Leasing: How It Works & Why It Can Be a Great Option for Riders

Once you've been riding in lessons for a while the idea of owning a horse starts to be on your mind; whether it's so you can ride more on your own, get to do other things outside of lessons, or because you've out skilled the lesson horses and need a new challenge moving on to owning a horse tends to be the next step after consistent lessons. Of course, owning a horse is a huge commitment and can be really intimidating so you probably are thinking "What am I supposed to do now?" If you aren't sure if you are ready to take the leap and buy a horse, leasing may be your best bet. It's sort of like a horse ownership test run. 

I leased my first horse from a camp and I'm so glad I did that before taking the full step of buying a horse (or 6 or 7 like I have now....I may have a horse buying problem). Leasing a horse gave me a chance to see if I really had the time and money to commit to having my own horse. The great thing is that there are also several options for leasing a horse so you can find what the best fit is for you.

There are three individuals involved in a lease: the horse owner, the leasee (rider), and the horse. The goal of a lease is to benefit the rider, horse, and owner so open communication is always key, and lease terms may vary. Always make sure that you have a written lease agreement for any type of lease so that everyone knows exactly what to expect because with horses there is always something unexpected.

Here are the three typical types of leases:

1. Half or partial lease: these leases are typically where you get to ride the horse as if it were your own 3 to 4 days a week and the owner has the horse the rest of the time. As the person leasing you typically don’t have to cover any standard costs because you’re paying a set fee per month. The horse owner will usually make a schedule with you that works for both of you and accommodates the days off the horse will need. Each partial lease will have an agreement for showing, off property adventures, and lessons but that varies depending on the situation so make sure to ask.

2. Full lease: this means you pay a flat fee to the horse owner, and the horse is essentially yours. The horse usually will stay at the barn they are already boarded at, and you get to ride whenever you want, like you would with your own horse. It often means you can take the horse off property for other events if you would like, but that is not always the case and is set by the horse’s owner in your lease agreement. You do not pay for standard vet care, farrier, or board because it is included in the lease fee. Most of the time a full lease will be board plus some to cover the horse's general costs like farrier and vet. 

3. Free lease aka full care lease: with these leases, the horse is yours and you cover all of the cost, but you do not own the horse. In most cases, you have to find boarding for the horse, will handle all of its vet care (both regular care and any emergencies), and all of its farrier costs. In my experience, these leases will require some sort of insurance on the horse as well in case there are unforeseen circumstances and the horse is lost. These are usually longer-term leases and can sometimes include a paid lease fee in addition to you taking on all the care. If you do a care lease this is as close to what it is like to own a horse without actually owning the horse because it gives you an out if it turns out that you are not ready to own a horse or if you are likely to outgrow or out skill the horse relatively quickly.