Anybody got any experience of sharing your horses?

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Cat&Mouse

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I am trying to keep both my horses in work, one fit enough for competition the other is semi retired but loves to hack out & have a blast.
Along with daily chores I am struggling for time & OH has been helping with chores but starts a new job soon.

I do not want to part with either I love them to bits but also do not want either to feel left out. I have been considering advertising for a sharer for my semi retired happy hacker, but I am really worried. I am not on a yard where there are other people around to keep an eye on things.

Do I let them go to the yard when I am not there?

To start with I would only want them to ride out with me?

Is it unreasonable to ask for references? & for me to ask them to a trial stable management & riding time so that I can see what they are like around the horses on the ground & in the saddle?

Who covers their insurance?

In return for riding I would want help with poo picking the field, filling water, generally keeping things tidy. but no financial contribution as such. Although this would come in very handy I realise there are some good riders out there that just can't afford it & also not sure of the legal side of leasing a pony in this way.

Also I do not keep shoes on her if they want shoes on this would be at there expense.

Do you have a contract with a sharer?

Sorry its lenghty but anybody that has had a sharer or any sharers if you could give me any advice & experiences that would be great.
 
Double check with your insurance - it should cover any injuries etc that your horse does to others handling/riding it with your permission. But I'd advise that your sharer got riders insurance.
When I was sharing the owner printed off the BHS loan agreement but slightly altered it to suit us. I'd definitely get things in writing.
I'd hack out with someone first too, just to see what they're like and how your horse responds to them, too. My last horse share the woman didn't see me ride or do a thing really.... surprised me... I could've gone round smacking her with a whip and all sorts and she'd not have the slightest idea.

If you organise that you maybe meet up and do things at the same time each day to begin with so she knows exactly what she's doing, and then you can assess whether you'd trust her on her own or not?
 
Last share I had, I went to meet, tack up and ride the horse with the owner watching. I also took the horse on a little walk and trot around the edge of the paddocks where she could still see how we were getting on. We had a typed agreement on costs etc. Not that it made any difference, she still ripped me off:mad:

I had riders insurance, which should be sufficient IMO as that covers third party injuries, and check your veterinary insurance as suggested.

I would specify whether you feel the horse needs shoes rather than leave it to the sharer to decide.

It depends what kind of share you want - you could just ask them to come and ride when you are riding your other horse. If you want someone to do half the care in effect, they will probably need to be at the yard alone, and you will need to see how you feel about that when you meet them. You could start by riding with them and then when you feel happy you could let them go to the yard alone.

References - up to you whether you ask, personally I wouldn't bother as they are easily faked anyway.

I know that there does seem to be a bit of an anti-sharer prejudice on this forum at times, with some people being rather sniffy about sharers, but actually all being a sharer means is that a person lacks either the money or time for a horse of their own - not that they lack brains, ability or experience:)
 
Definitely 'vet' them re standard of riding, knowledge etc and get something specific in writing re what they can/t do with your horse and what they're responsible for. Include a clause re only they can ride, not their random friends/relatives.

Just be super clear and communicate regularly and have a clause re notice to be given/immediate cancellation of agreement if you aren't happy. Your horse, your decision.

I confess I was not happy with either of mine and got rid soon after they arrived. (One was deeply unreliable and the other claimed she could ride and was very inexperienced, couldn't even tack up. I taught her, but she was too entrenched in the RS way of expecting the horse to be ready, ride, go)
 
