In a typical free lease, you pay for everything expect “rights” to ride the horse. That means board, vet, farrier, supplements, insurance, tack, etc. The cost is exactly the same as owning a horse - except for the upfront purchase price. Sometimes there are specific arrangements as to vet fees - i.e. leasor agrees to pay routine vet expenses and insurance premium and owner agrees to pay any emergency vet bills over and above what insurance covers.
Generally speaking, other arrangements where the owner “sponsors” the rider by letting them ride and also covering some of the horse’s expenses are for very good riders who can meaningfully increase the value of the horse in terms of training and show record.
I currently have one of my horses out on a free lease, with a contract. The horse is a very sweet, unathletic trail horse. The family wanted a sweet trail horse for occasional trail rides. A mutual friend recommend them to me. They did not want to buy another one because they were taken advantage of twice when they purchased. They wanted a no strings attached horse since they now have two that are unsuitable for their needs. They are really beginner but are very cautious about his care. So far, it has worked out wonderfully! They keep them at their house and maintain all his care. He is ridden for maybe 20 minutes 3 times a week. They adore him and unless something drastic happens, they can keep him forever. It can work out great but for my good ending, their are many that ended badly.
A contract is your friend…as well as knowing the people who have the horse.
I’m still laughing; no one would lease a horse and continue to pay for it. :lol:
BUT - for fun, I’ll outline for you my last few vet/farrier bills:
Farrier is every six weeks; my horses don’t really need anything fancy and at this time are in plain old steel shoes. Aluminum during show season is more expensive: [INDENT]Front Shoes $125
Front Shoes (One with Leather Pad) $145
Full Trim: $40[/INDENT]
Vet: [INDENT]Early September: Woke up on a Friday, miniature horse was down and colicky. Hauled to the vet, they kept him under observation for four days, ran fluids the first day - he came out of it miraculously unscathed (though at one point I was asked if he was a surgical candidate). Total bill: $1,798.50
Mid July: Three year old filly had some impacted caps and needed her teeth floated. $255.50
Mid June: Four horses had their annual injections. X-Rays on all; hocks for three of them, knee for one, front feet for one. $3,226.50
That’s just the last three months. Don’t total this up for my husband. :lol::lol::lol:[/INDENT]
Insurance: [INDENT]Main show horse: $25K mortality, $10K major medical: $812.50 annually
Other generic horse for comparison: $7500 mortality, $0 major medical: $227.50 annually[/INDENT]
None of this covers feed/supplements/shavings/gear/etc. When I did board, before I had my own place, I paid extra for more alfalfa and extra for more bedding. You’ll also need to be on a deworming program, and if you plan to show, show and training fees also aren’t included.
Word of mouth from trusted folks - or through pros with a good rep in your area - is, in my experience, usually what yields the best results with a free lease. Insist on a contract, and go in expecting to pay all routine care costs. Ensure that your contract spells out exactly how cost is handled in an emergency situation.
I took a horse on a lengthy trial this year, which - because there was no purchase price associate with him - we treated as a free lease.Our contract stipulated that all routine vet and healthcare costs - e.g. teeth, vaccines, etc. were to be covered by me. In the event of an emergency, my duty was to contact the owner or an authorized agent (identified in the contract) to inform her of the situation - “custody” reverted to the owner, and all care decisions and associated costs were then in the owner’s court. In reality, if we’d had an emergency - let’s say he was colicky and I wanted the vet out - what most likely would have happened is I’d have informed the owner, we would have discussed care, and I would have happily paid the bill. If, eg, there had been a more serious emergency - let’s say surgical colic - the “owner covering all emergency cost” may have come into play if my finances were limited and surgery wouldn’t be an option for me, but the owner wanted to do it. Or, perhaps if there was a situation where I personally felt euthanasia would be a more humane option but the owner wanted to pursue treatments. Essentially, it’s important to ensure you are not in a situation where an owner is treating you as an insurance agency and calling the shots on emergency treatment on your dime and you are legally obliged to pay. Luckily, we didn’t end up needing to test drive this aspect of the contract, but I wouldn’t have gone through with the trial if we hadn’t had it.
At one point I was really busy and I wanted someone to hack my horse a few days per week (so not a full time lease thing). I asked my trainer for the name of a kid who could be trusted that wanted more saddle time that they thought would get along with my horse. (I did not board at my trainer’s.)
Said kid rode for years at no cost to them*. And no, I am not some wealthy person. I just wanted to maintain control over my horse all while making sure he got exercised regularly. It also gave me someone to fall back on if I got even more busy, or needed an extra set of hands for something.
*They paid for their own lessons if they happened to take one on my horse, which I was always asked about beforehand.
My horse was not fancy. But safe.
