Am I being too ambitious in what I’m looking for?

[Splash2310]

Am I being too ambitious with what I’m looking for?

Ideally what I’m looking for is a share horse I can ride between 3-6 days per week (fairly flexible on this) that I can take out to competitions, XC schooling, fun rides, with the view to do a couple of unaffiliated events if I can.

I’m an experienced rider with over 10 years under my belt, insurance, transport, who’s willing to put the work (and money!) in.

I can’t seem to find anyone in the nearby vicinity with anything like what I’m looking for, and it feels like a lot of horses up for share at the moment are either nutters or extremely green and owners want free schooling (for example the horse I am sharing at the moment is lovely, but he’s very green and I’m feeling like I’m paying to school a horse for a novice owner).

Am I being too ambitious in what im looking for and does it even exist? Should I be looking for a full loan or potentially buying? I’d rather share than do this as although I’m currently in a very flexible job, I’ll be looking at moving in the next year to two to progress my career.

Would welcome opinions please!

Edited to change nuance.

 

[hock]

Well I have at home a lovely 3 year old that we’re thinking of keeping to event but we’re not eventers so whilst we’d give her a super start if we do keep her we’d like someone to compete her. But they’d need to be a very decent jockey with a track record and extremely committed and we’d pick up the bills. But if I can be honest your reluctance to take on anything green would put me off as your list is long with a starting price of about £15k if you were buying. What are you bringing to the table in what I imagine is a very tiny pool of suitable horses to make you stand out?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Are you able to say a bit more about what that 10 years' experience encompasses?

Also what constitutes 'green'? I get what you're saying about not wanting to be paying to school a real 'problem' horse.

Might help with gauging what's realistic.

 

[Splash2310]

@hock thanks for the message, this is helpful because at the end of the day I’m not a professional rider with a track record.

I think I phrased my original post wrong so I have edited it for clarity. I wouldn’t want to consistently compete an entire season, just have the option to do some competitions or a few ODEs.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I think you should buy your own

 

[hock]

I think you might want to do the full season once you get going lol, best of luck in your search! Maybe an older horse looking to down grade may suit you?

 

[Splash2310]

@SaddlePsych'D 14 years amateur experience, including long term shares (one 3.5 years and one 2 years), I’m competent showjumping 1.10m courses and working a horse correctly on the flat including lateral movements (SI, travers, leg yielding, simple and flying changes), have XC schooled etc.

I also think green was probably the wrong terminology (sorry, I’m tired and frustrated haha). I don’t mind a green horse and have happily brought on horses before, both on the flat and jumping, but quite a lot of horses up for share where I am aren’t being worked correctly by their owners and I feel like I’m putting in a lot of work on my days which is then unfolded (e.g. introducing lots of long and low and consistent trotting into jumps and maintaining a slow rhythm to then find out the horse is being worked hollow and fired into jumps).

Some of them also clearly have issues that haven’t been diagnosed by the vet , I’ve trialled a couple that I’ve gotten off of because they are obviously in pain (e.g broncing and rearing when being asked to go into canter).

 

[Splash2310]

I think you might want to do the full season once you get going lol, best of luck in your search! Maybe an older horse looking to down grade may suit you?

…. It sounds like you know me in real life

 

[hock]

I understand your frustration, there’s no way I would want to share bringing on a horse with someone else if it was for me. When I hurt my back I was lucky to have riders to ride my lot but I found it very difficult to watch lol.

 

[Abacus]

I’m not sure how many competition level horses are out there whose owners would be happy to let you compete and school them unless they already know you (and up to 6 days per week isn’t really a share, that sounds like a loan). Realistically at this time of year most people with a competition ready horse will want to be competing themselves. That said they may be out there - for example I have 2 lovely horses and not enough time, a sharer like you would be welcome! But I don’t think it would be commonly available.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

@SaddlePsych'D 14 years amateur experience, including long term shares (one 3.5 years and one 2 years), I’m competent showjumping 1.10m courses and working a horse correctly on the flat including lateral movements (SI, travers, leg yielding, simple and flying changes), have XC schooled etc.

I also think green was probably the wrong terminology (sorry, I’m tired and frustrated haha). I don’t mind a green horse and have happily brought on horses before, both on the flat and jumping, but quite a lot of horses up for share where I am aren’t being worked correctly by their owners and I feel like I’m putting in a lot of work on my days which is then unfolded (e.g. introducing lots of long and low and consistent trotting into jumps and maintaining a slow rhythm to then find out the horse is being worked hollow and fired into jumps).

