# leasing horse to trainer



## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

If he is well trained and will be used in lessons, he will also be used in shows, thus showcasing her students, her barn and her training.

Pitfalls? The same as any lease if something goes wrong with the horse or the situation.


----------



## JohnWayne (Mar 26, 2013)

You may also want to specify if she is allowed to lease him out to students or not.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

JohnWayne said:


> You may also want to specify if she is allowed to lease him out to students or not.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


True- some people lease out their horse to a trainer and then the trainer may half/full lease the horse out to a student. I personally would not allow that- If she had an interested student then I would require the lease to be coming directly from me. 

It can be a great thing in many circumstances. For whatever reason you're not able or interested in keeping your horse in work, but you don't want to sell him. This could be a great way to keep from paying board on the horse, but still keep him in your name in case you want to get back into riding. The trainer doesn't need to pay the purchase price on a horse, but she can use him for her lessons. She could also use him at shows- she'd be getting additional money from show fees, hauling, and additional lessons at shows. Of course, that's assuming that you're comfortable with allowing her off the property for shows. One of the many factors to consider when drawing up a contract. 

There CAN be a number of problems that arise from leasing a horse out, particularly to a lesson program. You say the horse is well trained. Depending on the riders being put on the horse and the horse itself some of that training could go away while being ridden mostly by inexperienced folks or kids. Don't expect to get back a perfectly trained horse necessarily. 

Make sure that you check up on the horse regularly. I've known of people who leased their horse out to a trainer and had the horse starved. Thankfully a friend started leasing the horse and fattened him up before he withered away to nothing. The owners trusted the trainer, but lived out of the country and didn't check up on the horse. If you live in the area check up on the horse at least once a month. If you don't live around the horse then get someone you trust very much (preferably a family member) to check up or require regular photo updates. It'll help make sure that your horse is kept up in good condition. 

The same friend who took on the starving horse is currently leasing her pony out to a lesson program about an hour away. She loves the pony and didn't want to sell her, but obviously wasn't too keen on paying board on a pony she had long outgrown. It's a fantastic situation for her and the trainer. Friend still owns the pony and can go see her whenever she wants, and the trainer gets to have a fantastic jumper pony for her lesson program. All of the kids absolutely love her and she's still rocking it in the show ring at 20 years old.


----------



## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Can't say it much better than DuckDodgers.

Do you know this trainer's methods and are you sure that you can trust her with your horse? Make sure that you have a very specific contract with her and be detailed as to what she can do with the horse and under what circumstances can it be taken off the property.

As DuckDodgers said, if this horse will be used for beginner lessons it can undo a lot of his good training very quickly. Some horses, depending on personality can be ruined for life and others like my main lesson horse Stanley come back to the good training level instantly when ridden by a good rider.

You can give it a try and make sure the contract is cancellable by either party at any time for any/or no reason. Think about injury & illness clauses too. Who pays for what. Even though this is a free lease you still need legal protection.

Also agree with checking on your horse unannounced on a regular basis. Some of the nicest seeming people out there do rotten thing to animals in private.


----------



## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

It sounds great to me considering the price of feed now days. You might pop in on a regular basis and see who and how the horse is ridden. It does not take long for a dude to really mess good training. But I feel once a horse is well trained, it doesn't take long to refresh his memory.


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Make sure you have a good signed contract, OR you could also end up with a bill for training.. happened to a relative. Trainer was to use his horses for lessons and then sell them and get a percent of the sell, in exchange for the lesson use free board, not specific in the contract, relative lost 3 horses, got a HUGE training bill and board bill.. Trainer was dishonest.


----------



## palogal (May 30, 2008)

Your lease will include the trainer taking the horse off the property to shows etc if he's being used as a lesson horse. You have to decide if that's ok and who is responsible if the unforseen happens and he is hurt or killed and it needs to be in writing. He also needs to be insured through her farm insurance for those purposes.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Good contract that protects your rights as owner. Make sure it specifies that the trainer is to pay for all upkeep and vetting and must carry insurance with you as loss payee. Spell out exactly what may and may not be done with this horse in the contract and both sign.


----------



## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

palogal said:


> Your lease will include the trainer taking the horse off the property to shows etc if he's being used as a lesson horse. You have to decide if that's ok and who is responsible if the unforseen happens and he is hurt or killed and it needs to be in writing. He also needs to be insured through her farm insurance for those purposes.


