Rehoming

We try to rehome as many of our ponies as possible, and this is done through our Loan scheme. There is a one off loan fee to pay at the start of each loan, and the pony will always remain the property of LERT, but all aspects of the pony's care and keep is down to the loaner. Unfortunatley due to time and staff restrictions, we only have a small rehoming area. Details of this can be found on the Loans page.

Each pony is very carefully matched to a prospective loan home using the information we reicieve on a submitted request form, and using our knowledge of each pony and any special needs they may have. Some are harder to rehome than others, but each is appraised as an individual, not a type, and not all of our ponies will be suitable for every home that applies. We are proud of our reputation for being able to match ponies to homes and have a very proven track record in this area. Some may say we are too fussy, but ultimately, the ponies welfare is our top priority.

We run a "two strikes and they're out" policy, where we will only place each pony into a loan home twice. If the pony comes back a second time (for whatever reason, be it their fault or not) we will not rehome that pony again, as we believe this potential 'pillar to post' thing is not good for the ponies. On that score, the pony would remain in our centre.

The first step in taking on a loan pony from us is to complete and return a request form. We do not consider loans without receiving this. Once that is in and has been approved, we begin assessing suitable ponies. We will then arrange to come out and carry out a Home Check. This is to ensure that the proposed new home is suitable, safe and adequate for the pony. We will then invite you to visit to meet any suitable ponies we have. Once that is done, we will agree a time for the loaner to collect the pony and transport it to it's new home. All transport is the responsibility of the loaner.

Each pony goes out with a Loan Agreement, tailor made especially for the specific pony. They include a trial period, usually 3 months. A copy of our sample, genrealised loan agreement can be requested from the office before a loan is agreed.

Once a pony is placed in a loan home, we run a visits regime throughout the course of the loan. The first visit is one month into the loan. This gives the pony time to settle and get to know the loaner, and the loaner get to know the pony. The next visit is at the end of the trial period and then every 6 months thereafter. We also try to get out to do unannounced visits, as this gives us an idea of how the pony is being kept when we're not expected to turn up!

Again, due to time and staff restriants, we cannot always get out to do visits at exactly the time they are due, but we will always give notice of an arranged visit. And we are always very grateful for updates by e-mail, photographs and phone calls. And throughout the course of a loan from us, we are always available on the phone, should the loaner have any questions or concerns.