For all those who have hired or hire hirelings!!

[icklemadame]

Just out of interest... I've got several lovely little hunting ponies that take children out very regularly and have now been requested as hirelings, and I was just wanting to pick peoples brains really - how does the insurance work? and what about 'vetting' peoples riding ability etc and picking them the correct horse/pony - at the moment the children that hunt my ponies are the ones I teach so I already know their needs & ability, but how does this work on a normal hireling yard? Any ideas & comments would be most appreciated!! This is only an idea at the moment!! Thank you guys!! xx

 

[JenHunt]

my friend runs hirelings out. the horses are all covered on her insurance for injury, loss of use etc etc.

it is the responsibility of the person hiring the horse to sort out their own personal insurance. she makes sure that hiring the horse is at your own risk, although she takes every opportunity to assess the horse/rider combo before they take the horse out.

if she doesn't know how the person rides then she asks them to go, meet her, meet the horses and try a couple before the day. And then she always hunts until the last person is ready to go home on a sensible, easy to ride little cob, just in case the horse is too much for the rider.

 

[MrWoof]

Just out of interest... I've got several lovely little hunting ponies that take children out very regularly and have now been requested as hirelings, and I was just wanting to pick peoples brains really - how does the insurance work? and what about 'vetting' peoples riding ability etc and picking them the correct horse/pony - at the moment the children that hunt my ponies are the ones I teach so I already know their needs & ability, but how does this work on a normal hireling yard? Any ideas & comments would be most appreciated!! This is only an idea at the moment!! Thank you guys!! xx

You are obviously insured to teach, so just speak to some-one at your Insurance Company.
As to who is capable, or not, that is your decision - ask any hireling yard. Google some and talk to them.
I have a friend with hirelings - and people she has never even seen before turn up at the Meet and sit on her (very safe and reliable) horses.
Years ago, if I had a lame neddie, she used to put one on the lorry for me and we were introduced at the Meet. However, I did say to her one day "could you not have found something slightly smaller?" - me being 5 foot 1 inch and the neddie being 16.3!!
For the last six years, due to my geriatric (and now late) parents' needs and my health problems, I have been horseless and always hunt the same fellow from her yard - all season. Horses for Courses - use your own judgement really - you know your 4-legged people better than anyone.

 

[icklemadame]

Thank you for your replies - my idea, as it would basically be providing hirelings for children, would mean I would have to see them ride the ponies first I think and decide whether they are going to be ok and that child and pony are suited. It would therefore also mean the parents got to see the child ride the pony before he or she hunts it, and decide whether they are also happy with the arrangement.

I will look into the insurance - its such a scary grey area that I always worry what I am and am not insured for doing - but I obviously want to be covered if someone fell off a pony and injured themselves etc, as well as if one of my ponies went lame... and I presume for hunting this would be greater than my normal instructor insurance.

Onto the next sticky topic-prices? Anyone got any ideas? I know what it vaguely costs in my area for a normal hireling, but I have no idea what a 'childs hireling' may cost - at the end of the day I'm not providing glamorous 16.3hh floaty hunters, but reliable chunky ponies (who never the less give a fabulous days hunting and will jump as much as the big boys!!)

Thank you again!! xx

 

[MrWoof]

Thank you for your replies - my idea, as it would basically be providing hirelings for children, would mean I would have to see them ride the ponies first I think and decide whether they are going to be ok and that child and pony are suited. It would therefore also mean the parents got to see the child ride the pony before he or she hunts it, and decide whether they are also happy with the arrangement.

I will look into the insurance - its such a scary grey area that I always worry what I am and am not insured for doing - but I obviously want to be covered if someone fell off a pony and injured themselves etc, as well as if one of my ponies went lame... and I presume for hunting this would be greater than my normal instructor insurance.

Onto the next sticky topic-prices? Anyone got any ideas? I know what it vaguely costs in my area for a normal hireling, but I have no idea what a 'childs hireling' may cost - at the end of the day I'm not providing glamorous 16.3hh floaty hunters, but reliable chunky ponies (who never the less give a fabulous days hunting and will jump as much as the big boys!!)

Thank you again!! xx

Check what your Insurance Premiums are going to be before you set a price! Your ponies are worth their weight in platinum - so please do not say they are not glamorous etc.
I don't know of anybody who hires out "ponies" and there could well be a serious market for them out there. However, it makes total sense that if there are adults wanting hirelings, there are children as well. I will PM you with the telephone number of someone to whom you can have a sensible natter. Best regards.

