Finding Sharers---why is it so hard!!??!!??

spogface

Member
Joined
13 March 2008
Messages
26
Visit site
This is a rant really!!!
I have three fantastic horses (well 2 horses and one pony).
Trying to find somebody that wants to ride them is hard work. I have had a few people that have realised that having a horse is not all the luxury they thought it would be and at the first mention of poo picking the field have disappeared in a cloud of dust. Let alone when it is raining. I do not even ask for financial contributions!!!!
My horses are not difficult and are easy to ride!!!!
 
I'm on the other side as a sharer - I find finding the horses hard! However sharing for me is because I haven't got the time or money to own/full loan and this is the closest I get to owning my horse. I want to get involved in the care and I go down whatever the weather. People are out there and sharing is never easy. You just have to keep looking.
 
I`ll join you on that! Advertised for my two girls,highland and Irish cob,both of them sane and kind.Well,lovely lady for the cob,no probs,quite happy with a fiver a week toward shoeing and paying the Toll Ride fee for herself.She said she was novice,though in fact she is confident and able in my opinion.Then I THOUGHT I had a super girl,in her twenties ,for the highland.Being a highland she needs a lomger girth this time of year..£20.00,then her feet needed trimming (barefoot) £30.00....she took her for an in hand walk last week;because thirty big motorcycles appeared from nowhere and the mare pranced a bit,she now does`nt dare ride this paragon.Thought "!she might bolt" FFS, highlands ,well mine anyway,could`nt rouse the energy to bolt.:mad:
Just so so annoying . You really would think the chance of miles of forest riding on safe horses would be grabbed would`nt you?:confused:
 
I would love to find a horse to share but no luck yet. I have no issue with doing my fair share and happy to contribute financially but when most people I have come across so far want someone to bring on there youngsters when they are struggling rather than just time issues ect.

Will keep looking
 
I`ll join you on that! Advertised for my two girls,highland and Irish cob,both of them sane and kind.Well,lovely lady for the cob,no probs,quite happy with a fiver a week toward shoeing and paying the Toll Ride fee for herself.She said she was novice,though in fact she is confident and able in my opinion.Then I THOUGHT I had a super girl,in her twenties ,for the highland.Being a highland she needs a lomger girth this time of year..£20.00,then her feet needed trimming (barefoot) £30.00....she took her for an in hand walk last week;because thirty big motorcycles appeared from nowhere and the mare pranced a bit,she now does`nt dare ride this paragon.Thought "!she might bolt" FFS, highlands ,well mine anyway,could`nt rouse the energy to bolt.:mad:
Just so so annoying . You really would think the chance of miles of forest riding on safe horses would be grabbed would`nt you?:confused:

I would think so as well---I too have a Highland---mine would not know the meaning of the word bolt. To much energy would be used in the process and that time could be constructively used eating!!!!
 
I would love to find a horse to share but no luck yet. I have no issue with doing my fair share and happy to contribute financially but when most people I have come across so far want someone to bring on there youngsters when they are struggling rather than just time issues ect.

Will keep looking

Where are you from? Mine are waiting!!!
 
On the other side and struggle to find a horse to share. The problem I find is the majority are green or youngsters and owners don't have enough time to bring them on so need someone experienced to help out. Or the ones that fit the bill are 45 mins+ drive away so too far! Did manage to find the perfect share but the pony's injured and off work for the foreseeable future and while I've considered loaning, (again, only seems to be mainly youngsters or horses that have to stay at present yard) I haven't found anything suitable!
 
When i was looking for a share i only found either youngsters that need bringing on and schooling and the owner asking for £30+pw contribution, for the privilage of schooling their horse for them :rolleyes: or absolute psychos that the owner would be scared to even turn out so the thing has been stuck in its stable. I leant the hard way, one horse i schooled got ready to show etc, i turn up with newly bought show stuff ready to compete, the owner says, 'oh sorry i forgot to ring you last night, he's sold, but you can help clear out his stable if you want'. And my other one was a tb, the owner was scared off, she worked out that if he's fat he keeps calm, so he was obese, i got him fit, jumping, working correctly, the fitter he got the more dangerous he got, i had to give up after i got decked 5 times in one session and was finding it hard to stand up straight. so this is my experience of sharing :(
 
Apart from local tack shops where is the best place to advertise for a sharer as I am also looking for someone now but can't work out where to find someone?!
 
tried everywhere to get sharers for my two, but no good, easy to do cobs who are forward but sane (only have 1 now) I had one brilliant girl who shared one for 18 months but gave up to buy her own and since her have a few applicants but no real interest, I have given up now
 
I know what you mean... I am looking for a sharer for my sensible TB... well schooled, good to hack, very loving with good ground manners and possibility chance to compete for the right person and all I have got is novice inquires so far and I am thinking I really don`t want to have to re school him everytime I ride or get a sharer who gives up in a month because they need a riding school horse!! :(
 
:eek: where are you people??? i would love to help/share a horse ..i don't even mind not riding.. I just miss horses :(
 
Only my personal experience but I found that any sharers that came my way always made out that their riding ability was miles better than it ever was or they were teenagers who despite me saying you would need your own transport, seemed to think I would pick them up from 30 miles away.....
My girl who I advertised is a steady but strong ID who has hunted, evented, done endurance etc etc. hacks alone, all the usual.
but I always ended up with people who said they had xxx years experience but never mentioned that it was xxx years experience of going to a riding school once a week for a one hour hack!!!!

I would love someone to hack one of mine out but dare not advertise!!!!
 
