Thursday, August 6, 2009

Other Woman

So there is this really nice gal who is a beginner rider at the barn I'm at. She's about 25 and loves horses, so she has decided to full care lease one of the horses on the property. He's a nice gelding, very arena broke, safe and sane. So all in all the girl pays for everything on him ONLY to find out the horse's owner has also partially leased him to another woman!

So tonight me and S&D are chatting with the girl and she gets visibly upset saying she feels she's been taken advantage of and she doesn't feel this kind of lease is fair, she shouldn't have to share the horse when she is paying for a FULL Care lease. And you know what? SHE'S Right!! The owner is getting too greedy and has completely screwed this girl over. The owner didn't even tell the girl that she had also leased the horse to someone else. She found out by coming up to ride and saw the other woman riding her horse. Then she found out the horse's owner had offered the other woman the horse to BUY right out from underneath the leaser...

So we told her if she didn't want to lease that horse and continue to get played that she could ride our horses in exchange for some help around the stable. She was extremely grateful for our help and generosity, but frankly I hate seeing people get treated so unfairly. I'm sure the owner thought she could get away with it because the girl is new to the whole horse thing. Totally unacceptable ...

Please people be aware and if you lease out a horse or are leasing a horse, get everything in writing and have a VERY clear understanding as to what you're getting into. There are more owners now BEGGING for people to ride their horses, that you should never feel taken advantage of or ripped off....

8 comments:

Rachel said...

I'm glad she has good horse people around her like you. Maybe the horse owner will get the hint when this girl drops her and the horse like a hot potato! What would be even better is if the new woman leasing the horse decides not to buy the horse or decides not to lease the horse at all after awhile... keep us updated!

Unknown said...

I had a similar situation...I leased at a barn where the horse I was leasing was continually sold out from under me, and the lease "transferred" to another horse. It was very frustrating, as I would come in to ride, only to be told that "oh, he was sold yesterday, so why don't you try so-and-so or this other one."

This is the same place where I was horrified to find out that the first (well second, as the "first" lease horse was taken out of being up for lease after I paid, but before I even had one ride) had just turned two, but had 60 days on him. I was told it was some "mix-up" with his papers...as in the trainer never actually saw them until after his training. So, I ended up leasing a horse that I was, basically, paying to finish his training for them, and that I really couldn't "ride" due to his young age. It made me feel guilty to even canter him. Though, I must say, I got him steady enough that I felt he was safe enough for the novice horse owners/riders who bought him a month later. What happened after they had him for a few months is another story.

It was a VERY interesting barn. Needless to say, I don't ride there anymore...though I do have many more interesting and scary stories if anyone is interested.

-Sadie

ponykins said...

My friend went to ride her own horse where she was boarding him and found out the place was using him for lessons - all day, every day! Nothing like going out to ride a horse you are paying full board on and finding a half dozen kids standing in line for their turn to ride him and YOU are at the end of that line. That's called "double dipping" to me when the BO charges you full board and then makes an additional $25 an hour renting your horse out for lessons!

hope4more said...

Honestly I am suprised that anyone even tries to get into horses with the utterly crappy people involved with them. There are fewer nice, trustworthy ones like you and SD. That is wonderful you are trying to help her. I say this because 3 years ago I bought a horse after wanting to get into it for years. Thank god the lady I bought my boy from is wonderful and is helping me with a horse that a friend sold me that is a complete nut job. However in the in term of things I have been screwed by a well known trainer, by a friend, ran into nothing but people who are friendly to your face but will turn around and talk absolute trash about you and everyone else they can think of when your not there. Everyone has an opinion and will tell you how stupid you are by not doing it their way. Then you turn around and someone is telling you how dumb that person you were just talking to is.....AGH! Drives me nuts, thought I was done with high school years ago.

Ponykins-If I was your friend I would sue the pants off that dump. Horse people are so notorious of taking advantage of friends, family and anyone else they can make a buck off of.

I do love to ride and LOVE my horses, they are like my children. I am just severly disappointed in the attitude of a lot of the people I have come into contact with in this industry. I was so excited and ready to learn when I bought my first horse FINALLY and then to be jacked around, lied to and taken advantage of by friends and trainers it was really disheartening. I almost quite the whole buisness altogether but I have stuck it out so far. I am finding honest, lovely people who are fun to be around too, don't get me wrong....and I know it isn't everyone but I guess the negative people always outshine the good ones.

Padraigin_WA said...

I leased a horse this past year, only to learn that the woman I leased him from was not his owner, but a full-care leaser. And I was one of three who leased him from her! From the beginning, when I signed papers/waivers I trusted that she was his legal owner and always turned to her when I had questions. Needless to say, I dropped the lease and am hoping to find someone new to ride.

Padraigin_WA said...

Ponykins, I'd be furious if I found the BO using my horse for lessons w/o my permission!
I've ridden many schoolies that were privately-owned ,and it makes me wonder how much of this is going on. It never occurred to me to ask if I had the owner's okay to ride said horse. I just assumed it was an agreement, but now will ask for details if it ever comes up again.

Padraigin_WA said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GoLightly said...

Great post!

Hope4More. Well said.

That attitude has been around for far too long.
Screw the beginners.

It doesn't make for a good start.

Oh, Paddy, that's terrible..