As Hay Prices Soar Forage Alternatives Become more Compelling

For the first time in seven years my hay supplier is flat out. It’s a problem here in New England. It will be several months before the first cutting is in and my horses, at least, don’t have enough grass to sustain them.

The good news is that hay is available, but the price is high. Right now decent (not great) 2nd cutting is about $10 for a square bale that weighs about 50 lbs. Delivery is extra. The combination of a poor growing season last year and the high price of gas has just made prices spiral upwards.

My horses get no grain (just a ration balancer), so their diet is forage based. They each eat about 25 lbs of forage per day, so it’s running me $10/day in hay. Just a few years ago the same hay was $4/bale — quite a difference!

In anticipation of the hay shortage, I started hoarding hay over the winter. I only have room for about 150 bales, but I filled my loft with beautiful second cut hay when I could and started supplementing their hay with forage alternatives. In my quest to make my hay last I looked at chopped hay, hay stretcher, hay cubes and beet pulp.

Chopped hay is forage that is dried at high temperature, chopped and bagged. In the past I’ve fed Totally Timothy, by Lucerne Farms. Several of their feeds — including this one — are blended with a low sugar molasses, although they recently introduced one that is molasses free. I tried it because one of my horses has a dust/mold allergy and was really suffering one spring. I also had a mare who didn’t eat much hay but was a hard keeper and I wanted to encourage her to eat more forage, rather than continually increasing her grain.

This was a total taste test winner, according to my horses. They would walk through fire for Totally Timothy — they like it that much. There is a lot that I liked about it, too.

• The nutritional content is excellent and consistent.
• You feed slightly less than regular forage (1-1.5% of body weight if it’s the only forage), so a 35# bag is the equivalent of 50# of hay.
• There is no waste. The horses don’t leave a shred.
• It is completely dust free (which helped my allergy-prone gelding).
• It can be easily mixed with grain to provide a fiber supplement.
• Chopped forage provides the long-stem fiber that horses need for their digestive systems.
• It’s easy to transport and store as it’s bagged.

Ingredients are: dehydrated chopped timothy hay, cane molasses, and proprionic acid (preservative).

The nutritional profile is:

Protein: 7%
Fat: 1%
Fiber: 30%
Calcium: 0.3% min; 0.5% max
Phosphorous: 0.1%

The disadvantages that I’ve found are that 1) it’s expensive and 2) the horses eat it quickly. They finish off their ration in short order and that deprives them of the entertainment factor of heating their forage throughout the day. I prefer them to nibble for several hours, especially as one of my horses tends to crib or weave when he doesn’t have something to eat.

Hay Stretcher pellets were recommended by my vet as a way to keep weight on a horse without providing unnecessary energy. I buy hay pellets from Blue Seal and feed them to my horses with their ration balancer, to make them feel like they’re getting a meal, and in an outside feeder as a supplement to their hay.

Hay Stretcher is a large pellet with a nutritional profile similar to grass hay, but slightly lower in fiber and higher in energy. You can use it to replace up to one-half of your horse’s total forage needs, substituting it on a pound-to-pound basis. It is not fortified with any vitamins or minerals so is not a replacement or a complete feed.

Currently I feed about 4 lbs of hay stretcher daily to each of my horses, but as my “real” hay supply dwindles, that might increase. It is highly palatable to them and they always finish it up. It has many of the benefits of chopped forage:

• Pellets are easy to feed and palatable
• There is no waste when it’s fed
• The nutritional profile is consistent
• You can feed it dry or soaked (it does get mushy when wet)
• It’s easy to transport and store

The disadvantages are that 1) it is not a long-stem forage so it does not provide the digestive fiber that horses require and 2) it is pricey (not as expensive as chopped forage but still more than hay), and like chopped forage, horses eat it quickly. I’m currently paying $12.95 for a 50 lb bag.

Ingredients: Dehydrated Alfalfa meal, Wheat middlings, Oat Mill by-products, Cane Molasses, Calcium Carbonate.

The nutritional profile is:

Protein: 11.5% min
Fat: 2 %
Fiber: 20%
Calcium: Min. 0.80 – Max. 1.30
Phosphorous: Min. 0.45

Beet pulp is another good source of forage. It is the fiber that is left over when sugar is extracted from beets. It is high in fermentable fiber and easy for horses to digest. In fact, beet pulp is an ingredient in many commercial horse feeds (Purina Ultium and Blue Seal Vintage Victory, for example), but it can also be fed separately.