Some of them also clearly have issues that haven’t been diagnosed by the vet , I’ve trialled a couple that I’ve gotten off of because they are obviously in pain (e.g broncing and rearing when being asked to go into canter).

Thanks that does clarify I think they are out there for riders with the right experience, just possibly few and far between. Good luck with your search!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think at your level of riding and the competing you want to do you will struggle to find a share, your sort of on the line of being an amateur and a professional probably which makes it hard.

I had a similar person like you that did a bit of showing for me she didn't want her own horse, she was welcome to come and ride mine whenever she wanted I paid for all the shows she loved it so It worked.

You sort of have to find someone like that really not easy

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I think it’s possible but you just need a slice of luck to find someone looking for someone like you. Possibly someone who is injured or busy and wants their horse to stay fit. Or someone who would enjoy travelling to watch their horse compete. Basically someone who might consider sending their horse to a pro, but actually wants to keep the horse with them and have a bit more control. Or might turn them away or sell but this means they can keep them in work and add value instead.

I have an allrounder/eventing mare and I have a sharer who is a rider with 40 years experience and works as an instructor. It’s a great deal for both of us: she gets access to a quality horse, I get access to a quality sharer! Win:win. That’s only 2 days a week though. And my competing takes priority. So another option is being more flexible with how much riding you want to do and be willing to work with the horse in ways that support the owners goals. My sharer is so good she now rides 3-4 other horses on the yard. She has access to as much free riding as she wants!

 

[gallopingby]

Buying your own horse is probably going to be the best solution. You may find someone able to let you help out the odd time but to expect a share of a fit horse ready to go out and compete horse is unlikely at this time of year unless they’re unfortunately suddenly not able to ride. Maybe need to lower or redefine what you want to do?

 

[Red-1]

I think it is possible but at the moment I think you are asking for too much as someone with no eventing track record.

I was offered a similar thing when I was between horses a couple of years ago and I simply wanted to go and have the odd ride to keep my hand in. I applied for one, £10 a ride, 2 or 3 days a week, jobs were simply to bring in, groom, tack up, ride and back to the field. Once the owner saw I could actually ride she was interested in a happy summer of competitions as the horse had already done a couple of BE 80s. As it happened, I was really more interested in just having a ride out and didn't want the faff of fittening, schooling etc. despite the fact it would all have been paid for. She would not have had me come to ride in the first place if I'd said what you have though, she wanted low key until she knew you. I went just to hack out.

Conversely, I now have BH, who would likely enjoy a bit of eventing, is schooled a bit - but not event ready. Your description would not make me want to call you. I seem less interested in competing than I ever have been (was mad-keen before) and have idly considered having a pro bring him on and take him out so I can play as 'owner' and have a nice day. I decided that I didn't want that as much as it would cost though LOL. BH seems keen to be turned out and eat, and we are enjoying low key competitions, training and much, much hacking. I guess the right, competent, sharer may fill that role, but I would need to know them first.

So, I would have an eye on your end game but ask for a share on a more low key basis. Enjoy the rides, the schooling etc and help the owner enjoy their share too. If you have successfully competed up to 1.10, then maybe ask for a ride at a show or two. Many owners are also looking for fun times as well as the extra £ / mileage on the horse. Then, who knows?

 

[Goldenstar]

To get what you describe you need to buy .

 

[gallopingby]

I have lots of people wanting to ride but although they say they’re experienced and have ridden for x years, can jump 1.20 etc l usually discover they have ridden once a week at the local riding school since they were 8 years old and have jumped 1.20 in a ‘chase me Charlie’ comp. l have had people riding who usually started out by coming to help and then were offered the opportunity To compete. It’s really a question of who is in control of future planning and what the interpretation of a share is.

 

[blitznbobs]

This horse is so unlikely to be up for share. If its good enough to compete with no work to do then that means its already competing… which means generally the rider doesnt want someone else fiddling with it. When I was competing regularly i didnt want anyone else on my horse except my instructor occasionally if I was having an issue. You may get a loan if someone is off to university but that wont be til September or if you are very lucky a ‘maternity leave ‘ type loan but basically what you are describing is someone’s pride and joy and younare unlikely to get a share - nothing is impossible but it wont be straight forward

 

[Widgeon]

The only thing I can think is to find somebody pregnant who wants to step back for a year or so. But adding that to the ven diagram makes the pool even smaller! I don't think your ask is unreasonable, but it might be very hard in reality.

