# Leasing a broodmare



## Jelly (3 June 2014)

As the title suggests, I am looking to lease some mares. My stallion will be arriving in the middle or the year and will be gelded by the end of the year. I don't have the time or facilities (or the desire even) to stand a stallion but I'd like to keep one or 2 of his babies as future riding horses. As such, I do not want to buy to have to sell on again in a years time. With references, would you personally lease your mare? I've had some bad experiences in my time with leasing my own horses, would you trust anyone with your mares? I'm trying to think up the best way to advertise for something but everything I come up with sounds like a scam. Stupid question (s) but any thoughts/ suggestions would be welcome.


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## Alec Swan (3 June 2014)

Jelly said:



			....... I'm trying to think up the best way to advertise for something but everything I come up with sounds like a scam. ........
		
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Yes I agree,  it does rather doesn't it?

Considering your post,  I would neither lease,  loan,  nor sell you one of my mares.

Alec.


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## be positive (3 June 2014)

My first thought is that it is getting rather late to be thinking about finding any mares, the best ones will already be at stud/ in foal there may be one or two that have foaled late and owners have no plans for but whether they would send the mare away with foal at foot is unlikely, or you could find something that is injured and now needs time off.

The other issue is finding mares to compliment the stallion, just taking a random selection to breed because you like the idea of having his off spring could be extremely disappointing, a responsible mare owner may want to see the stallion, have evidence that he is worth putting a good mare to, it can reflect on future sales if he does not produce good stock and they may not be prepared to send a mare to an unproven stallion, if he already has youngsters on the ground that would be a bonus but if I were you I would probably buy one or two of them as a better option, far less risky and apart from missing out on the early days still going to do what you want. 

Sorry not very positive but I just think it is too late to be trying to sort out everything for this year, if you can leave it until next year you would have a much better chance of sourcing some mares as well as getting to know whether he is worth using if he is not yet proven, if he has produced really good stock is it worth keeping him entire for a while longer.


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## Jelly (3 June 2014)

Exactly... Sounds like a scam or a nutter! I'd think the same! On the other side of the coin, whilst buying is an option, do I tell the sellers that I am only planning to keep them for 1 breeding season? I would sell to that person either!! 

Be positive - I keep bloody forgetting we are in June already. My head is still in April. It isn't a problem to keep him entire until next year, I'm in no real rush to geld him. I just don't want a stallion going forward. When I bought him 4 years ago he was exactly what I was looking for, things have changed, little people have arrived and I just don't have the time anymore but I'm more than happy to have him around as a riding horse for the rest of his days. 

There is also nothing random about the selection. I know exactly what I want mare wise. It's just finding the wording so it does sound too far fetched!


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## Goldenstar (3 June 2014)

I would contact some studs with 'your ' type ' of mares .
Some might for a fee consider this .
I don't think you will find many private owners interested except perhaps someone who was pregnant and had a nice mare .
Or an injured mare taking a long break .


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## GemG (4 June 2014)

Jelly - 

I see your predicament.  I had a similar (not same) issue personally in that I have a stallion and had no mare, and as stallion now 20 years old wanted to breed something to keep back.  

To cut a long story short, I kept scouring all websites/loan sites/anything at all advert wise - and I managed to find a lovely pink papered Trakehner broodmare with the sort of bloodlines I really like and she is now running with my stallion and is in foal (judging by her '****** off' faces she now pulls at him lol!) .  Her owner has several mares and simply found herself in circumstances where she needed to cut back temporarily and was prepared to loan to the right person for a breeding season. 

There are lots of lovely mares of all types/breeds/sorts out there that may be loanable sometimes just due to the circumstances of the owner etc.  I guess contacting a stud maybe an idea.  I thought of that, but then decided I may be able to get better chance of quality by sourcing a private owner due to a stud more likely wanting to keep a valuable mare for their own stallion(s) etc.  

