miss_c
Well-Known Member
I am umm'ing and ahh'ing about getting a new sharer for Genie. My friend who was sharing Genie finished sharing her a few months ago and has just bought her own lovely looking horse. In the meantime I have had no sharer but am beginning to think about winter when I start work early, finish work late, and have a sharer just makes that little extra difference when I can finish work at 9ish and just flop for an hour before bed having been up since 5 - I'm sure loads of you know that feeling!
I don't doubt that people would want to share Genie - she's a cracking mare if I say so myself and a fabulous allrounder (albeit not a novice ride as she is very forward - you grip up slightly with your legs and she will go), however I am finding it hard to come back to the idea of somebody else riding her, especially as I would be fairly restrictive as to what they would do, bringing about potential trust issues.
I would want somebody for 2 or 3 nights a week, MUST be certain weekdays due to my work schedule. I would only want them to do flatwork schooling and steady hacking which is where the main problems would arrive - I do not trot on the roads if it can be avoided and it's rare I will judge the ground to be soft enough for a canter round where we are, while others on the yard will happily canter on surfaces I would not trot on. I know I would go mental if I found that somebody did that with her. The same goes for jumping as I do not like her overjumped and definately not on hard ground - again I have differing opinions on what constitutes hard ground to others on the yard!
Finally whoever shared her would have to be competent enough to bring in my 2 year old as well. They wouldn't be expected to muck out or bed down, but if I am having someone ride Genie I would need them to put Titchy to bed in the winter as well.
So should I or shouldn't I?! Genie is an extremely special mare to me for personal reasons after what happened just before I bought her, and I would not stand for anybody potentially doing something that could harm her. I wouldn't really want somebody until the end of the summer as I worry about somebody having her for the summer and then come winter saying 'bye bye'! However I know this is a risk I run with any sharer!!
Maybe I'm just not cut out for having a sharer...
Congratulations to anybody who got this far. Please help me decide!
I don't doubt that people would want to share Genie - she's a cracking mare if I say so myself and a fabulous allrounder (albeit not a novice ride as she is very forward - you grip up slightly with your legs and she will go), however I am finding it hard to come back to the idea of somebody else riding her, especially as I would be fairly restrictive as to what they would do, bringing about potential trust issues.
I would want somebody for 2 or 3 nights a week, MUST be certain weekdays due to my work schedule. I would only want them to do flatwork schooling and steady hacking which is where the main problems would arrive - I do not trot on the roads if it can be avoided and it's rare I will judge the ground to be soft enough for a canter round where we are, while others on the yard will happily canter on surfaces I would not trot on. I know I would go mental if I found that somebody did that with her. The same goes for jumping as I do not like her overjumped and definately not on hard ground - again I have differing opinions on what constitutes hard ground to others on the yard!
Finally whoever shared her would have to be competent enough to bring in my 2 year old as well. They wouldn't be expected to muck out or bed down, but if I am having someone ride Genie I would need them to put Titchy to bed in the winter as well.
So should I or shouldn't I?! Genie is an extremely special mare to me for personal reasons after what happened just before I bought her, and I would not stand for anybody potentially doing something that could harm her. I wouldn't really want somebody until the end of the summer as I worry about somebody having her for the summer and then come winter saying 'bye bye'! However I know this is a risk I run with any sharer!!
Maybe I'm just not cut out for having a sharer...
Congratulations to anybody who got this far. Please help me decide!
