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Encouragement/Words of Wisdom: Off site lease?

Dressage
#1

I was debating posting this because of a superstition that if you tell anyone about something, it won’t work out, but here we are…

Has anyone had an off site lease work out well? This is not my first lease (all have been positive experiences, thank jebus) but would be my first long term and off-site. I understand that I would likely be responsible for all vet bills/boarding/farrier so that’s not an issue, I’m just mostly worried about trust/respect between owner and leaser. I know that I can take care of a horse responsibly and have owned horse, been the only working student, etc, but I still get REALLY nervous about this.

I’m not in a position to buy as it’s one of those “IDK where I’ll be in five years” kind of thing and don’t have the $$ for a 3rd/4th level horse up front, which is what I’m looking for. My current onsite lease is up and my second level horse (mine) is older and not going further due to hock arthritis.

TLDR: Someone tell me this could be a positive experience, and also, if anyone knows of a schoolmaster/UL horse for a off site lease for a soft and responsible horseperson in the northeast US, feel free to let me know…

#2

If you have a good contract why not give it a try? Of course things can go wrong but a good contract can help with that…

#3

We are not quite ready for contract but it will absolutely happen… I guess that even with a solid contract I worry that something will happen and it will be my fault. That is horses though.

#4

Yes, a good contract is key. One that discusses who is responsible for what in case of various emergencies and long-term situations.

I’ve never been the leaser of an off-site lease, but have leased out. I don’t have any horror stories like many other people do, the leases went fine. Not amazing, but fine.
My personal gelding I let out on an off-site but local-to-me care lease. About six months in, it took the rider over a month to bother telling me that horse had been lame “off and on” for the past several weeks. Though she was supposed to be responsible for vet care, she did not bother having a vet out in that time frame, either. So I called a vet out, diagnosed navicular, got the horse shod appropriately and some Previcox, and he was sound again. However, with the increased maintenance (for a senior horse that was bombproof and she was a WTC rider…big deal, apparently), the leaser was wishy-washy about whether she wanted to continue the lease, so after waiting two or more weeks for an answer I decided for her and took my horse back.
The other time I’ve done it was a client’s horse I had in on consignment. Owner was okay with a lease-to-own, buyer was somewhat local. Buyer didn’t end up buying, brought horse back, no major issues but he was like 50-75 lbs lighter than when he left (so right on the cusp of being too thin) mainly because had lost almost all of his muscle. He’d either just barely been ridden in those three months, or was ridden very poorly.
People just don’t take care of something as well when it isn’t theirs.

See if you can do some research on the horse owner. Do they a reputation for suing or shady dealings, trying to put stuff that’s really their responsibility on other people?

#5

I’ve been the leaser and had no problems. I made sure we had a clear, specific contract AND that we had actually discussed things like vet care, emergencies, etc. A contract is one thing and it’s critical, but it’s also helpful to understand what the owner’s philosophy and approach are and whether they mesh well with your own.

#6

As said above, it is all in the contract. I am nearing the end of a year long off-site lease (I am the leasee), and have had a great experience. I keep in regular contact with the owner (we both love this horse, and I love updating her on how he’s doing!), but she lives a bit far and has only come to see him a handful of times.

To address your concerns about you being held responsible, the owner and I have it clearly written out in the lease that if the horse gets injured, I am only responsible for vet bills up to $x amount. I am also able to send the horse back if he is unable to be ridden. Both of these ensure that if/when this horse gets injured, I won’t be out thousands of dollars, and I would not be expected to rehab him or anything like that (even though I would be more than willing – like I said I love this horse!)

Your relationship and line of communication with the owner is also very crucial. Off-site leases are a big risk on the part of the owner – there is no guarantee that your horse will be cared for as well as it should be. As a responsible leasee, I feel it is really important to have that regular communication with the owner. Doing what’s best for the horse includes your care of it, as well as the continued involvement of the owner.

All this to say, as a leasee, I would recommend going for it, provided you have a good relationship with the owner, and a solid contract that protects the both of you. Sorry for writing a novel lol

#7

I sent my mare to an off site lease several years ago. It was to a woman that was a client of my trainer, so I was not too worried. Also some years prior sent my old gelding to a barn where I knew the trainer/manager pretty well. Barn was only about 3 miles away. He had a great time until hit by cervical arthritis and needed to be mostly retired. I was contacted as soon as they noticed symptoms. Contracts both times.

