A question for Sharers...£££ Sorry Rant...

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Archie07

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Is it just me or has the cost that owners charge to 'share' their horses gone sky high!? I am in no way nieve about how much it cost's to own a horse having had two of my own but since I have been enquirying about finding one to share recently, people seem to want £25 - £40 a week for 2/3 days!!
And this is what really gets me the horses for share have either got an impeeding injury,is in it's elder years so maybe isn't as capable, can't be jumped, hacked only, stabled somewhere with no facilities, and your not allowed to compete it...and yet people think it is fair to charge sharers £30+ for this privelage! I am more than willing to contribute to a horse, but i'd like my money to go towards a horse I can fully enjoy!
Maybe I'm out of touch having had a horse I sharered for 2 years which I paid half shoes towards and that was it for 4 days a week, great hacking, great yard facilities, people, and an owner that completely trusted me and let me enjoy him how and when I wanted too.
Sorry this has just really bugged me as I'm desperate to find a share but at these prices for one's who aren't 100% I dread to think how much it will cost to share something that is 100%!

There are some great shareres out there (me!
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)...Just wondered if anyone else has found this?
 
Hi there,one of my mares is out on loan at the mo but before that i had a great sharer for her, i advertised her on New Rider and got so many phone calls! Anyway i was asking for £25 a wk for as much riding as they wanted,no mucking out,access to private woodland/hacking on a estate, xc jumps,fab manege,no chores just riding in gorge countryside.My mare has no ifs or buts, i only asked for the £25 to cover some of her livery,there was no extra asked for i.e shoeing etc. I had a lovely sharer for a year and she is now one of my best friends.I too have noticed that there are a lot of people asking £40 + a wk which i think is ridiculous,lots of them seem to have wrambloods/'dressage' horses that are kept at expensive yards,i feel that just because you choose to keep your horse at this type of yard why charge someone that in the long run will be helping you out by getting them to pay for so much,i was offering (i think) a good deal for about the right price hence why i had so much interest,my mare is a very fun ride and i've noticed the ones with high price tags per wk usually have 'not novice ride' or 'experienced rider needed to school horse' included in advert which leads me to think the owner wants to get paid for someone to improve their horse! I do agree to some extense what your saying but i have had people say that what i was charging was too much so i'm prob one of those people that you and me are talking about!
 
yes I have found this too! I am nowhere near ready to own my own horse, am totally inexperienced and a complete novice rider wise but i am very keen and willing and I thought sharing might be the way.

I was offered a share in a horse that I couldn't have a lesson on as it wouldn't be able to cope with it or do any schooling. I could have a gentle hack every so often (got the idea that maybe once a week was the very tops!) and they would expect me to help out mucking out etc, which I didn't mind 3-4 times a week and wanted £30 for this.
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From the sound of your mare, and she sounds lovely, I think that is fair what you were asking for. It's the one's who's horses are not 100% and the owner has so many rules and regulations that it almosts takes the fun out of it. I know how precious horses are to their owners as mine were to me, I just don't see how these people think they can charge such amounts for these horses. I would happily pay £25+ a week if the horse were 100%. And as you seem to know, there are some lovely sharers who just want to enjoy the horse without breaking the bank!!
 
i started sharing my mare a month ago as i started studying accountancy two nights a week and needed just a bit more time to myself to do this as well as work full time etc etc

So i wanted a share for 2days a week only, the said sharer does not pay anything on top of my set rate of £15 per week, i buy everything my horse needs, sharer can do hacking, have lessons and do a small amount of jumping if they wish, my mare is more for the pleasure rider than someone who wants to compete due to her age and such like, i worked out how much my mare cost to keep per day and this helped give me what i think is a very fair price of £15 p/w

i do see alot advertised for more, and some i think are charging too much
my mate has just embarked with a sharer as i am leaving our yard soon and i currently do her horse in the morning for her so she wanted help, she has offered 3days a week at £15, which is very very cheap, her main aim though is help her with mornings as she does not drive, its not money, unlike perhaps alot of other sharers, i think that £25p/w for 3 days is fair, this is what i was going to charge
Her horse is younger and she does compete with him, and i think sharer may be able to do some basic stuff
there should be some better priced ones out there for you, you will find one
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When I used to share Ren, I used to pay his owner £80 a month which included everything.
Shoes, Feed, Livery, School.. And I could do anything I wanted with him.

And that was for riding twice in the week and Sat/Sun..

