HORSE LEASING IS A GOOD IDEA!
Why
leasing a horse might be right for you
Owning a horse is a huge commitment of time and money. We think it's smart to lease a horse before you buy to make sure that you're ready for that commitment. Leasing allows you to try the horsey lifestyle to see if it fits:
Leasing is a short-term commitment (usually 6 or 12 months at a time).
Leasing is far less expensive than owning a horse.
You can ease into the demands of a horsekeeping schedule.
You can learn on-the-job if you enroll in our HorseSense horsekeeping classes.
Leasing allows parents to evaluate a child's commitment to riding and horse care.
Ending a lease is easier and much less traumatic than having to sell a horse that you no longer want.
Who is eligible to lease?
Our students always have the first option when we have a horse available to lease -- but it really comes down to finding the right person for that horse. It's important to match the personalities of the horse and owner. We also look for riders with training and experience that are appropriate for the horse's training and experience.
Horses are unable to fend for themselves, so we only lease our horses to people with the maturity to be responsible and safe, the ability to handle the physical work around the barn, and the willingness to learn. Keeping horses is a never-ending learning experience!
Parents who lease a horse for their child must also be active participants in helping their child learn and perform horsekeeping chores -- leasing is not a drop-off activity!
How a typical horse lease works
We offer half and full leases on a 6-month or 12-month basis, with a 30-day trial period.
Most -- but not all -- of the horses we offer for lease are school horses here at HorseSense Riding Academy, which means that they're only available for half-leases. Half-leasing gives you a horse of your own three days each week, including exclusive use of that horse for your riding lessons. You may groom, do ground training, ride your horse, and just hang out and love on them. To keep you and our horses safe and happy, some restrictions may apply depending upon your level of experience (i.e., we may not let you jump until we've taught you to do so safely).
You pay one low monthly lease fee -- and we pay all stabling costs, including feed, hay, shavings, veterinary and farrier care.
If you're interested in leasing one of our horses, you should be prepared to pitch in and help the other boarders in our co-op barn -- that means helping to feed, clean stalls one day a week, and to help keep the place clean and safe. We have really high standards for horse care, and we'll be happy to teach you; if you have no previous horse care experience, however, we'll require you to attend our HorseSense horsekeeping classes.
The first step, of course, is to call or email us to discuss options.