Yeah!! Leasing again!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I guess I will have to take some pictures to make this post less boring. But I had to share-there are so many riders on here! -I finally found another horse to lease and it’s so good to be back in the saddle again! We’ve been so busy with reno’s and house shopping and moving it’s been a year and a half since I’ve done any riding. I found a great little guy to lease, and the perfect thing is, the barn is on my way home from work!! And the barn is building an indoor, but it’s only outdoor, so how nice to spend all that time riding outside! Woot I’m so excited, had to share!

 

Have we had a ‘tell us about your horse’ thread in a while? I can’t recall, so let’s do it anyways! Riders-who are your riding? What style? Do you compete? How many do you have? Tell me about your ponies  

[Elrohwen]

Awesome! You must post pics. Also, answer some of your own questions – what type of riding do you do? What type of horse?

I rode jumpers for the whole time I was growing up, but it’s been very sporadic for the last 10 years which is sad. The last time I was taking lessons was 2009. I had to stop when I lost my job, and then we were saving for a house, so it’s been a long time. Once we get more settled with the house and paying things off I hope to find a place to ride again. We have enough land for a horse right now and every time I look out at the field I just wish there was a horse in it, but I know we really can’t afford that right now.

[Stickerbunny]

I’m curious about leasing – how much does it typically cost to lease a horse (I know it varies by where you are, but a general idea)? And how limited are you in riding? I want to take lessons next year and some of the places offer leasing so you can train with the same horse all the time (since that is supposed to be easier), but they don’t give much information on their sites. Can you just go there while the place is open and ride it on your own if you are an experienced rider?

And yes post pictures! I love seeing pretty horses.

[Elrohwen]

Sticker, I’ve looked into leases before and in my limited experience the cost is similar to boarding costs. For example, full board around here at a nice barn is around $1,000 a month, so a full lease of a nice horse is about the same. I’ve seen partial leases which end about around $100 or $200 a month, so much more affordable (but still expensive if you add a weekly lesson on top of that). Lots of places with lesson horses seem to offer partial leases of those same horses, so you’re riding once or twice a week on set days and other people are taking lessons on the horse the rest of the week. With the right horse, this would be great, though some lesson horses do become jaded and lazy. Depending on the barn, you might not be able to jump unless you’re in a lesson and you might be required to take a certain number of lessons per month. You definitely get to ride on your own and do what you want though, which is why I would love a lease or partial lease – being able to ride independently of lessons would be awesome. It’s basically like having your own horse full or part time without having to own it.

I’m interested to see what K&K has to say of her experience with the leasing process.

[bunnyfriend]

Yay!!! You must be so excited!  What’s his name, breed, age, color, ect.?? 

My horse’s name is Strauss. He’s a 10 year old 16.2 hh chestnut Thoroughbred gelding. We compete in English hunter/jumper He’s a very sweet, gentle guy for the most part but he is a TB and a show horse so he is very forward and can be fresh or hot blooded sometimes, sometimes even a nightmare. The other day I was free lunging him and he started bucking around and fell to the ground completely because he slipped on some mud and I thought he was going to freak out on me but instead he simply got up and hobbled over to me (his leg wasn’t actually hurt but it just zinged him for a couple seconds), and rested his face on my shoulder. My sister also has a TB mare named Primrose. We have a Welsh pony too, but I can’t compete with him since I’m 18. I started lessons about 2 years ago this July. Should everyone else share pictures of their horses too?

[Pandorachik]

I don’t have a horse, but I go riding every Friday. Sometimes Saturday. It’s $25 each time ,, sometimes pricey, but it’s a 2 hour ride at a great place about 30 mins away from where I live!
I share 2 horses there. They call it sharing, lol. It is kinda like you pick 2 horses and those are your horses to ride. Mine are Cowboy and Glacier.
I have currently been riding European style.
Glacier is a Grey Tennessee Walker, and Cowboy is a beautiful Black Arabian.
I am probably going to be able to ride many different horses this year. I always choose those two cuz they are so sweet!
I have also rode a beautiful quarter horse in their big riding center thing
(I went today, but didn’t get pics ! DARRNNN!!!!) I will get them next time, i swear!

[aBeautifulHope]

I’m new here, so y’all probably don’t know who I am but congrats on the lease!  We definitely want pictures  I know I’d go crazy if I wasn’t able to ride or at least smell a horse

My horses’ names are Sonny and Toby. Sonny’s a 7 year old bay appendix QH gelding and Toby’s a 5 year old red dun QH Sonny and I used to compete in Hunter Jumper but are working on transitioning into the reining and cutting arenas He’s the sweetest little guy and right now we’re working on our bridleless and liberty work. Oh, and he’s also a trick horse

Right now Toby’s getting the fundamentals down (I don’t start a horse until they’re 4-5ish) and we’re working on the fundamentals for trick training, liberty work and the ground preparation for riding without anything. Once he’s trained and has a decent foundation I want to try him at stadium and western pleasure, maybe some team penning as well. Odd combos, but it’s how I work

My family also has 2 more horses but I don’t work with them all that much. They’re my little sister’s

[LittlePuffyTail]

Thats great!!! Looking forward to pics and to hear about the horse your leasing. I have such great memories of the horses I leased. I leased in high school before I got my own horse. Its great to be able to lease a well-trained horse and just have lots of fun riding.