 

[JenHunt]

Onto the next sticky topic-prices? Anyone got any ideas? I know what it vaguely costs in my area for a normal hireling, but I have no idea what a 'childs hireling' may cost - at the end of the day I'm not providing glamorous 16.3hh floaty hunters, but reliable chunky ponies (who never the less give a fabulous days hunting and will jump as much as the big boys!!)

My friend charge £50 per pony, and £120 for horses.... none of them are particularly flashy floaty hunters. they are solid, reliable, sensible sorts, with a good engine and brakes.

You don't need much else. If your ponies are good hunters, and it sounds like they are, I would expect to be asking in the region of £50, but maybe include in that the half hour or so lesson that the child gets before you take them out.

 

[spacefaer]

There is a riding school near Tewkesbury Glos which does pony hirelings. It might well be worth talking to them? think they're in the village of Twyning.

 

[vallin]

Sorry to hijack your post, but no of you know anyone that does hireling in the staffs area do you? (tried Endon, the Allmans and Top Farm) Taa Vx

 

[icklemadame]

Thank you everyone for your replies!!
Prices I guess I've got to factor in the trying out session, the diesel to get them to and from the meet, the pony for the day and me supervising for the day (as obviously with children they are supposed to have an adult responsible for them with them all day).
Also, if you have more than one hireling out and one decides to call it a day what is the normal procedure? (I've only ever taken out 1/2 at a time when I've taken children out - and I've never had one that wants to go home early!!)
I'm quite excited about my idea - its been in the back of my head for a while, as I as well as being a 'normal' riding teacher also teach all of the kids to 'ride to hunt' - I have hunt rails, hedges and ditches at my disposal, and I take out jumping rides so the children learn about manners, etiquette, orders (headland please, lining out, what to look for etc) as well as how to cross country safely and quickly - all the children I take out hunting with me at the moment happily jump 3ft rails and 4ft hedges in cold blood on sunny mornings in June, so by the time they're hunting with me in November behind a driving pack of hounds they'll follow me over anything, as will the little fluffy ponies they're riding!! So the hireling idea seems a natural progression

 

[MrWoof]

Thank you everyone for your replies!!
Prices I guess I've got to factor in the trying out session, the diesel to get them to and from the meet, the pony for the day and me supervising for the day (as obviously with children they are supposed to have an adult responsible for them with them all day).
Also, if you have more than one hireling out and one decides to call it a day what is the normal procedure? (I've only ever taken out 1/2 at a time when I've taken children out - and I've never had one that wants to go home early!!)
I'm quite excited about my idea - its been in the back of my head for a while, as I as well as being a 'normal' riding teacher also teach all of the kids to 'ride to hunt' - I have hunt rails, hedges and ditches at my disposal, and I take out jumping rides so the children learn about manners, etiquette, orders (headland please, lining out, what to look for etc) as well as how to cross country safely and quickly - all the children I take out hunting with me at the moment happily jump 3ft rails and 4ft hedges in cold blood on sunny mornings in June, so by the time they're hunting with me in November behind a driving pack of hounds they'll follow me over anything, as will the little fluffy ponies they're riding!! So the hireling idea seems a natural progression

Sounds like your ponies are brilliant little hunting people - so why should hiring a Pony be any cheaper than hiring a Horse? They are out for the same amount of time, cost the same to get to a Meet, etc. There are children who go out with us who keep up all the time - even giving adults on youngsters "a lead" over some fences! Stipulate that if they come out with you - then they say Good Night at the same time as you. Parents can follow in their vehicle if they wish to do so. Have fun.

 

[icklemadame]

My ponies do give a cracking days hunting and regularly them and the children up on them have reason to make me very very proud

I guess I could do 2 prices - if a parent wants to be the 'responsible adult' and ride with the child then the charge could be less, however if I've got to provide the service of 'responsible adult' as well as provide the pony then I suppose it ought to be more - either way I would always ride with them but having a parent on board as well would mean less stress on my behalf!!

Plus I could I suppose also provide what I provide for my riding school kids - basically hunting training - so if they want to have a go but are nervous about the jumping/rules/etiquette etc etc then I could take them out on 'jumping rides' a couple of times beforehand until they feel they're ready...

 

[icklemadame]

I've emailed a few hireling yards that say they have a variety of sizes to get an idea of prices, and to see if there is any price difference between a larger one and a smaller one!! I'm going to talk to our secretary as well in a minute and see what she thinks of my idea!!