Horses vs ponies, for kids.........??

[michickenwrangler]

thanks for all the comments.

as for us both taking riding lessons, can't justify spending the $$ on that for me, as I know how to ride. haha.


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Yes, but lessons make you a BETTER rider.

I know how to ride and do quite well but I still take a few lessons a year.

I'm a teacher. Does that mean I shouldn't attend professional development to become a better one?

 

[arabianequine]

It depends what the lease reads...what you both agree to. I would def. have a signed contract to protect you and the owner.

Sometimes people want money to lease their horse I personally would not do it this way plus feed and care upkeep.

Some are free lease and you provide daily maintenance feed, trims/shoes, wormer, boarding, etc. This would be the cheaper way so if you are looking look for ads that say free lease.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Very good posts all, showing different points of view.

The lease agreements vary all over the place. Some are very carefully spelled out piece by piece, and others are very, very informal. I think it's better to have everything spelled out, such as the questions you asked. Some leases put more burden on the leaser, some put less.

Some lease agreements - usually only for a very valuable show pony, involve a 'leasing fee'. It can run into the thousands a year. It is NOT customary to charge lease fees for leases on aged 'baby sitter' animals. They are usually 'free leases' - no fee.

Generally, even in an informal arrangement, the leaser is supposed to pay for board or provide bedding, hay and such at their own farm. The owner might specificy or limit where the pony can be kept.

Plus the leaser pays for routine care. In that sense, it's almost like they own the animal. Shoeing and trimming, routine vaccinations, worming. Usually, there is at least a conversation about what to do if the animal gets hurt, if not something in writing. Since the pony is often at a boarding stable, the boarding stable manager is the one that calls the vet anyway, and will do so if the leaser or owner isn't around.

If it's a chronic condition that predates the lease, the owner usually takes care of the vet bill, if it's a problem of age, likewise. If the pony becomes too sick to be leased, the owner takes the pony back and pays for the care. But often, the leaser is expected to take (very good) care of 'issues of normal use' - bruises, cuts, turnout injuries like bites and kicks.

If the animal is harmed or killed and there is some debate about whether the accident involved negligence, things can get tough, but that's why it's so good to have it in writing.

Some folks, such as in Pony Club, are very informal in their free leases. They are all in that network like Pat described, and they all, as far as I can tell, usually have about the same ideas about how to care for the pony - it's a pet, and there is no question if it gets sick - the leasers will have a vet out right away. They see each other very frequently at meetings and mounted activities, the kids are often friends and chatter with each other - there just are no secrets, and the horse is right in the neighborhood.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Now wait, are you talking about leasing a horse to keep at your farm, or are you talking about leasing a lesson-barn horse that would then continue to live at its lesson barn? The two things are TOTALLY different, pretty much unrelated in fact.

Leasing a horse to live at your house usually means you are responsible for all expenses, period, every last thing including vet bills, and usually need to have mortality/loss-of-use insurance in case of Bad Things.

Leasing (or half-leasing) a horse at a commercial barn is more like a frequent-rental agreement. You usually pay half (or full) board as your lease fee; in some cases you may pay a portion of farrier or vet bills but often you don't. You only get to ride the horse on specified days at specified times in specified ways (as specified in what is usually a fairly detailed contract). The contract usually (anyhow, SHOULD) be very explicit about who is liable for what costs in the event of Bad Things, and what happens if the horse is unrideable for some days/weeks/months. (At a lesson barn, often they will let you use a different horse if loss of use is more than just an occasional day here or day there; but this is not going to be the case if you are half- or full-leasing a privately owned boarded horse).

(edited to add: *should* be a very detailed contract. However, I leased the barn owner's field hunter my senior year of high school on the strength of "you wanna lease Tinseltown? Pay full board every month, and you can ride him every day except when I am hunting him, and show him however much you can afford, but you have to do what I tell you to get/keep him fit for the hunting field" "oh, okay, sure!"

Any picky little legalistic clauses that shoulda been in a contract were more or less covered by the unspoken "you've ridden here for nine years now, you know what you are supposed to do and not do, and if you screw up I will kill you and you will never sit on a horse again anywhere in the tri-state area" LOL Really, a contract would probably be better

)

Pat

 

[emjay]

Quote:
Now wait, are you talking about leasing a horse to keep at your farm, or are you talking about leasing a lesson-barn horse that would then continue to live at its lesson barn? The two things are TOTALLY different, pretty much unrelated in fact.

Leasing a horse to live at your house usually means you are responsible for all expenses, period, every last thing including vet bills, and usually need to have mortality/loss-of-use insurance in case of Bad Things.

Leasing (or half-leasing) a horse at a commercial barn is more like a frequent-rental agreement. You usually pay half (or full) board as your lease fee; in some cases you may pay a portion of farrier or vet bills but often you don't. You only get to ride the horse on specified days at specified times in specified ways (as specified in what is usually a fairly detailed contract). The contract usually (anyhow, SHOULD) be very explicit about who is liable for what costs in the event of Bad Things, and what happens if the horse is unrideable for some days/weeks/months. (At a lesson barn, often they will let you use a different horse if loss of use is more than just an occasional day here or day there; but this is not going to be the case if you are half- or full-leasing a privately owned boarded horse).

(edited to add: *should* be a very detailed contract. However, I leased the barn owner's field hunter my senior year of high school on the strength of "you wanna lease Tinseltown? Pay full board every month, and you can ride him every day except when I am hunting him, and show him however much you can afford, but you have to do what I tell you to get/keep him fit for the hunting field" "oh, okay, sure!"

Any picky little legalistic clauses that shoulda been in a contract were more or less covered by the unspoken "you've ridden here for nine years now, you know what you are supposed to do and not do, and if you screw up I will kill you and you will never sit on a horse again anywhere in the tri-state area" LOL Really, a contract would probably be better

)

Pat

your last paragraph kind of sums it up

I would not want to lease a horse at my own place, would do a lease at someones barn, that way you have the barn and possible arena to use as well. Don't know if I'd go the lease route. but, worth looking into at least.

thanks for clarifying the lease for me welsummer and patandchickens.

 

[TMNTCkins]

I would not go a small pony. Keep in mind small ponies are very bouncy and rough (makes you feel like a piece of popcorn). 12 hands to 14 hands is a good size to start with.