What the Industry is Saying About…
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“What do you think about various breed associations allowing youth and amateurs to lease a horse, rather than having to buy one to show?”
By Mackenzie Patterson
Linda Sargent – “I think it’s a good idea. My husband and I tried to flush an embryo on our mare, and she actually ended up in foal. My husband couldn’t show her, so he had to lease a horse to show. Some people may not agree with leasing, but it definitely worked well for us and helped us out a lot.”
Luke Castle – “I am split both ways when it comes to leasing. I think, in some ways, exhibitors need to own the horse they’re showing, but there are some people who can’t afford a good horse, because of the cost, which leaves leasing as their only option.”
Buddy Laney – “Leasing gives new people [in the industry] the opportunity to try a lot of new things, such as various events, without having to spend a bunch of money on purchasing a new horse. I do think that’s a good thing, but it also goes both ways. You do wonder how it works when one side has to spend a bunch of money purchasing the horse, and the other side doesn’t have to worry about spending that large sum of money for a horse.”
Lucas Cash – “I think a youth or amateur being allowed to lease a horse to show is absolutely fine, in some regards. It’s a great thing, especially for novice riders. It gives them a taste of showing and most everything that’s involved with it. Hopefully, after they lease for a while, they will want to become more involved and own their own horse. We need to do what we can to increase new members coming into the horse industry, and I think leasing helps with that.”
Buddy Fisher – “I understand that we’re trying to get more involvement and increase participation, but, at the same time, I don’t know what kind of effect leasing is going to have on our market. I kind of feel like the floodgates have been opened. I’m not sure of all the leasing rules, but right now it looks to me that the negative effects outweigh the positives. I think it would be beneficial to do a study on what the positive and negative effects of leasing are. It seems to me that people tend to exploit and take advantage of any rule. When certain people are taking advantage of things like leasing, it hurts [others] and beats on the morale of the people who aren’t doing it. It can be really discouraging for some people. Leasing is a great idea for getting new people started in the industry. It’s good for older horses that don’t have a job at the moment, and it lets the new people experience the show world so they’re able to find out if they like it or not. I think people need to be smarter about what’s good for our industry. The classes are getting smaller each year because people are becoming discouraged. We would all be in a better place if we would actually look ahead and be proactive. It’s time to stand up for the whole of our industry.”
Seth Clark – “I think leasing is a fantastic thing. It brings people into the industry who maybe can’t buy a high quality horse, and it gives them the opportunity to show without having to invest a lot of money into an expensive horse. Overall, leasing helps to get new people into the show circuit, it raises our numbers, and the points go up. All of these things are good for our industry.”
Amber Clark – “Leasing has worked out well for us in numerous situations. We had one girl in our barn who was just getting into showing Quarter Horses, and instead of having to make a huge financial obligation, she was able to lease a horse for a year. Then, she actually ended up buying it. When someone is just starting out, it can be overwhelming. People tend to feel like, right when they come in, they have to buy a saddle, a horse, hire a trainer, and so on. We have another girl in our program who’s in college and can’t show right now. But, she doesn’t want to sell her horse because she would like to show later, so she’s leasing her horse out to another youth in our program. The leasing program could be a really good thing for the Quarter Horse industry, like it is in the hunter industry. I’m sure there are a lot of good horses just sitting and doing nothing. It can’t hurt to get them out and let someone show them.”
Darlene Trein – “I’m very much in favor of leasing. It has opened up a whole new world to many who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to own a horse that can compete at a higher level. The leasing program opens up a new avenue for clients and for trainers. I understand it has downsized the sales of horses, but when we lease, the horses stay in our program, so it turns out to be a two-fold luxury for us. It has allowed us to enjoy clients who wouldn’t usually have the opportunity that leasing gives them.”
Kenny Lakins – “I think leasing has kind of hurt our horse sales. I know there are a lot of people who don’t have the money to buy a nice horse, but I just don’t know if leasing is really the right thing to do. I guess it is what it is. Over the last three to four years, I think the sale of horses has been hurt because of leasing.”
Mike Weaver – “As a general rule, leasing is good. It allows new people an introduction to the horse industry without the large expense of having to purchase a horse. But I definitely think people can, and do, abuse this. For example, some people are leasing the best horses, winning everything, and don’t even own the horses. That just doesn’t seem quite fair. There’s both good and bad that comes with leasing.”
Butch Campbell – “I’m all for it. Leasing gives youth and amateurs the opportunity to feel a horse out, get to know the horse, and see if they sync with one another. We have two customers in our barn who have leased horses and both ended up buying the horses because they really got along well. Instead of a new person starting out and buying an expensive horse, leasing gives them a chance to start showing to see if they enjoy it. This is a good way to get new people into the breed association. A lot of horses out there aren’t being used. For instance, maybe the rider has gone to college and they could lease their horse out while they’re gone. This way, the horse can get more experience, and it gives them a job to do until they return from school. There are so many advantages to leasing.”
Travis Duit – “I like the leasing program. It allows someone to lease a horse that they otherwise probably couldn’t afford.”
Top AQHA Non-Pro Exhibitor who wishes to remain anonymous – “I have mixed thoughts on this subject. I think, for some people, it’s a good deal. Say you have personal responsibilities that don’t allow you to show, such as starting a family or a beginning a new job, and you don’t want your horse to sit idle, but you don’t want to sell it either. A lease allows you to keep your horse working and showing under the guidance of your choice. On the other hand, it hurts the market for horses. I think it’s also abused in some cases and it gives some non-pros an opportunity to catch ride, and that can be an unfair advantage.”
Mother of top AQHA youth competitors who wishes to remain anonymous – “I think the rule of allowing youth and amateurs to lease a horse for competition was created to encourage these individuals, who might otherwise be financially unable, to compete in AQHA, APHA, and other breed competitions. I’m very supportive of this rule when it’s utilized for this reason. We all want to grow our membership and encourage exhibitors to experience the opportunity of competing in our circuits.”
Mark Stevens – “It’s a bullet in the brain for these associations. It’s a quick fix for low numbers at the horse shows, but it’s a disaster for the breeder and the horse industry. There’s no place to go with a low-end horse. Why would a family collect up to $10,000 to buy a horse for their daughter to show against other kids who can just borrow a high-end horse to show? People are going to shows and grooming or cleaning stalls in exchange for the right to show expensive horses in novice classes. I feel like it’s the beginning of the end. With all of these rule changes that are being made in a desperate attempt to try and change our industry, we’re failing to ask one important question. Is this change good for our breed and our industry? My answer is no. I totally do not think it’s good for the breed. The whole thing is a very difficult situation.”
