<p>any insurance can be had for the life of the horse? FGS, what if it die during the lease?</p>
<p>artloverplus
Horse insurance covers mortality and major medical, you can also buy loss of use insurance as well. Most horse owners that love their horses will not buy loss of use as it requires you to turn over the horse. A large number of owners such as myself would not want an unknown future for our beloved horses.</p>
<p>We are required to carry mortality and major medical for our leased horses. Sometimes there are exclusions based on previous history. For example, we leased an older pony that had a history of cushing’s. When that pony developed laminitis, we lost both the use of the pony while she was being treated and shouldered all the medical bills, which were in the thousands and non-reimbursible. Fortunately the pony’s owner was kind and let us end the lease a few months early, so at least we were not forced to pay board (ours is 900 a month) for a horse we could not use, and our barn let us use a school pony until we could lease a new horse. (The good news in the end is that the pony with laminitis made a full recovery and we sometimes see her in walk/trot at shows!)</p>
<p>
Consolation, Twin Lakes Farm in Bronxville (the suburb where Sarah Lawrence is located) says it’s “the home of the Sarah Lawrence Equestrian Team”. Bronxville is fairly small, so I imagine the stables are not too far from the campus.</p>
<p>We carry insurance on our younger horse. As someone mentioned we don’t carry loss of use since my D would never put her horse down if it no longer was able to jump. She does know of people who have.
We have leased on several occasions. In one of our cases the owner of the pony carried insurance. We also had written into the lease that we would cover all routine vet care but otherwise our limit was $1000.
I doubt the OP’s daughter will still work with her present trainer once she moves the horse. Things her D might ask about before she moves the horse. Does the school team trainer own the barn? Will the trainer give additional training at a team “discount” rate? What is the policy about riding in the ring without the trainer present? At my D’s home barn you are not allowed to jump without the owner or trainer present. At my D’s school barn they have free rein of the entire equestrian center. Of course no one should ever jump if they are the only one on the premises.
I know quite a number of riders who have participated in the hunter/jumper team at different schools. The quality of the horses vary,last year the team horses weren’t great at my D’s school but she said that they are getting some pretty nice horses this school year. Also if the team is large you might not get to ride the better mounts if you are a newcomer. Also many riders would not be willing to just ride once a week during a group lesson. My own D ended up skipping the hunter/jumper team and joined the 3 Day Event team. With the eventing team at my D’s school you have your lessons on your own horse.</p>
<p>My D looked at the barn and talked with the trainer and riders at all of the schools she considered. The barns ranged from barely standing to beautiful large facilities. Some schools had the barns on campus and others had the team barn at an off campus facility. The quality of the horses also ranged from great to decent to pretty sorry looking.
Also as other posters have mentioned most school barns have an application for the horse. My D ruled out one of her top choices due to the fact that her horse would fail the application for the on campus barn and she would have to find him a spot at an off campus facility.</p>
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<p>I was thinking more about the description of it as “rural” than the presence of a stable. After all, there are stables in NYC. 
Bronxville is far from rural.</p>
<p>We are a riding family. I get that horses are a passion. I rode as a child, took time off for college and then got back into horses after I graduated.</p>
<p>I don’t regret one moment of not having a horse in college. I made life long friends (yes I could have made them at the barn too) and was involved in many activities on campus. I wouldn’t have been quite as involved on campus had I been at the barn the whole time.</p>
<p>I think that your freshman year and especially your first semester is full of adjustments to life without parents. Laundry, managing yourself, studies etc. </p>
<p>I was a very diligent horse owner. It would have worn greatly on me to have my horse sitting and not being ridden for days at a time. </p>
<p>You know your daughter. If she can’t make it out to the barn for whatever reason, illness, huge papers or exams etc will she be worried about the horse and him not being ridden?</p>
<p>If the horse colics or something else happens will the barn be able to handle the issues without your daughter present? Her teachers will not be happy if she misses exams etc for a sick horse. </p>
<p>She will have horses and horse people around her with the IHSA team and I know that with many schools, you can pick up extra rides if you have time to do so. She will be riding and she will be around horses. </p>
<p>I guess my question is why does she need her own horse that she may or may not be riding more than 3 times a week? If you are a decent rider and take good care of your horses, you will be able to find leases open to you.</p>
<p>Why not ask her if she’d rather save up the board over the school year and put it toward a fun summer lease she can enjoy showing? That way she can enjoy the summer lease without worrying about studying etc. You’d be able to afford a nicer horse for three months versus paying for something over the 9 month school year. </p>
<p>Just a thought.</p>
<p>Better off cutting the lease and see how she does on the team. Would the team want her to be riding “just for fun” outside of practices?</p>
<p>If it was her horse, that she owned, and otherwise it would not be exercised, maybe. But the horse is leased. And she will be getting time riding horses.</p>
<p>Of course part of this depends on if you are made of money. If you are made of money, you can hire someone at her school to exercise the horse if she is too busy. And leasing the horse would not be an issue.</p>
<p>Not made of money, it’s a no-brainer to not lease the horse and see how she does. A pet is like a child, and you don’t want her making judgement calls about the horse vs. schoolwork vs. socialization vs. equestrian team.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely yes, she should take her horse to school. If you all can afford it, do it. People who are not horse people don’t really understand all of the ways a horse can be significant in a person’s life. From personal experience I know that the horse will help her continue to be a responsible person, and riding and caring for a horse can be a nice release in a stressful first year of college. </p>
<p>And soze, not all horsemen are privileged and snooty as you suggest in your post.</p>
<p>We live in the horse world as well, much to my chagrin - hunter/jumper & equitation. My wife introduced D to riding when she was 6 or 7. We time-shared a horse, leased a horse, bought a horse and now lease again. I don’t even like think about what it costs as I’ll just get upset.</p>
<p>DD has attended the event in Wellington,FL the past two years during her Spring break from school. The horse got a months vacation in Florida while dad was working to pay for his/their trip. The horse world is just very very expensive.</p>
<p>We have a friend who’s oldest rode in college and still does. I’ve gone on rides with DD because she asked me to accompany her. That’s what parents do.</p>
<p>Equestrian sports are a great hobby. </p>
<p>I’m hoping DD retires from riding shortly to focus on her other sports activities which also require time, effort & expense - field hockey & softball.</p>
<p>Threesdad- you sound like my H. He hates to even think about what he has spent on horses. But like you he can see the positives.
