Hmm, time to move on?

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niaismyname

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At the moment I share a wonderful 14.2 cob, who is basically a family pony sorta allrounder, doesn't jump amazingly high (not that i do either!), works in an outline eventually, but is really genuine and honest
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I've shared/part loaned him for almost 10 months now, and have been having a think.

I want to event, in the future, hopefully before I grow up etc and things (i'm currently 15), and I know as I only share him, I won't have as many oppurtunities, as he's ridden by his owner and one of her daughter's as well as me. So I was thinking about starting to look (not properly yet, just keeping my eye out) for a full loan, next year. Although, none of my family apart from me are horsey (and my sister, although she's not exactly a helping hand), and i'm worried i'll struggle to look after a horse by myself.

Although, I don't want to leave my share pony behind. His owners often offer me the chance to go to little local shows every now and then, and they are becoming almost family friends to me & my family now. Although I think I might be growing out of him (in height and experience) soon.

I'd only be able to have a horse on full loan for a max of 1-2 years, as i'll be going to Uni in a few years, but I want to make the most of the time I have left at home - free!

This is such a long post, and I don't even know if theres any point to it, but do you think I ought to progress - despite the fact i'm not particularly experienced in owning a horse etc - or stick with my share pony for as long as possible?

Also, how did you all know when it was the right time to progress onto a horse of your own? & how did you cope at first?

Thanks, cookies if you read it all! xxx
 
As you would be on your own caring for the horse, you need to think about where you would keep it and how much help you would get from the yard. How do your parents feel about paying the full costs for a horse of your own? Have you got time everyday to see to the horse in the morning before school and again after school (including the dark winter evenings!).

If you want to progress further than your current loan pony can take you then consider the above and then go for it. If you are loaning you can always have a month's trial before commiting to a year long contract.

Also people who loan a horse to you will want to know that you are capable of caring for it and paying for it. As you are under 18 they will probably need to deal with your parents with regards the contract etc.

Good luck
 
How much riding/ looking after do you currently do each week?

If your parents are happy to pay for and help with transport when needed then I don't know why you shouldn't go for it.

They take loads of time up and it does mean early mornings before school, but if you could get buses from yard to school/ back again then it's possible and it's a great experience.

Best thing is to talk over with parents and your share owners and they will probably support you.
 
Thanks everyone,
i've already spoken briefly to my parents about it - and as long as i'm responsible and understand what its all about, and dont nag them for money for anything else (haha), it should be okay on the money side of it all. But, one problem is that I wouldn't be able to go up in the mornings - it takes me an hour to get from school every morning, door to door, and im waking up at 6ish anyway - it just wouldnt be possible. So i'd have to find a livery yard which does part livery, who could do the horse in the morning for me. Although this may be more expensive :/

And, JVB i ride about 2/3 times a week at the moment, no more than that, sometimes its only once depending whats happening.
 
Well if you can't get up in a morning then you would only need turn out from part livery so not too expensive, or find somewhere that does grass livery so you only need to go once a day, and look for a good doer that will be easy to take care of.

Plus at 15 you could look to get a part time job in a year or so, I did this and it paid for shows and clothes and seeing friends sometimes, but to be honest once you have a horse, you only ever want to do horsey things anyway!

maybe speak to the owner and see if you could do more of the stable work, maybe see if they would let you have a go at doing everything on your own for a week so you get more of a feel for it?
 
Hiya,

I was in a very similar situation to you only a few months ago. I was part way through year 12 (so 17) and had been sharing a pony for about 2.5 years. I was really struggling to learn much more with her because she refused to school and wouldn't jump (due to her being mollycoddled a lot and being 23 she was unlikely to change her ways) and I really wanted to improve. I decided to go ahead and loan a schoolmistress, funding everything myself with no support from my family, only my horsey friends.

I can tell you now, it is HARD and unfortunately it didn't work out for me because the horse I loaned had had an operation and although she was "sound", when she was brought back into more regular work she couldn't cope (and I'm talking gentle hacking). It didn't help there was an incident in her field involving 200 sheep, the most terrifying animals in the world according to her escaping into it making her very lame after she galloped about for about 5 hours. I sent her back to her owner as this occurred only 3 weeks after I got her, having ridden her maybe 5 times in total walking and trotting.

I think that I did the right thing, if you intend to go to university, believe me when I say your life in school will become busier and busier. But I am now back to sharing a different horse that I can do more with and I am far happier than I think I would be if I still had full responisbility for a lame mare with little chance of coming back into work.

If you want to do it, go ahead, it is great and so rewarding to have more freedom to care for the horse in your own way. But keep in mind it gets harder, especially if you have such a long commute, in the winter how would you cope with riding after school?
 
You wouldnt need part livery. When i was still at school i had an arrangement so that another livery turned my horse out for me and i brought hers in after school. worked really well! now i pay £2 a day for my horse to be fed, rugged and turned out, then after school, or work as it is now i go up, muck out and ride. I think you should go for it though as it does sound like you are ready for one of your own, providing you know the ins and outs of shoeing, worming, stable management etc etc that you may not have had to do if you've only shared before. saying that i was your age and went from sharing to full loan without horsey parents help
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im a complete hypocrite though as amazing though my pony is ive completely outgrown his ability and really want to move on and get a decent size youngster instead of a little old pony, but i love him too much so i cant bring myself to do it!!lol!!
 
Ah thank you everyone, this has really helped
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Definately going to consider it now, will just have to weigh it all up and see what yards are offering near me before i think about anything else, thankyou! xx
 
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