How much to charge for sending a horse on trial and lease to buy?

Don't do it. I, for whatever reason, allowed my horse to go on a trial for 3 weeks. On the 2nd week, the horse severely injured himself. Naturally, they didn't want to buy him after this. This was years ago before I knew better, but it didn't end well. The horse was only ever able to be a companion after that. I lost a LOT.

If you're set on doing a trial, it must be on your property. I would only ask that she pays the board fee for that month. You need to have contracts written up and don't leave ANY room for her to wiggle out of it. If it were me? I would let her come out and ride the horse several times. After that, if she was still unsure, I would ask her to move on. An experienced equestrian knows a good horse when they see one. People import horses from other countries all the time, do you think they get to "do a trial"? Nope. A trial is a HUGE risk to the owner and ONLY benefits the buyer.

Charge whatever you wish, and have that amount come off the purchase price if she keeps the horse. If not, then she loses the money. I'd say $100/ week if she feeds it and takes care of the labor involved or pays the board for the horse. Somewhere in that neighborhood, maybe a bit more, if she decides she does not want the horse because you never know what her 'training' or exploration of the horse's abilities will do to it's performance and you need to figure that into the time it will take to then FIX the horse once it comes back to you.. and how long you'll need to board it before it's ready for resale again.

The hitch here is to have a CONTRACT signed by you and the person trying the horse. This contract should stipulate who pays for the vet bill if the horse is injured or becomes sick while in her care (she does), and if, heaven forbid the horse dies. who the loss payee is (that would be YOU, the seller, for the entire purchase price). It also specifies who pays for euthanasia, disposal of the body, and/ or burial or cremation.

It becomes dicey if the horse is permanently injured while in her care, and she decides she wants no part of the horse then. How much does this injury impact the horse's value now? This is a question that can only be answered until the injury occurs, though the insurance rep should be able to walk you through a few scenarios.

A lot to consider.

I agree with KF. However, I wouldn't charge for the trial unless it is an actual lease for a certain time period with option to buy after the lease is up. If I were to agree a trial it would be a stipulated short period (two weeks or less) with no competing. I wouldn't charge for the trial because I would want them to pay for having the horse vetted before the trial and after should they decide they don't want to keep the horse. There needs to be stipulations regarding the horse being returned in the same shape that the vet recorded prior to the trial (be sure to get the vet's findings in writing), and that should any damage occur, they are financially responsible regardless of weather or not they want to keep it.

Personally, I would prefer to do an onsite trial, and be there to help the potential buyer become acquainted with the horse. Teach them it's likes, dislikes, health concerns, normal routine, what gear he goes in etc. I find that when you spend time educating the person you're selling to, they are more willing to trust that you aren't drugging the horse or attempting to scam them. I imagine the reason she wants an offsite lease because she wants to confirm the horse is what its labeled as.

The only way I would allow competing on a horse pending sale is if the potential buyer rented the horse for the show and I went along to supervise. But thats just me and my general distrust of people.

@ O.O ----- so long as she gets the proper vetting done at the start of the trial the same day the horse leaves her property she will have proof that she handed over a healthy and sound horse. In the case of non-payment. She could require to hold a check (usually a cashiers check to insure the money is really there) for the entire amount of the horse until the trial is up. Then either keep the money when the horse sells, or return it minus the vetting fees so long as the horse checks in the same way it checked out. If there is apparent damage to the horse she would have to sort it out in court unless the buyer actually takes responsibility on their own.

There are only 2 situations I can think of where I would ever lease out a horse off property:

1) If I knew and trusted the trainer at the barn where the horse is going.

2) The horse is such a piece of junk that I can't believe somebody is actually willing to pay money for him. (I mean, what do you have to lose here!)

I think we all know some horror story about off-farm leases. A woman I knew had a lovely warmblood gelding who was just not working out so well for dressage. The trainer at a local big-name hunter/jumper barn came to look at him and convinced the owner to let her try him for a month since she wanted him for a hunter and she needed to teach him to jump in order to try him over fences. A month later she decided not to buy him and when the owner went to pick up the horse, he was a nervous wreck. Not a thing physically wrong with him, but mentally he was never the same. Turns out since the trainer only had a month with him, she decided to push him to jump higher and more complicated courses to see if he could handle the pressure. He couldn't. He lost all his confidence and it was a year of dressage training just to get him back to where he started before the trial.

I know another lady who was looking to buy a horse for her daughter. She looked at a TB and fortunately the lady was willing to let her take the horse on trial for a month, because after a couple weeks the TB realized he could take advantage of the daughter and started tossing her. So she sent the horse back. Worked out well for the buyer, who did the best she could to care for the horse during the trail period. But she returned a horse who now had a bucking/spooking/bolting problem. Nothing a good trainer couldn't reverse, but still...

