Buying or Leasing?...

I have a friend that is looking to get a horse sometime but her family has to save up before they start looking for one.  I suggested we could get a green horse, I could train it up for her and she could help since that may create a stronger bond between the two.  I also suggested leasing out a horse if that would be a little cheaper.  But the thing is, I've never actually leased out a horse myself---I've only ever owned my own.

So for the people that have both leased out and owned their horse... which is cheaper?  Buying your own horse or leasing out a horse?

Your profile says you're in middle school. I'm assuming your friend is of similar age. I suggest leasing.

While the summer is coming up and you have a lot of free time, you can obviously spend that time training a green horse. But what about when school rolls around? Does your friend have the time and ability to keep up with a green horse? Will either of you be able to make it out to the stable and spend a couple of hours every day to keep the training up? What other school activities are you two a part of? Will she be a part of a sports team, or in a drama production, or whatever? Yeah, you could help train it up, but in the end, it's her horse. Her time and her availability are more important when considering purchasing a green horse.

Owning a horse is a long-term commitment. You said you've only ever owned. I'm assuming your parents are also horsey people (one or both) or you have an older sibling who rides. And you haven't actually owned the horse, your parents have. Your parents have paid the vet, the farrier, for feed and hay, tack, lessons, training equipment, etc. possibly board too. There's a lot more to owning a horse than... owning a horse. The average cost of shoeing a horse is $65-150. It can be higher if the horse needs four shoes with pads. One of my sister's horse's costs over $200 every six weeks for four shoes with pads and filler. Then there's vet. The average cost of a checkup is over $300. Then there are shots. With buying a green horse, you don't know what you're getting. Will your horse need a chiropractor to be comfortable? That's expensive. What if it steps on a nail? What if a leg gets caught in a fence? Bills add up and they add up fast. Horses are very expensive luxury items and buying one is not something that should be taken lightly without significant budget consideration.

Whereas leasing, all you're doing is paying for the time. The owner covers board, vet, farrier. The only time a leaser may be in charge of vet bills is if something happens while they're riding. Then the rider is often seen at fault. Plus, the lease can be terminated easily without the horse's quality of life coming into play. If your friend gets busy and sells the horse, you can't guarantee where it's going. But if she's busy and ends her lease, the horse will still have a happy home and may be available when she has more time.

You're young. I'm assuming your friend is young. Leasing is the best option at this point in her life. (Unless she's vying for the Olympics in the next couple of years)

Plus, you two can spend your summer enjoying your time on horseback, rather than struggling over a tarp or getting the correct leads.

Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but I'm just trying to be as blunt and realistic as possible.

I concur with everything Box said. Also, I never recommend anyone buying a green horse unless they are working with a professional trainer. The old saying "green on green = black and blue" still rings true. 

Leasing would definitely seem to be the best option in this scenario. Then she can have a horse that is already broke and safe and enjoyable to ride and be around. Not one that is constant work that may cause her to lose interest and enjoyment.

@box, I know where you're trying to go with that.  But our horses aren't taken off property hardly any, so we don't have the vet come by for checkups regularly and we also only shoe our horses in the summer and they aren't worked as much in the winter.  Another convenient thing for both me and my friend is that we both live on farms (near each other---we're neighbors) with tons of our own land for trails, including barns, corrals, etc.  Since I'm one of the only ones that works and rides horses in my family any more, I've already been given the go-ahead to give my friend tack that would fit her future horse so she wouldn't have to dig into any personal funds for equipment.

Neither of us play any other sports and aren't included in any other clubs except the fact that I'm in GT (Gifted & Talented) for Visual Art and we're both in Middle School Junior Beta Club.  But I'm going on to high school next year, so we won't have the same relevant schedules for school.  Right now, I'm working with my friend to help her advance and progress in her own riding since she's still a fairly beginner rider but I know her well and she has a real passion for the sport, so it'll be easy to keep her interested.

@Havok, I have the experience for training a green horse because I've done it several times before.  I have been looking around for easy going, beginner-safe trail horses, but those types of horses are really hard to find right now for a reasonable price and under budget.  That's why I suggested leasing or getting a green horse since it seemed like it would be cheaper instead of paying over budget for a horse that we could've trained.

But thanks, everyone, for giving me the advice.  I'll let her know and hopefully we can find a good horse for lease for her.  :)