I must be pretty lucky.

I've shared 3 horses over the years, have found each of them fairly quickly (my current one before I'd even moved to the area) and with a few compromises they have all been exactly what I've wanted. And, as far as I know, I have been able to offer the owners what they needed too.

It must be so difficult as an owner to share your horse, I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it, unless it came to very desperate times. I'm too much of a control freak!

I've never asked any of the owners about how they found me or about previous sharers/enquirers, that might be an interesting conversation...

I guess it's something you cannot force, keep advertising (I check all free online ads when I have been looking, maybe also local riding schools where you'll find people who are ready for the next step?) and someone may just come along, but prehaps best not to hold your breath?
 
I wouldn't mind having a sharer for my mare (sharer can also 'play ponies' with the filly if they so wish... just that I 'live in the wrong part of the country'!! Always too far from anyone.. oh well..
I'm North Dorset if anyone wants a ride on my mare... << is that advertising? Hope not, not intentional!!
 
I tend to look on preloved and equine adverts but doesn't seem to be anything around Northampton at the moment.
Always seems to be a mismatch of horses and riders. Posters on here saying all they can find are youngsters needing bringing on which would be just what I like yet all I can find are nice steady eddy types.:(
 
We have been sharing for my daughter for 4 years now (on her 2nd share now, she keeps growing!!). I have always thought it must be hard to find someone who would do your own horse as well as you would. Having said that I have also turned down a couple of share offers as the horse was not looked after as well as I feel is necessary.

We found our pony share through my reading an ad in a tack shop and then (when my daughter needed a horse) me putting an ad in said local tack shop :).

Good Luck. I guess it's a bit like relationships....you never know what may be round the corner ;)
 
Just somebody to exercise them would be good---when I am at work!!!!!

You have absolutely no idea how long and hard I was looking for someone like you a couple of months ago! Just to help someone in exercising their horse(s) was all I was after and field picking wouldn't have been an issue at all.

I was on the verge of giving up as nobody wanted someone like me, they all wanted full time sharers and loaners - then I came on here and asked and I was incredibly lucky to have a lady contact me and she only lives 20 mins away! Iv been helping her for almost 2 months now every weekend:D

Don't give up, trust me there will be someone who is after exactly what your offering, maybe put up an add on here advertising where your are and what your looking for?

It worked for me:p


See:
cd2ad80e.jpg
 
Last edited:
I am having similar problems and my 14.1 pony is a county ridden champion, no less! No contribution required, no poo picking, and I'll even chauffeur to local shows and pay expenses.

He's a perfectly behaved 13yo Highland stallion. All I ask is that the sharer is proficient and reliable. The last rider was excellent, but turning up once a fortnight doesn't get a horse fit, does it? The next one didn't even manage that. I did finally find someone but was paying a small fortune for the privilege, so that couldn't last.

The downside is that I'm in the Highlands.... I've even considered offering a free holiday in return for help. <sigh>

joeatshow2.jpg

Josethdene2-1.jpg
 
The downside is that I'm in the Highlands.... I've even considered offering a free holiday in return for help. <sigh>

He's gorgeous. I'd ride him for a free holiday!

There are websites like WorkAway.info that advertise to people willing to work in exchange for accomodation. Obviously there are downsides to this and not suitable for everyone but it could be a solution for some.
 
I too can't find anyone or any two :/ been trying for months to either loan or share, one a cracking bomb proof oldie and one just backed with option to show etc. Thought I had found ideal person for the young one but after discovering something awful am glad it didn't work out.
Have advertised everywhere and all I got was a very young girl who needed a chaperone (which is what I can't do hence the fact I need sharers!)
 
I've got this problem too! But it's finding a rider...not even a sharer - no chores, no financial contribution, all they would be required to do is ride!
BUT I am guessing my issue is the pony in question is my 5 year old sons 11.2 welsh section a mare. Bought her last Nov pretty much untouched (at least for past few years, just been turned away to churn out foals with people who didn't know a horse from a donkey!) and have got her to the stage where she happily hacks out off the lead rein with my boy. She is very very green off lead rein so needs someone very experienced with breaking ponies from scratch. I would love to bring her on myself but at 5'8 and just over 10st im way too big :( have advertised but all I've got is young kids who don't have the right experience!
A tiny adult would be my ideal, or a sensible teen who had grown up with horses and had backed, broken, schooled on other ponies. I think I may be asking the impossible :

Kim
 
Someone really needs to get a good sharing website on the go. So many people from both sides of the coin are looking but no one ever seems to be able to contact the right people.
 
Perhaps when I get some free time I might look in to that.
Just about to advertise on preloved and equineadverts for horse to ride in northampton area again :o
 
It is a shame you aren't near Leicester Paddymonty i have a lovely 17 hand gelding who has won over £200 BS, won CT, Dressage etc.

I can't find anyone for him, i am on a lovely yard, miles of off road hacking, i can't ride so they can ride as often as they like. Don't have to go to yard every day, Everything is provided. Can go to as many shows as they like, hunt etc. The only person who did reply had only just learnt to ride! All want is for someone to contribute towards his keep and pay for his shoeing! I would have thought it would have been ideal but clearly not!
 
It is a shame you aren't near Leicester Paddymonty i have a lovely 17 hand gelding who has won over £200 BS, won CT, Dressage etc.
Story of my life.
The horse I've just started competing for someone is based in south leicestershire but I dont ride her apart from at comps which I think will be ok if not ideal.
 
Top