Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

To buy our loan horse or not?

28 replies

mumontherun14 · 17/07/2020 22:49

Hi
My DD has had a Hackney gelding on loan for 6 months with another 6 months to go. He is 17 and a lovely natured beautiful horse but has his quirks. He is an experienced dressage horse been liveried at a dressage yard & competed successfully. However DD really loves to jump & he is very stressy going into jumps & over jumps everything then can tank off afterwards. Great at hacking with traffic etc. She has had loads of lessons with him with experienced teachers & has now got him going much better but he can still overjump. She absolutely loves him.

Then recently we heard of an 17yr old Irish sports horse being sold by a friend who gave her a months loan to try him out & we agreed if we bought him as he was experienced jumper/eventer the loan horse would go back. She got on well with the new horse but only been a few weeks so not bonded as much with him yet.

Now the loan horse owner has said she is going to sell the loan horse & offered us first chance. DD is going on & on about it and is adamant she could manage the 2 of them. She already has the 2 of them at the yard & will have till the loan ends. Financially we could manage it as it’s diy livery.

WWYD? Is it crazy to think about having 2 17 yr olds? (Both in good health). Also my husband will not be keen as already felt it was a huge expense getting one. The loan owner looking for 4K including jump saddle rugs boots etc.

Thanks

OP posts:
maxelly · 20/07/2020 23:50

Aside from the valid points already being made about how much is being asked for a 17 year old and whether you'll end up with 2 retirees on your hand. You don't mention how old your DD is, but I think 2 horses on DIY livery is a lot for a teenager or young adult to manage, at a time in her life when she'll likely have a lot on. I don't mean in the sense of 'oh she'll lose interest in horses when she discovers boys' (urgh, hate it when people say that), but more she may have exams, uni/college applications, a saturday job, a social life, other hobbies, and yes maybe a boy or girlfriend as well (!) to take up her time. I know it's horrible to see her so upset about giving up her loan horse but it sounds as though the intention was never to have 2, and so the decision about 'Jack' was effectively made when you bought 'Jim'?

Unless she is very serious about horses being her career and therefore literally everything else must come second, I think you might need to put your foot down about ensuring she has some balance in her life. Even if you are prepared to take on a substantial part of the care yourself (which is a lot to ask if you don't ride), giving 2 enough exercise to make it worthwhile is going to be a 10-12 hour commitment a week, does she really have that time/inclination in the depths of winter alongside school/college/work and everything else?

Appreciate she loves the horse and isn't being a spoilt brat but nonetheless she doesn't get to just cry and cry until you agree she can have 2 horses, life doesn't work that way. Unfortunately being a rider/owner does teach you that sometimes you need to let a horse that isn't right for you go, and if she wants to be a pro rider or yard manager someday, then dealing with the fact that you won't own all your rides/horses yourself and their owners can do what they want with them (including selling them on) is another hard but valuable lesson... (don't think I am being hard hearted by the way, I cried for a week when my loan pony as a teenager was sold on, begged and begged my poor parents to buy him for me, the works, so I know how she feels!)

I suppose if you really love 'Jack' and are genuinely concerned about his welfare if sold, you could buy him and find a sharer or loaner to take on the majority of his keep costs, care and exercise? I am not sure of his worth, if he can really do all the AM moves, is currently sound and a true dressage schoolmaster then maybe he's worth £4k with the saddle (although bear in mind saddles aren't worth as much second hand as new even in good nick) - but I don't think you would see much if any return on your capital and I'm not sure I'd trust the idea that the old owner would buy him back for any substantial value if he breaks down or has to be retired which is a distinct possibility for any horse of 17 who's had a hard life!

Good luck, hope you sort it.

mumontherun14 · 21/07/2020 10:20

Hiya thanks for the advice it’s giving me a lot to think about. She is nearly 14 and at the moment(!) pretty sure she wants a career with horses or animal care. I know exactly what you mean as there are quite a few older girls at the yard and family/friends have had to step in during exam time. She has said if stuck she’d get a sharer for one of them and I’m a happy hacker so could exercise one of them. We are a bit of a mum/daughter share at the moment & share a block with good friends who would help. We can also pay for full livery during exam time etc. I spoke to her again about it last night on way home & she really really wants to keep Jack & to be honest so do I. We both love him he has a lovely nature & has settled well with us. It’s just the jumping but she can do that with Jim, She has a dressage clinic on Thurs with Jack so we’ll see how she goes. We still have 6 months of the loan to run to decide. I thought the loan was a good idea as a trial before buying but didn’t foresee how attached she/we would get to him! Xxx

OP posts:
pandafunfactory · 21/07/2020 12:01

You clearly want to buy both. Just do that. Sometimes it's not about good sense. Just go in with your eyes open and try and get a bit knocked off. Does she actually want the saddle and boots etc?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page