Being a sharer-what could possibly go wrong?!

[MooMoo]

I know as an owner it can be a risky thing but as the person sharing what risks do you open yourself up to?

I'm going to view a horse for sharing for the first time tomorrow and want to be aware of what problems i could face as a sharer.

Any advice/personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
x

 

[Apalacia01]

If horse is injured, whose fault is it? Damage to tack etc etc.... I think I am a horrible owner for a sharer as I draw up very tight contracts, that can go a wee bit anal.

Cost of shoeing....erm....yeah generally the boundaries of if something goes wrong/is broken who takes responsibility - and where that margin lies. You don't want to get into a situation where if the horse gets kicked in the field owner wants you to pay horse - horse should be insured and you should not get the brunt on that.

Basically, if you are riding and owner has said ' don't go there because it is boggy'...and you go there and horse drowns, you are responsible. Also, 'general wear and tear' of tack - if you leave the bridle outside in the rain and it is ruined you pay...if a rein breaks because it is cracked etc that is a discussion you will have to have.

 

[MooMoo]

ok so is insurance something i would need to talk about? for the horse as well as myself?

 

[Smash]

You can get a lot of blame directed at you.
You can give your heart and soul to the horse and have the owner terminate the loan agreement whenever they like.
If you're a great rider you can vastly increase the worth of a horse which the owner can cash in on by selling him at a standard he would not otherwise have reached.
The owner may do things you completely disagree with re: care etc. You may need to bite your tongue many times.

 

[derbydevil]

Always a good idea to make sure you have rider insurance cover. Mine costs £8 p/mth but it covers me, horse in emergency and 3rd party.

Just make sure you have a good chat with owner and that you both get on well. My owner has become a good friend - i'm very lucky.

 

[birdof1977]

I'm a Sharer, I took out rider's insurance with E & L only cost a few pounds a month, also covers the horse if it has an accident whilst your riding it, plus any of your belongings etc. definetly Worth having, if only for peace of mind.

IMHO I think that as your only sharing, horse insurance should be paid for by the owner and then they should add it to any amount that they charge you if they choose to. At the end of the day, the owner is primarly responsible for any vet fees etc for their animal.

 

[somethingorother]

aside from the things mentioned such as insurance, blame for injury/ illness and who pays for vets and farrier, the main thing i found was that i had to bite my tongue a LOT when it came to how my previous share horses were kept. One lady fed her 22yr old mare HUGE amounts of high energy feed (she's already nutty and stressed) and often put it up in witer without reducing again in summer. She refused to have the dentist out even though the mare was getting food stuck in her cheek and 'quidding' a lot, also showing some discomfort when ridden at times (because the dentist upset her). But it was nothing to do with me because i wasn't owner so i just had to keep schtum.

If you pay towards keep you should have more say though.

 

[MooMoo]

So much to consider! Agg!

One step at a time though i guess. I'll just see how it goes tomorrow. Quite nervous about it but she sounded nice on the phone and dad will be with me to make sure i dont do anything silly...like fall off!

 

[rascal]

Weve had lots of sharers over the years, one last year we had to stop as the rider just couldnt cope, the horse (a moody mare who needs boundries) was literally walking all over her rider and even started biting the riders hubby! This is a horse weve had since weaning and shes NEVER bitten before!
Rider was heartbroken but its not worth ruining a good horse or getting them both killed.

We do insist on rider insurance.
We found one girl riding on the road, no hat, in shorts and trainers!! She didnt last long!
It can work really well but make sure you agree who pays what first.

 

[MooMoo]

[ QUOTE ]

We found one girl riding on the road, no hat, in shorts and trainers!!

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG! Dont worry you wouldnt catch me doing that!

I do wonder what a reasonable amount to pay would be, seeing as i'll be helping out with chores 2/3 times a week. Plus she wants him to have more work. However she did say she's flexible about it for the right person.

 

[luckyhorseshoe]

I don't want to put a dampner on things, but, just wanted to share a few things i've learnt. Always get the owner/rider to ride the horse first, the horse you see isn't always what you hear about on the phone.

I have been sharing recently, but now the owner doesn't want to share anymore as her horse is getting on a bit and a bit grumpy. I respect that its in the horses interest but it doesn't make it any easier, as i've grown so attached to him. I wondered if anyone else had a similar experience? I'm a bit put off sharing now.

 

[MooMoo]

[ QUOTE ]
Always get the owner/rider to ride the horse first

[/ QUOTE ]

Will do. Thank you!

 

[Apalacia01]

It is a minefield - just go through EVERYTHING that you would for a loan agreement (download the BHS one) - that is what I use as the basis of all of my shares, and have never had a problem - and as I said, I can be overbearing.

Do get personal insurance, but I wouldn't recomment E&L - try NFU.

 

[MooMoo]

How about the BHS Gold membership cover, is it any good?

 

[Angua2]

insist on a share agreement!!!! I have been burnt and when little_flea asked me for one I was only too happy to oblige. My new sharers are not so keen on the concept though.

And make sure you have your own rider insurance, the BHS membership would be adequate as that is what I have got.

 

[Fruddy]

[ QUOTE ]
aside from the things mentioned such as insurance, blame for injury/ illness and who pays for vets and farrier, the main thing i found was that i had to bite my tongue a LOT when it came to how my previous share horses were kept. One lady fed her 22yr old mare HUGE amounts of high energy feed (she's already nutty and stressed) and often put it up in witer without reducing again in summer. She refused to have the dentist out even though the mare was getting food stuck in her cheek and 'quidding' a lot, also showing some discomfort when ridden at times (because the dentist upset her). But it was nothing to do with me because i wasn't owner so i just had to keep schtum.

If you pay towards keep you should have more say though.

[/ QUOTE ]

why?? Just because a sharer pays for the privilege of using and riding a horse, does not mean that they have any say whatsoever in how the horse is kept! The animal doesn't belong to them.

 

[MooMoo]

On the other hand they might be doing the owner a favour if it needs more exercise or time than they can give alone.

I wouldnt expect to have say in big decisions but at least be able to give some input and ideas into it.

And i dont intend to "pay for the privilege" i intend to pay a contribution for its upkeep (feed, shoes etc) and i also intend to my a share of the chores.