Horse share options

[Riding2020]

Just found out I’m pregnant with my first. I never understood how a pet or hobby could come second place when peoples lives changed geared towards kids. But now I get it.
Where I’d be up at the yard 5/6 days a week when work allowed.

Had my horse on full livery while I moved back to London area and started back at work and work being busy. But hoped to go down to assisted DIY when I had everything organised and settling with work schedule etc.

Well now, bam. I’m (not planned) pregnant.
Not only am I trying / planning to do over time so I can get extra savings together for this impending future life change. The complete throw on how I feel. Morning sickness etc has left me not being able to go up for days.
I love my boy to bits but this shift in life has happened and I need to conserve my energy for work.
Here’s my predicament. When I’m towards the end of the pregnancy I’ll be moving down to the West Country and if I still have my horse, him with me. But right now I definitely can’t move onto DIY and keeping him on full livery will break me financially with all else I have going on. Or I would feel extremely guilty not making use of him as much as I was and churning out that expense.

For a brief moment I thought about selling him.

Now I’m considering loan options for the next 6 months while I’m still based in the London area.

To move him on to DIY at the yard he’s at is £260 a month. That’s doable for me even though won’t get daily pleasure of him as I need to put my energies elsewhere more so now.

How does a loan situation work?
If I pay his DIY costs, do I see if a loaner will do chores daily to ride him 4 times a week for example? No financial contribution.

Or really is it more they only do chores on the day they ride?

For me I can’t commit to chores and that’s why full livery worked for me as work was demanding and now I need to add to my load work wise to save for the future and I’m a good 40mins from where he is each way.

Not sure what kind of loan situation I can work out where his chores are done daily but to get him off full livery.

And what’s fair for a loaner.

I imagine I would only be able to get up there 2/3days a week max. And generally I’m really flexible about when a loaner wants to ride or spend time with him. They could ride him everyday if they liked.

I know other loan situations are a bit more regimented.

Any input / advise would be gratefully received.


Thanks

 

[HashRouge]

You are describing a share or part-loan scenario and usually what happens is that the sharer will have set days of the week where they are responsible for the horse. That will usually include riding and doing the jobs. I'm confident you would find someone keen to share your horse for the scenario you describe (i.e. chores and riding 4 days a week plus no financial contribution) but in your shoes I'd be tempted to ask for a financial contribution (say £100 a month?). That is fairly normal in a share situation and I think it helps weed out dreamers and joy riders a little bit. That said, if you found someone you really liked but they couldn't afford a financial contribution, you could rethink. I'd pop an ad on your local Facebook group and/ or Preloved and see what comes up. The only thing you need to remember is that finding the right sharer can take some time (though you may get lucky!) so I'd advertise asap.

If you were near me I'd be asking for a phone number btw, sounds like a great deal for a sharer!!

 

[Shay]

He's your horse so its up to you what sitaution you want for him. Most commonly in a "loan" the loaner takes the horse full time with sole responsibilty for all care, bills etc. Effectively thier horse in all but name. Short of that you get a "share" (some will say part loan - although that may imply a different financial commitment). Your horse some of the time, thier horse some of the time. You have more say over where he is kept, how he is kept etc.

Most commonly a share or part loan would only do chores on the days they ride. But a financial contribution is often also needed. It may be that you might find someone willing to do all chores every day and still leave you to ride a couple of times a week. You are placing massive trust in that person though. Especially on a DIY yard - you would not necessarily see a problem emerging and they would have no insurance or anything like that to protect you in the way a professional groom would.

There are truly excellent sharers out there. But there are also many more with whom the relationship is fraught. Not least because we love our horses - its a bit like sharing a spouse in some ways! Both parties love the middle one to bits and the relationship can become difficult.

Ultimately - set the parameters you want - either someone suitable will answer the ad or they won't. But do be prepared for a lot that are not suitable, don't have the experience you need, weigh more than you want etc. Having been involved for over 10 years in various forms of shares for DD's outgrown ponies I have found that requiring a finacial contribution helps focus the mind and weed out the worst of the joy riders / timewasters. You might find you can charge enough to cover full livery on the days the sharer is not there - or indeed to cover full livery alltogether for some days which gives you the back up of professional care for him.

Always have a back up plan. Sharers can disappear without notice - or become unreliable and need to be cancelled by you. You need to have a plan for what you will do in that instance.

And finally - always have a contract. Contracts keep freinds!

 

[Skib]

I am a London area sharer. Share horses are hard to find. You should have no trouble in finding a sharer or possibly two to share your horse, keeping him on full livery with the sharer payng the cost of a day's upkeep (possibly plus contribution to shoeing and insurance).
You could ask YO and network with other liveries to see if they know anyone, as well as advertising and asking through a facebook group.
And yes, a BHS style contract is vital.

