Owners: What do you look for in someone that wants to lease a horse from you?

[PilchuckView]

We are in the process of looking at new Pony Club mounts for my 10-year-old DD, and are hoping to do a care lease. There are plenty of choices out there, and we are starting to look at the ones we think will be a good match. We have some great ponies lined up to see!

I like to be prepared ahead of time, so I plan on putting together a packet of information about myself as a leasee. If you were leasing out your horse, what kinds of information would you like to see? I'm thinking of some pictures of our farm, Pony Club references, trainer references, vet/farrier references, insurance info, pictures of my daughter riding, etc. Anything else? Any red flags that would prevent you from leasing your horse to someone?

As the DC of our Pony Club, I'm finding that more folks are willing to consider us as a lease home. The USPC network has been invaluable for finding those great ponies that aren't advertised!

Wish us luck for finding that perfect pony... thanks for any advice!

[Ty2003]

I (like most owners, I'm sure!) am very particular about where my horse goes on a lease. When I advertised him for a free off-farm lease, I had a ton of interested people. I was very clear about what I expected as far as the level of care. If they agreed to those stipulations the next step was seeing where he'd be living/turned out/ridden. I think photos of your farm would be great. I also liked to see how the potential lessee rode...if they had any videos, that was a bonus for me because I could easily tell if a particular rider would be a good fit for my horse. It also shows you how well they REALLY ride (vs. how well they think they ride) ;). I also liked to see that they were working with a reputable trainer (with methods similar to my own), and had solid vet/farrier/etc references. It sounds like you are well prepared - I think you'll find the perfect pony and the owner will be able to feel good about leasing him/her to you and your daughter. Good luck!

[Janet]

In addition to what you mention, I would want to know what kind of experience the primary care giver (presumably you in this case) has in looking after horses.

I want to know that there is SOMEONE seeing the horse on a daily basis who knows WHEN to call the vet.

[jn4jenny]

I'd want to know who the kid lessons/trains with on a regular basis--not just what Pony Club they're in.