Does anyone work in return for rides these days?

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Dovorian

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I've put up ads in the local tack shops etc and so far have only had calls from either totally unsuitable people (one lady had ridden twice on holiday this year and felt ready to do more!!), or some wanted payment for riding and chores!

Where am I going wrong - I'm offering ad lib hacking and occasional competitions on lovely SJ schoolmaster (BSJA) in exchange for poo picking, turn out/bring in, a couple of times a week.

Years ago I would have grabbed such a chance and probably done all the stable work in exchange!!

I'm feeling old I think..........
 
I do! I do I do I do I do!

But they all want money round here - which is a scarce resource for me or I'd have my own horse, and for what some of these people want I practically could!

Also can't be faffed with the whole 'you want to be a sharer, therefore you must automatically be a novice riding school numpty' thing, I'm not saying I'm ready for the Olympics but I'm not totally incompetant...
 
I used to share horses, paying about £20/30 per week and did 2 evenings and a weekend day including all chores. I hit 21 and finally bought my own as my parents felt they weren't going to be responsible for me and horse... and I feel financially able to keep my horse : ) so maybe advertise for a sharer at a small contribution to costs?? I have a sharer for my boy partly as he likes being kept in full work and I am looking to rescue a horse plus I hes started to get used to just me riding, a friend rode him and he didnt like it!Sharer is doing a great job although novicey they seem to look after each other and she has a lesson every other week with YO...just having a ramble...im sure there are ppl who would take you up on your offer!
 
I was doing it up until last year.
I have a feeling you may be too far away though
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I'd not thought of advertising for a sharer as such - I dont want any payment just somebody to love and ride the big orange person! The chance to get a spare pair of hands also seems quite attractive when I thought about it too.
Will do a new ad I think and see what happens.
 
Know what you mean. When I did this with my lovely eventer hoping only for his tack to be wiped over after riding (ie it was always clean to start with) and the odd poo to be picked out of his box when he was all fully done by our groom, seemed I was asking too much!!
 
I tried to find something similar in and around the London area. I had previously ridden internationally and trained with some of the top trainers in the world. After a few years off after injury I put up some adverts to see if any body wanted their horse schooled a couple of days a week for free or in exchange for cleaning out etc. The only responses I had were looking for me to pay quite a bit of money each month and to be frank if I could afford that I would have my own horse! I found it extremely disheartening but I think it is a lot to do with where I live, I have friends further up the country who we regularly sold horses to in the past who would have welcomed it, but with livery fees so high in London I presume a lot of people just need the extra cash that a sharer can bring.
 
TBH I'd always rather work for rides, I like to get hands on with the care anyway as I think that's a really important part of getting to know a horse. I don't mind chipping in for costs when I can it's just that right now I can't.

It's being asked to pay to ride a horse with issues that I object to, which has happened to me before. I'm not going to pay to reschool someone else's horse, thanks all the same....
 
I can't afford the amount people want locally (plus the extra travelling as they're all in the opposite direction of work) to share. I'd jump at the chance to do chores and not ride never mind ride....I miss mucking out (you can tell I've been horseless a year...I've forgotten how much I hated the winter!). I enjoy the care side just as much as the riding.
 
I would love someone to ride two of ours in exchange for some chores, but it's difficult to get people to do it!!!

Same with loaning and sharing!
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