Advice on a ‘Sharer’

[Spangles]

Is a hacking only share an attractive option ?
I have a pretty 14.2hh mare but she comes with a few issues which means she’s a very happy & willing hacking pony but does not tolerate schooling/ surface work anymore.
She’s 15 & very good to hack, forward and safe - lovely hacking too.
I would need for someone to ride correctly & not sit like a sack of spuds round the lanes & fields.
Pony is on full livery (not to move) so no chores other than grooming & bit of tack cleaning.
I would also looking for a financial contribution so advice on ‘how much’ would be appreciated.
Located in Oxfordshire.
I’m really nervous of not knowing a prospective sharer so would you ask for videos of riding? References & experience etc ?
I don’t really know where to start ?‍

 

[ponynutz]

1) Yes, especially if there is good hacking around you
2) No yard jobs probably makes it more attractive
3) Not too sure price wise, for hacking I'd be suggesting £80 a month so about £20 a week for an every day ride or something (if it's hacking I'm sure both of you can ride every day). Less if it's not every day seeing as it's only hacking. You could include use of transport for beach rides or long hacks in this price too or you could not and have it as an extra price when and as needed.
4)I would vet prospective sharers, yes, and especially ask for references. I wouldn't be too concerned about ability if it's just hacking though.

 

[Spangles]

1) Yes, if there i

?? Did you fall asleep mid type ? ?

 

[ponynutz]

?? Did you fall asleep mid type ? ?

Haha sorry... finger got ahead of me and pressed post when I wasn't ready LOL! I've edited the post now.

 

[Spangles]

1) Yes, especially if there is good hacking around you
2) No yard jobs probably makes it more attractive
3) Not too sure price wise, for hacking I'd be suggesting £80 a month so about £20 a week for an every day ride or something (if it's hacking I'm sure both of you can ride every day). Less if it's not every day seeing as it's only hacking. You could include use of transport for beach rides or long hacks in this price too or you could not and have it as an extra price when and as needed.
4)I would vet prospective sharers, yes, and especially ask for references. I wouldn't be too concerned about ability if it's just hacking though.

Thank you !
Although I’d hope for more than £80 a month. If the sharer wanted to hack 3-4 times a week, they’d only be paying £5-£6 a hack ?
A friend gets £200 a month in Berkshire for a very similar scenario - sharer hacks only between 3-4 times a week.
I wouldn’t know what the average share fee would be though.

 

[limestonelil]

I would have jumped at the chance of this type of share when I needed a riding horse. Would willingly provide references and be interviewed etc, as should any serious sharer,imho.

 

[AUB]

Absolutely. I have a hacking only sharer that rides my horse twice weekly. She pays £80, which is cheap for my area.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I also have a sharer who hacks only.
It's casual so not every week. My horse is 20.
No financial contribution as shec does chores if she rides meaning I don't need to go up. £80 a month for 2 rides per week is about average.
I also insist on them having third party liability.

 

[Spangles]

Thank you everyone - seems financial contributions do vary

 

[scruffyponies]

Financial contributions vary because the cost of keeping a horse varies so much, as does the input from the sharer in terms of knowledge and/or chores, and the level of assistance from the owner. My sharers pay £30 per family. No chores although they're always keen to help out when fences need fixing, ragwort pulling etc.

 

[mariew]

If you have good hacking and possibility of hacking out with someone I'm sure you can find a sharer. But don't necessarily expect them to ride the same way as you I'd put an ad up and see who you get, borrow a horse to go out with them on their first hack to see how they ride.

I think it would matter who you get and where you are. If you are near somewhere where lessons are expensive you would probably get more money. I'd guess somewhere between 120-150 per month maybe. You would need an adult or an older kid with parents who have money. I am guessing her size would limit who you could get to share a little bit.

 

[Apercrumbie]

A hacking only share would suit me down to the ground - I just can't afford a London/near London-based share! Price would depend on how often they ride, I've heard £10 a day floated around as a cost in the rest of the country though.

 

[AmyMay]

A hacking share would be right up my street too.

 

[ester]

I think plenty would be happy with it. I think also people tend to have figures for DIY sharing when discussing costs.

I have the opposite horse (won't hack) but is a good schoolmaster in other ways. He is DIY and I pay £120 for 3 days (the livery is not cheap where he is, there are others on the yard whose sharers pay more). It depends what sort of suits everyone, I pay because I am happy he is improving me as a rider, I also live closer than the owner so do pick up extra days here and there that she can't do.
But in the past I haven't charged a sharer because the horse needed the hacking and she was able to ride in daylight in the week. It also meant I had control over what he did and I didn't feel guilty if I stole him for hunting on one of her usual days.

 

[criso]

I always think £10 per day is a good starting point. I used to charge £50 pcm for one day a week about 10 years ago, no jobs, very well behaved tb, excellent varied hacking in the area. It was someone who had regular lessons in a riding school but wanted to hack out as well. A friend didn't charge but was diy so sharer had to assume full care and pay for the days livery if they cancel. I asked for monthly transfer, i was flexible if they wanted to change their day however no refund on the monthly payment.

I'm not sure asking for videos is practical but get as much info as possible, assess in a school and borrow a horse or get a friend to assess how they are in the open.

