Asked to loan my horse, need help with contract

No.....you are hesitant because it does not feel right. Go with your gut.

Personally I would want to be very sure of the type of rider my cousin is. Your boy is young and impressionable, you sound like a careflull and considerate rider, are you 100% sure your cousin is the same? I'm don't know your cousin so please no harm intended, but like you said yourself, you don't want to get back a totally different horse at the end of three months. If say for instance your cousin doesn't mind if the horse moves a little while he's mounting, you might find yourself with bad habit(s) to undo. That would be the exact opposite of what you want. Maybe if you can take your boy out to the farm for say a weekend and let your cousin ride him in front of you so you can see how he rides and if they get along. Or like the OP suggested maybe a month trail period? See how it goes. One hears so many horror stories of people who lent their horses to somebody - be they friend or family- and got t totally different dog back.

If you are hesitant for your gut. I couldn't lend a horse out.

[QUOTE=mimimama5;1327851]Thank you all for your helpful advice. Im hesitant to lend Thumper out, I really am. [/ QUOTE]


If you're at all hesitant just say NO. And keep repeating it until he understands you mean it.

I agree. You seem hesitant about the whole thing.

Go with your gut. It just might not be the ideal situation right now.

Never do business with family, Arew you going to sue him if the horse comes home lame ? Probably not. Always a recipe for disaster and hurt feelings.
Absolutely nothing good can come of this.
The only way I would consider this is to sell him the horse for fair market value. With a buy back first right of refusal for the same amount. If horse is lame or injured or dead, its his problem. You at least have money to shop for another. If horse is perfectly fine at the end of the 3 months, you get your horse back he gets his money back. No horsey changing hands till the money changes hands.

Horses that are checking cattle are mostly ridden at a walk. No one wants to get the cattle excited and have them run off precious weight. Cattle work is good for horses, it takes the stupid out of them. It could be a win/win situation or a complete disaster, not for the horse, but family if something goes amiss. If you are reluctant to let your horse go then be upfront about it with your cousin. Equate it to watching your firstborn head off for school for the first time - you want to follow the child to keep it safe.