Lease Policies

1) Full leasing:  Flying High Stables does not full-lease its horses.

2) Partial leasing: FHS offers only 1/4 and 1/2 leases.  In order to partial lease a horse at FHS, you must be part of our lesson program.

• 1/4 lease is effectively 2 one-hour practice rides per week on top of the lesson the rider is taking.  The lessee is not responsible for any other expenses in any way.  Shoes, vet, supplements, everything is covered by FHS.
• 1/2 lease is 4 one-hour practice rides per week on top of the lesson the rider is taking.  Same terms as a 1/4 lease.

3) "Rules":

• Within reason, lessees will have "first dibs" on taking their leased-horse to shows.  If a rider has taken a horse to shows all season long, I may step in and ask them to let someone else take him to a show, but I have not yet seen any need to step in.
• Since our horses "work for a living", lessons take precedence over lease rides.  This is generally not a problem, because our horses' workloads are very well spread out.  Those horses that are exceptionally busy in the lesson program, I won't allow to be leased - both because the horse deserves to have some rest, and because it introduces conflict where we don't need any. 
• It is wise to schedule your rides with me each week so you don't come to the barn and find your horse in a lesson.  We do have a firm lesson schedule.  Even though it changes with the sports and school seasons, it is pretty easy to fall into a rhythm.  If it has become clear that your horse is not ridden at the time(s) you schedule, it is not necessary to continue to schedule that time with me - but be aware that it could happen that the schedule changes and your horse will be in use when you come.
• Under-age lease riders must ride with a knowing, responsible adult supervisor.  "Knowing adult" means that the rider cannot assume that just because I am (or another adult is) on the property, I am taking responsibility for them.  There have been several times when someone arrived at the barn when I was about to leave and I needed to stay, or they couldn't ride - or they rode with me on the property, but without me knowing they'd even arrived.  I am generally happy to be the supervising adult, but I need to know what's going on, and I sometimes need some warning.  Similar to scheduling against lesson-conflicts - if a rhythm evolves where I am always on the property and available at the time you plan to ride, then we don't need to schedule it every time, but be sure to let me know you are on the property and plan to ride; and be aware that things happen and it might be that I am unavailable for some reason.
• Of-age lease riders are strongly encouraged to have someone on the property with them to handle emergencies or accidents.
• Leases run by the calendar month and the lease-rides cannot be accumulated.  This means leases are due on the first of every month and they run from the first to the first.  For example, 1/4 lease rides are two per week, and if you miss one or two in a week, they cannot be made up the following week.
• Lease riding the horses must always be done on the flat and on the property.  Under some special case-by-case circumstances I may permit jumping, but it will likely only be when I am (or one of my licensed instructors is) directly supervising.  It is unlikely that I will permit a horse to be taken off the property.  The liabilities are too big and too varied.  In any case, if you want to do anything other than ride on the flat or on the property, you must get permission from me - every time.
• Record keeping – it is state law that I keep track of all the activity of the school horses.  There is a clipboard on the wall around the corner from the telephone.  Each time you ride; please write the date, time, your name and your horse's name on the clipboard.  I will transcribe these sheets to my book for the records.  If there is no clipboard for some reason, please write this information on the white-board.
• Tack and other equipment should never be changed without specific permission from me. This includes (but may not be limited to) saddles, bits, whips, spurs, draw-reins, side-reins, neck-stretchers, etc.

September 23, 2008