Beet pulp is available either in shreds or in pellets. Much of it has some molasses in it, but it is also available without it. Typically beet pulp is fed soaked, although, contrary to rumor, most horses can eat dry beet pulp without problems. There’s a lot of debate and misinformation about beet pulp (for example, it does NOT expand in a horse’s stomach if fed dry), but it is a feed that can cause choke in horses that eat quickly or that or prone to it. Another myth is that beet pulp is high in calories and can be used to help put weight on hard keepers. In fact, beet pulp has fewer calories than the equivalent weight in oats and only slightly more calories than good quality hay. Since you measure/weigh beet pulp dry, you would need to feed an awful lot of it to really add significant calories. Beet pulp can be used to replace up to 50% of a horse’s total forage needs.

Benefits of feeding beet pulp include:

• Excellent source of digestible fiber.
• Low in starch and sugar.
• When soaked also helps hydrate horses, which is particularly useful in winter.
• Can be mixed with complete feeds.
• Excellent way to “hide” supplements or medications when served soaked.
• Low cost.
• Beet pulp shreds can be soaked, or moistened, in 10 minutes if warm water is added.

The disadvantages of beet pulp are that 1) Soaking takes extra time and effort (not all barns will accommodate the request); 2) some horses find it unpalatable, and 3) in the summer, beet pulp will ferment if left soaking for too long.

Nutritional profile:

Protein: 9.5 -10 %
Calcium: 0.8%
Phosphorous: 0.5%
Sugar: 10 % average
Starch: 1.3% average

Finally, there are hay cubes. They are generally available as either alfalfa or alfalfa/timothy but I’ve also seen cubes that were alfalfa/beet pulp. They are made from hays that are either dehydrated or sun cured. They provide long-stem fiber and have similar nutritional profiles to conventional hay. Many people soak hay cubes before feeding them, but unless your horse is prone to choke, that isn’t necessary. However, soaking the cubes does help with hydration and allows them to fed to horses that have difficulty chewing.

The advantages of feedings cubes include:

• They can be fed as a replacement for long-stem hay on a pound per pound substitution.
• Reduced waste. While horses will sort through long-stem hay and inevitably leave some, horses tend to finish all of their hay cubes. In fact, it’s important to limit hay cubes (rather than feed free choice) as a study that measured consumption showed that horses fed cubes consumed 17-25% more cubes than long-stem hay.
• Low dust. Hay cubes generally have little to no dust making them good for horses with respiratory problems or allergies.
• Consistent nutrient profile. You always know what you are feeding.
• Easy to handle and store as it’s available in 50# bags.
• When fed dry, horses eat them slowly.
• When fed soaked, they are an excellent way to hydrate horses or feed supplements or medications.

The disadvantages associated with feeding cubes are 1) they are expensive. I am currently paying $14.95 for a 50# bag of alfalfa/timothy cubes; 2) you need to limit consumption as horses will eat too much of them; and 3) if your horse is prone to choke, they need to be soaked before feeding.

I have not put a nutritional profile for the hay cubes as it will differ depending on they type of hay they are made from.

All in all, I’ve found that feeding forage alternatives has been a successful way of extending my hay supply. While they all do cost more, on balance the difference is not as much as the price tag would suggest as the horses consume all of their Hay Stretcher and hay cubes without any waste.

Additional Resources:

• Alfalfa Cubes for Horses
• Hay alternatives for horses
• Stretching your Horse’s Hay Supply During Drought
• Finding Alternatives to Hay
• Forage Options for Horses

Barefoot, Booted or Shoes — Which is Right for Your Horse?

I would love it if my horses could go barefoot. But living in New England where there often seem to be more rocks than dirt, it just hasn’t worked out for me. At least, not entirely. I know some people believe that you can keep any horse barefoot with the right trim, but it’s just not been my experience. I think whether you can go barefoot depends on:

• The natural quality of your horse’s hoof. I think that hoof quality can be improved with good nutrition, but some horses just have better feet.
• Terrain. Where you ride your horse has a lot to do with its comfort barefoot.
• The horse’s job. I could take one of my horses barefoot if I didn’t foxhunt, but galloping over hard ground and sometimes rocky terrain is just too much for him.
• A good barefoot trimmer. When it comes to barefoot, not all farriers are created equal. I think it really helps to use one who specializes in barefoot trims.