I had quite a good deal, but then again it was my friends horse so she was doing friend rates me thinks!
 
hi my last share started with a fixed fee and no need or request for my help ie stable management and care etc but once we settled into a routine and i (feel i) proved my worth helping out most days, we extended the amount of days a week and it was more about the assistance provided (and the bond with the horse) rather than the money. yes i agree share costs at the moment are ludicrous, i still look (out of habit) even though i have my own horse and think some are extortionate.
 
I thought about sharing my last horse if I hadn't sold him. I would probably have expected the sharer to contribute half of the full livery costs in return for 3 rides a week. This would mean they would have to pay £50 p.w. This is expensive but still cheaper than riding school lessons where we are, and the horse was quality. It's still well less than half the true cost for half the rides, when you factor in shoeing, insurance etc.

If I'd know about sharing before I bought my first horse I'd have given it a go. Even if I'd been paying half the total costs it's still a lot less responsibility and financial commitment than owning your own. A sharer can (if they choose) just give notice any time to quit whereas the owner has to stick with the horse through good and bad times regardless.

I think if you got 4 rides for just half the shoeing before you were very lucky and/or the owner was probably just really keen to have someone exercise their horse.
 
I was so lucky and I have no doubt I will not find a deal like that again! At the moment I just can't afford to get another one so I'd like to share but it's proving dificult to find a good horse with the right deal at the right price!! It's not even as if I am some numpty that can't ride, I've got 16yrs experience and owned 2 of my own, would do all stable chores and school the horse!!...
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I think it depends entirely on the horse and what the sharer is expected to do, as to what they are expected to pay. I posted on here a couple of weeks ago about a lady who was asking me for £35/week for a horse I couldn't really do much with and was quite inexperienced, and the general advice was to save the money instead. I have now found a wonderful share horse and owner (in fact two horses and two owners, and another for my mum to ride!) who actually wanted to pay ME for riding her horse! And she doesn't expect me to do any chores! Although I refused the money (will only take it if I'm expected to cover full days eg. owner on holiday, etc.) and I do the chores (the owners all think I'm wonderful as I'll finish the horses off after riding, and they'll get home from work expecting to have to rush out before dark only to find I've texted to say they're all done
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). There ARE people out there who need help more than money.
I think sharing is a dodgy one though, on the one hand the owner is helping the rider by allowing their horse to be ridden. On the other hand the rider is helping the owner! Who should pay who is a bit difficult, which is why I'm glad no money changes hands between me and my owner so there are no issues to be had.
Keep looking, something will turn up. My advice is to let EVERYONE know you're looking as that was how I found Berlin - I made a passing comment to my other ride's owner that I was looking, she was interested and knew her friend was also looking for a rider, and it all went from there! Word of mouth is definately the best way! I also had a fair few PMs from posting a "help" thread on HHO
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Good luck!
 
I pay £32 a week for 3 rides a week, plus I muck out on the days I ride. It is half of all the costs except one offs such as vets bills. I think it is a fair price tbh - I can do what I like with the horse - hack, lessons, jump, compete etc, and he is nicely schooled.
 
Well we have a pony on loan/share at the moment and we ask for £35 a week. The loaner has seven day a week access and mucks out four times a week. I pay for everything which costs at least double that. I think our sharer has a pretty good deal - she virtually has her own horse but if she can't get down to look after her the girls will do it - and she doesn't have to worry about ordering food, farrier, insurance etc. We are taking her to a show with us next weekend as well.
 
Exactly, that's what bugs me about the money side as I'm more than willing to do all chores, anytime, school, compete, everything, I'd like to be involved not just ride 2/3 days a week which surely benifits the owner as it would be practically part livery and being paid for it! Why on earth would anyone want that eh?!..
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I can't find a sharer
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Ok so he's 17.1hh and 21 but he's still competing Sj up to 2'9 and prelim/novice dressage!!
superb hack and a sweetie to boot. Happy for you to compete 5 mins hack from sands farm!! Suitable for a novice but enough for a more experienced rider.
Am asking £150 per calendar month for 4 days (tue/fri/sat and sun) No mucking out (unless wanted)
Am i asking too much? this is half of costs.
 
I think the price really depends on the horse and what the sharer is allowed to do with the horse. It depends as from all the horses I've enquired about the owners seem to be in for the money, where as horses I've shared before the owners are happy for a small contrbution and are in it for the horses benifit... and the latter is which i prefer as I want to get involved, do ALL stable chores, be there for the dentist/vet/farrier if needs be, holiday cover etc so in some respects the owners are getting a better deal than the sharers!! And the whole point in sharing is I can't afford another one at the mo so am not expecting to pay an arm and a leg to share one either
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I am looking at the moment, and it makes me laugh when I see £35/week prices. I'm not saying that's unreasonable for the right horse- far from it, but that would go a long way towards paying DIY livery if I bought my own. I'm coming out of an amazing share arrangement due to moving, and I'm worried about what I'll be able to find now.
 
