How eas y to find a horse to ride without financial contribution?

siennamiller

siennamiller

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Evening all!
As title really, I am looking for something to hack.school a couple of times a week, but can't afford to pay.
Happy to muck out etc, and I am reasonably experiences (worked in racing for 3 years).
Do you think I will find something or am I dreaming.
 
I have a nice horse I want ridden on Norfolk if there is anyone out there , He is the one in my signature. no payment wanted I just need him ridden as I can no longer ride due to my back problem.07789 227463, call for a chat if interested.
 
im young (nearly 16) but have ridden all sorts- ive been riding a 12.3hh for years now for free and her owner has just got an ex racer and a fatcob so i'll be pinching them now ;) cause shes got a diddy rider starting to ride the little pony (now ive got her going nicely, she was a cow before.. hmmpf!)

Dont loose hope, something will come up! If theres any fields with horses in about that you see the owners in the maybe ask if you can poo pick for riding or something, so many people hate poo picking over winter :)
 
I have someone who comes riding with me to help exercise the horses but we don't often have the same days off. I'm just happy for someone to come out with me and don't ask for any money. So if anyone in Devon is interested pm me, I'm always looking for people to go out with as my OH works away during the week and only have two horses who both don"t like being left on their own!
 
What about asking at moorcroft esp with your racehorse background? My yards about 45 mins from you, I need help with a very overweight connemara x.
 
I thought about Moorcroft, it is just a bit too far, I have one who is part time at school(0900-1230), and the little one is starting nursery in a few weeks so need to be quite close to Cowfold. There is a racehorse sanctuary nearby but most of them have kissing spine and are unrideable apparently!
 
If only you lived in yorkshire :p

Your exactly what im looking for..

Try putting letters on gates or turning up at yards if you dont ask you dont get:)
 
I advertised locally for exactly this last year and was inundated with response but I think you need to re word your question to 'how easy is it to find a safe sane horse to ride ....' lots of people emailed me saying along the lines of 'I have a horse who you can try and ride if you want but they're a total nutter....'

Having said that I did find some but they were quite short term arrangements so it depends what you are looking for.
 
It's definitely do-able. There are people out there to whom the commitment and the compatibility between horse and rider is more important than money. I think lots only ask for money to seal the commitment. I was thinking my horsey world had ended six weeks ago when my mare died, and I managed to get engaged a few days before that so definitely can't afford to pay anyone! I've found two (yes, two!) lovely horses to ride, one of which I "do" for free once a week, no stable chores as he's full livery on the yard I used to work on - I get on with him and YO needs him schooled once a week more than she can really spare the staff for. The other is an old, cranky chap whose owner / rider is moving away and leaving him with a crocked other owner / rider - I'm attempting to keep him in line a couple of times a week. It all works for us, and I even get paid to ride the second ;)

Keep looking, keep asking, knock on doors / leave notes on gates if you have to!
 
I have managed to find some lovely horses to ride for free through word of mouth. I did advertise on websites but got some nutters contact me!

At the moment I have the ride of a lovely all rounder whilst his owner is out of the country. He is on full livery, all I do is turn up and ride him! For a while I had the ride of a cob, the owner had children and worked at the weekend, so wanted someone to hack him out. I offered to muck out, poo pick etc but some owners are just happy for the help exercising, especially now winter is coming and the days are getting shorter.

I had a bit of spare time a while ago and a local woman asked me to work on her nappy welsh cob mare. She was happy with the mares progress and started to pay me for the work I was doing!

Once you can get some sort of arrangement, should it end for any reason, you may find that other people at that yard may offer you a ride/owner has recommended you etc.
 
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If you're really constrained in terms of distance (I've never travelled less than about 45min to a share!) then you're probably best asking local yards if you could put up a notice in their tea rooms, helping out at a local RS/RDA/racehorse sanctuary for a bit or similar to get you into the local horsey scene.
 
Stick an ad up in your local tack shop and be very specific about what you will take on. Also remember to take out your own insurance - most peoples equine insurance does not cover other people riding their horses.
 
I think if you put at advert up in a local tack shop you would be inundated with offers, especially with winter on the way. Trying to keep a horse fit when there are so little day light hours in the day can be very hard!
Be selective though, some people may take advantage offering you nutters that no one else wants to sit on!
 
I put an advert out about 6 months ago and a good 8 or 9 owners responded to it not wanting any financial commitment just someone to ride their horses, I think if you're a competent rider happy to ride a green horse there are plenty of owners out there :) As it happens I enjoy schooling so don't mind having something to work on in the school, I get bored if all I do is hack.
 
good news, I have had an offer of a lovely showjumper to ride through an old friend. He is a very happy chappy, and really kind to handle ( good for when little one is around), so yay :).
Thanks everyone
 
Im looking for someone to hack my horse out for me this winter as im pregnant. Looking like he'll just be having a few more months off though :rolleyes:
 
Stateside said:
I have a nice horse I want ridden on Norfolk if there is anyone out there , He is the one in my signature. no payment wanted I just need him ridden as I can no longer ride due to my back problem.07789 227463, call for a chat if interested.
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Where abouts are you? He's lovely. I'm a Norfolk girl originally so could ask a few (competent) people if you're in my area :)

OP, really glad you find something to ride. That's great.
 
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