the new girl is hoping to. Both families are very sweet, in fact the previous one offered me a lift to an event this weekend! Where we are there is loads of great riding and people to hack out with which makes it easy.

You will find someone, I would have bitten your arm off when I was younger and didn't have a pony of my own for the arrangement you are offering. in fact, as others have said I would have happily done some work too, in fact I would have wanted to, somehow you become more invested in it when you have responsibility.

One thing I have done this time is email the Mum with all the details plus their responsibilities, it helps having it in writing. I wonder if the people just didn't understand that the horse needs riding a certain amount of times a week?

Anyway, I hope you do find someone good and enjoy both in the meantime

It's been a week and I now have my lovely girl back. It's sad to think how much simple things deteriorated over the course of a few months. It seems that although I liked the girl, maybe my mare didn't, or she just wasn't a good fit.

Issues that developed that weren't there before

• refusing to be caught. She's always been difficult but loaner would give up and just leave her if she couldn't catch her straight away. Thus she learned she didn't have to be caught.
• blowing out when doing the girth up. She's now stopped
• flinging her head up when bridling her and not taking the bit. Getting better
• not standing at the mounting block and walking off as soon as you get on. Sorted now :)
• GIRAFFE - she's coming softer now
• stopping and running out of jumps. She's getting her confidence back and is pulling me into the jumps again.

I'm happy with her again now - she's becoming a pleasure to work with :)

This was how she had been working :( yesterday me and my cousin (mainly cousin) worked with her to get her to soften again.

She started to offer softness again :)

One of me :)

And little jumps :)