Related Silver Mesa information

Protocol for borrowing a horse for a lesson

p*affeprincess98 said: I have an ex-advanced eventer who I'm now just doing dressage on. We had a good time together going prelim, and now he's a great school master and I enjoy fine-tuning some of the upper-level lateral movements and changes on him. My dressage trainer has a student who needed to get a good ride in on a schoolmaster, because her horse is not ideally suited for dressage and she having trouble getting a feel for some lateral movements. My trainer gave her a lesson on my horse, and he was great. The woman asked what she owed me and I really didn't know what to say. I don't really need to be paid. It was honestly just gratifying to me to watch her ride and figure things out. It makes me see my horse in a different light now, because I never really thought of him as a schoolmaster. I always thought he was so difficult to ride, but the woman really got him going well in just one ride. It was tremendously beneficial to her, like she had an "Ah-Ha!" moment. I offered to let her take some more lessons on him, under the supervision of my trainer. She might do once a month. I really feel like if it was me, I'd want to have more than one ride to really get the feel for some of the movements. My question is, is there a protocol for paying someone to use their horse in a lesson? She insists on giving me something, so I thought about just asking for the $10 ring fee we charge for using the ring if you bring your own horse in for a lesson. Thoughts?

M*rengo said: I don't think there's any protocol, its entirely up to you the owner. If you were struggling to pay your horse bills you might rightly say that you would like XXX amount of $ to help cover his costs. If you feel you don't need the money I think its great to sort of 'pay it forward' and do someone a favour. You never know when you might need a favour in return and this person might jump in to help you. If you pay a $10 ring fee, she'd like to cover it and you'd be happy with accepting that go with it. Alternatively you could tell her to buy him a bag of feed in return and that's all you require. Sorry I can't be of more help but it is really entirely up to your situation. She might be asking to contribute because she's hoping to ride your horse more regularily and work out a deal with you. If it were me and I wasn't stretching myself financially to keep my horse, I would just ask that she cleans & oils my tack in exchange for an occasional ride as I never seem to find the time to do that often enough.

m*upatdoes said: I have an ex-advanced eventer who I'm now just doing dressage on. We had a good time together going prelim, and now he's a great school master and I enjoy fine-tuning some of the upper-level lateral movements and changes on him. My dressage trainer has a student who needed to get a good ride in on a schoolmaster, because her horse is not ideally suited for dressage and she having trouble getting a feel for some lateral movements. My trainer gave her a lesson on my horse, and he was great. The woman asked what she owed me and I really didn't know what to say. I don't really need to be paid. It was honestly just gratifying to me to watch her ride and figure things out. It makes me see my horse in a different light now, because I never really thought of him as a schoolmaster. I always thought he was so difficult to ride, but the woman really got him going well in just one ride. It was tremendously beneficial to her, like she had an "Ah-Ha!" moment. I offered to let her take some more lessons on him, under the supervision of my trainer. She might do once a month. I really feel like if it was me, I'd want to have more than one ride to really get the feel for some of the movements. My question is, is there a protocol for paying someone to use their horse in a lesson? She insists on giving me something, so I thought about just asking for the $10 ring fee we charge for using the ring if you bring your own horse in for a lesson. Thoughts? I ask for whatever the horse costs me per day. I add up insurance, board, and shoes for the month, divide by 30, and ask for that.

B*gie said: In the past I loaned my horse to someone and she offered to have a professional come and give him a massage. I thought that was a generous offer and he enjoyed it! For the occasional ride I've never charged.

*lagirl said: I think it is mighty generous to share this grand steed with another rider. I think it's a class act of her to ask to reemburse you. So, in the best interest I'd think you need to come up with a plan that works for both, like the ring fee is a good idea, and maybe a 'tip' for the valiant steed: a bag of carrots. :)

Wh*sper said: Sometimes I have been allowed to ride a privately owned horse while just paying the normal lesson fee, other times, I have been charged $10-20 extra. I do suggest that you have her sign a release of liability that names you, in addition to the one she has with your barn/instructor. When I ride a privately owned horse, I usually offer to grain/give supplements (if appropriate), clean the tack afterward (checking first if they would prefer I not, and what they want me to use, of course), make sure I return the stirrup leathers to the same holes and figure-8 the bridle if it started that way, and of course, groom or hose the horse to make sure there aren't any sweat marks. I've also e-mailed them or talked to them the next time I saw them with a brief "this is what we worked on and how it went" and thanked them.

*ns0613 said: I ask for whatever the horse costs me per day. I add up insurance, board, and shoes for the month, divide by 30, and ask for that. ^^^ This. We have a "day lease" fee at my barn - basically board, farrier, grain, etc for the month divided by 30.

