A sharer or paying out for a pro...

Ambers Echo

Ambers Echo

Still wittering on
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So the timing of this has been awful: We bought Deedee a few months ago. At that time Izzy's arm was a bit sore from where she broke it but a practice nurse told us break sites often hurt when kids are growing so we did not think much of it. She rode for a month or so and Deedee was great but then started bucking and we identified ulcers. So that led to 6 weeks off during which Izzy's arm went from a bit sore sometimes to very sore all the time. The bones are growing apart as the ligament between the 2 forearm bones has been detached and she is on the list for surgery. She can no longer ride apart from the odd hack out. The waiting list is 9 months!! Though they are trying to slot her in sooner than that. Then it is 4 months rehab minimum. So her horse has no rider for about a year!! Arrgggghhhh.

Deedee has been given the all clear and is back in work and she really needs work! She is not getting much turn out, she obviously feels very well and she is fizzy and fresh. Amber is in full work and I can't keep on top of both of them.

So I have advertised for a sharer to ride a couple of times a week. She is a young horse and needs an experienced rider but she is lovely and very nice to ride. But so far the only people to contact me have either never had their own horse so are not experienced enough or start off saying how interested they are in a share and then end up saying they will offer a 'discount' for 'producing' my horse. I am already paying someone to hack her out once a week - I was not really wanting to pay for her to be ridden 3 times. Am I being unrealistic in thinking someone would want the chance to ride a horse like her for free? I am not expecting any jobs (she is on full livery) or a financial contribution - it's the time I don't have! Surely there are good amateurs out there who are horseless for whatever reason and would like to ride a quality young mare?

Someone is viewing her tomorrow and I have said I am not wanting to pay anyone which she has said is fine but then has said to a friend she is going to 'bring her on' for me and 'help me out' which is beginning to sound like she is also edging towards wanting payment. Or views it as her doing me a favour. Whereas I think the ideal share is when both parties feel like they are being helped by the other and it is an entirely mutually beneficial arrangement.

If I am patient is the right person likely to come along, or should I accept I am going to need to pay?
 
Sorry I can't remember how old DeeDee is but I think she's quite young?It's a really tricky situation isn't it? I've had older established horses that I've had other people ride for me but with younger horses I've always been prepared to pay for help in riding because I have wanted them "brought on" correctly and I wouldn't expect someone to do that for nothing. A nice young horse, brought on correctly, increases in value and will be nicer for Izzy to ride when she is able. I really sympathise. You might be lucky to find someone with the right experience but I don't think they are that easy to find. Others might give you more options but I'd be inclined to keep her in light work, just ticking over, or turn her away then when Izzy is within sight of being able to ride again, bring in a good pro to school her on. Difficult decision because I don't know the horse.
 
To be perfectly honest, I think I would sell her if I were in your position. You are unlikely to keep up her education through a sharer. You may have better luck finding a decent rider who wants to loan whilst their horse is injured or similar- I've had nice young horses on loan in the past and it has worked well both ways.
 
Oldie she is 6 so yes I do want someone who won't ruin her. But Izzy and I are along way off expert (!) and we ride her... so she needs someone basically competent to replace us! She would not be beinf professionally priduced anyway if she was being ridden by Izzy. A keen amatuer willing to have regular lessons etc would be fine.

TheMule, I would consider a loan and there are good people interested in moving her to their yards but I a worry about moving her after she struggled to settle at my old yard. Though she did not struggle to settle at the new one so it seems likely that the problem was the environment not the move itself? I do think selling is probably the better option in these circumstances but she is Izzy's horse so it feels a very difficult thing to do to a child. She is still committed to Deedee - grooms her, fusses over her etc.
 
Tough one, I'm sorry to hear about Izzys arm and the ridiculous waiting times for a child!! Any way that you can go private to speed things up a bit?

I would have a chat with the person who is coming to try deedee tomorrow and reiterate that you do not wish to be paying anyone and neither would you want the right person to pay you either but that you hope to find a mutually beneficial agreement. Hopefully they suit each other :)
 
Wheels said:
Tough one, I'm sorry to hear about Izzys arm and the ridiculous waiting times for a child!! Any way that you can go private to speed things up a bit?

