Can’t find a sharer/ part loaner - Is there no demand ?

[Spangles]

Has the demand for a super happy hacking 14.2hh pony completely gone ?
Is it the current financial climate? Is it the unknown re fuel bill increases ?
Or are people just not interested?

Beautiful, fun, safe pony … fabulous off road hacking, full livery so no stable duties, fantastic quiet yard, Berkshire area.

Pony is on all the obvious FB sites plus the ‘Share my pony’ website. Am I missing something? Is it worth advertising on a Horsequest, NFed .. anywhere else ?

 

[Lady Jane]

Could be the contribution you are asking for?

 

[teapot]

Could be cost - depending on what you’re advertising that is.

 

[Spangles]

I have stated would like a contribution but not stated how much. Pony is ridden 5 days a week by our lovely yard managers & groom but would like someone special to spend one to one time and have a lovely bond (current rider is going to Uni).
Seems mist of the ads don’t attract much interest incl equally as smart ponies & horses.
maybe it’s time of year ie summer hols ? ?‍

 

[Lois Lame]

Have you mentioned...

... pony is [currently] ridden 5 days a week by our lovely yard managers & groom but [we] would like someone special to spend one to one time and have a lovely bond (current rider is going to Uni).

... because that sounds really good and might attract the right person.

 

[SO1]

Possible issue may be that most people work and if it is hacking only once the nights start to get dark they will only be able to hack at weekends.

 

[Spangles]

Have you mentioned...


... because that sounds really good and might attract the right person.

yep have said all that, I’ve posted a very detailed ad - I’m just a bit bemused ?‍ I’m not rushing into the first enquiry, can’t be a novice. Are experienced riders interested in hacking only ?

 

[Spangles]

Possible issue may be that most people work and if it is hacking only once the nights start to get dark they will only be able to hack at weekends.

I did consider that so Ive actually said days are flexible and can include weekends. I was told I’d have my hand bitten off prior to advertising but seems peeps are not looking.

 

[Abacus]

It sounds like a great arrangement for the right person. I suppose the limiting factors are that they have to be local to you and only interested in hacking (which most teenagers aren’t), and a 14.2 might rule out many adults due to height/weight. Not saying there are no small adults near you who only want to hack and are willing to pay something, but it’s a limited field and might take you a bit longer to find the right one. Perhaps after the hols are over you might find a local mum who has a bit more breathing space when kids are back at school. Good luck!

 

[Barton Bounty]

If that was in south ayrshire, theres an abundance of people looking for exactly this type ?

 

[Cloball]

I'd bite your hand off, I can only find horses that people want you to bring back in to work, reback for them or aren't safe hacking.

 

[AntiPuck]

I think there is actually a supply issue, at least in my area - my local FB groups (west mids) are flooded with people offering loans and shares, partly due to people going off to uni and partly for financial reasons (it seems).

 

[peanutsmumma]

Im struggling to find someone for my pony too.
Have had some absolute timewasters and then a few that have said they are more capable than what they really are.

My boy is only 12.2 though so its really hard to find someone small enough and capable enough to ride him!

 

[JBM]

I’ve had same problem??‍ Then the people who do message set up a day to meet the horse never show up and then don’t text back ?

 

[BallyJ]

I'm looking and can't find anything in our Area. Will probably end up buying one then finding a sharer and doing it that way.

 

[Glitter's fun]

I think its random luck & can take time. With fuel at current prices you're looking for someone quite local who happens to be the right weight & ability. I know three people here who'd snatch your hand off, we have the opposite problem.
Have you tried the very local things like talk to vet, farrier, physio; card in tack & feed shops?

 

[Glitter's fun]

Is it worth having a "Loan/share available or wanted" thread?

 

[Skib]

