Horse Talk

[ShrekDawg]

She's cute! I just got my dream APHA (Paint Horse) last month. After being 'horseless' for over 10 years, it feels great to be back in the saddle again!!!

Gorgeous horse!

No. Never will. There's always things that can happen, injuries, illnesses, even the horse ends up dying. Contracts legal stuff etc.
I know someone who was leasing a horse for a 5 year contract. The horse ended up dying close to the 4th year. The family not only had to pay for this horse they also had to pay the actual owner for the all 5 years..

Thats ridiculous! And a reason why i wouldnt go with a long term thing like that

​Are you asking about leasing out a horse you OWN or leasing someone else's horse?

I have done both, with absolute success, and am totally comfortable doing so again, under the right conditions.

I fully vet anyone wanting to lease a horse I own, and I expect them to fully vet me before allowing me to lease their horse. I check vet, farrier, dentist, trainer, neighbor, etc. references. I drop in in-announced for surprise visits. I want to see the "real" picture, not one where they have had time to "tidy up" everything.

90% of the horses at the barn I manage are privately owned and free leased by the riding program that is run at the barn. Some of the owners are absentee, and others are present multiple times a week. Our lease program is very different from others, as we pay 100% of all feed, farrier, chiropractic, dentistry and vet. We do have a "cap" to emergency vet fees based on each horse's value in the program. The owners only pay if an emergency vet fee exceeds that cap, otherwise, they have no financial responsibility to the horse.

Wow that's definitely unique! Any idea why it's like that? Isn't that almost basically owning the horses? So why don't they just buy them or their own horses? I mean, it's not like they're really making anything and you are leasing from them?

 

[res]

Gorgeous horse!
Thats ridiculous! And a reason why i wouldnt go with a long term thing like that
Wow that's definitely unique! Any idea why it's like that? Isn't that almost basically owning the horses? So why don't they just buy them or their own horses? I mean, it's not like they're really making anything and you are leasing from them?

Free leasing allows the program to have very high quality horses without the purchase price. The owners have the peace of mind that they still own the horses, but do not have a monthly financial responsibility, and they know their horses are in very good hands (routine chiropractic, massage, daily supplements, etc. the lesson horses are SPOILED!). Free leasing also allows us to return the horses to their owners when they are retired, vs. having to make the difficult business decision of having to sell a horse that has devoted 10+ years of it's life to our program. The barn I work for is a major national corporation, and unfortunately, the corporate office DOES make business decisions like that... So our "loophole" is to free lease, so that corporate cannot make us sell...

My daughter's show Arab is also a free lease, for the same reasons. The owner did not want to sell outright and "lose" the horse... In return we get a "free" horse that would cost us $xx,xxx to buy... He has a USDF Lifetime # and is trained thru 3rd level dressage, ridden by Grand Prix riders. He is priceless, and I am beyond blessed to be able to free lease him!

 

[ShrekDawg]

​Free leasing allows the program to have very high quality horses without the purchase price. The owners have the peace of mind that they still own the horses, but do not have a monthly financial responsibility, and they know their horses are in very good hands (routine chiropractic, massage, daily supplements, etc. the lesson horses are SPOILED!). Free leasing also allows us to return the horses to their owners when they are retired, vs. having to make the difficult business decision of having to sell a horse that has devoted 10+ years of it's life to our program. The barn I work for is a major national corporation, and unfortunately, the corporate office DOES make business decisions like that... So our "loophole" is to free lease, so that corporate cannot make us sell...

My daughter's show Arab is also a free lease, for the same reasons. The owner did not want to sell outright and "lose" the horse... In return we get a "free" horse that would cost us $xx,xxx to buy... He has a USDF Lifetime # and is trained thru 3rd level dressage, ridden by Grand Prix riders. He is priceless, and I am beyond blessed to be able to free lease him!

Wow, I'm so oblivious I had no idea free leasing was even a thing! Or that there were national/corporate barns haha

Now that you explained it and said it thay way, it makes a lot of sense!

And wow, he sounds like a great horse! He must be crazy expensive if you were to buy him! How exactly do you find a horse like that? Surely they don't just give him to just anybody? But you clearly have the experience working at the barn like that. Does he stay at the barn or do you have your own?

Sorry for all the questions haha

 

[I Love Layers]

Right now I am trying to figure out if I can use a hackamore for Pleasure and Trail in 4H. I don't think you can, but all the words are confusing sometimes

 

[res]

Wow, I'm so oblivious I had no idea free leasing was even a thing! Or that there were national/corporate barns haha

Now that you explained it and said it thay way, it makes a lot of sense!

And wow, he sounds like a great horse! He must be crazy expensive if you were to buy him! How exactly do you find a horse like that? Surely they don't just give him to just anybody? But you clearly have the experience working at the barn like that. Does he stay at the barn or do you have your own?

Sorry for all the questions haha

There are lots of big companies involved in horses as a tax write-off. Sometimes they are public about it, sometimes they are not.... We found my daughter's horse on an ad, and were chosen to be his new "home". He lives here at home with us, but hitches a ride to work with me multiple times per week for lessons and different programs.

Right now I am trying to figure out if I can use a hackamore for Pleasure and Trail in 4H. I don't think you can, but all the words are confusing sometimes

Ask your 4-H leader. While there are definitely rules in the 4-H handbook, not all clubs or shows abide by them. It depends on how the leader wants to handle the show. Technically, in my area, no you cannot show in a hack, but, the leader that puts on the shows really isn't a stickler for the rules. You will see all sorts of bits & tack at their shows... From super blingy girls who compete heavily on the AQHA circuit, to backyard riders with clean synthetic tack...

 

[GingersHuman]

Right now I am trying to figure out if I can use a hackamore for Pleasure and Trail in 4H. I don't think you can, but all the words are confusing sometimes

I'm not sure about 4H rules, but most competitions in the lower levels allow hackamores of certain types. Be aware though, that a wolf tooth that is erupted at least 3/8" or so is an easy removal for vets/ dentists as they don't have much of a root system.

 

[ShrekDawg]

There are lots of big companies involved in horses as a tax write-off. Sometimes they are public about it, sometimes they are not....  We found my daughter's horse on an ad, and were chosen to be his new "home". He lives here at home with us, but hitches a ride to work with me multiple times per week for lessons and different programs.



Ask your 4-H leader. While there are definitely rules in the 4-H handbook, not all clubs or shows abide by them. It depends on how the leader wants to handle the show. Technically, in my area, no you cannot show in a hack, but, the leader that puts on the shows really isn't a stickler for the rules. You will see all sorts of bits & tack at their shows... From super blingy girls who compete heavily on the AQHA circuit, to backyard riders with clean synthetic tack...

Wow, I had no idea!!! Makes sense though, they'll do just about anything to save money. Although it seems like any tax write off wouldn't really be worth any potential liability if something happened with the horses... and wow that's awesome! That's great you found him, he seems like a good horse. And oh awesome! So sorry for all the questions but do you have other horses at home too?

 

[I Love Layers]

What do you guys use for curb bits? Apparently I need one for trail

 

[abigalerose]

What do you guys use for curb bits? Apparently I need one for trail

Why would you need one for trails?

 

[Bunnylady]

I Love Layers is wanting to compete in Trail classes in 4H, and apparently a curb bit is required equipment for that class.