I have shared with the same lady for the past 8 years now, started out with her daughter's pony (sharing with her daughter) and I now share lady's pony (Kelly) with her (5 yrs this Sept! :D)
When I started with Rebel, G (lady) never left me on my own with him for the first 4 weeks and would hack out with me and watch me ride in indoor - I had him for 2 days a week and paid £40 a month. For that, on the days I was down, I'd muck out, feed, fill nets, groom him, ride, do water etc and was allowed to take him to shows with G (she didn't show, herself) I proved myself to be competent and slowly was left to my own devices with him - I contacted G/G contacted me EVERY day which was mine to find out how he'd been. I also got my own insurance to cover myself and Rebel when he was with me (it wasn't terribly expensive) so you're reasonable to request that. Over time and with G's permission, I started to occasionally teach my bf to ride Rebel and I'd borrow Kelly - and as we outgrew Rebel, G's daughter got another horse and I took Kelly on.
Now we're more friends that sharers, I'm down on the yard every day and don't pay for Kelly but anything she needs I'll buy (if I can do it before G buys it!! :P), and I also regularly bring G's horse in and hack her etc if her daughter is working. I've loved every minute and its so much easier as I live away at uni during the uni months so I don't have to worry about leaving my own behind but I DO still worry about Kel and couldn't ever be without her - I'm now called "Kel's 2nd mum!" :D
I know you hear so many horror stories about sharers, but I hope this gives you a little reassurance (and I'm sorry its so long!!) :o
I don't and have never had a contract which might not have been a good thing, but luckily we've never needed it :)

Just to add...G at the time had financial and time issues (esp when Pebs came on the yard and we had 3 horses between us) but now there is no issues, just that I've kept on sharing and I don't think and hope it'll never end and she has said to me she'll never loan Kelly out again cos she's generally not a horse people easily get on with. Sharing your horse isn't a bad thing!
 
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I have a great sharer who I met through another livery on a previous yard. She rode at the RS where my dressage instructor was based. She can ride 2 of my 3 horses and the 3rd if its a calm hack (horse a bit of a dizz). She has admitted she has learnt more about riding / looking after horses in the past 8 months that I have known her than all her years of riding at a RS. We have no written agreement and she makes no financial contribution (although does buy treats and made me some jump wings). I am so glad I found her - I trust her completely with my horses and she knows exactly how I like things done. We often ride together and in fact its her that often encourages me to get on when I dont feel like it. So I too can confirm that there are some nice ones. When we started out she rode my easiest horse in the school and I watched and then hacked out with me before I told her just come whenever you like. I am sure that anyone wanting to share wouldnt mind being 'vetted' unless they had something to hide. I like to think a true horsey person would understand exactly how you feel and not mind going through a 'trial period' under supervision.
 
MardyMare2 said:
She has admitted she has learnt more about riding / looking after horses in the past 8 months that I have known her than all her years of riding at a RS
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Totally agreed too. My p/l horses have taught me more than I would have EVER learnt at the RS, even if I had stayed till now.
I don't think (or it would be a rare occasion) any RS horse would have taught me how to stay on a broncing horse across a field as efficiently as Rebel did!! :p
 
LOL - I expect a RS would not want that to be part of your learning - how frightening. I will let me sharer know she still has much more to learn then ;)
 
MardyMare2 said:
LOL - I expect a RS would not want that to be part of your learning - how frightening. I will let me sharer know she still has much more to learn then ;)
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Possibly - its probably something they try not to teach!! :) but still loan horse are much sparkier than RS horses and that, I'm thankful for it teaches you to be much more "horse aware" :)
I don't know why we have such a bad rep, us sharers:( surely there must be as many decent ones than the unreliable ones? :confused:
 
My last share was a semi retired Sec D mare only no one had told her :p :D

When I went to ride if her stable hadn't been mucked out then I would do that before fetching her in, grooming and tacking up. We didn't have a contract as owner never got around to bringing one to the yard for me to sign and in the end said she didn't think we needed one as I loved her horse nearly as much as she did :D

Every time I went to the yard I let the owner know and also if anything had happened I would let her know about it.

Ellie was 29 when I stopped sharing her and would still pee off with me if she thought I wasn't paying attention lol


How old is your happy hacker?
 
Thanks all, I have heard some nightmare stories about sharing, so I am pleased to say that you are restoring my confidence.

She is 22 (but nobody told her that either!) she certainly has her quirks, but if you are confident is great fun. She can easily go for a 10mile leisurely or not so leisurely depending on her mood hack.:D

The idea was for me to hack her out once a week just to keep her ticking over but she loves going out so much I am feeling guilty & trying to ride her at least 3 times a week & my other one 5 times a week.

Also having to keep her in work to keep the grass foal belly off a bit.
 
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