Honest opinions wanted on possible part loan/share

[Silverglen]

My partner keeps telling me to part loan/share my horse, but I don't think anyone would want to as there are better horses out there. So honest opinions wanted. Oh I did used to have a different username, but changed so if this sounds familiar that's why.

10 year old warmblood gelding
Very good paces in walk, trot and canter, although he is 'difficult' to ride in the sense that his movement is large and a Novice would struggle.
He had ks surgery last year and surgery on both stifles as well and is pretty much out of rehab now. But we haven't tried jumping him yet. He can possibly jump small jumps infrequently, but I wouldnt want him jumping anything high. His jumping is fantastic though, he never refuses.
Hacking is difficult for me as I lack confidence but I really can't see why someone confident couldn't hack him. He's been hacked before by people with confidence and they've had no issues at all. The problem there is me only.
My instructor has been schooling him recently too as I've been struggling with confidence issues (despite him doing literally nothing) and she's had no issues with him.

I don't know if I would ask for money, maybe just a small amount if anything. Any vet bills would be paid for by me obviously, and farrier as he manages to usually pull one off early every month.

Do you think anyone would be interested? I don't because of his medical history. Plus he could go lame permanently at any point because of his stifles, although I guess you could say that about any horse.

What do you think?

 

[ihatework]

If he is generally a nice person to be around and sufficiently sound to hack and do light schoolwork then I expect you will find someone. Be flexible on the money side of things to open up your options.

 

[Silverglen]

He's fine to be around, a bit bolshy sometimes for food, but not aggressive, he just gets excited when he sees his bucket. He's sound to hack and school, the vet says he is more sound than she expected him to ever be and she said the best we could hope for is 80-90% sound.

He is never going to do high levels of dressage now, well its unlikely at least, but he could I think get to novice/elementary probably with a good rider. He doesn't buck or rear either, spooks sometimes but he doesn't bolt away wildly, he is easy to refocus. And he enjoys schooling unlike a lot of horses, poor lad was getting very bored during the beginning of rehab with only walking but never misbehaved.

 

[ihatework]

Someone wanting to do N/E won’t be interested, but a leisure rider might.

 

[HEM]

I think you will find someone! I think as long as you are open and honest there's no reason why you wouldn't find someone, there are plenty of people that just want to school/hack and generally just want to be around horses.

 

[kc921]

Most sharers are looking for something to lightly school and hack out with mostly, so you would be fine.

Considering you are only sharing him out and not selling him, his medical history isn't really relevant as long as you make them aware not to over-do things with him.

 

[Annagain]

All my sharers have only ever hacked my boy and done a bit of schooling if/when they fancy it. I've been happy for them to compete but none of them have been that way inclined. He's not easy either as he can be strong. Your boy sounds very shareable.

 

[meleeka]

A friend has a sharer. Her horse can’t do anything but hack and he’s getting on now too. He’s 16.2hh and she has people asking her all the time if they can be next on the list if sharer gives up. The sharer works part time and has a school age child so it suits her perfectly.

Your boy sounds like somebody could really enjoy him who isn’t overly ambitious.

 

[Silverglen]

Oh no I will never sell him. I might be a useless rider, but I'm at least certain he will be safe and pain free with me. Whereas you never know who you are selling to and if a dodgy dealer gets hold of him, they will sell him as a top showjumper or something and lie about his history. So he is stuck with me. And maybe a sharer. 🙂

 

[Kaylum]

I think if you can get someone who is not just a confident rider but understands how to look after a horse (very difficult to find) you should be ok. After all the worse thing for a horse is going round in circles in the school. You can tell by the questions they ask as to how knowledgeable they are, they should have done their homework on what to ask
Keep a close eye on the situation and the work the horse is asked to do.

 

[Silverglen]

Thank you everyone. Looks like I was wrong but I'm not telling my partner that. Will start looking for a sharer and see if there is anyone willing to take him on for a few days a week. Going to be so weird letting someone else look after him.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think you could find someone most sharers don't really expect to compete a lot of the time.

 

[Pippity]

He sounds very like my first share horse (except she was a decade older), so I wouldn't rule out a novice rider. It took me a good few weeks and a couple of lessons to learn to cope with her enormous trot, but we had a lot of fun once I did! If he'd be happy to do an occasional intro/prelim test, he sounds like exactly what a lot of sharers are looking for.

 

[JulesRules]

I think it's a case of advertising and see where it gets you. Just be prepared to do a lot of vetting of potential sharers.

 

[Silverglen]

He'd be fine doing intro or prelim. I did an online intro test with him in November actually. He has done showing before too just in hand with me but can't see egg he couldn't do ridden.

 

[redapple]

I was the sharer for a very similar sounding mare (big moving warmblood) for about a year and a half until she was retired so it's definitely possible to find a sharer! (she was less sound than your boy too). Just vet carefully and keep an eye on the sharer. My share mare, for example, couldn't trot on hard ground so you had to walk all the roads. I always walked on the roads but i'm also almost 30 and quite sensible and had to explain to quite a few younger riders on the yard that when I said no trotting when were hacking out that didn't mean I could just do a quick trot down the road....! Good sharers do exist

 

[Silverglen]

I was the sharer for a very similar sounding mare (big moving warmblood) for about a year and a half until she was retired so it's definitely possible to find a sharer! (she was less sound than your boy too). Just vet carefully and keep an eye on the sharer. My share mare, for example, couldn't trot on hard ground so you had to walk all the roads. I always walked on the roads but i'm also almost 30 and quite sensible and had to explain to quite a few younger riders on the yard that when I said no trotting when were hacking out that didn't mean I could just do a quick trot down the road....! Good sharers do exist

Oh I know good sharers exist. I just didn't think anyone would be interested in him. I thought people would want a more competitive horse.