My D was in the hunter/jumper equitation world but since going to college has switched to 3 day eventing. Of course this switch requires an assortment of new items. We just bit the bullet and bought D a trailer.This week it is all about her needing a dressage saddle. Of course that means a new girth, leathers etc. It seems to not end.
But in the end riding and horses have been an emotional salvation for my D.</p>
<p>I ride hunter jumper and am not buying that it is worth it to bring the horse just because THIS horse is a great horse to learn to jump on-- that sounds like a crutch that will not do her any good when she has to ride the other team’s horses in competition. I ride hunter jumper and one of my biggest regrets is that I always had my own WONDERFUL horse to ride and never developed the nerve to just get on any old horse and ride like I would have needed to do to compete in the kind of shows your D is going to be in. My wonderful horse also self corrects his leads and stride lengths so that I have never had to learn how to do either one manually. It is good to be versatile. Lots of horses are good to learn on-- and it is good to learn on lots of horses. Sending a lease horse off with an 18 year old makes me feel very squeamish. She does not need this horse to learn to jump, she just wants to bring it.</p>
<p>You’re so right Emaheevul07. IHSA is a different kettle of fish. It can be a lot of fun and quite challenging depending on the horses provided by the host school. I drew everything from a horse that would not do anything more than circle near center of the ring to a horse that bucked at the canter. And I drew some absolutely wonderful, easy to ride horses. It’s a toss up as to what you will get. But the more you ride different horses the better a rider you will become and you will be better able to handle the difficult ones you may draw at an IHSA show.</p>
<p>Great post, Emaheevul07.</p>
<p>I took my horse to college.</p>
<p>I probably wouldn’t have gone if I couldn’t take my horse.</p>
<p>I was very busy (two jobs, equestrian team, full course load), but I graduated on time with highest honors.</p>
<p>Those who are used to the hard work it takes to care for, work and train horses are much more prepared for the rigors of college than most teens.</p>
<p>Having the horse there/being on the equestrian team is more likely to keep her on-track than to be a distraction - she knows she can only have a horse at college and compete if she is IN college. Flunking out would end it.</p>
<p>I would let her take the horse if it isn’t a financial hardship for your family.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I decided I have one more thought to contribute. Though I don’t think she should bring it just because its so great to learn to jump on, if you’re okay with her bringing it just because she wants to that’s a very personal decision. However, I want to pose a scenario for you to consider.</p>
<p>We have owned or leased a few horses over the last decade. Every one of them, at some point, has had colic-- or had some kind of injury. There have been expensive drugs and surgeries and treatments. It can be expensive, and sometimes difficult decisions need to be made, financial and otherwise. How is this handled for horses at the school? If the horse becomes sick or injured beyond the normal mild stuff, can your D handle that all by herself? Can she talk to the vet? Can she make decisions? What decisions is she allowed to make as someone who doesn’t own the horse outright? What decisions do you feel only you can make? Are you going to be okay with making decisions and writing checks without being there to see the horse for yourself and meet with the vet? </p>
<p>Just thinking of myself at that age and my family, having a horse to take care of without my parents help would have been a BIG responsibility. The daily exercise and the food and the grooming are the easy parts. It would never have worked for my family, my parents are horse people and would need to see things for themselves, and I would have been in over my head if an emergency occurred. Your family may be better at it than mine, but its something to consider.</p>
<p>Does anyone know which US colleges have good equestrian teams? I have a friend whose daughter is a star (Olympic quality) equestrian and is looking for a US university with a top team. Location is not an issue. Any ideas? Thanks, Londondad</p>
<p>What is her intended major? What is her riding discipline … dressage, H/J, eventing?</p>
<p>londondad, you’ll probably get more responses if you start a separate thread.</p>
<p>londondad - if your friend’s D is really an Olympic level rider then she would not be challenged on a college riding team. I can only speak about the D1 equestrian teams for equitation. These teams only compete at 3’6" and it is strictly based on equitation both on the flat and over fences. Some of the teams have nicer horses than others. There are some top former junior riders on the D1 college teams and most of them have made it there by doing well in the national equitation finals.</p>
<p>If your friend’s D has her own horses then she may want to consider a college with a good barn and trainer nearby and take her horses and continue to compete on her own.</p>