I just ride 1 horse right now. My beloved Winnie. Shes a Morgan and just turned 11. Ive known her since the second she was born so we have a very close bond. I ended up officially buying her just before she turned a year old. I ride English just for pleasure (I used to show but I find it too stressful and expensive now). We used to do 6+ hour trail rides but its been a while so we need to get back in shape. I recently moved her back to my former stable and its really great there. Theres a huge outdoor and indoor and hours of trails. Theres also 10 other boarders to I get lots of horsey buddies to chat and ride with.

Im a huge Morgan nut! They are so beautiful and versatile.

This is an old pic but one of my faves. I really need to bring my camera out to the barn. I just never have time for pictures. 

[Elrohwen]

She has such a beautiful head, LPT.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

So many horse people!!!

I’ve been out of the saddle a while! I did western for my first three years starting at five years old, switched to english (hunter/jumper and some dressage) for about nine years. Then I moved here and went to University and was out of the saddle. I got a job as a farm hand to get back around horses one summer, and ended up doing show grooming and grooming for the whole summer. Very cool experience, went to Spruce Meadows and my bosses had some really amazing imported horses. I then volunteered for a horse rescue, and though that’s a long story, I got lots of experience in different styles, starting horses, working with issues, ground work yadayada. I’ve done some leasing, most recently a OTTB, but his mom sold him, and then we were so busy with the house renovations etc.

So I decided I really need to get back in the saddle and finally found a horse to lease that’s on my way home from work!

His details:
I will feel like a dork but I will snap some pictures of him for you He’s super cute, a little out of shape. He’s an Arabian, a little guy, brown based bay color (I’m really used to TBs so I feel super close to the ground lol!) -he’s VERY green, no brakes, very fresh, stomps, bucks, rears softly and crow hops. (I should say purportedly bucks and rears-so far he went up a little with me, no bucking yet and a little jumping around) But he’s a blast and I think we’re getting to know each other and doing quite well. But he’s just adorable, voice responsive, and has a very floaty canter so I think we’ll be just fine

@Stickerbunny-Technically the lease is the total cost of board. I would recommend you find out ahead of time if your lease includes vet costs (Which could be huge!) and trims and worming. I 1/2 lease because generally you are not responsible for those costs. Make sure you find out if your going to sign a lease. Also make sure you have a 1 month notice, you might want to break the lease for a reason, and if you don’t have a clause to do so you could end up owing the rest of the lease term.
I’ve paid 300$ now to $75 for 1/2 lease.
Make sure you know the facility-I’ve had leases at barns that have so many lessons going on you can hardly get a ride in! Check out their schedule and facilities first.

@ Beautiful hope-thanks for the congrats!! I Was looking for a while-with the traffic and size of our city, location really ruled where I could lease and I’m super lucky to find this so close to home

@bunnyfriend-pictures? Did you keep your cool when he dropped? I think I would have been frantic lol What a horse-falls and then pouts

@Puffy-I have always loved Morgans-I think yours is sooo beautiful. I checked dream horse several times before and see like, one in Alberta. Is that weird? Do you find they are rare?

@Elrohwen-I know what you mean! Is your place fenced for a horse? We still have to do fencing before I could even consider it…So sad to have all that room

[Esarv]

I dont actually own a horse (i wish i did) but i go ridding for pleaser. My close friend has horses and we take them for trail rides in a local park, i havent been riding for a long while now. In 2008 i was in a horrible horse accident and was actually medevaced to the hospital for head trama. Since then i have only been back up on a horse once =/ I ride english. I plan on one day owning a horse or leasing that way i can hack whenever i would like since lessons are so expensive. I know all i need to know about riding i have been riding since i was 8 years old (i used to do competition when i was younger) , and now im just looking to do it for fun bc i love doing it and i love horses so much.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sounds like a bundle of energy, K&K! Is he just a young guy? I used to lease and show a little Arab mare and the plan was to buy her but I decided she was just too much of a high stress horse for a high stress rider. Win is the perfect match for me because she’s so easy going and calm. I love Arabians though.

Morgan’s are quite rare around here. Compared to qhs and paints at least. On our local horse classified site there are hundreds of qhs but usually no more than 6 Morgans. The Morgan circuit shows are very small too. 

Are you leasing at a boarding stable?  

Esarv, you are very brave to still ride! I’ve been lucky ,I’ve ridden for 20 years and the worst Ive suffered are bad bruises, about 10 broken toes and a blood clot when I got kicked. I’ve fallen off enough times but never really bad. Any fall is scary though! I have a friend who broke like half her ribs in a bad fall.