1 Like
#8

Besides a good contract, have an honest conversation with the owner about what sort of contact they want. Some people want the horse back in a year in the same condition and don’t want to be bothered in between. Others want to talk to the trainer monthly to know how things are going. Others will start imaging that Pookie is being abused if you don’t send a weekly photo. Be super clear about expectations. It’s easy to fail to meet expectations if you don’t know what they are.

1 Like
#9

Thanks for the replies! Really good thoughts about trying to find as much info as possible about the trainer and discussing what kind of updates the owner would like. I am about 2.5 hrs from the trainer. I would want regular updates and transparency (I am the person who will tell you if the horse ripped a bell boot and then volunteer to replace it) but I can understand that might be annoying for someone who’s basically selling (he is for sale and I’m offering to lease him).

#10

We currently are leasing off site and so far it’s been a fantastic experience. I am very transparent and update the owner with everything from routine vet visits to letting her know if we are taking him off property. The horse is exactly what we wanted and we may end up buying him (he was originally not for sale). We have insurance on him and I would do whatever is needed to make sure he is taken care of. He is not a show horse though- just something to take to local shows and have fun with.

#11

Thank you! I would hope this horse is insured (I currently pay for my lease horse’s full insurance, instead of 1/2 of whatever MM bills she would incur if something were to happen). I would want to take him off property, to small shows and trail riding but interesting to know that you update the owner every time he leaves the property.

I used to have to trailer out every time I wanted to ride when the horses were at home so I think I am more used to bringing them off property than most…

#12

Just make sure you get a very detailed contract, and make sure you have a sit down conversation to hash out any potential scenarios and make sure they are included on the contract. I am sort of like you, in the thoughts that what if something goes wrong, it’s not my horse, will I be blamed, etc. I have never leased (only owned), but I do know if I needed an upper level horse and couldn’t afford to purchase, I absolutely would look at leasing. Just make sure the contract is rock solid so there are no grey areas.

1 Like
#13

DETAILED CONTRACT. Have a lawyer look over it. Consistent and open communication. I am leasing now. My friend owns the horse, and we’ve known each other for over a decade. We outlined clear expectations of who was responsible for what, and what she expected as far as training/showing for the mare. Whenever something happens or if the vet suggests something, the mare’s owner is my first call, but I also have leeway to make decisions for urgent conditions. Things like injections we discuss first. Insurance is also a good thing to have.

Be prepared to be on the hook for the horse’s care in case of injury. I spent nine months this year paying bills and rehabbing her tendon after she tore it up in her paddock. Most lessors will expect you to be responsible for the horse if it is injured under your care.

In general, this has been a fantastic experience for me. I have access to a quality horse that I could never have afforded. It has also been eye opening regarding the demands of sport horse ownership. After a year and half of leasing, I felt confident enough that I could handle the responsibility of ownership, and I just bought my own horse in January - so now I’m responsible for two - but I’m going to maintain the lease until my friend is ready to assume care again.

1 Like
#14

I leased my horse out last year and she renewed this year…the woman loves my horse as much as I do so it’s working out very well! I really like her trainer and we have a contract. I think what is important is the trust thing between both of us, she communicates and sends pics and I visited him a couple of months into the lease mostly because I missed him so much. I went to see him again a few months later to drop some blankets and he looked great. She truly adores him and he adores her.
I am not a pain in the ass and neither is she so it works!

2 Likes
#15

I’m not comfortable leasing a horse without insurance. My own horse is not insured but if she were to injure herself or colic to the extent that I would have to put myself into debt to fix it, she would likely be euthanized.

I am very open/responsible but it’s hard to convince strangers of this (and rightfully so). Unfortunately no one I know personally has an appropriate lease.

#16

If you have a trainer can you work through them to find a lease situation? My trainer knows a lot of trainers on the east coast so it was easy to say yay/nay when people came knocking about my horse! I also maintain the insurance so I am involved in anything major when a medical issue arrives.

#17

The person I currently lease from is a trainer, but so far no luck. Bogey, I think we are very local to each other… can I shoot you a PM?

#18

of course!

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