IN PRACTICE: VISUAL AIDS

When Beth became pregnant, she realized that the best thing for her Fourth Level dressage horse—a Lusitano gelding—was to find him a good temporary home where he could continue his training. A breeder and trainer herself, Beth hoped to find a situation where the gelding would stay at the same level of training or even improve. So when a trusted client mentioned that she would like to lease the horse, Beth jumped at the chance.

But a question arose about how to specify her training requirements. How could Beth make sure the horse’s training stayed on track? The solution was video. Beth took footage of the horse at the start of the agreement and the contract stipulated that the lessor was required to send her video updates every four months. The contract specified how long the videos would be, the movements they would show, and how they would be sent to Beth.

The contract also included provisions specifying what would be done if problems arose with the horse’s training. These provisions included giving the lessor the option of sending the horse back at any time, at Beth’s expense, if necessary. Beth could have peace of mind that her horse was well taken care of, and the person leasing the horse could ensure she was doing the training that Beth expected.