I would have a chat with the person who is coming to try deedee tomorrow and reiterate that you do not wish to be paying anyone and neither would you want the right person to pay you either but that you hope to find a mutually beneficial agreement. Hopefully they suit each other :)
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Agree with this.
The other thing I'd do if you havent already, is put the word out via your instructors. I think having found a nice horse that izzy likes it would be a real shame to sell especially if theres a chance she'll get the op sooner.
You may find someone by word of mouth who would like a/nother ride for the season, that could add some mileage to Deedee but without you being way out of pocket. It's the sort of thing I'd have leapt at 10 years ago for instance. Not a pro but a competent and committed amateur, could be ideal.
 
Finding the right person, especially at this time of year, will be difficult. I would be extremely picky about who I’d allow to ride my 6 year old and it would probably have to be someone I knew personally or was recommended by someone I trusted. At least if you are paying someone to ride her you can call the shots on what they do with her. It wouldn’t bother me so much with an older more established horse, but loaning or getting a sharer is a huge risk with a youngster. My advice would be to keep them ticking over by riding each horse every other day yourself or turn Deedee away and hope Izzy gets to the top of the list sooner than expected ??
 
Really difficult situation, and I do think the person you are looking for is out there, but unfortunately they are few and far between. In general the enthusiastic amateur who would love to ride your nice horse for free probably wouldnt ride her well enough, and the more experienced, competent rider will probably want paying. You have to put yourself in their position too, say they have the chance of riding your lovely horse for a year, they have the pleasure, but its also potentially challenging, time consuming etc, after a year the horse has improved significantly, and then they are told thanks, but bye now, you get a more experienced, more educated horse back, and what do they get?
 
I would find out how much it would be to have Izzy's op done privately. It may well be cheaper than having someone exercise DeeDee and would be worth it in the long run for both daughter and horse. Or could Izzy's sister ride her?
 
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Thanks everyone. Plenty to think about. I have the person tomorrow, and another 2 possibles. One may not be experienced enough. The other probably will want paying. But we will see. I think a solution will just present itself one way or another so I will just wait and see what happens and ride them both as often as possible myself. I will also ask about private costs for the op. Apart from anything else she is in pain all the time and it's not fair to make her cope with that for months on end.
 
Yes there are people, I do it for one! Have just started training shoulder in to the rising five welsh pony I ride. And before that I rode anything that my old yard owner brought in to sell, some were just hopeless and some were gems, didn’t matter to me as I just wanted hours in the saddle. Another slightly older girl did too, took one out eventing a few times as well.
Your best best is probably an older competitive teenager or young adult who just wants a wider range of horses to ride.
I’m honestly surprised you haven’t found anyone suitable, I know plenty of good riders who would jump at the chance and probably expect stable duties as a bare minimum. Different parts of the country I suppose, I hope you find someone decent
 
Maybe have a chat with the YO at good local riding stables near to you. Ask if there’s any mature teens there that have been riding there for years and would be good enough to exercise your pony?

Id’ve jumped at the chance when age 16-18 after yrs of riding and progressing well, to school a pony for free!
 
Someone is viewing her tomorrow and I have said I am not wanting to pay anyone which she has said is fine but then has said to a friend she is going to 'bring her on' for me and 'help me out' which is beginning to sound like she is also edging towards wanting payment. Or views it as her doing me a favour. Whereas I think the ideal share is when both parties feel like they are being helped by the other and it is an entirely mutually beneficial arrangement.

I think you are reading between the lines and coming up with your own interpretation, she has not asked for payment, she knows you are not prepared to pay, she will be 'bringing her on for you' or for Izzie, she will be helping you out because once Izzie is back in the saddle you will probably no longer want her to ride which is not a usual share arrangement , if she is capable and gets on well with DeeDee then give her a chance to prove herself because if she is good enough to do a decent job she will be doing you a favour in reality, as you are finding out it is not that easy finding a committed competent rider with free time available.
 