 

[Riding2020]

Thanks.
Someone suggested £150 a month for two days a week? With up to 2 sharers on board?
More or less £ per month?
His full livery is just under £600 and then there’s his monthly insurance and shoes I pay out for.
No chores. As horse will stay on full livery. And they can choose set days or it can be flexible and we decide or see how that goes.
And to check they have some sort of riders insurance?
Ideally would prefer riders that were going to improve his skill. So will advertise for competent horse riders no novices as he can plant / nap here and there with a complete novice.
What’s your thoughts?
Thanks

 

[Evie91]

I currently share a horse - work commitments mean full time ownership is just too much. I’ve shared various horses over the years. In recent years I‘ve only shared those on full livery, as I can’t commit to chores or being there at a certain time- I’m very lucky in the past two shares I’ve had flexible days- so if all kicks off at work I know horse will be cared for and I can ride another day- I do notify the owner I won’t make it but some times it is short notice. I am committed in that I will ride for the set amount of times a week( one year owner had op and I committed to 4/5 times a week- hard work but only short term to keep horse ticking over), made me realise full time ownership impossible for me at the moment- although with COVID I could as working at home but can’t say how long that is for.

I’ve paid £250 a month for all rounder on full livery. Recent shares the owners have been better riders than me. Others I’ve been the better rider. Current share owner loves schooling and I love hacking and a little bit of jumping so works well. I can school but not my favourite thing to do, she enjoys it much more!

I’d say a share can work but I’d certainly keep the horse on full livery, then all involved have peace of mind horse is being well looked after, keeps the same routine regardless of whose day it is. I’ve also had share contract and gave one months paid notice when ending my previous share. I have rider insurance too.

I’ve also taken on full loan before- kept horse on full livery, paid all associated costs and kept into retirement and until the end- she was my perfect horse, loved like no other!

So certainly lots of options available. Good luck in finding a good fit for you and the horse.

 

[Riding2020]

Thanks for your input Evie91. Can I ask what park of the country you are when you paid £250PM and how often on that share you rode?

 

[Evie91]

Midlands. 2-3times a week. I knew the horse and owner. Horse had evented, hacked out alone and in company, jumped- v straightforward ex racer, easy to do.
I don’t enjoy competing but had the opportunity to go out and about jumping (arena hire) and pleasure rides. Fab off road hacking from the yard.
I was clear I wanted full livery, no hidden extras so flat monthly fee. I thought this very reasonable considering costs of full ownership for horse on full livery.

I ended the share when I bought a horse.

 

[Shay]

Someone suggested £150 a month for two days a week? With up to 2 sharers on board?
More or less £ per month?
His full livery is just under £600 and then there’s his monthly insurance and shoes I pay out for.

For a London based share that is quite reasonable. We shared DD's PC Competition pony for £25 per day + chores. (Surrey - just off the A3, 15 mins from Richmond park) If they wanted him on full livery for that day it was £35 per day. Thats £145 - £175 per month (depending on whether it was 4 or 5 weeks) for a single day. £290 for two etc. We reached that figure simply by figuring out exactly what he cost per day to keep - livery, feed, hay, shoes, vaccinations etc. and dividing it. I didn't make a profit or anything and I didn't build in insurance, wear and tear for tack, margin for vets bills etc. It was a fair price. I never lacked sharers for that - but the yard has nice facilities and the pony was capable of getting the rider to Nat Champs - which he did most years - so I could be choosy about it and strict on the rules.

I always write into the contract that the rider should have insurance - but the sharers were pretty much exclusively PC kids so had insurance as a member anyway. Rider insurance is no substitute for keeping your own insurance going.

In your place I would start by working out the total annual cost of livery, feed, shoes and vaccinations then divide by 365 to reach a daily cost. (Its scary btw!) Then see if that looks more or less reoasnable for where you are. Look in tack shops, on facebook etc and see what others are charging. Ultimately any product or service is only worth what soemone will pay for it - so test the water and see what bites!

 

[Sail_away]

Pricing will depend on what it’s capable of - I shared for two days a week a couple years ago (before buying the horse) and paid 25 a week. That was in south east London. No chores, and was free to come up more often during the holidays and ride the owner’s other horses too. But the horse was nervous, would sometimes run off when you were midway through mounting, and had only very basic schooling. Worked fabulously for me and was a great opportunity.
To be honest if you want someone capable of improving your horse then I’d reduce the amount you charge, or at least be prepared to if the right rider came up.

 

[Wishfilly]

Thanks.
Someone suggested £150 a month for two days a week? With up to 2 sharers on board?
More or less £ per month?
His full livery is just under £600 and then there’s his monthly insurance and shoes I pay out for.
No chores. As horse will stay on full livery. And they can choose set days or it can be flexible and we decide or see how that goes.
And to check they have some sort of riders insurance?
Ideally would prefer riders that were going to improve his skill. So will advertise for competent horse riders no novices as he can plant / nap here and there with a complete novice.
What’s your thoughts?
Thanks

I think it's fine to advertise for competent riders, but I do think you will be lucky to get someone who is actively able to school him/improve his bad habits- especially if people are paying to share and you are looking for too.

It sounds like this is a bit of a financial necessity, so I don't think you will necessarily be able to be too fussy about the riders you take on.

Definitely make sure they have public liability insurance.