Are you/have you been or have you got/had a sharer?

RubysGold

RubysGold

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Im looking into buying a second horse, some of you may have seen a post I did regularly, asking how people get on with fitting two horses in. Someone suggested getting a sharer, which I will not do for the horse I own currently, but I would for the new one.

So, how does it work? Any experiences? What money/care is/was involved? How many days a week does/did sharer have the horse?
Any advice?

IF I do get another horse, it will be an allrounder that I will want to take out competing regularly, so I would need an experienced rider that could help keep him/her competition fit and at a good level :D

Thanks
 
IME finding a sharer that is capable enough to be trusted to exercise/school/jump a competition horse can be quite difficult. They are out there but you are unlikely to find anyone that would be willing to pay or do lots of chores, unless of course they have competition rights too. Just something to bear in mind.
TBH in this situation I'd look to buy a horse that was good out hacking and just offer someone non-competitive free hacking in return for the occassional stable duties.
 
i have a ISH up for share and i have had TON's littrally tons of people wanting to share him as he is an alrounder and available for 3-4 days a week, but not one has been suitable, a lot of the time people think they are a lot better rider or a lot more experienced then they are, if i didnt have to i wouldnt have a sharer, not saying that all sharers are bad but i hate having to share him as he is my horse... but yeah they are a pain in the bum a lot more hassle then they are worth :) and stable duties, they are not keen on they just want to ride, i dont think they all understand owner ship and that i shouldnt have to come up on the days they are doing but hohumm e all have to make sacrafices :)
 
I think some people are abit harsh on sharers! I have never been lucky enough to have my own horse but have been lucky enough to be a sharer/loaner for several horses.
I would never dream of having a horse on loan/share and not help out with stable chores and contribute money wise. Infact the owner of the curret horse I ride didnt ask for any money or help and I felt I couldnt ride her horse and not contribute so now poo pick for her and pay a small amount each month. I turn up on my days and am always flexible with the days I do if she needs me to be.
So remember, not all sharers are bad! There are good ones out there! :D:D:D
 
I am a sharer :)

One horse I have been sharing for about 1.5yrs, I pay a small amount a month because the owner really does need the financial help, and I muck out on his day off, and on the 1 day I have him to ride. I do two days in the week (1 of which is day off) and every other weekend I get one day. Also m/o on my days. I think thats quite a good deal for her.
Horse has nice flatwork, nice to hack, and i'm hoping to bring him back into jumping but its hard to when its only me doing that and only have him once a week! Slow progress! If she offers more days because she is busy I always take them.

Also I ride another horse once a week, and do chores on that day, and dont pay. He is nice to hack school and jump. Might be doing some dressage this summer on him, fingers crossed, and owner offered to take me :)

As well as this iv just started riding for another person, two ponies, who need more excercise and schooling for comp. No chores or money, just riding. If they asked for chores I would do them - thats only fair IMO.

SO basically there are many different arrangements, I think a little bit of a financial contribution is good for commitment, but if you dont need it dont make that a priority because that will rule alot of good sharers out. Just make sure you thoroughly vet them and get along with them and have someone keep an eye on them at first. Make sure they are reliable and dont come one week and not the next when it suits them. They have the privelige of riding your horse :)
Also the more experienced and capable the rider, the less likley they will want to pay you, because if they are doing you a favour.

:):)
 
I’m considering getting a sharer but I’m not sure, I’m verging on the hippy side of conventional :D so would want someone similar to myself, my horse isn’t particularly well schooled (yet)and is usually good to hack but can have the odd tb day. I dunno he’s not what you could call your typical confidence giver but then he’s not your typical tb either.

But time off and extra pennies would be fabulous...
 
I have had sharers for years with my two horses and I couldn't do it without them. You have to be very careful about who you select - a lot of people do over-estimate their riding ability - but a good sharer is worth their weight in gold and to be encouraged and kept wherever possible.

One of my sharers (of my oldie) has been with her for 14 years - nearly as long as I have owned her - and to be honest has a far better relationship with her than I do. In fact, we always call my sharer her "mum" and I'm just "the owner". Another sharer of my big girl has also been with me for 14 years.

Once you have found the right person the key is encouragement and friendly communication. Whenever things go wrong it is nearly always down to a problem with communication and unrealistic expectations from one or the other. I try to encourage my sharers to look on the horse as their own and encourage them to do as much as they want and are capable of doing. A clear, written agreement is vital, and payment is helpful, but TBH I would rather have a keen and reliable non-payer than someone who paid but who constantly let me down.

