Navigating the World of Horse Lease Agreements
At its core, a horse lease agreement is a contract between the horse owner (lessor) and the lessee. The agreement should include all of the agreed upon terms of the horse lease , and each party should be careful to consider exactly what they want the terms of their relationship with the lease horse to be and whether they are truly in agreement with one another before signing and dating the contract.
There are many terms to consider for leases that create the appropriate restrictions and protections to outline the owner’s and lessee’s relationship so the expectations of both parties are known and limited from any private disputes arising from any different expectations.
A failure to abide by the terms of a lease that are not in full agreement by both parties can create a variety of legal and financial issues for both the horse owner and the lessee. Sometimes a breach of lease terms harming a horse will lead to an action for damages and lessors should be careful in managing their horse for the duration of the lease with those protections as their priority as well.
Advantages of a Printable Horse Lease Agreement
A printable horse lease agreement offers several advantages that can streamline the leasing process for both the horse owner and the lessee. One of the primary benefits is convenience. Instead of having to visit an attorney’s office or print out a physical copy from a computer, you can quickly and easily access a printable lease agreement from any compatible device. Just open the document, fill in the required information, and print out a copy for both parties to sign.
Accessibility is another key benefit of a printable lease agreement. Unlike traditional paper contracts, which can be easily lost or misplaced, a printable horse lease agreement can be stored digitally and accessed at any time. This makes it easy to share the lease with additional parties, such as trainers or veterinarians, who may need access to the information contained within the document.
Finally, a printable horse lease agreement simplifies the leasing process as a whole. By using a pre-written agreement, you won’t have to worry about drafting the leasing terms yourself or interpreting complicated legal jargon. You can simply fill in the blanks and sign the contract, confident that it clearly outlines the responsibilities and expectations for both parties involved.
Core Elements of a Horse Lease Agreement
A horse lease agreement isn’t just a paper trail. Still, it’s a important to spell out each party’s expectations and to lay out the terms and conditions of the lease in writing, so there’s no confusion later on. What should you be sure to include in your lease agreement?
Terms of lease — How long will the lease last? When will the lease start (this is especially important if the lease is starting at some point other than when it’s signed) and when will it end? Will you have the right to renew it?
Financial obligations — What will the costs of the lease be, including board, vet care, farrier and other expenses? How will expenses be divided? For example, you might want to plan for someone to cover all of the horse’s expenses up front each month, and then divide those expenses proportionately based on time spent with care of the horse. If one person ends up covering more than the agreed share, how will they be compensated as time goes on?
Maintenance — Where will the horse be kept? Will this be a permanent situation or will the horse, or parts of its care, move around? For example, the horse might be stabled at the owner’s property but be boarded at a different barn for part of the year. Who is responsible for maintenance, supplies, etc.
Termination — How can you terminate the agreement? Is there a minimum amount of notice required? For example, you may need to give each other 30 days’ notice before leaving or terminating a lease.
There’s no shortage of items you’ll want to include — a horse lease agreement can be a lengthy document, and it can cover many of the same aspects of care and ownership you’d include in a general bill of sale. It’s also a good idea to seek a legal review of your lease.
Tailoring Your Horse Lease Agreement
Customizing your printable horse lease agreement is a vital step in ensuring that the contract addresses the specific needs of the parties involved. The default templates offer a good starting point, but adding personalized details can eliminate ambiguities and ensure the agreement fully covers the unique circumstances of your situation.
For example, if your horse is prone to certain problems or has special feeding instructions, it’s crucial to specify these needs in the contract. Any pertinent information such as the horse’s dietary requirements, exercise schedule, health monitoring needs, or anything else that deserves attention should be clearly stated and agreed upon by both parties.
Multiple Horses: If more than one horse is being leased, the parties may need to separately list the extended details for each horse, or list the horses as separate entities under one agreement and customize the terms for each.
Specific Schedule: Clearly outline a daily schedule for the horse’s care, along with the details of who is responsible for what on each day. Make sure you and the other party are on the same page when it comes to who will be doing which tasks.
Suspension: If there are circumstances under which the horse lease agreement may be suspended for any reason (such as bad weather or illness), explain that in detail. Will the lease terminate? Or will it just be suspended?
Care and Exercise: Will care and exercise be scheduled in advance, or can you drop in whenever you like? At what times during the day can the horse be exercised?
Boarding Facilities: If the horse will be boarded at a boarding facility instead of your property, outline the additional costs that will be charged for the board and how these charges will be split or paid between the parties involved.
Customization not only helps in preemptively addressing potential issues, but will also make it easier to enforce the lease agreement moving forward. Having all of your wants and needs anticipated in writing minimizes the room for misinterpretation. No matter how much you trust the other party, it’s never a good idea to assume that they will follow the agreement exactly as is, so spell it out and agree from the outset.