I’ve had my Trakehner gelding barefoot behind for the past seven years. He’s got good strong feet which hold up reasonably well under most circumstances although he’s always had flat front feet and experienced slow growth. When I started foxhunting, however, I found that I needed more protection for him to be comfortable. At that point, he started to get painful bruising and the occasional abscess so I added pads to the front and shoes behind.

That worked fine until he managed to pull both hind shoes off in the mud during a 24 hour period when I was out of town. I came home to find that he had swelling in one leg and not enough horn to nail shoes to on either hind foot!

In desperation, I turned to hoof boots. I wanted to keep him fit and I needed to keep him comfortable. I’d always had the spare Easyboot around for those times when I needed to protect a hoof until a farrier arrived, but had never had any luck with keeping them on for any riding or real work. So armed with a measuring tape, a pencil and pad, I started tracing his hind feet and trying various hoof boots.

First I tried the Easyboot Epic, which comes with a gaiter. Within 72 hours he’d broken both of them; on one the gaiter ripped, on the other the latching mechanism snapped off. Good thing they come with a warranty!

Next, I tried Old Macs. Now I know they’ve changed them since I bought my set, but the older ones were huge and clunky. They stayed on okay, but they were not something that I felt would work well over the long term. Since then, they have introduced the G2 design which looks better — not so large and with a lower profile, so I can’t comment on how they might work.

I bought Boa boots to replace the Old Macs, but had similar issues. I did like the mechanism for tightening the boot and they were very easy to put on, but I found them to be clunky and heavy, and they rubbed my horse.

Cavallo Simple Boots looked great and they truly are simple to apply. However, they simply didn’t fit. My horse’s hind feet are more oval than round and after 10 minutes I took them off so that I could resell them on eBay.

The winner in my book is the Easyboot Bare. They are a difficult to get on the first few times (see my review) but worth the effort. These boots are a lower profile boot that sit close to the hoof and are supposed to flex and stretch like a natural hoof. There are very few moving parts, so there is less to break, and if one does, all pieces can be ordered as replacement parts. I’ve been using my pair now for about a year (I only use them once or twice a week as terrain demands) and they have held up very well. I gallop in them, go through mud and water, and even jump without any problems.

There are some boots that I’d like to try. Renegade hoof boots get good reviews and come in cool colors. There are HorseMocs, Horse Sneakers, Soft-Ride, to list just a few. The bottom line is that not all boots fit all horses. You must measure carefully and choose a boot that is shaped similarly to your horse’s hoof. You also need to measure front and hind hooves separately; not only are the often different sizes, but they are usually different shapes. Rear hooves are typically more oval, while front hooves are rounder.

In short, I think that hoof boots are an excellent product. I know that some folks use them to help take their horse barefoot, and I can see how it would help a horse make the transition while minimizing soreness. They are also ideal if you have a horse that needs additional hoof protection for some parts of its job, but is fine barefoot with others. Hoof boots are an economical choice compared to shoes as they last a long time. They also eliminate the issue of nail holes — and if you have a horse that exhibits slow growth, like I do, you don’t want to put shoes on for just part of the year as it will take months for those nail holes to grow out.

I am usually the only foxhunter out there with hoof boots (and bitless) and they are certainly not something you would see in the show ring. However, I think if you look at endurance riders, you’ll find that hoof boots are both acceptable and durable. It’s a shame that they haven’t extended their use to other disciplines as well.

Don’t Look that Gift Horse in the Mouth – it Might be Long in the Tooth!

While doing some research for yesterday’s post, I came across the proverb “Long in the Tooth.” Like many common phrases, I’d never really thought about its etymology. Long in the tooth refers to how a horse’s teeth change as it ages, becoming longer and more protuberant as shown in the illustrations below.

The images on the left shows the teeth of a 3-year old horse, while the images on the right show the teeth of a 20-year old horse.

The phrase, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” also refers to the practice of judging a horse’s age  — or worth — by the length of its teeth. Recipients of free horses were considered rude if they opened the horse’s mouth to assess its value by determining its age; you should appreciate a gift for the thought and spirit behind it, rather than for its intrinsic value. Of course, in my experience, “free” horses generally turn out to be the most expensive, so maybe it is better to look right away.