You also do have to recognise that you might have to compromise occasionally. Not everyone gets as obsessed as you do about having beds perfectly flat! :)
 
I used to be a sharer.
I had 3 days a week. I was given a contract that stated what these days were but the owner of the pony was in reality very flexible and we always used to swap around with days according to what suited us all for that particular week.
On my days I was responsible for the care of the pony entirely but if I were to go on holiday then the owner resumed full responsibility of the pony with no extra cost to me.
I had competition rights as and when the owner decided to transport me and I was not allowed to transport the pony without the owner's presence.
The owner paid for the feed, rugs, saddle, bridle, shoes etc but we were required to pay the first £50 of a vets bill (excluding flu vaccs.)
The contract also stated that should the pony be lame the owner did not have to provide a substitue horse and would not refund the money.
We payed something like £110 a month for 3 days a week, the money was always paid on the 1st of each month.

I haven't been a sharer for two and half years so that's just what I remember of the terms and conditions!
 
I'm a sharer, I've been sharing various horses and ponies for 7 years. In this time, I've learnt different owners want different things from their sharer, which I suppose is only natural. I've had arrangments where I'm the only one caring for the horse on the day I do and other arrangmets where I've been the only one riding the horse at all, I've had arrangments where I do set days each week, and ones where the owner is completely flexible, so some weeks I'd do one day and some weeks I'd do 4.

So really, you can ask the sharer to do as much or as little as you require, but your requirements and expectations clear from the start.

Currently, I do 2 set days a week, which involve riding (hacking or schooling, I can choose), getting the horse ready to ride, feeding and putting the horse out afterwards, plus poo-picking 1 barrow from the field each week. If the owner had asked me to muck out and make haynets on my days as well I would have, but she didn't ask because she has the time to do this herself (she has another horse at the yard too). Sometimes I'll do extra bits, like helping move the electric fence, making haynets and mucking out, but only if I have the time, and the owner is fine with this. I pay her £75 a month (and just for some context, the livery bill at the yard is around £125/month)

I think shared expectations and good communication between the sharer and owner are key to making sharing successful, along with a bit of flexibility on each side
 
I have a sharer who pays £100 to have my pony 2/3 days a week for her 2 little girls to ride. They normally just play in the school and although he is well schooled he is very safe for kids to learn on and play about with so they love him!!!! Through the summer they just bring him in and groom, ride and turn back out and help occasionally with poo picking. Through the winter they will be responsible for mucking out and putting him to bed on their days.

I have a sharer mostly for the financial help as I am trying to save for a house!! However, I quite like having a couple of nights off a week, especially through the winter months!!!!
 
Hi. Im a sharer and I agree with what someone said about sharers having a bad name. I think it's like anything. Common sense rules the day. It is so important that sharer and owner both get on. When looking for a share horse it's almost as important to me as how i get on with the horse. Having said that I know there are some idiots out there but you just have to be careful who you pick and what you decide on as Ts and Cs. I have found that what owners want from sharers is so variable its impossible to come up with a set of rules that fit everyone. Decide what you want, find a sharer, find out what they want/are prepared to do and go from there.

I personally think it is a fair cop to be expected to do chores on my days and with current horse i am responsible for him completely on my days. That said i would probably be prepared to pay more for not having to do chores. Horses for courses and all that.

You also need to bear in mind that very often people who are looking to be sharers rather than owners don't want/cant afford the time and financial commitments involved in having your own. I know that is the case for me. I like that if i go on holiday or way for the weekend the horse is looked after and i dont have to pay for full livery for that time.

I heard someone say once (and i think it is very good advice) that you shouldnt completely rely on a sharer. Meaning that if something happened to your sharer (big red bus syndrome) you could carry on.


PHRx

P.S. Written agreement is essential as is good comunication in both directions.
 
I always tried to have sharers when I worked full time. I couldn't have kept my horses competition fit without them frankly. I was lucky with all of mine and was never let down. For any owner taking on a sharer, I think it's important to remember the horse is ultimately YOUR responsibility at the end of the day. If the sharer couldn't do their set time/day on certain occasions, I did not expect THEM to make alternative arrangement for my horse. I did that, even if it meant changing my own plans or making an extra early or late visit to my horse.


