LOANING:

'When loaning becomes theft. 'This warning follows a spate of incidents where horses have been loaned by unsuspecting owners to people to act as companions to other horses. But they have been sold on to private owners as being fit and healthy for riding....'

Take safety measures to help ensure your equine if going to the best possible home.

• Advertise widely and word it wisely.
• Vet lots of adverts. Do they give a home number as well as a mobile?
• Does the same advert keep appearing?
• Ask prospective loanee for references, address details & confirm this by viewing a utility bill.
• Talk with their local tack shop - are they known locally?
• Let the prospective loaner spend time getting to know your equine. How do they interact with each other?
• If possible, deliver the horse so you can see where he is going. Better still, vet his new home.
• Ensure your horse is freeze-marked or micro chipped.
• Always have a written agreement, witnessed by a third party and preferably drawn up by a solicitor
• NEVER accept money from a loanee - even for feed or tack. This act could be mistaken for 'purchasing' the horse instead.

If you have already loaned out your horse and you are worried about his whereabouts, contact the various lost and tracing websites. Also contact your horses Passport Issuing Company to see if he has been re-registered.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE - DON'T LET THE HORSE GO

Foxtrot Equestrian

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