 

[SO1]

You might get a short term opportunity perhaps with someone who is pregnant and wants someone to keep their horse ticking over and fit until they are back in the saddle or perhaps someone with young children who cannot complete every weekend and is willing to let you take their horse out a couple of times a month in return for helping them keep their horse competition fit so they can go out as well.

The problem being event horses are hard to find a lot of people don't have easy access to cross country courses whereas most yards have schools and show jumps for practising dressage and SJ. Event horses are also expensive so possibly less peat ople who are looking for sharers have them.

I think if you are wanting to event you need to look at ownership or full loan. Eventing is so time consuming practicing the 3 elements and expensive that finding something suitable unless you have the experience and inclination to help bring something on is going to be hard.

I think SJ, and dressage shares are easier to find.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Am I being too ambitious with what I’m looking for?

Ideally what I’m looking for is a share horse I can ride between 3-6 days per week (fairly flexible on this) that I can take out to competitions, XC schooling, fun rides, with the view to do a couple of unaffiliated events if I can.

I’m an experienced rider with over 10 years under my belt, insurance, transport, who’s willing to put the work (and money!) in.

I can’t seem to find anyone in the nearby vicinity with anything like what I’m looking for, and it feels like a lot of horses up for share at the moment are either nutters or extremely green and owners want free schooling (for example the horse I am sharing at the moment is lovely, but he’s very green and I’m feeling like I’m paying to school a horse for a novice owner).

Am I being too ambitious in what im looking for and does it even exist? Should I be looking for a full loan or potentially buying? I’d rather share than do this as although I’m currently in a very flexible job, I’ll be looking at moving in the next year to two to progress my career.

Would welcome opinions please!

Edited to change nuance.

You have framed your post from the perspective of what you want. If you want something, the thing to consider is actually what your pitch is.

I would take your wishlist off the table, and start from the other perspective; if someone was to share their horse with you, then what would they be getting?

Then you can identify the kind of person who would respond to that, what sort of horse they would have, and whether that would work for you.

From an owner’s perspective, I preferred to pay for a professional rider to school one of my horses when she was on competition livery and I didn’t have the time. I was already in over £1k a month for the livery itself before you even start with physio, feet, tack, vet, travel etc. The going rate for a sharer wasn’t going to put a dent in the costs and it introduced a risk of losing control of how my horse was being ridden.

With my horses who aren’t aimed at competing, I would be more relaxed. But those horses are less of a finished product if someone wanted to compete, and I tend to have them at home so the facilities aren’t great.

From the other perspective, I rode other people’s horses, alongside my own, from when I was a child up to my mid-twenties. The most I learned was from other people’s super talented horses - which I could never afford - who were quirky or green. Of course you are schooling up someone else’s horse but if you can’t afford to buy your own, that’s part of the deal. I had opportunities that I never would have had on my own budget and that has added hugely to my capabilities as a rider.

 

[SO1]

I would also add unless you are very wealthy you would end up probably having to school up your own horse anyway if you bought due to the cost of a ready made safe event horse.

The other might be depending on your size is seeing if you can find a share with a teenager who is at boarding school and only home for the holidays you might not be able to do much during the school holidays but you might be able to compete and ride during term time on a small horse good quality pony club eventer.

 

[ester]

It is possible to find something that suits but I think it relies a lot on chance/knowing people who then know other that might make use of you . Friend had share pony she competed a lot inc BE100- pony was too much for the daughter he was bought for but they wanted to keep him. But initially that came about because she was riding a horse for the YO and started riding the pony just to help them out (she had owned and jumped upto fox herself)
Or you find someone who enjoys watching their horses compete more than doing it themselves/they don't enjoy doing it themselves.

 

[SO1]

I have been on livery yards for over 20 years and looking back the only people I have know with horses that would fit your description have been teenagers who are doing pony club eventing.

I know of two adults who have done a bit of eventing one on an ex racer who could only run on soft ground who would have considered a sharer but keeps her horses at home with no arena and the other who had a young horse who would not have gone done the share route.