I used to keep a large diary in the tack room and we'd keep in touch by writing what we'd done and messages to one another. Worked well for me. I'd like another one! But few want to take riding on a newly backed 4 year old (plus I wouldn't trust 'em). :D
 
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I was a sharer and I like to think a good one, considering i'm now great mates with the girl who owned my first share, and the owner of my second share has come to meet my horse and invites me along to her dressage comps! I used to do 3 days a week with the first share, and did all chores. Rug changes, mucking out etc. Was flexible with days etc and helped with tack cleaning etc. Second share she didn't ride him, he was an old boy but not ready to retire but she didn't have time for 2, so I rode him as much as I wanted, did chores etc., and did her other horse and the other horse on the yard on a regular basis, and did all 3 when they went away.

I got a share intially as I knew I wanted my own but didn't know enough of the stable management side of it to take on the responsibility. The owner was totally aware of it, and if anything I didn't overestimate my ability - more the other way!

I do agree with the comment about more experienced riders not wanting to pay as much though - a friend got a share as she'd sold hers when she went to uni, and he was a very quirky horse and she spent a lot of time schooling him and getting him clear xc and she ended up resenting the huge amount she paid for him and being expected to pay comp fees, when she was adding to his value (he was sold shortly after the share finished.....)
 
I'm a sharer and have been sharing the ladys (G) horses for 8 years now.
I started with her daughters pony and then as we outgrew him, her daughter bought a new horse and I started to share G's mare, Kelly.

I've had the best time, G won't let me pay towards Kel anymore as I give G lifts to the yard/home/work but I will try and pay the farrier/vet/dentist, for feed ;) (which I get shouted at for :p) Myself and G are more like friends than anything...we hack out together (although Kelly isn't rideable atm) and I am able to ride her daughters horse too.

I did want my own horse when I was younger but now wouldn't like it to have gone any differently. I know I'm biased, but I think its a great idea - I am available if G is stuck somewhere and can't get down to feed/whatever, and Kelly has 2 lots of fuss and attention!! :)

I'd suggest staying with any potential sharer until you are happy and confident that they know what they're doing and get on with the horse well. Spot checks are a good idea too - unexpected visits when you know sharer is at the yard! After all, it is your horse, make you sure of all people are happy with your decision :)
K x
 
KellysHeroes said:
I'd suggest staying with any potential sharer until you are happy and confident that they know what they're doing and get on with the horse well. Spot checks are a good idea too - unexpected visits when you know sharer is at the yard! After all, it is your horse, make you sure of all people are happy with your decision :)
K x
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I agree with this although dont be too in your face about it! I rode a ladies horse a few years back and she drove me mad! I was working on a competion yard at the time so knew how to tack a horse up but she would alter every little thing I did! To the extent of I put the saddle on, turned around to get bridle and she undid saddle and moved saddle pad forward about 1 cm!! Rode the horse once and decided she ob didnt really want a sharer as cried when I rode it!!!!
 
RubysGold said:
So, how does it work? Any experiences? What money/care is/was involved? How many days a week does/did sharer have the horse?
Any advice?
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Hey :) I currently have a sharer who is absolute goldust! In the past I have had awful sharers who are only interestd in riding rather than the general care for the horse. My current sharer is only 14 but by far the most caring and enthusiastic sharer I have ever come across. She has full riding of my little arab, she is her sole rider. She comes to the yard with me rain or shine! snow or mud!! Shes just brilliant, never moans....poo picks with me every day and does the horrible jobs too.

She pays me £60 a month and also pays for the feet to be done. Her Mum is very supportive and always offers to help with other bits Tessa needs!

Like I say I have had bad sharers and have got rid straight away! Id do it on a little trial basis say a week and just see how they get on :)
 
I have shared B for over 3 years. I pay £50 pcm for 2 days a week (could have more but time etc is limiting for me). I can basically do whatever i want with B, and if i wanted to compete i could (I dont!).

I am an experienced rider, who owned her own horses in the past, until age meant they were PTS. I have done more schooling with B than his owners ever would in the past 3 years. I would nto pay an arm and a leg to improve someone elses horse for them.

I poo pick in summer, and muck out B and his owners 2 others in the winter, so it is not like I do not pull my weight.

I am there rain/shine unless I really really cant be.
 
I had a sharer for my defunct mare who could no longer be competed but i didn't want to sell her. The girl i found was really good, treated her like her own horse. she would even come up to just groom her which was fab as showed she wasn't just in it for the cheap riding. I charged £15 per week and covered all costs for Image myself and she could ride as much or as little as she wanted as long as she let me known when she planned to come up. Often if she rode i would not go up the field that day so i got a 'day off' (but still had to do my other horses that were elsewhere).

There is a good guide to part loaning. sharing on my website which i did as i found little information on it 4/5 years ago when i was first cosnidering it. There is a sample agreement to just to give you ideas as to what to thhink about.
 