I am a sharer. I have always found it very hard to find the right sites to get a share. But Preloved and facebook (local county group) are possibilities. Also, if you say on Facebook that you are looking, it gets passed on and networked via Messages which always defeat me.
I found my current share by Googling horse share and my area. But both my previous share and the current one really came about via my RI.
Leave ads at your local tack shop but also on your yard. OH and I once walked the bridle tracks out in Surrey and called in at the local yards asking about available shares. I was offered a horse the very first morning, but sadly the end felt it was too far to drive. And the tracks were not good.
I cant understand people not turning up to try the horse. Though I had the opposite once. I put on all my riding clothes and went to see the pony advertised. Got there and wasnt allowed to ride as there was no school. I didnt take it further as a good relationship between sharer and owner seems to me vital. This owner didnt want me (except to cover her horsecare in her holidays) and I didnt want to be at her beck and call.
As for trying the horse. Applicants for my current share had to turn up on a particular week end afternoon. One of my worst riding experiences. I was put on another horse and after a bit, the YM whacked him to make sure I could canter. Beggars cant be choosers. I took the horse, he died during my Covid lockdown and I was allocated the mare I had always wanted.
OH's advice is to accept everything, never cause trouble and things will work themselves out.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I am in the same area as you. Had the most luck with preloved for finding suitable sharers that havent come via word of mouth - just have to wait a bit for the ad to become avaliable to non members.

I might be tempted to put up some kind of price though. Full livery normally = expensive so might be putting people off enquiring?

 

[ester]

Yeah I probably wouldn’t follow up on an advert without a price guidance if the horse was on full.
I think it mostly does require the right person in the right place.

I love hacking and would happily do a hack only share but going into winter that would get tricky as I wouldn’t want to be there both weekend days but that would be the only days I had with daylight.

current share was actually a no hacking one, I started about this time last year and was only going to be for 6 months and so that rather suited as daylight time limited anyway (as a result of him I’ve picked up hacking on others anyway).

 

[maya2008]

If you are only offering hacking, you need a mum with kids at school who doesn’t work/works part time so they can be around during the day in the working week. Or a uni student if you are close to any universities. Both of those will be uninterested at the moment due to the summer holidays. You will probably have more luck in September.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I would also give a ballpark on what contribustion you want. I went to try a horse for share when I had just lost my boy, I asked what contribution they wanted and they said negotiable, I pushed for an answer as I said I was saving for a house and didn't have a large budget (plus the drive to the yard was about 30 mins) they said just come and try and then we can chat about it. I stupidly did just that and then once I had done they said they wanted just under £300pcm. I said thankyou, I understand he is on part livery and he is absolutely worth that as he is lovely, but it's above my means right now. They then said 'I have spoken to YO and she thinks it's justified'.. I said, it is.. just not for me right now.

Complete waste of a day for both of us that could have been avoided.

Other than that your pony sounds lovely, I would wait it out if you can.. people might be worried about costs right now, or as Maya says, may not be looking as on summer hols. August tends to be a busy month for a lot of people.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I found most riders on Preloved or an advert in my local tack shop.

 

[Snowfilly]

I think you need to get a price on there. Budget concerns are hitting hard for a lot of people, and I always assume anything without a price is too much!

 

[Zoeypxo]

I advertised a horse for share/ part loan on preloved and had someone the next day for her. You get alot of numpties on facebook

 

[Zoeypxo]

I advertised a horse for share/ part loan on preloved and had someone the next day for her. You get alot of numpties on facebook

i didnt put a price, i just put half of full livery and half of her shoeing every 8 weeks

 

[staffylover]

I've found my sharers almost all by putting an ad on Horsemart. I agree that it would be good to state what financial contribution you are asking for, so people know where they stand. I haven't had many replies to the ad I put up this year - maybe 4 or 5 replies whereas 3 years ago I had at least 12 replies. I've been lucky enough to find some super sharers through Horsemart, including my current sharer who answered my ad in about May.

 

[PeterNatt]

I put adverts up for sharers in the local feed merchants/tack shops. Mine are 14.2 as well.

 

[stangs]

i didnt put a price, i just put half of full livery and half of her shoeing every 8 weeks

This might be the issue. If the cost of full livery in Berkshire is anything like it is here, that's going to be way more per day than sharers normally consider. Personally, when I'm looking for a share horse, I like to be told an exact number of days that the horse will be available for, and how much per day (generally, nothing more than 20 quid).

I use preloved to find horses. There's also quite a few wanted ads on there, that you could write to.

Having said that though, there does seem to be a weird sort of situation going on as regards share horses. I've just started looking again, and can't find anything suitable. But a friend, who's recently put hers up for share, can't find a sharer either!

 

[SO1]

For me that would be 450 a month for the 2 days a week which would have to be weekends only as I would not be able to hack after work in the winter. It would just not be worth it.

Depending on where you are I might be within the catchment area and am the correct size for a 14.2 but £450 a month for 2 rides a week not worth it.

i didnt put a price, i just put half of full livery and half of her shoeing every 8 weeks