There are lots of options.  I know what you mean about the advert idea.  But dont let people put you off if you have thought lots about it, which I am sure you have.  There are lots of folk who just dont have the grass/space/time/money for a while but maybe dont want to sell either....    ....it is just finding them and making totally sure you are both TOTALLY happy with the plans.  Which I guess goes for any loan horse, breeding or riding. 

It has worked well for me and I have been lucky!


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## Jelly (4 June 2014)

GemG said:



			Jelly - 

I see your predicament.  I had a similar (not same) issue personally in that I have a stallion and had no mare, and as stallion now 20 years old wanted to breed something to keep back.  

To cut a long story short, I kept scouring all websites/loan sites/anything at all advert wise - and I managed to find a lovely pink papered Trakehner broodmare with the sort of bloodlines I really like and she is now running with my stallion and is in foal (judging by her '****** off' faces she now pulls at him lol!) .  Her owner has several mares and simply found herself in circumstances where she needed to cut back temporarily and was prepared to loan to the right person for a breeding season. 

There are lots of lovely mares of all types/breeds/sorts out there that may be loanable sometimes just due to the circumstances of the owner etc.  I guess contacting a stud maybe an idea.  I thought of that, but then decided I may be able to get better chance of quality by sourcing a private owner due to a stud more likely wanting to keep a valuable mare for their own stallion(s) etc.  

There are lots of options.  I know what you mean about the advert idea.  But dont let people put you off if you have thought lots about it, which I am sure you have.  There are lots of folk who just dont have the grass/space/time/money for a while but maybe dont want to sell either....    ....it is just finding them and making totally sure you are both TOTALLY happy with the plans.  Which I guess goes for any loan horse, breeding or riding. 

It has worked well for me and I have been lucky!
		
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This is exactly the type of situation I am hoping for where someone isn't using their mare and could do with leasing for a while for whatever reason. I would never buy, pretending that I was keeping the mare for life if that wasn't my intention and who would want to sell their horse knowing it would only stay with that person for a year? Unless like suggested I buy from a stud where their horses are business and have no personal attachment. 

I also don't want to be in a situation where I buy a few mares and can't bear to part with them when the time comes. I don't want to end up with 6 or 8 horses to look after. I just don't have the time (or a tolerant husband!!).


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## Spring Feather (4 June 2014)

I have leased a broodmare out, and I would again, but the mare did not leave my farm and that's the only condition I'd ever agree to on leasing, that the mare must remain on my premises.  

Practically, you are very late in the breeding season to just be starting to look for breeding mares.  Most people will have already bred their mares for next year, and anyone considering giving their mare the year off would be very behind for breeding next year if you don't manage to get the mare bred within the month.


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## Sueryan (7 June 2014)

I have a brood mare looking for a loan home she is outs of Honeybrook siren Xwelsh tb I have loaned her in the past to a local breeder who has use her with a Suffolk and own 2 Connemara crosses from her . Loan was successful as they treated her well and I knew the vet they were using also hint and pony club members so there were plenty.


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## Equi (8 June 2014)

I don't really understand why you would have to sell on in a year if you bought one but wouldn't if you bred one? I don't get that part..

Edit nvm i get it now lol


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## DuckToller (9 June 2014)

I have a mare that is about to foal, she is well-bred but LOU so as I don't want another from her,  I am stuck as to what to do with her.  She is only 8 and I was debating whether to have her covered and sell her in-foal, but equally I don't want to lose track of her.  Leasing is an idea I hadn't considered, but can't tell you yet if she is good with the foal!  

But she will have a foal at foot, so I don't suppose she would be of interest to you...


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## Jelly (13 June 2014)

How is your mare bred and if you don't mind me asking, why is she LOU?


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## Fides (13 June 2014)

This might be a long way around it but have you considered posting on the horsey pages of mumsnet - there may be people on there that are pregnant and looking to loan a mare?