C*rol O said: I have loaned my PSG out for lessons. I am careful not to ask for money, as I do not want to compromise my AA status, Even if this would not have compromised that status by rules, there is the appearance which might be misconstrued.

p*oh said: I had a friend who loaned me her eventing schoolmaster to let me get the hang of BN while I was horse searching -- I rode him several times a week, which actually helped her out, but also paid for shoeings. She never asked, I just told her I was doing it. She seems the same as you, she was so glad to see her horse teach someone else that she was not planning on getting anything in return. So, pretty much, unless he gets plaed in a regular lesson program, I think it is up to you and the rider.

jn4j*nny said: Oh, how I hate to give this Type A, makes-me-sound-like-I-have-a-stick-up-my-butt answer. Please keep in mind that I think what you're doing is WONDERFUL, I feel fortunate that I grew up with horsepeople like you who believed that sharing with people who genuinely appreciated the favor was "the right thing to do," and I would totally encourage you to keep doing it. But. The moment you take money for your horse's use, you are now described in legal circles as "using him for commercial purposes." If he is insured for mortality, major medical, or liability, this could affect your insurance policies. Even if he is not insured, I assume YOU are insured on a homeowner's or renter's or umbrella insurance policy. Let's say a nightmare scenario occurred and this rider got hurt on your horse. Even if she didn't sue you directly, there's a good chance her health insurance company would try to sue you for damages. If you were just loaning her the horse with no compensation, your insurance would likely cover the incident (check with your insurance agent). If you were PAID for his use, your homeowner's/renter's/umbrella insurance likely would NOT pay. I know the odds are one in a million, but it's still something to think about.

Kr*s26 said: I agree with pooh... I am currently horseless so I go out to my trainer's barn and she lets me exercise her horses so I can get saddle time and stay fresh for when I find my horse.. She says I'm doing her a favor by keeping her horses fit and also fixing small issues that some of the students tend to let go due to inexperience. However, I always ride when she is there, because I don't want her to feel like I'm just using her for a free ride and I help out around the barn (muck stalls, clean tack) and I also do lessons every now and then to compensate her for her time. I think if you aren't having to give up a ride on your horse then you are appropriate in thinking she doesn't need to monetarily compensate you-however, treats, oiling saddles, and other tasks you find helpful could totally be suggested.

z*kkandtoto said: I think it would be a good idea, insurance issues aside, to take something in the form of compensation. I was in an almost identical situation to yours earlier this year. A lesson a week turned into a lesson plus a free ride a week. Then a local show came up, I told her she could take him if she wanted. She wanted. So she started riding him 3 to 4 times a week to get ready. This increased his grain intake, his Adequan injection frequency, and his joint supplement costs. It got to the point where I was working so hard to support his upkeep that she was the only one riding him. The date rolled around and she got to the show grounds to school him the night before her classes and actually walked up to me and said, "So how's this going to work? You're paying the schooling, trailering, entry, and facility use fees, right?" It totalled approx. $165. She was an older novice rider entered into Training 1 & 2. She wasn't doing me or the horse any favors and she was financially much better off than myself. And she'd leased and shown horses before and had paid for her own showing with those horses. I told her to speak to the trainer and she wound up covering everything but the trailering fees, which the (totally mortified) trainer ate. I got to thinking about it and she never once offered to help defray his costs at all. She never even thought to pick his stall before putting him up. The show was the last time I allowed her to ride my horse. I probably should have allowed her to try him a couple of times and if she felt that he was teaching her well, offered her a partial lease.

j*mp4me said: If you don't want money, but she really wants to give you something, tell her to buy him a bag of carrots or treats instead! or ask if she would clean your saddle or bridle or something, so at least she'll feel like she's doing *something* and not taking advantage of your letting her ride your horse. I've been in that situation, (even when, as a junior, getting PAID to ride and still feeling like *I* should be the one to pay, lol) and I was always MORE than happy to return the saddle, girth and bridle clean and figure 8'd, the brushes clean, sometimes even would go as far as to clean/polish the horse's owner's boots if she left them at the barn, lol.

p*affeprincess98 said: Interesting ideas everyone. My trainer actually told her I needed a new whip, because she's always joking with me about the sorry state of mine. So a week later, I walked into the tack room, and a new whip and a nice note were waiting for me. That was the only ride she's done so far, and she might try to do this on a regular basis, so that's why I brought it up. Cleaning tack is an interesting idea. And she has signed a release in the past when she brought her horse over for lessons, but I guess I need to get her to sign another one. I've never heard of a "day lease", but I did consider telling her if she paid me the $10 ring fee, it would go towards his Adequan or maintenance or something.

j*wa said: I second the being wary of being "compensated" for the use of your horse. It would put you in a sticky legal situation. Research well before you commit. Think about it in terms of "Is it worth losing my house over the $10 a month I'd make." It is so much better if she provides "gifts" of appreciation for the use of your horse. i.e. the new whip, clean tack, clean stall, bucket of supplements, etc. If having her ride your horse under the supervision of your trainer doesn't harm your horse, or take up your time in the saddle, then overall I don't see a problem with the riding lesson, just a problem with being compensated.

d*lpal said: Or you can just tell her she can buy you a nice dinner. :D My BO is a very talented rider and often comes out and helps me when I'm riding. So, when I go to the tack shop, I always ask if I can pick her anything up, share dvds, you name it... I try to help her out anyway that I can. Prety much a trade off scenerio.