I explained what I did in my post. I said it was an only partial ‘lease’ deal. I did cover 100% of the horse’s expenses, while it boarded where I was boarding it. I was only riding 1x per week.
It does not 100% match the OP’s situation, I was simply saying there are rare times that riding for free does happen. Un-bunch your panties.
I have done several free leases and it worked out great for everyone. All were arranged through my trainer, and were horses owned by her clients, usually juniors who had other commitments and could not be at the barn every day. I paid 1/3 - 1/2 of the monthly cost of shoes and board, depending on whether I was riding 2 or 3 days a week. No other expenses to me.
One lease was totally free, owner was away at college and didn’t want to sell her first, large pony. Family could easily afford to pay all his expenses but he needed to be worked.
In every instance owners knew I would care for the horses and their equipment as if they were my own, so we all benefitted. There were no written agreements for any of these leases.
OP if you have a trainer I would suggest working with their connections to try and find you a good lease situation.
I just finished a year long lease- it was not free but what I paid covered insurance.
Over the year I paid:
$200 total for spring and fall shots
$135 dental 1 time
$85 chiro (1 time- chiro said he didn’t need regular adjustments)
$45 every 8 week for farrier (barefoot)
$150 clipping (2 times)
I also spent around $500+ in tack and that was mostly used stuff.
and of course monthy board. He is an easy keeper and stayed sound the entire year.
The lease ended and I bought the horse. In addition to the purchase price, Ive paid:
$450 insurance
$800 PPE
My farrier costs are now $60 every 6 weeks. Everything else is about the same.
But - I half lease him now so I am paying less per month.
My panties are just fine, I’m just saying I’m laughing at what the OP propositioned. :rolleyes: Of course people will let talented riders under their trainer’s direction ride their horse for free. Don’t try to correct me when the scenario you’re describing doesn’t match what I, and others, are laughing at to try to prove a point that doesn’t exist. #ContextMatters#ReadingComprehension
I have said, more than once in this very thread that a free lease does not equal what the OP seems to think it does so I am not sure why you are lecturing me and telling me I need to read for comprehension. Heck, while you are annoyed with me for saying something you do not agree with make sure you tell BAC what they posted is a joke too.
We all agree that the OP is not likely to ever find a horse that will cost them nothing to ride and be able to take it wherever they want.
I’m following this thread with interest, as I’m slowly getting back in the saddle after a very, very (very!) long break. Buying doesn’t make sense yet, as any horse that would be a good fit for me right now could be outgrown as my meagre skills come back. And any horse that would be a good fit in the longer run would not enjoy the state of my current seat. I’ve reached out to a few lesson barns to see what options they offer to help me bump up my saddle time. In addition to regular training, I just need a ride or two a week to get back in the groove, but have no business making a long-term commitment right now.
(But has all that practical rationalization stopped me from looking at the for-sale ads? Noooooo…)
If everyone is clear about their abilities, needs and goals, leasing can be beneficial to all parties. But when one side tries to game or take advantage of the other by getting something for nothing, something’s going to go wrong. And it should never be the horse who has to suffer because of it.
I have had friends get free leases that worked out fine. They are good riders, my trainer has a great reputation, and the horses are kept impeccably at an excellent facility. Often it’s a younger horse someone wants to get show miles on, then take back and try to sell. Usually the leaser pays ALL expenses - shoes, farrier, board, vet, pro rides, shots, insurance, etc.
If this is your first foray beyond lessons I’d suggest calling barns in your area and asking about half-leases or part leases. This allows you more ride time and more barn time, often a higher quality of horse than school horses, and less financial output and risk than a full lease or buying.
It would be to your benefit to ask the current owner of the horse you are thinking of leasing( or the BO if handling the bills) what the horse is costing currently to have farrier come and an average of vet costs for the year. Vet and farrier needs are so “horse specific” there is no way to get a ball park answer on that.
I have leased horses a few times over the years. It’s been less than spectacular; these are the general categories of suck:
1. The greenie. Owner is a little intimidated by their athletic greenie, and wants a better rider to put miles on it. Yup, did that, got a bit banged up, but did it. Owner then wanted to sell her nutcase horse to me - no, for many reasons. He went to a different lessee.
2. The competition horse. Lessor wants their jumper kept in work which kid is in school. At first it was paid, but then they realize I can ride so it’s free to me, 3x a week. Novice owners don’t realize horse is NQR and won’t make saddle fit adjustments or get that nagging lameness issue only seen while lunging checked out. Plus turns out kid is still jumping horse 2-3 times a WEEK. So I can’t in all good faith jump at all.
3. The should-be-retired horse whose owners are in denial. Sullen older horse on the downslope of useful life. Cannot jump or compete him with integrity, so resolve to build up his weak stifles as it’s better than NOT riding… turns out it’s NOT better. He goes home.