Then there’s “Straight from the horse’s mouth.” This may have originated on the race courses of England in the 20th century. When someone has a tip that is so good that it’s better than a tip from a trainer or jockey, it was said to come right from the horse itself. Alternatively, this phrase refers to when people buying a horse would look into its mouth to judge its age.

Lasik Surgery – FDA Investigates Complaints

Several weeks ago I wrote about the relative risks of Lasik surgery in regards to riding. Every time I foxhunt I think about it. Every time I read more about it, I change my mind.

Today the following press release was issued over the AP Newswire.

FDA takes closer look at complaints from Lasik customers

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

WASHINGTON (AP) — A decade after Lasik eye surgery hit the market, patients left with fuzzy instead of clear vision are airing their grievances before federal health officials.

Make no mistake: Most Lasik recipients do walk away with crisper vision, some better than 20/20.

But not everyone’s a good candidate, and an unlucky few do suffer life-changing side effects: poor vision, painful dry eyes, glare or problems seeing at night.

How big are the risks? The Food and Drug Administration thinks about 5 percent of patients are dissatisfied with Lasik. How many struggle daily with side effects? How many are just unhappy that they couldn’t completely ditch their glasses? The range of effects on patients’ quality of life is a big unknown.

So with a public hearing Friday, the FDA is beginning a new effort to determine if warnings about Lasik’s risks are appropriate. The agency also is pairing with eye surgeons for a major study expected to enroll hundreds of Lasik patients to better understand who has bad outcomes and exactly what their complaints are.

“Clearly there is a group who are not satisfied and do not get the kind of results they expect,” FDA medical device chief Dr. Daniel Schultz said Thursday. The study should “help us predict who those patients might be before they have the procedure.”

About 7.6 million Americans have undergone some form of laser vision correction, including the $2,000-per-eye Lasik. Lasik is quick and, if no problems occur, painless: Doctors cut a flap in the cornea — the clear covering of the eye_ aim a laser underneath it and zap to reshape the cornea for sharper sight.

The vast majority of patients, 95 percent, see better and are happy they had Lasik, said Dr. Kerry Solomon of the Medical University of South Carolina, who led a review of Lasik’s safety for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

But doctors advise against Lasik for one in four people who seek the surgery. Their pupils may be too large or corneas too thin or they may have some other condition that can increase the risk of a poor outcome.

Solomon estimates that fewer than 1 percent of patients have severe complications that leave poor vision. Other side effects, however, are harder to pin down. Dry eye, for instance, can range from an annoyance to so severe that people suffer intense pain and need surgery to retain what little moisture their eyes form. That’s the kind of question the FDA’s new study is being designed to answer.

Dry eye is common even among people who never have eye surgery, and increases as people age. Solomon says that 31 percent of Lasik patients have some degree of it before the surgery and that about 5 percent worsen afterward.

But dry-eye specialist Dr. Craig Fowler of the University of North Carolina says other research suggests 48 percent of patients experience some degree of dry eye at least temporarily after Lasik. Cutting the corneal flap severs nerves responsible for stimulating tear production, and how well those nerves heal in turn determines how much dry eye lingers long-term, he said.

Even if the risks are low, that’s little consolation to suffering patients.

“As long as you know any ophthalmologist that’s wearing glasses, don’t get it done,” says Steve Aptheker, 59, a Long Island lawyer who was lured by an ad for $999 Lasik.

The flaps cut in Aptheker’s cornea literally became wrinkled during the surgery, blocking vision and causing severe pain. It took seven additional surgeries over four years to restore his vision, which Aptheker says still isn’t quite as good as before his Lasik in 2000.

How Old is that Horse, Really?

A few days ago my Trakehner gelding turned 17. I’ve owned him for 12 years and it’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since I brought him home.

So, how old is he in human years? I’ve been doing some research into comparing horse and human age, but haven’t come up with a definitive answer. According to the horse to human age calculator, a 17 year old horse is the equivalent of a human that is 37.4 years old. That doesn’t seem so old, in fact, that seems pretty young. I retired my first horse at the age of 17 and I was about 37 at the time. He certainly seemed older than I did.

Other sites provide different estimates. This one has a chart that looks more in line with what I imagined:

Human	Horse
20	5
40	10
50	15
60	20
70	25
80	30
90	35

The good news is that like their owners (50 is the new 40!), horses seem to be aging more gracefully now than in years past. Joint injections are now far more commonplace, joint supplements are widely available and use far more widespread, and “alternative” technologies such as chiropractic, massage and acupuncture are used by many owners to help their horses stay more comfortable.