Legal Implications and Obligations
When it comes to binding agreements, the lexicon of the horse world can be misleading. Horse leases can take many forms and can vary in complexity and content. Horse lease agreements should always not only serve the leasing parties’ interests, but should also comply with specific requirements of local law and regulations. A well-drafted horse lease agreement should take into account these legal requirements and advise the lessor and lessee in advance of the period of leasing:
Boarding and Licensing Issues: Your area may require boarding facilities and quarters to be licensed or registered. This includes inspecting for general health issues. While the horse may belong to someone else, a local board may choose to enforce local licensing laws against the person engaging in the activity of boarding.
Employment Issues: If the facility that rents stalls to and provides care for the leased horse and lessee staff is comprised, in whole or in part, by workers who are paid , you should know whether the workers are independent contractors or employees. Consider whether the contract is for services or work to be done, how the care will be done, the impact on the care horses, compensation and how workers will be supervised. If there is a dispute over whether the worker was an employee or an independent contractor, the answer may have more to do with the relationship between the worker and the facility than between the worker and the horse owner who instructs the worker.
Insurance: The horse owner should protect his or her own interests by having insurance covering loss, theft, injury or illness of a leased horse. The lessor should require proof of such insurance from the lessee, and the lessee should clearly state in writing the terms and conditions of her or her own insurance in the horse lease agreement.
Negotiations: Some states have specific legal requirements as to transparent negotiations regarding terms, conditions or price. It is always advisable for both parties to sign off on any policy contained in an employee handbook or other policies manual.
Locating Printable Horse Lease Agreement Templates
When it comes to finding a high-quality, customizable printable horse lease agreement, there are several online resources worth considering. One popular option is the American Horse Council Association (AHC), which provides sample lease agreements for both private and commercial leases on its website. These templates are a great starting point, as they cover all major aspects required for a basic agreement, and can be downloaded for free.
Another useful source for lease agreement templates is Equine Legal Solutions. This organization offers an array of horse-related legal resources, and their website features downloadable templates for several types of horse lease agreements. Each template is clearly laid out and contains all the necessary legal language to create a comprehensive agreement. Additionally, Equine Legal Solutions allows you to tailor each template to fit your specific needs, providing you with a truly customizable document.
Finally, Thehorse.com, a popular online resource for horse enthusiasts, provides a general horse lease agreement template that can serve as the foundation for your final contract. The editable Word document features essential terms such as the names and contact information for both parties, the description of the horse, and the duration of the lease. From there, you can modify and add terms that align with your specific situation.
In conclusion, there are several online resources available for finding printable lease agreements. However, it’s essential to review all terms to ensure they are appropriate for your situation, and to consult a professional if needed.
Completing and Signing the Lease
A horse lease agreement generally will not be legally enforceable until it is signed by both the lessor (the person leasing the horse, here, the "lessee") and the lessee (the person leasing a horse, here, the "lessor"). Therefore, the "Signature Page" needs to be printed out and signed after you have finalized all the terms in the agreement. You have some options for how to finalize a horse lease.
The simplest option is to print out a few copies of the horse lease, and then just sign each one. Give one to the lessor, take one with you, and keep the other as a back-up. There are also online services that can facilitate signing a contract over the internet.
You may want to put the final lease agreement into a binder, folder, or document organizer. Make sure each page of the agreement is present and that it is properly organized (i.e., Agreement/Glossary/Rider/Annexes) and free of stray marks. Write the name of the horse, names of both parties, date, and word "Lease" in the spaces provided on the signature page. Make sure any riders and annexes are correctly inserted before placing in the binder. You should write "Lease" on the spine of the binder too.
It is very important that you keep a copy of your horse lease agreement for your own records. You may find it beneficial to write an email to yourself that simply states that the horse lease agreement has been executed. In the email you may want to reference the names of the parties , the name of the horse, and the date of the lease. Be sure to attach a copy of the agreement to the email. Some email services have a feature that allows you to "star" or "flag" an email, which designates it as important, and are thus more easily found later.
If a dispute about your lease arises, you are going to want to be able to quickly refer to the lease. Therefore, be sure to maintain your file of all documents and email communication regarding your lease so that it is easily retrievable. If you do not already have a folder or binder dedicated to your lease agreement or leased horse, consider getting one. You should keep all leases and other details regarding the leased horse in one place. Having a binder for this purpose may be beneficial.
If your horse is a Minor’s Horse, there must be a separate minor’s signature form, along with the signature page and agreement. This form allows the minor to sign the horse lease agreement and is legally separate from the agreement. You will want to keep this form with your horse lease agreements, possibly in the same binder.
When you have finalized and executed a horse lease agreement, it is the best course of action for both the lessor and lessee to read it in its entirety, review for errors, and keep a copy for their records.