I have had sharers but like you can only now have them for one and not the other. My baby is too precious to have a proper "sharer" but I do have a friend who rides him and does his jobs on the couple of days that I work from 7am till about 9pm (hes out at night so just skip out the poos, I leave feed made and spare haynet stuffed)!

However there is a reason sharers do get bad names - I have had a couple of brilliant sharers but I have had at least 10 people come up and try the other one who is for a free (jobs only) share and all have had 10 - 30 years experience yet one didnt know how to groom or tack up, one didnt know how to mount a horse and one didnt know how to hold the reins..... the rest looked like they have never come out of walk :S!! But no I know there are some great ones, theres a couple on the yard im on at the moment with friends horses :)
 
You need a reliable, trustworthy sharer who knows what they are doing. A trial and written agreement would be helpful!

I wish I'd had a written agreement when I was a sharer - the owner took advantage of me! She would leave jobs for me to do on my 'days' as she knew I was conscientious and would do them - for example she wouldn't muck out the stable on her 'days' - she would leave it for me! She would also text me last minute to tell me I couldn't go up that day as she had decided to take him to a show - even though my days were pre-arranged. I know he was her horse but I soon got fed up of this.

Hope you find your sharer! There are some good ones out there!
 
When my horse was in full work a few years ago I had a sharer for about a year - she rode my horse and did all the care for my horse twice a week and she paid £10 a day. I am currently at university so my horse has gone on full loan, I've been missing riding so have been looking for a horse to share a couple of days a week...it has bee a NIGHTMARE!! So far I have found nothing suitable. All I want is something to ride and look after a couple of days a week AND I'm happy to pay, I just want something fairly sensible that I can hack out and school but so far no luck! Looking at something that fits the bill on paper at the weekend so fingers crossed!
 
I've been both with the same person!

Me and a friend used to share a horse and paid for everything between us except insurance (paid for by the owner) and we treated him like our own, but if we wanted to make any changes we always consulted the owner first. Now the friend I used to share with shares my 2nd horse, with my RI. I think I'm damn lucky as I know them and trust them both. Again they pay for everything except the insurance and it seems to work well! They manage the days between them just as we did when we shared a horse, again I am very lucky!!! :D

I agree with the comment about sharers preferring to share due to commitment either in time or money, this is the reason I started sharing as I had only been riding again for 6 months after a long break. It taught me a lot, and also that I would be happy to be forever poor :D
 
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I am lucky enough to have 2 horses with whom I hunt in the winter.

One is a younger horse who I am bringing on and competing, so knew that once the hunting season finished, I would struggle to keep the older one going.

I therefore circulated an email via my local RC and hunt, advertising for a sharer just for the summer and was inundated with interest, so have had a sharer for him from April and she has full use of him up until Oct.

He is currently kept at my yard but will be going to hers from July. I have a loan contract drawn up based on the BHS loan aggreement that can be downloaded from their site. She is currently paying for his shoes and will take over all bills when he goes to stay with her.

I am lucky as know the lady as she rides with my hunt, and also know where she lives so am happy with the facilites she has to accomodate him. She is allowed to do what she likes with him and has been out competing and enjoying fun rides, and is conveniently keeping him fit for me for next season, so keeping all parties happy!
 
I was in a similar position to the OP when Fudge was injured and would no longer be able to compete and after much thought purchased Merlin who is kept on part-livery at a friends yard rather than on DIY with my other two.

I have a sharer who rides two or three week days and one day at the weekend, she does not have to do any chores during the week and has a horse she can pretty much treat as her own and compete if she wishes. She pays £30 (a third of his livery bill) a week and I am very flexible regarding days etc as we both work full-time.

They are out there but as others have said ones who will do all the chores and contribute are few and far between as are competant riders who are also reliable.

I would also get a share contract (I adapted the BHS Loan agreement).
 
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Thankyou for all the answers :)
Sounds like it can work :) Would DEFINITELY have a contract drawn up.
I was thinking £15-20 a week for probably 3 days a week. Its more the financial side Id need a little help with. Wouldnt need any jobs doing as I would be up looking after Roo anyway. So would just need someone to come in and ride the horse and pay towards keep.

Depending on the horse (how well behaved it is), I wouldnt need a brilliant rider, (Im not one of those myself lol) but just not someone that would hang on its mouth/seesaw/kick etc. Would keep a close eye on them for a couple of weeks on a trial first.

Thanks everyone :D Now just to find the horse Lol
 
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