It can work. There is a lovely lady who used to be in the yard that ride and evented robin. She had had her own horse out novice eventing who she sold when she had her first child. She then bought another horse when child went to school. Promptly got pregnant again and sold that horse. Her youngest was about 18 months when I was looking for someone to ride robin. She didn’t have the time or the money for her own. She rode 3 times a week then started taking him to lessons then competing then be. She is a great experienced rider and he was perfect for him and they did really well. However she then hurt her shoulder, tried to battle through but had to give up riding.

I then tried other people. Had a couple of inexperienced people try him who wouldn’t manage him. Then had 2 people each for a short time who didn’t get on with him. At that point I decided to forget trying to get someone to ride him. I’m enjoying riding him a lot but don’t and won’t ever jump. However first person messaged me yesterday asking how he was and up shot is when spring finally comes she will start riding him again. Perfect! So the right people are out there.
 
To add. I do all chores and she dosnt pay me or me pay her. I took him to shows and paid the diesel and she paid entries.
 
Hope the person works out for you, but you say the horse is on full livery my understanding of full livery is that it includes ridden work as needed ie for someone who works full time and can only ride at weekends.
 
She’s brilliant. He is ridden by someone much more accomplished than me. She really gets him and his likes and she is experienced eventing but stayed at 80 until it was boringly easy before moving to 90. I really should be paying her to ride him and she is doing me a favour but she sees it as me doing her the favour as she gets a nice horse to ride without all the extras that come with your own.
 
hobo said:
Hope the person works out for you, but you say the horse is on full livery my understanding of full livery is that it includes ridden work as needed ie for someone who works full time and can only ride at weekends.
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Full livery round here is the horse fully cared for but WITHOUT being ridden.
 
I put mine in holiday/schooling livery when I go away so horse stay's in work I always thought it was called full livery. Working livery I always thought was at a riding school they use your horse and you get a discount, I guess it means different things in different places.
Kamikaze your person sounds great.
 
Just a thought, if Izzy does get her op done sooner whether because she gets bumped up the NHS queue or because she goes private, she may be back in action much sooner than currently feared (yay!). If the person riding is hoping to put the work in now to be able to do the summer season on Deedee, then this is relevant, so they need to know.
 
The full livery package she is on is stable chores, bring in, turn out, feeds and poo picking. There is no horse walker and my yo does not ride.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Just a thought, if Izzy does get her op done sooner whether because she gets bumped up the NHS queue or because she goes private, she may be back in action much sooner than currently feared (yay!). If the person riding is hoping to put the work in now to be able to do the summer season on Deedee, then this is relevant, so they need to know.
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I am being totally upfront with everyone. And in any case if Izzy starts riding sooner than expected I can stop riding instead of the sharer. I have said they sharer can have use of her for a full season - ie to October.
 
I ride in a very similar arrangement to Kamikaze's - my owner drives us places, I pay entries/lesson costs etc. Been doing since October and it's working out really well, we discuss any issues and how to tackle them, she's happy to take on my opinion with stuff, but I know decisions ultimately lie with her. I do jobs when I'm there but generally she will have been in the morning and mucked out so I put beds down or vice versa, I don't have to she was happy for me to just turn up and ride but I'm there anyway so it's only 10 minutes to do up for the night or whatever.
Just a case of finding the right person for you; hopefully your lady today will work out well
 
OK well this is very promising.... She was lovely and she rode her beautifully. She used to work on a breaking/schooling yard and used to event. She is a far better rider than I am. When I heard about her experience I thought she is bound to want paying! (I've had a few conversations that end up there....) but there won't be any money changing hands. Her situation is that she has an eventer who was retired unexpectedly through a field injury and has then had a baby so not in a position to have her own for now. But does want to get back into riding. And eventing. She has gone away to think about it. I hope this works out. Though she is planning to buy her own in Spring so this will be a short term arrangement. But buys me time at least and Deedee will benefit. Win, win, win......
 
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