[bunnyfriend]

Oh I am so jealous!!! There’s never been an Arabian at the barn and I’ve never gotten to ride them, but they are my absolute favorites after TBs. You’re so lucky, they’re such an elegant breed. He sounds like a nice happy, forward guy. I’m sure you’ll teach him a lot! Can’t wait to see the pics.

LPT: btw Winnie is so beautiful, it’s so cool that you’ve had her since she was that young, I’m jealous of what a close bond you guys must have.

[Esarv]

LPT- yeah it was really scarry…i mean not that i remember much of it since i was unconscious but from what i hear it was scary and it still freaks me out bc the dr said if i wasnt wearing my helmet i wouldnt have been alive and there with them. It gives me anxiety just thinking about it haha. I wish i could ride more but its so expensive =/

[Stickerbunny]

Aha, thanks for the information. I will be sure to check out everything that they offer for leasing.

[Elrohwen]

Arabians are so cute! I’ve only ridden one or two, since being 5’9″+ means I do better on larger horses (even as a kid I was huge, lol). I rode a guy who was about 17hh for at least 5 years of my riding and he was just right for me.

K&K, no, we have no fencing, so it would be a big project. It’s also stinks because we have a huge field, probably a couple acres, cleared, and pretty much flat, but we can’t see it from the house. We do have neighbors who own a very small portion of the field and they get the view. It makes me mad to think of getting a horse and having other people be able to watch it from their windows while I can’t see it. lol We’d also need to get water back there and since we’re on a well I think it could be tricky (no way I could haul 5gal buckets all the way out there from our house). So it’s possible, but unless we get a huge amount of money in our lap I doubt it will happen, especially if we end up having kids. Some day we’ll probably move further upstate for work (lots of facilities up there and our location will eventually close down, maybe 10-20 years from now) so my goal is to move there and get a horse property. Houses are much cheaper further north and I think with what we paid for this house we could get something that already has a little barn and some fencing. I can dream at least!

[RabbitPam]

K&K, that’s so cool I had no idea you could lease a horse. It makes perfect sense, just don’t know any horse riders locally. I would love the price and arrangement that Pandorachik has. Every vacation time I check out local horse farms to try to find one giving lessons to adults with little or no experience. Last time I looked, I couldn’t find their farm from the address. But I had friends with horses growing up, so always wanted to try it again.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

@LPT he’s reasonably young -7; He was started but hasn’t done much since! It’s not so much energy as just freshness. Energy is easy-round pen for 1/2 an hour, then canter, then ride But he just seems to want to act out a little. He’s doing much much better, listening-today he even started to round up and collect really well and we had a run! I’m leasing at a fairly new facility-they are just building an indoor, it’s all outdoor right now. It’s all kinds of disciplines because there is no trainer yet, you can bring your own; I think once a regular trainer is there it may shake out one way or the other, but for now there are weekend warriors
and competition horses, western and English. Lots of studs-lots of people breeding there!

Thanks Bunnyfriend!! I totally forgot to take pictures today-even though I brought my ipod! I will take some soon. I’m thinking he’s the first full arab I’ve ridden!

Ditto LPT-@Esarv-you are definitely brave! Good for you to get back in the saddle!

@STickerbunny-I find my leases on kijiji -You can search by lease on dream horse too, but I find at least for my area there are lots of horses up for lease.

@Elrohwen You can definitely dream!! Depending on your set up you might be able to clear closer to the house-if you know someone with equipment it’s super easy to clear. I’m not giving up lol I’ll help you puzzle out how to get one! hehe

@Rabbitpam -I know it’s frustrating, most rural addresses don’t match up. Maybe take a country drive in a location that would be convenient for you and just look for a barn-they usually have a phone number out front or you can drop in and ask! They’ll have a sign if it’s by appt only That would be really great if you started! I bet you’d love it!

[RabbitPam]

You reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was doing a cover illustration for a YA book, and I needed pix of horses. I can’t find the original photo, but here’s the final cover with my photo and drawing as they were used. The graphic designer botched it – should be less blue at the tip and the neck showing more, but now I can do my own designs. This is a wonderful author (a friend for almost 50 years) so I recommend this, and her other, books if you are a Young Adult reader.

After driving around the countryside where the horsies tend to live, I found a farm with a woman giving a lesson. She let me sit on the fence and take pix of her horse, so here ’tis. Maybe I should try to locate that farm again and ask about lessons. I would love it. 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh my gosh Pam-you constantly surprise me with your talent-I should really stop being surprised!!! All I can say is *Sound of jaw hitting the floor*

Maybe I’m a forgetting goof-but geez I didn’t know you illustrated!! Did you go to school for that?? My gosh!!!

I’m totally looking that author up, I love young adult reading-especially horse novels-the classics, saddle club and others! Can I take some creative license and brag about how I know the author through a friend XD

[Author]

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