So we are moving from Arkansas to Florida next month or later this month. We already have a house that we made a payment on and I’m mostly spending time in Florida already. Back in Arkansas for the past 2 years I’ve been helping my neighbor take care of his 12 quarter horses, ranging from feeding and filling water tubs to grooming and riding. I KNOW I’m gonna miss this when we move completely (to be honest I’ll cry saying goodbye to Blondie the one horse I really fell in love with) so sometime either later this summer or this fall I’d like to partial lease a horse. (I’m thinking 3-4 days a week if possible.) I know the basics of taking care of a horse and would ideally like one I can ride western on as well. What I don’t know is the technicalities of it. I would have a budget of $350-$400 a month to spend. Is that even enough? And I’m almost 100% sure that while I could contribute to feed/farrier. Vet bills would be out of the question. Thanks! I know this is long.
You are thinking about a half lease, part lease, or share board. Typically in those situations you pay a per cent of the horse’s monthly expenses pro rated to the number of days you ride per week. The horse stays at the owner’s barn of choice and under the general management of the owner. The lease typically goes month to month and either party can cancel
Number one, get a contract that spells out responsibility.
Typically the owner covers vet bills, either routine or urgent, and is responsible for routine medical care such as worming and teeth, as well as farrier work. If it’s a high value horse the owner should have the horse insured against accidents.
Typically the leaser just pays a set monthly fee and if the owner wants leaser to pay for farrier etc that is rolled into the monthly fee.
The cost of a half lease depends on the cost to keep a horse at whatever barn. If the horse is at a high end hunter barn where the board is $1000 a month, the half lease will be more than at our self board recreational barn where total monthly costs can be around $400.
I second getting a lease contract with details details details spelled out clearly so both owner and yourself are on the same page. It saves a lot of misunderstanding, hard feelings, and confusion later on if the unexpected does happen. Good luck and welcome to Florida!
Once you get settled, try looking for a good lesson barn in your chosen discipline and start by taking some lessons…many, many half-lease opportunities are not advertised but are available to lesson students already at a barn. The bonus is, your trainer will already know the horse and whether it’s a good fit, and continuing lessons with the trainer once you find a suitable lease will help assure that you and the horse don’t develop bad habits. Most part-lease situations take pace at boarding barns, so you wouldn’t be responsible for daily care–it’s possible you can find an owner who keeps the horse at home who wants a part-lease to cover some expenses, but these tend to be the type of situation where there isn’t a good contract, and a good contract is essential to protect both you and the owner of the horse.
Most part-lease situations include the owner paying most vet expenses–the exception might be if you were taking the horse to shows or something the owner wasn’t planning on that required additional vaccines or a health certificate beyond what they normally do. Contracts will outline who’s responsible for what (and some will hold the lessee responsible for vet bills that they incur, if there is negligence involved), when you have access to the horse, whether regular lessons are required (as is the case in many situations), and what you can do with the horse, if it can leave the property and when, etc. Run away from a lease opportunity where there is no contract to the contract doesn’t detail these things–it’s inviting trouble for you and the owner.
Alternately, if you want to be more hands-on with the horse’s daily care than most part-leases would allow, see about a working student-type arrangement at a lesson or boarding barn where you take on some of the barn work in exchange for lessons or extra riding time. In any case, finding a good lesson barn with a trainer who understands your goals and can help you meet them is probably the most important first step for you.
Don’t rush. Wait until you get settled and find a decent lesson barn, take some lessons to be sure you trust the barn and trainer. Don’t be afraid to move on if you think you made a mistake. Biggest trap is getting sucked into a part lease on an unsuitable horse because you didn’t really know who you were dealing with or their reputation in the new area.
Take your time. Most of this type lease will require some regular lessons so the horse stays sharp for the owner. Your budget should be good for 2-3 day a week part lease including a lesson in most barns. When they get to know and trust you, you often find new opportunities will come your way that were not available when you started.
I part leased a horse for a year before ultimately buying him. I paid 1/2 board, farrier and “routine” vet bills - ie shots, coggins. Rode 3x per week. I was allowed to take him to local shows - ie w/in an hour trailer ride.
I know several people who “leasing” for less days at another farm. That owner had a couple of horses that she had that were sort of school horse types - some dressage training but not difficult rides. She charged by the ride - I believe it was around $30/ride, no real contract or agreement. Riders paid each time they came to barn.
OP - where in Florida are you - other posters may have ideas of possible barns to check. Do you want lessons or just to ride? Are you also looking to possibly do barn work in exchange for time in saddle?
I’m in New Port Richey. It’s about 40 minutes from the Tampa/Clearwater area. I had a years worth of lessons in Arkansas and ideally I’d like to take more. Honestly I really WANT to do barn work. That’s part of the fun for me.
Google “horse farms hear new port richey”. There are an assortment of farms that come up, some with leasing mentioned. BUT if you have free time, I would suggest you look into volunteering at this farm: http://www.rockinhorsefarm.org/index.html
It is, among other things a therapeutic riding facility. These organizations are a wonderful way to get to know the local horse community, to put your horse skills to good use, maybe to ride a bit, and to help others.
Have the expenses explicitly spelled out with dollar amounts if possible for anything not included in the lease fee. Avoid phrases such as “routine vet bills,” and instead explicitly state what the bills are - annual wellness exam, specific vaccinations, and set a limit such as 'not to exceed $XXX during the lease period." Same with farrier - there should be a limit set if this is not included in the lease fee.
Address what happens if the horse becomes lame or sick and cannot be ridden. You don’t want to be locked into a 12 month lease and the horse goes lame from navicular or an injury in the first few months. You need and deserve an out.
What will you do if you lose your job or have a big financial setback? Consider doing a 60 day lease cancellation if the owner is agreeable.
Good luck! Hope you find something fun.