 

[Odyssey]

She sounds like a horse that lots of people looking for a horse to hack would be looking for, I'm sure you'll have plenty of people interested. You could work out how much she costs you a day to keep - livery, hay, bedding, farrier and insurance etc, and charge a bit less than that. As she's on full livery, you can charge more than for a share which would involve doing the chores. You could look on Preloved to get an idea of what the going rate is in your area.

I used to pay £10 a day a few years ago, and I did the chores. That's been the standard rate for 10-15 years or so , but the cost of everything is obviously higher now. I wouldn't necessarily expect to cover your costs, as too high a cost will put a lot of people off. Obviously the most important thing is to find someone reliable, responsible and trustworthy, so it will help to be flexible on cost to find the right person. You could state that in your advert.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I used to pay £20 per day years ago so I think £10 is too cheap.

 

[Fieldlife]

I’m in surrey and at my yard it’s between free and £35 a ride for hacking only sharing. We do have amazing hacking on the doorstep, and it’s an expensive yard in an expensive area.

 

[splashgirl45]

What about advertising on your local riding club/pony club wen sites rather than Facebook etc, that way you may be able to find out what the person is like. I assume you want a sharer because full livery is expensive so why not work out how much your horse costs weekly and ask for a percentage of that, years ago people just wanted enough money to cover showing so £10 to £20 per week now it could be more. Your arrangement might suit an older person who wouldn’t be able to do the necessary jobs .. it took me ages to find that sort of arrangement as I am older and couldn’t commit to the heavy work in the winter..

 

[merlin84]

I paid £160 per month in Kent for my last share- 2 years ago. No chores as he was on full so just riding 2/3 times a week.

In terms of ability, I was nowhere near as good as his owner but we did a test ride and she was pleased that I was sympathetic and gentle so was happy. I paid for instruction with her (excellent) coach on him as well.

 

[Skib]

I had a hacking share in 2008 for many years on a retired lesson mare. I now have another hacking share. All I do is tack her up. Both my shares have been on full livery and both shares I have paid roughly what it costs to hack from a local RS.

The big difference with sharing is that unlike a RS , sharers get the same horse and a continuity. And you are treated as an adult. You have your own insurance and you can ride out on your own.

You pay regardless of whether you ride, but because the owners know that I will not skip a ride due to bad weather or because I cant be bothered, they have always credited me with any un-used rides.

 

[criso]

If you paid what a hack costs at a riding school for a share twice a week, it would cost over £350 per month.

 

[Palindrome]

Interesting, I though for a share you went with the price of livery plus shoeing if needed. So if sharing 3 days, half the price of the livery plus half of shoeing. So if it's a grass livery at about 150 per month, I'd expect about 80 but if it's a full livery at 500 per month then it comes up to 250. With some adjustments depending if they are limitations with the horse (then a bit less) or if it's a high end competition or hunting horse (then a bit more).

 

[HollyWoozle]

If I was able to be more committed time-wise then a hack-only share with no chores would be what I was looking for as well.

 

[Spangles]

Thanks so much everyone, much appreciated

 

[Skib]

If you paid what a hack costs at a riding school for a share twice a week, it would cost over £350 per month.

Indeed it would. When I started riding I had a budget of £5000 for a year which we reckoned would give me a lesson and a hack every week. Since we did not pay when we went on holidays (6 weeks a year) I never spent as much as this.
If I look at it per year for me since 2001, it is £3,430 p.a.

The clothes cost a lot and replacing my helmet each time I fell off.

We keep accounts and I am staggered to see that we have spent £103,000. OH points out that includes 9 years of him riding too.

However, I also had a small legacy and ear marked that money for buying a horse. That day may yet come.

 

[Fieldlife]

Interesting, I though for a share you went with the price of livery plus shoeing if needed. So if sharing 3 days, half the price of the livery plus half of shoeing. So if it's a grass livery at about 150 per month, I'd expect about 80 but if it's a full livery at 500 per month then it comes up to 250. With some adjustments depending if they are limitations with the horse (then a bit less) or if it's a high end competition or hunting horse (then a bit more).

Broadly speaking I think that’s still true. But it does depend why owner wants a sharer. To share costs? To share care? To share exercising etc.

 

[J&S]

I am going against the grain here. If you can find a sharer/rider who is reliable and trustowrthy and rides your pony well, they are worth their weight in gold.
I would be asking for a contribution towards shoeing at the very most.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I previously paid 20/week for a share that was on diy so with all the jobs on my 2 days. I also used to do an extra non riding day where I just did jobs, my choice as I likes spending the extra time with the horse.

Currently I pay 25/week for a share on part livery so no jobs other than grooming. The agreement is 1 day per week but I've had extra days when owner away as it gets share horse the exercise.

Both mainly hacking shares. If the hacking is good and the horse safe then a hacking share is certainly appealing. I personally do like schooling so kept up riding lessons along side the share when I could afford to but the hacking only with my current share is really fab.

Neither of the shares I had asked for videos, but I would happily have sent these and referred them to my riding instructor at the RS if that was needed.

 

[rowan666]

I have a hacking only sharer for one of mine as does a friend on my yard, the sharers have sinked their days to ride out together and they have a great time, we have minimal chores, just a barrow of poo picking out the field. I charge £15 and friend charges £20 per week (more of an all-rounder type) for minimum of 2 days but they are welcome to do more as and when their other commitments allow and they are welcome to take them out on any fun/beach rides etc if they wished at their own expense. Just hope they stick it out through winter as they are both brill ?