4. The part lease with novice rider. I honestly don’t know how trainers do it, but every single ride (over 3-4 horses I have ridden like this) I had to undo what the owner did to the horse, training wise. And if I sharpened up the aids and made the horse more fit and forwards, the owner couldn’t deal. Nobody wins there.
In most of these cases, owners wanted a financial break but thought their horse was a much more desirable ride than it really was. It was great that I didn’t buy the horses, great to be able to walk away, but the stress of trying to keep their animals safe and sound was high, as they stubbornly, to a man, refused to acknowledge anything was wrong.
You mean you pay all of the horse’s normal expenses at the barn you choose, but no lease fee. That makes it a “free lease”? Or you mean, you choose the barn and the HO pays all the bills?
Either can work, but you need to be a good rider such that you add value to what the owner would get if the horse were kept at their home (boarding) barn. Remember that there is appreciable risk in sending a horse away from where you know how the care is done and/or can see the horse often. I can think of a situation where even just getting the horse ridden offers value for an owner (she is pregnant, deployed, working 100 hours a week, traveling etc.). But don’t expect to find someone who wants to support a horse for you to ride to be the kind of situation that lasts forever!
I think an experienced owner would be OK with having the lease be off-site, so long as the HO could check out the barn and it was within a reasonable distance so that the HO could see the horse from time-to-time. Again, speaking from the HO side of things, the part of the lease that lets the horse go to a new standard of care is the part that I’d worry about, given that I had seen how you rode and liked that, or knew the pro who would be helping you and supervising the rides.
Good luck! I hope you can find the right arrangement.
When I was a teenager my mom entered into a free lease with a horse for me. We also had the option to buy. The owner mandated insurance including loss of use. My mom and I were responsible for all expenses. He was my horse for pony club and such. His owner would come to shows and she him as much as she could.
After two years we bought him. We still keep in touch with his former owner. She was the first person I contacted when he died 4 years ago at the age of 34.
Free leases can work out but there are so many horrible stories out there too. In my case, the owner was such a trusting person with a big heart who wanted to help me out at a time when I was horseless. I am so thankful for her and the friendship we have formed.
IMO, free leases tend to work out well when the horse involved is “stepping down” in job description, an older horse with lots of training and perhaps competition experience, needing a younger/greener rider. This sort of horse may have soundness issues, but if able to be managed, is still fit enough for lower level expectations. This horse “owes” it’s owners nothing, has already done everything asked of him, but the previous rider needs “more” horse, a younger horse, a horse capable of higher level performance or competition than this horse can do. Yet, the owner is very attached to the horse, and wants the best situation for the horse, where he will be loved, and where he can be ridden, and where he can bring on another rider into the world of being a “horseman”. This is the sort of horse that can be successfully offered on a free lease, and can be a good experience for the person looking for a lease situation. It may or may not last until the horse’s death, or full retirement (if this is a possibility). The person leasing the horse takes over the regular expenses of the horse, but pays nothing for the lease itself (that would be a PAID lease). The agreement may have a term, or it may be open ended (able to be terminated at any time, by either person). The extent of veterinary intervention and expense should be considered in advance. Expect the owner to look in on the horse at regular intervals, and their experience with the horse may be helpful to the person leasing the horse. Put it all in writing and both sign it. It CAN work out well for the horse, and the people involved.
I’ve care leased two horses when I was currently without one of my own. One turned out to be too much horse and was returned to the owner. The other was a lovely horse but had on-going soundness issues that cost me an arm and a leg with the vet so returned him too after a year. In both cases, I was responsible for all expenses - vet, farrier, board, supplements, etc. Of course I had a signed contract with both, neither one required insurance on the horse. It worked out well except for the soundness, caused me to scratch three horse trials, recognized too so $$$. Found out later that the owner knew he had problems but conveniently didn’t tell me about them. I wanted to present her with the vet bills which were around $3,000, I was not pleased.
I had a “free lease” on a horse for three years. Initially, the owner paid some of the costs, but then she stopped riding so I paid for everything (but no lease fee). At that point in my life (early 20s) it was heaven. I couldn’t afford to buy a horse and my long term plans were up in the air. It worked out well for the owner as I took him from green broke to winning at Novice and Training level eventing.
I have part leased horses a few times when I either had two horses or too much going on in my life to ride enough. That’s been a mixed bag. I would never, ever let my leased horse go off property because I want eyes on them every day. I had one terrific woman who leased my horse for several years. She clicked with him and she was smart, sensitive and caring. I had other people who treated the horses like rental cars, and other issues when one woman started to feel my mare was “her” horse and made decisions that violated our lease agreement. Luckily I sold the horse before that came to a point of conflict.
Most important is to spell out EVERYTHING in a lease agreement, the more detailed the better. Much better to figure out responsibilities and costs before there is a problem.
