by Sarah Robbins

Created on: June 19, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Minimizing the Risk of Leasing Out Your Horse

Leasing your horse can be a viable option for owners who do not want to sell, but cannot afford the cost of keeping their horse or the time to devote to riding and caring for it. These are a few questions to ask yourself and guidelines to follow once you have decided to put your horse up for lease.

What type of lease will suit you the best? As the owner, do you still want the opportunity to ride your horse or are you looking for someone else to ride it full time? A partial lease, or half lease, allows the lessee to pay a portion of the horse's upkeep in exchange for riding it a few days a week. The remaining days belong to the owner and the owner pays the remainder of the costs. In a full lease, the lessee pays all the horse's costs and is therefore the sole rider. This situation can also have a variable where the owner agrees to pay all of the standard vet care such as vaccinations and de-worming but the lessee pays stabling, shoeing and vet care which results from injury or illness.

Are you comfortable with your horse moving to another stable yard? Some leases specify that the horse must be kept at it's current facility. Others allow the lessee to choose where they would like to keep the horse, giving them the option to move it to a yard of their choice. If you are comfortable with your horse moving to another yard, it is recommended that you state in the lease agreement that as the owner, you have the right to visit your horse unannounced and that the horse is not to be moved without notice. This helps to eliminate the risk of poor care and theft.

What sort of work or competition will you allow your horse to do? Many horses come up for lease when they have become unsound or unsuitable for the discipline or work load the owner wants to do. These horses, however, may be suitable for a different rider with different goals or riding ability. The lessee needs to be aware of any restrictions you may have set.

How much do you charge? If the horse you are leasing is of a high value and is being leased for competition, the average lease fee is between 5%-15% of the horse's value per year with the lessee also responsible for all costs of upkeep. Typically in this situation, the owner carries full insurance on the horse. The reality is that only a small percentage of leases fall into this category. Most leases negate the annual fee in exchange for the lessee paying the cost of livery, shoeing and vet care. In this

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