Certainly some horses are inherently more sound than others. Conformation plays a role in ongoing soundness, as does history of use and care.

One thing I find encouraging is the proliferation of aged horses in high end competitions. A quick review of the horses entered into the 2008 Rolex three day event shows that there are four aged 17 or older:

LIVINGSTONE: b. g., 16.3 hands, 18 years
ANTIGUA: b. g., 16 hands, 19 years,
DUNRATHS ALTO: dk. br. g., 17.2 hands, 17 years,
MR. BIG: br. g., 15 hands, 17 years

That’s pretty impressive! Rolex is a demanding course and to compete at this level a horse has to be in top shape.

Other disciplines have other “geriatric” stars: In dressage, Gestion Bonfire retired at age 19 and Courtney King is competing Idocus, currently 18, at the Grand Prix level.

The world famous Lippizaner stallions from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna often compete well into their 20s: Siglavy Mantua I retired at age 28 and at age 22, Conversano Amata I is described as a “real demon for work.”

In the show jumping arena, you have famous jumpers like Milton, who retired at age 17, Gem Twist, who competed at the highest levels of jumping until the age of 18, and For the Moment, who was AGA Horse of the Year at age 21!

So, I’m hoping that I have a few more years of foxhunting on my buddy.

First Hunt of the Season!

When I got the fixture card in the mail, a few weeks back, I was grinning from ear to ear. Spring hunting is the perfect antidote for chasing out the blahs of winter.

After much anticipation, opening day did not disappoint. The weather has been incredible here in the Northeast and the footing was excellent. The day was warm, but not hot, with lots of sun and a touch of breeze.

The hounds were spot on. Watching them run through the fields was beautiful. The field was small and that worked to our advantage because everyone got to see the hounds today.

We hunted at one of my favorite places — the Delaney complex in Stow. There are a smattering of inviting jumps and a good mix of wooded trails and open fields. The field moved along briskly and with the heat, we were grateful for the two checks. Kroni was amazing. He was a pleasure to ride and was jumping in great style. At the end of the hunt, my face hurt from grinning!

Although Kroni has been in regular work all winter, he’s still getting fit. He definitely was enjoying the day, though. As soon as we pulled into the parking area and he heard the hounds, he started to get excited and watched each cast with great interest. The more he hunts, the more eagerly he watches the hounds. He was quite strong today, and there were times when I wished I was riding with a bit (instead of my LG bridle) as he was pulling so hard. He really seems to enjoy this “job” — much more so than when we used to compete at dressage shows or even events.

I am a recent convert to hunting. This is my third season as a member, although I hunted several times as a guest before joining. Most people don’t think of the Boston area as a place where fox hunting is a sport that’s pursued on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Of course, these days, the only “foxes” we chase are the human kind, who lay a scent early before the hunt starts. But we do have hounds and they are glorious. The more I hunt, the more I appreciate the skill of the staff, the music of the hounds “giving tongue”, and the thrill of the hunt. The hunt I belong to is a great group of people who have been extremely welcoming and helpful.

Then there are the “teas”, a term that vastly understates the delicious lunches prepared by members. What better way to enjoy your horse than to gallop cross country across spectacular land with a group of friends, watching a skillful pack track a scent, then join together for a great meal. Certainly after experiencing the thrill of hunting, dressage shows just never had the same appeal!

Short “Words of Wisdom” about Horses

For several years I’ve read the forums on the Chronicle of the Horse. One of my favorite parts of reading the posts are the great signature lines that many members have included. Some folks have a real knack for summing up their thoughts about horses and riding in 25 words or less.

Here are some of the ones that have caught my eye:

• Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from behind, or a fool from any direction.
• The horse you get off is not the same as the horse you got on. It’s your job to make sure he’s better
• The Horse World. 2 people, 3 opinions. That’s the way it is.
• The dog may be man’s best friend, but the horse made history.
• Life is short…Ride First, Muck Later
• GOLF COURSES: just a waste of valuable pasture land.