 

[emilylou]

I have two that would do this and would potentially take on a good sharer if one came along as I lack the time to keep both in work, but the sharer would not be the main/or sole rider and would not get to dictate what they did with my horses. A bit like what Red describes, I would take someone to just hack initially, then once more trust/competence is built then they would get more freedom and opportunities. There is no way I would take on someone I didn't know who planned to compete my horse from day one and pay £10 a ride/similar. I wouldn't respond to your advert because it sounds like you want all the fun without the commitment and responsibility and what is the benefit of that to me? And I say that as the owner of a fab grassroots horse who wont be doing much for the next year and would probably benefit from having a job.
To get what you want, you are either going to have to loan something that wont be ready made or buy, or if you're set on sharing then its a case of building trust with the owner and seeing if there is an opportunity for more.

 

[Bernster]

I’m with LadyG and would suggest you reverse the thought process and work out what you can offer to an owner. That might help you identify who might be interested in what you want. That also makes it a more attractive pitch as this won‘t be an easy task. Build your network and contacts as that’s probably the most likely route to finding what you want.

 

[Dexter]

Mine would suit you, Ive lost all interest in competing and am thinking about looking for someone who wants a ride, and I can just go and watch. I sold my transport at Christmas time, so the costs of box hire and entry fees would absolutely be on you as well as a share cost. As an owner I'd expect to be able to turn up at a civilised time, watch you compete, then go home without the slog of returning hire boxes etc.

But I'd be very wary that you are wanting to event having never done it before. As others have said, you wouldn't be bringing a lot to the table, whereas Id be bringing a superstar horse. Every event puts miles on him so needs to be carefully thought about. Having you compete him wouldn't benefit him or me really so I'd probably not offer. For someone with a green horse there is a benefit, so that is probably going to be your market. The good horses come after you've proven yourself.

 

[dogatemysalad]

As an owner, from my point of view, I prefer to pay a rider rather than use a share arrangement for horses past and present.
I've employed riders that I know well and respect. Sharing is too vague an arrangement for a competition horse.
The only reason I've had sharers, was when a hacking or semi retired horse was suited to a competent novice. The horse benefitted from getting out and about and having dome TLC.

 

[Splash2310]

Thanks everyone for your feedback so far, really helpful to bear in mind, and reversing the thought process to consider what I can offer is a good shout.

I just wanted to clarify that I don’t expect to just walk in and jump on someone else’s horse taking it around events paying £10 a day, and expecting them to pay for entries and transport. Having shared before I do completely understand that it takes a lot of time and effort firstly to build a relationship and trust with a horse and owner, and it’s also a huge expectation for someone to trust me to take their horse out. I would also fully expect to pay for any entries, lessons, training clinics and transport.

My adverts tend to say something along the lines of “Competent and experienced adult rider with insurance, looking to share a 15.3h plus horse 2-4 days a week. Own transport and happy to give a financial contribution and do stable chores. The option to go out to do some low level competitions, fun rides and XC schooling would be great. Videos and references available on request” Would this put people on the thread off, or any suggestions to improve?
Realistically from this thread it sounds like if I want to share I need to scale back my expectations, start building a relationship with horse/owner, and prove I’m a competent rider, then look to occasionally go out to do some fun things such as low-level competitions/ XC schooling/fun rides.

I now know that if I want to go out and do a season Eventing/higher level, it’s either a case of leasing, full loaning or buying. (If anyone has any suggestions on how to convince my boyfriend that buying is the best option, please let me know!!)

 

[Squeak]

I actually know of two people who have this sort of arrangement at the moment. Both are where the owners have other horses who are their priority but don't want to sell the other ones and are delighted for their horses to be out and doing something and being kept busy and happy.

From your ad I would actually say you need to sell yourself a bit more - a lot of people think they are competent and experienced when they really, really aren't. What comp experience have you got? Have you competed BS or BD? I'd put anything that substantiates you're experienced on the ad. I also interpret what you're wanting to do with the horse as your competence level - which doesn't necessarily make you sound that experienced. If you put in something like this sentence somewhere:

I’m competent showjumping 1.10m courses and working a horse correctly on the flat including lateral movements (SI, travers, leg yielding, simple and flying changes), have XC schooled etc.

It would link back to what the others are saying - the owners would feel that their horse could be worked correctly and/ or improved by having you as a rider.