Having looked, I thought it was madness, 30 quid a week mostly for youngsters that didn't jump yet, could only do light work, experienced riders only(which they would normally pay to ride their horse.s...) or horses coming back from injury. There was one who didn't even have any tack or access to it!Bonkers!
 
In the days when I was a sharer I didn't pay anything - but I had to bring the grass-kept-mud-monster in and groom him and clean the tack after riding, so there was a penalty
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The days when I could ride and what the owner allowed me to do were pretty restricted too. Which is why I didn't pay - she wanted to have full say in what happened to him. So fair enough. I learned loads (newbie to horses back then) and she and I are still friends.

I guess it depends what your bills are and what freedom you are prepared to allow a sharer as to what is fair. If they have access to good facilities, can ride regularly, decied what they do, compete - then maybe it is a pretty good deal
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I started out part loaning my mare and it was costing me £30 a week as well as half for shoes on top, now that the girl who was also part loaning her has given up riding I still pay £30 but full price for shoes, yet I now have the mare every single day and she is practically my own to do as I please!!
 
My share horse was supposed to cost me £30 per week. However, the owner realised there were significant benefits for her if I shared the horse and waived the cost.
It really depends if the owner is sharing because they need the money or the help. If its the help then fiding an owner that sees you as a real benefit can be very cost effective
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i was offered a horse for 15 week
it was really unschooled, stiff and acted quite nasty about its feed.
i could only have it one night a week, i said i would want it 3 days for 15(i was basically paying to school her horse!!!)
she offered me two nights only after 6pm and i would have to muck out!!!
she was splitting the days- weekdays before and after 6 and weekends before and after 12!!!SO ONE person would have him one half of everyday!!!!!!and pay £15.
lol.
 
Blimey! I was well & truly ripped off! I paid £175 pcm, paid for shoes, paid for feed/hay/extras, paid for the back person to come out every 3 months (though 1st time she came twice in a month) and I ended up paying for 1/2 his vets bill! When he bolted I bought new tack that was broken.

I was new to horses and really wanted to learn so I guess it made me a bit of a mug. It makes me feel ill when I think how much money I gave her. Especially now I have my own and I know how much it actually costs! After I left, she had 4 sharers for him so his livery and extras were well paid for & I imagine she made a profit on it! Grr!

ETS He was a nice horse BTW, but not spectacular - he didn't/wouldn't jump and could be really naughty. I could take him out, but only with her and he had a very annoying broncing problem...
 
I share my horse. I am the owner.

Sharer pays 40-45% of everything bar vets fees and buying of equipment/insurance etc.
She has him 3/4 days a week - alternating so we each get a half month. She can compete, she can have lessons with whomever she wants. Only restriction is on affiliation as I do not feel ready for that and so do not want him to do it until we are both ready.
The yard has 2 outdoor and 1 indoor schools. For this she pays £40 a week. I did have him at a basic yard with just 1 outdoor school and a jumping field, but that meant that in winter you hardly rode and just mucked out so this is a fairer deal as she can ride whenever she wants!
I do not feel that this is a lot to be honest as lessons themselves up here are around the £20 mark.

I personally do not feel that this is a lot, considering that I pay almost £400 a month for livery, feed, etc etc. I do appreciate having someone to share him, but she is not a helper, she has MY horse for her days - I do not interfere! Even if I am up when she is up I may say hello and then I leave them to it - so he really is HER horse for her days.
 
That's fair enough, especially as you let her get on with it and your horse is 100%...I'd definately pay for that situation
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! It's just since I've been looking every horse I've enquired about hasn't been 100% and worse with so many stipulations, and the owners still want £30+ a week for something completely not worth the money!! I just think some owners are sheerly in it for the money regardless which really bugs me!

Where are all the good horses with lovely owners just wanting to benifit their horses??
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I have an 'unofficial' share on my horse (I guess). A young girl mucks out, feeds and exercises my horse once a week on a day when I can't cos I work late teaching at the yard. She also competes her sometimes and if I go on holiday she looks after her.

I don't charge anything for this - wouldn't dream of it. She is helping me out.
 
I'm going to try a horse on friday and cant wait, I'm happy to pay as long as it helps out with the horses cost of living and its not a way of 'charging' me to ride. I refuse to pay more than £30 a week though because as I see it, I'll be helping them out.
 
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