But my all time favorites are:

• If you think your hair style is more important than your brain then it probably is.
• Equus Makeus Brokus

Then there the quotes from famous people:

• “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” ~Winston Churchill
• “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.” ~W.C. Fields
• “A canter is the cure for every evil.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli
• “In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.” ~Pam Brown
• Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground. ~Author Unknown
• No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill
• A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot. ~John Steinbeck
• Feeling down? Saddle up. ~Author Unknown

Sharing your Horse – The Ps and Qs of Free Leases

There are times when free leasing a horse is an excellent way to share expenses or make sure your horse gets enough work. The key is finding someone you can trust and setting up an arrangement that keeps you and your lessee happy and which keeps your horse safe and sound.

I’ve been on both sides of a lease agreement. From my perspective there are a few things that can help make the arrangement a success:

1. Specify the start and end date of the lease. Open ended agreements can be open to interpretation! Include a clause that describes under what conditions the lease can be broken, both by the lessor and the lessee.
2. Clearly state the ownership of the horse. It sounds like a “no brainer” but there are plenty of stories of people who’ve “leased” their horse to individuals only to find that those people sold the horse!
3. Discuss who will pay for what. In a free lease situation often an owner asks for the lessee to pay a percentage of the general costs (routine vet, farrier, supplements) based on the number of rides per week. Often, the owner will write into the lease provision for the lessee to pay any vet bills for injuries that occur do to direct action on their part or through their negligence. You should also agree on what the lessee is authorized (or expected) to do in terms of securing medical treatment for your horse if you are not available to consult.
4. Be very specific about what you expect from the person leasing your horse. There are many ways to handle and ride horses, so don’t expect that the person leasing your horse was trained with the methods you espouse. If you feel strongly about how you’d like your horse handled or ridden, spell it out in detail before you enter into a lease. For example, I want anyone leading my horses to do so with a lead rope and halter. I had someone who leased a horse from me who continually would lead my horse by its halter. I did not want to be responsible if/when the mare dislocated her shoulder or find out that the horse had pulled away and gotten loose. Ultimately, this (and some other issues) caused me to end the lease because I wasn’t comfortable with the potential risk or by how the lessee had chosen to disregard a specific request.
5. Create a schedule of use so that each party knows when he/she can ride. I once drove to the barn (at the time a 30-minute trip) to find my horse being ridden. My lessee was suppose to ride only in the mornings, but had decided it was “too cold” that morning and had taken the horse out in the afternoon when it was more convenient for him without asking me.
6. If your lease is off-site, define the standard of care you expect. This might include what your horse will be fed (and how much), how much turnout he will get, whether turnout is in groups or alone, etc. You should aways inspect the facility where your horse is to be boarded and, if possible, check on your horse periodically during the lease. Put a clause into your lease that allows you to reclaim your horse if you find that it’s lost too much weight or you find it in poor health.
7. Discuss before hand what the lessee will do with your horse and whether there are any limitations on how your horse can be used. For example, here’s where you could specify how high you want your horse jumped or whether the lessee can ride the horse in competitions. Many leases also specify who can — and cannot — ride the horse. For example, the owner may state that only the lessee and his/her trainer can ride it; not the lessee’s friends. You might also require that a lessee take a certain number of lessons per month, or ride with a particular trainer.
8. Consider liability. Riding horses is inherently dangerous. To protect yourself in case your lessee is hurt riding or handling your horse, it’s a good idea to have them sign a release of liability and/or a statement of Assumption of Risk. An indemnification clause is also a good idea.
9. Include the cost of insuring the horse in the price of the lease. Many owners require the lessee to insure the horse at a minimum for mortality. If not, it should be written into the lease the financial consequences should the horse be killed or severely injured while in the possession or care of the lessee. Another type of insurance to consider is liability insurance, which protects you should your horse injure another person or their property.
10. Put everything in writing. This will help prevent misunderstandings later. Even though it seems like the kind of deal that you can close on a hand shake, the more you document up front, the fewer problems you will have down the road.

This list might make it sound as if leasing your horse is a pain. Really, once you’ve agreed on the specifics, these guidelines make it easier on both sides. Personally, I’ve had several great lease arrangements. I leased one horse for three years and had a great relationship with the owner. I’ve also leased my own horses quite successfully. The few times where I have had issues with the lessees, though, it was very helpful to have the arrangements already agreed to and in writing.

Resources

How to Customize an Equine Lease

Bay Area Equestrian Sample Forms

Equine Legal Solutions