Sport horse leasing: key legal and practical considerations for owners and riders

The use of sport horses in professional and competitive equestrian sport increasingly involves arrangements that fall short of an outright transfer of ownership. Among these, leasing offers a flexible means of allocating the use, costs and responsibilities associated with a competition horse without necessarily transferring title.

In essence, a lease is a contractual arrangement under which the owner (the lessor) grants another person (the lessee), typically a rider, the right to use and possess the horse for an agreed period and purpose, subject to mutually agreed terms regarding payment, maintenance costs and responsibilities , while ownership remains with the lessor. For example, the owner of a promising young show jumper who lacks the time or expertise to produce the horse may lease it to a professional rider for two seasons: the rider covers the livery, training and competition costs and gains a horse to compete on, while the owner retains title and benefits from any increase in the horse’s value as its competition record develops.

This article considers selected legal and practical issues arising from the leasing of horses for use in sport. The article takes a practical approach, identifying the key issues that owners and riders should resolve before the lease begins.

Article overview

• What owners and riders generally need to consider before entering into a lease?
• Who bears liability, and for what?
• How does a lease affect the horse’s FEI sporting status?
• What law governs an international lease, and where can disputes be heard?
• Key takeaway points