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## Jelly (13 June 2014)

What a good idea! I really hadn't considered that. Another thing I hadn't considered is just how late in the season it is (I'm not sure where the last 3 months have disappeared to!!) so I will be looking to start early next year. That said, I will start looking now and hopefully the right mares will appear over winter &#128522;


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## Equi (14 June 2014)

Jelly said:



			What a good idea! I really hadn't considered that. Another thing I hadn't considered is just how late in the season it is (I'm not sure where the last 3 months have disappeared to!!) so I will be looking to start early next year. That said, I will start looking now and hopefully the right mares will appear over winter &#55357;&#56842;
		
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That is the best way  gives you lots of time to get to know them.


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## eventrider23 (14 June 2014)

Why not, instead of rushing to find potentially unsuitable mares, send your stallion of to a centre and have some semen collected and frozen.  That way you would have a store there to use whenever you desired .


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## Jelly (14 June 2014)

My stallion is thoroughbred and I don't plan on having him graded before gelding him. I plan on having 1 or 2 thoroughbred foals and the same warmblood. Having him dummy trained/ collected seems pointless. I'm not looking to sell any semen and I don't want to end up with 10 of his babies &#128521;


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## sport horse (21 June 2014)

I have several brood mares out on loan and it works really well but I throughly checked the loaners and rejected many.

The fact that you cannot be bothered to train the horse and collect semen would set alarm bells off that you are not really interested in any high class selection of mares just a random wish to have a few foals by 'your boy'. I would be worried that you would have just the same carefree attitude to the mares well being. I would not loan you a mare which is not a problem as I currently do not have any for loan!


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## DuckToller (28 June 2014)

Update on my mare - she has taken to motherhood like a duck to water - in the words of the stud she popped him out like a pea and just got on with it, seemed to know what to do so some doubt whether she was a maiden mare after all (although no physical signs of having foaled before) or perhaps all those hormones have had a positive effect for a change. 

But foal is so gorgeous, have decided to put her back in foal to the same stallion as don't want her barren for a year at her age, so have changed my mind about leasing her


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## Maesfen (28 June 2014)

Jelly said:



			My stallion is thoroughbred and I don't plan on having him graded before gelding him. I plan on having 1 or 2 thoroughbred foals and the same warmblood. Having him dummy trained/ collected seems pointless. I'm not looking to sell any semen and I don't want to end up with 10 of his babies &#55357;&#56841;
		
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What will you do about covering certificates as presumably you'll want to register the foals with their full breeding inside their passport, it's not enough to just say they're by XYZ these days, you have to have proof of such?


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## Jelly (30 June 2014)

Sport horse, it's not a case of "not being bothered" as you put it, my stallion is thoroughbred so dummy training is a pointless exercise. I want a few foals for myself and that's it. I have no intention of offering him at stud or keeping him entire. All of my horses are very well looked after and any mare I loaned would be treated as one of my own. 

Ducktoller, all the best with your mare and her new baby. 

Maesfen, he is registered with the American JC. His papers are transferable to weatherbys and all of his DNA info is on file. If I did breed a WB mare or 2, I would use weatherbys NTR. The foals would stay with me as riding horses so I am happy with NTR papers.


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## Alec Swan (30 June 2014)

Jelly said:



			Sport horse, it's not a case of "not being bothered" as you put it, my stallion is thoroughbred so dummy training is a pointless exercise. I want a few foals for myself and that's it. I have no intention of offering him at stud or keeping him entire. All of my horses are very well looked after and any mare I loaned would be treated as one of my own. 

Ducktoller, all the best with your mare and her new baby. 

Maesfen, he is registered with the American JC. His papers are transferable to weatherbys and all of his DNA info is on file. If I did breed a WB mare or 2, I would use weatherbys NTR. The foals would stay with me as riding horses so I am happy with NTR papers.
		
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I'm really sorry to tell you this,  Jelly,  but my original stance remains the same.  With your stated and apparent ethical stance,  I'd put my mares down before loaning them to you,  or your kind.

Alec.


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## Jelly (30 June 2014)

My kind? What on gods earth does that mean???


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