Don't do it! Have her come try the horse at your farm under your supervision only.

I wouldn't do it that way. Instead, make it a straight sale. It's her horse when she loads it. If you want to be flexible on a return of the horse or how quickly she pays you, that might work better for you. If you are going to allow her to return the horse to you for a period (a month is standard for some people), be sure you stipulate it must be in the same condition as when she was sold and haveYOUR vet and a video to verify her soundness before she leaves your property.

Look on line for various sale contracts and all the types of terms in there for returns, vet care, injury, daily cost, responsibilities, shipping charges etc...

Best that you say she can come and try the horse for weeks at your place until she's really sure and then just make it a straight sale. I would tell her no returns so she does not get that in her head. Be clear that you want her and the horse happy and do what you can prior to the sale to be sure it's a good fit.

If still after the sale there are issues (and there likely won't be if you do it this way), just be reasonable.

Well it is dependent upon the predicament however ordinarily leasing is inexpensive than proudly owning a horse. You need to purchase a horse (we could say it rate's two,000) then you definately need to purchase tack ( a minimum of six hundred bucks for an English saddle plus bridle, bit, and reins) Then you need to purchase it feed, shavings, and board it. Boarding areas quite often a minimum of (two hundred bucks monthly) Then vet and farrier (farrier can upload up relying at the horse a minimum of a hundred and eighty bucks) Vet expenses can cross via the roof. Per 12 months a horse quite often rate 6,000 and that's if not anything is going improper with the pony. ex. lameness, colic. Leasing you may also need to pay for board, tack, footwear but it surely might be costing plenty much less monthly than proudly owning one. You would have the equal advantages of proudly owning one reminiscent of using, and bonding with a horse simply the economic accountability's and accountability's of proudly owning a horse would not be there. All in all I might endorse you rent a horse, you're equipped to enjoy what proudly owning a horse is like, but you do not need to be (financially) hooked up to it. It is dependent upon how a lot the rent is simply too. Half rent quite often has a few regulations on using instances, and such however complete rentals are whilst you'll cross every time you wish and it has limitless using time. It must be a lot inexpensive and you'll be trained plenty. Then after a even as should you like leasing you would begin to bear in mind shopping a horse. Leasing is sort of a experiment run to peer if you're "reduce" out to be a horseowner. Good good fortune!

BAD IDEA

this has a 50% chance of ending well or being a total disaster.

Picture this:

she takes the horse, and stops paying you, and ruins the horse (either injury or ?) and now she wants to bring her back, blames you....

what will you do?

Or

she pays but then injures the horse in some way, and wants to bring her back, claims you lied to her about the horse..

what will you do?

When you lease a horse out,...the horse stays at the barn of your choosing.

If the person wants to buy the horse at the end of a lease, then when the horse is paid off, the buyer can then take the horse anywhere she wants.

I would keep the horse where she is, and ask the buyer to make payments. Come here to ride/handle the horse, but the horse isn't going anywhere til the horse is paid off in full.

A vet check before the horse leaves your property will prove she was healthy when she left you.

Be smart...don't screw yourself over a horse deal.

This is a very tricky question.

My trial for my TB I paid for him in full, $5,500. In our contract, if I decided he was not a match for me I could return him and have my money back, minus $200 for each week I had him. For example, if I had him for three weeks and changed my mind, the seller would have returned to me $4,900 (keeping $600 as a three week trial). I did not need to return him, as he was perfect.

That's just one way of doing it.

Typically, off-site leasing does not require the leaser to pay the owner of the horse. As a full-lease, the person is paying for everything that the horse would need (meaning you as the owner is no longer doing that). They are paying for the horse's board, feed/hay, farrier, vet, etc. A friend of mine is doing an off-site lease right now. There is no definite contract that she will buy this mare, but the owner is open for her to purchase if she would like at the end of her two-year lease.

It's tricky to decide, but just make sure you have EVERYTHING in writing before doing any type of lease, especially what she can and cannot do. If the horse is injured during this trial, make sure that they are liable to pay for and vet care. Be sure they understand limits. I've seen major hunter barns take horses on trial, ride the snot out of them, and send them back tired and broken.

There is a lot of ifs/buts in these situations, it's probably better to totally sell the horse without the lease, or offer an on-site lease at your farm before the purchase.

I would never let someone try out one of the horses I have had for sale, but they could ride at my arena or the local arena if I were there.

Years ago we took a down on a great rope mare and let them take her.. Second payment never came, we went and got the horse and she had cuts on her legs and cherries on the corners of her mouth and had been handled by stupid people. Since then I have never let anyone take one of my horses to try out. They are welcome to try them out with me there.

If they can not tell what a horse is with a few or one ride they do not know much about horses.