Full Loan - what does it mean?!

[boulevardofbrokendreamss]

Please talk to me like im a child, what does a full loan involve?

Currently have a gorgeous pony on part loan three days a week. Responsible for mocking out, riding and turning out / bringing in.

Have just been offered full loan, what exactly does this involve? Every day at the yard? Responsible for all payments?

So much conflicting info, I have obviously asked the owner!

Full loan you are responsible for all costs s of you were the owner. Just not the initial purchase. You'd need to clarify insurance for vet fees and vet costs (emergency, I'd expect you to have to pay routine costs like vaccinations and teeth) as some owners may continue to cover these and others not

That's meant to say *as if you were the owner

Full loan you take on all financial and physical duties as if you owned the horse.
So arranging and paying for: farrier, physio, dentist, vaccinations, saddle fitting, insurances etc. Then yes all daily care of the horse 365 days a year and bearing all the cost of livery, services, bedding, feed + tack/equipment

You're responsible for everything. It's basically having a horse without the upfront cost of purchasing one

You need to ask the owner what they mean though as pps have said you are normally completely responsible for the animal. This owner may wish to dictate things though, like where they are stabled. When I full loaned I moved the pony to my yard and I treated it completely as I would one I owned.
Speak to the owner and check what they expect, whether they will be insuring for vets fees, if tack and rugs are provided etc

Thank you all. Am going to have a chat with the owner tomorrow. Unfortunately I don't think we can commit at this time, kids are going into GCSEs next year and the logistics of getting them to the yard every day are making me head hurt. We have him on a 2 day part loan which works well for now.

Ask the person who is offering you the full loan not mumsnet. Only then will you have the correct information.

Part loan or sharing your generally pay the owner for your days.
Full loan you don’t pay the owner but you take on all responsibilities and costs.

Usually it means you are fully responsible for all care and costs, but definitely discuss with the owner and get everything set out in a loan agreement if you decide to go ahead.

At my daughter's yard, people have complained that when they start to loan from someone, the owner moves all the goalposts at unspecified times which sounds like a bit of a nightmare tbh.

I’ve always seen a full loan as you taking on the pony as if it’s yours day to day, so you cover all care, costs, and decisions, while the owner still keeps legal ownership. It’s a bigger commitment than a part loan, budget-wise and time-wise. I once used yuploans.com/weekend-payday-loans/ to sort an unexpected vet bill, so I know surprises can pop up fast with horses.

Full loan can be a massive leap up from part loan or sharing (I'm never too clear on the difference between part loaning and sharing tbh) depending on the level of involvement of the owner. I often think sharing doesn't really prepare that well for it, as it doesn't usually involve any management other than mucking out or poo picking really. Sharing can cost anything from free to £30 a day for diy or full livery, whereas with full loan youre likely to pay and organise everything except vet bills, which could easily be a lot more. Ime very few part loaners/sharers even see to the horse twice a day on a diy basis, let alone find/fund cover for sickness or holidays etc. I often think sharers tend to get a very good deal in terms of effort/responsibility for the money, especially if on full livery!

But, you get to basically have a horse to yourself and all the rewards that come with it. You do need to know what you're doing though, and be clear about and agree the level of support and expectations from both yourself and the owner. Are they going to visit/keep in touch regularly or just once a year/when the vet is needed? What would you want or need from the owner? Be sure to be open and honest about your level of experience in horse care/day to day decision making and be prepared to take some courses if needs be, especially if the owner is going to step right back. Think about what would happen if the horse developed any health conditions that require ongoing/change of management. Would the owner take the horse back if you couldn't manage for any reason, or the horse has to reduce the level of work etc. Would they expect you to fund management right through retirement? All conversations that need to be had, and written up in an agreement. The bhs have templates.