Information About Horse Leasing

There are five most common ways to lease a horse, each with its own purpose. Horse leasing is as creative as your imagination will allow but the most common leases include feed leases, casual use lease, performance leases, working horse lease, and breeding lease. Leasing is distinct from renting a horse in that it is usually a longer-term proposition while rentals are usually for recreational oriented purposes and typically are short-term: hourly, daily or week-long.

  1. Feed lease

    • Under a typical feed lease--also called a full lease--the lessor takes physical possession of a horse from a horse owner, provides veterinary and farrier care and grooming and pays all costs associated with keeping the horse. The lessee pays for an insurance policy that guarantees to the terms of agreement protecting against such things as loss of use of the animal as a safeguard against illness, emergency medical care and mortality and unforeseen incidents. No money exchanges hands. Remuneration is the care of the animal.

    Casual-use Lease

    • A lessee can lease the horse occasionally over increments of hours, days, weeks or months. This is the only lease that doesn't require an insurance policy on the part of the lessor. The horse owner leases at his own risk. Rates are negotiable and can run from $45 an hour to several hundred dollars a month, according to David Rigoli, president of the California Cattlemen's Association, Los Podres Division. This is sometimes referred to as a part-lease or a share-lease.

    Performance Leases

    • Performance-horse leases again require an insurance policy as a safeguard against the same unforeseen events as a feed lease. The performance-horse lease cost is usually higher because of the higher value of the animal and the opportunity by the lessee to make money at equestrian events. There are usually higher transport costs involved, as well. Performance leases can work two ways, in which case the lessor may actually pay the lessee, including the insurance policy costs, to show the horse. In instances where the owner is in the breeding business to help promote specific bloodlines he may enter a performance lease, relieving him of the bother of travel involved in showing the horse. Sometimes the lessee wants to lease a horse for shows but can't afford the cost of purchasing and caring for a horse, yet wants to demonstrate his equine skills. In such cases, the lessee would cover the insurance costs.

    Work Leases:

    • Work leases are pretty straightforward. The owner leases his horse to other ranch owners or individuals who may need an extra animal for seasonal recreation riding, beach riding or ranch riding or other commercial endeavors like farming, working with cattle, farming with antique instruments, logging or pulling carriages for weddings or special or promotional events like hayrides.

    Breeding Lease

    • Generally, you lease a mare or stud for breeding purposes with other promising horse lines or to promote a particular blood line of mares or stallions of any horse discipline, like English riding, Western riding or horse racing. Insurance policies are again are required in the event of illness, injury or mortality (plus loss of use for the other categories) and are often significantly higher than for other uses. Before entering any lease, have the horse thoroughly checked by a veterinarian to protect everyone's interest.