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In today's economic climate, an equine lease has a number of attributes that makes it a desirable means of acquiring a sport horse. The fixed length of possession of the horse means the cost of acquisition is limited to the price of the lease. For the competitor who needs a horse to accomplish a specific goal, the lease horse can be an efficient means of achieving it. For the young rider who is still growing, a horse can be leased of the appropriate size and then returned when outgrown.
Equitation competitions such as the Maclay, ASPCA, and Washington medals require horses with specialized training and temperaments, and are only open to riders until the age of 18. It is not uncommon for a junior rider to reach the skill level required for these medals around the age of 16 and become competitive at 17. This means that for the majority of the junior population, a horse purchased for the purpose of equitation competition is only useful for a period of 2 years. At the completion of that period many horse owners discover that it is much easier to buy then to sell a horse.
Given the high cost of upkeep on sport horses, it can be quite painful financially to support a horse that no longer serves a useful purpose for its owner. It is for all these reasons that leases are becoming increasingly popular.
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