Not always. Many students have no interest in showing, and there may still be a demand for the horse strictly in an on farm setting. Of course, many programs also don't have a need for horses they can't show. Discuss the possibility with prospective leasers and put it all in writing!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## judibrownphoto (Jan 1, 2015)

I had 3 bad experiences doing this and now my horses don't leave my property unless I am with them for a lesson or show! 
Consider that all people aren't as kind, or honest as you are. 
and Possession is 9/10ths of the law. Even if your contract says they are yours, if they don't want to give them back, you would have to go to court and get them and the person could sell them or move them in the meantime. My contract said I could "take them back at any time for any reason". It didn't help. Also they will always, always, always lie in court. You will be the only one telling the truth, so you better know the law and make sure it is on your side. Judges go by documentation. Writing beats out the word of witnesses. Also if you do have a witness, they have to be in person. But he said she said is a huge gamble, so get it is writing. Also they can forge things. Seriously...
The first time I did it, the owner of the barn somehow without my permission, let a teenager ride my horse with a bit when she had only ever had a hackamore and she flipped her over backwards and the teenager broke her arm and my horse was scared to death and changed. 
The second time I showed up unannounced on a Sunday with a different trainer and found no water in the buckets and a stall knee deep in urine and wet sawdust. He said he peed too much if he watered him. I called animal control and left with my horses. A woman in the barn took me aside and told me he beat my horse when I wasnt there. This horse is a kitten. Never does anything bad. 
The third trainer starved one of mine and tried to steal the other. I had to go to court and get her back, cost me a bundle. It took a "replevin order" (civil court) and the sheriff of his county. If he had refused to give it back to the deputies, I would have had to go back to the judge for a "break order" to enter his property. He had done this before to at least 28 other people I later found on the civil court lawsuits on the internet in our county. Then he stalked me until I took care of that at great personal cost. 
I decide that as hard as it is, I would pay their feed bills. Not worth it.


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would also make the trainer pay and have the contract notarized. It mayu hold up better in court. Be very very specific regarding every aspect of your horse.


----------



## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Make sure you are named on the trainers farm liability policy for sure and you may want your own on top of that-I do. I free lease one of mine who is basically retired, as a therapy horse. It has been a great arrangement in my case, and good for him also. I would be very careful who I leased him to, and, as has been stated-drop in at any time to check on the horse. SOrt of like having a teenager-you never want them to know when you will show up.


----------



## Nanette Levin (Mar 19, 2012)

I certainly understand the temptation of a free lease arrangement. I've been there. 

Free leases don't always turn out that way. As others have stated, you don't always get back the horse you delivered. Liability can be a huge issue. Vet bills too. A sour horse due to too much riding time by unskilled riders or one given back in an unhealthy state are additional concerns. 

Personally, I won't free lease a horse again (I've done it several times with people I trusted and was aghast at what I witnessed when I dropped in unannounced). Sadly, many don't treat a "free" horse as they would one of their own or a client (paid) assignment.

If you don't have time for the horse, you might consider talking to your trainer or one of her other students about a possible purchase.

That said, if this trainer is someone you truly trust to take good care of your buddy, do (as has already been mentioned) write up a short contract so you both are clear on what the other is thinking. Insurance, vet bills, intended horse use, care (turnout, blacksmith, supplements, worming, etc.) should all be included. Most don't go into such things intending misunderstandings, but they happen often if you aren't clear from the onset.


----------



## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

On the other hand, I have an amazing free lease situation going on right now. Our pony is starting in on her twenties, we have 0 use for her (she's a small pony, our family has 2 grown riders) so we've free leased her to my trainer. She uses her for lessons, shows and her own kids- that pony has probably never seen better care than she's seeing right now. When she was with us she wasn't getting worked and she was so unhappy. Now she's being worked regularly, spoiled, well taken care of, my coach has her on an amazing veterinary routine, etc etc. we don't have a contract (which is never something I would recommend- you should always get a contract, pony, however, is in my parents' name and they make the decisions) but my trainer is someone I trust 100%, I see the pony regularly, etcetc.

A free lease CAN be done well, you just need to make sure you keep tabs on your horse and trust the care taker.


----------



## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Personally, I would never do it. I did lease my horse out once (many years ago) for the summer, to a trainer who I knew very, very well. She knew what could, and could not, be done with my horse, and she used my horse for one of her more advanced adult students. My horse was not allowed to leave her property. It worked out well. My horse and the student were a great match and they took great care of my horse.

But another time I let a trainer use my horse for lessons, for a brief time... it was a disaster, even with a contract. The trainer used the wrong saddle (after I had told her to not use that saddle), it was a saddle that did not fit my horse, and the trainer was letting the student's family members (non-horse people who did not know how to ride) to ride my horse, I ended the lease immediately.

Leases can be a good thing, at times.... but I am not sure they are worth the risk of ruining your horse.


----------



## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

luvdogz said:


> So, I have a good-looking horse that is well-trained.
> 
> My trainer wants to keep the horse at her barn as a free lease.
> 
> ...


She wants a free lesson horse
That means all kinds of riders will be riding your horse, under her supervison, but still, not the best deal for a well trained horse

I am very particular as to who rides any of my horses
Depends on how many students ride your horse, but she will more than cover her feed bill.
I know that at the arena I ride at, if an instructor uses any of the owner's horses for any lessons, that instructor has to pay $20 for each lesson that the horse provides
I have seen some pretty dull sour horses that were being used as lesson horses!


----------

