How much to pay girl to ride horse for me 3 days a week

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Christmas Crumpet

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Am picking up horse on Sunday and am due to have a baby in 2 weeks (great timing I know!!). Have got someone sorted to ride 3 days a week for me, 2 one hour long rides and one 2 hour long ride. Got friend taking horse up gallops on a Sunday or leading off her horse so don't need to pay her!!

However, need to know how much to offer girl who is riding during the week. She is a friend but she is in it for the money. She'll have a 15 minute drive to get to me.

Any thoughts?
 
Depends on if she is just hacking or schooling on a hack, if plain hacking then I would say £10 per hour plus expenses - mileage. If schooling and improving the horse whilst hacking £15 per hour
 
I'd probably say £15 for the one hour ones, and £20 for the two hour? Thats including petrol/time to get there. It would also depend on if she has to catch/groom/tack horse - if you are providing a ready tacked horse maybe it might be different :)
 
Seriously - £20 an hour? That is an astronomical price!! I have lessons for £15 an hour and that's with someone who competes at Advanced!!

I was thinking £45 for 3 rides for the week. The girl can't ride brilliantly - she is just used to hacking out hunters for her brother. Might have to think again if that's the going rate.
 
carolineb said:
Seriously - £20 an hour? That is an astronomical price!! I have lessons for £15 an hour and that's with someone who competes at Advanced!!

I was thinking £45 for 3 rides for the week. The girl can't ride brilliantly - she is just used to hacking out hunters for her brother. Might have to think again if that's the going rate.
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I think £45 is pretty fair tbh, I'd do it for that
 
carolineb said:
Seriously - £20 an hour? That is an astronomical price!! I have lessons for £15 an hour and that's with someone who competes at Advanced!!

I was thinking £45 for 3 rides for the week. The girl can't ride brilliantly - she is just used to hacking out hunters for her brother. Might have to think again if that's the going rate.
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That's a nice wage I would say, £10 for each of the hours and £20 for the 2 hour one then £5 for petrol. She might even do it for £40!!
 
IMO there are plenty of people who would and are capable of riding for you, for the pleasure check out the horsey sites online - if anything they should be paying you for the pleasure:)
 
I pay someone to ride mine occasionally when I'm away and she charges 10 per hour, will do schooling, showjumping, hacking or x country with him. She has her AI and competes to a decent level eventing so I think 20 per ride when you consider the girl isn't the best rider and will only be hacking IMO is way too much to pay. Heck I bet there are people out there who would do it for free
 
I used to pay someone £12/hr to ride my horses. She was an AI, and a good rider that I trusted on my fit horses that can be hard work sometimes. She also had her own insurance to ride other people's horses - which is a major plus for me.. She was hacking out, not schooling, but IMO a decent rider works the horse while hacking without even being told to.

ps. Lots of people offered to ride the horses for free, but they don't always turn up in bad weather, or didn't look like they'd manage if one of the horses was stroppy, and there was always the "what if something happens" in the back of my mind. I occaiosnally have a girl who comes and rides one of the horses, but its an extra and I don't need her. When I was paying it was to keep the horses event fit when I had to work away..
 
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If it was schooling I'd pay my instructor to ride and it would be £20 but for someone to hack about 3 times a week £45 a week sounds fair an extra £180 quid a month can go very a long way ! Thats my food shopping ( including wine lol ) + change for a takeaway
 
Why Dont you advertise for part sharer? save you time and some money which you will need when your baby arrives, i ride for a lady at our yard as my boy can no longer be ridden and i dont charge, i'll feel cheeky to ask for money as i'm getting the pleasure of riding there horses without the extra cost! she helps me out by checking my boy when i'm on a 12 hour shift! i dont think unless there qualified and schooling your horse you should have to pay them you might be better with a part sharer ! plenty of good riders who would do it for free! as they cant afford there own horse!!
 
I had a very experienced dressage instructor who rode and schooled mine for £18 an hour. I think if she's not in it for the money £20 per week, including expenses. It sounds to me like it's a sharer type of arrangement and perhaps she should pay you if you're paying livery? I think you need to seriously consider sharing, you will have absolutely no time after baby's born - for anything - and when you do have time, you'll need it to sleep, believe me!
 
Hi just thought I would say I agree with everyone in that £20 is too much....I ride for a living and charge £20 for a schooling session no expenses and get in tack etc....but this is because the horses normally have a problem and I am being paid to improve them and help fix it.

You should look at a sharing option or offer expenses - remember the moment to you start paying you are liable and horrid to have to think about if she has an accident on your horse you have to pay.

If she is taking money from you she should take out personnal accident and public liabilty so if she hurts herself or your horse does any damge you are covered.

If you don't pay her these things you don't have to worry about so much as she is riding for herself.......sorry to be boring but thought worth mentioning
 
I'd say £45 is fair as you know the girl and while she may not be the best rider, she's doing you a favour keeping your horse ticking over plus you have the advantage of knowing her so I'm guessing she's reliable?

Better that than not paying someone and finding out they're not reliable? Plus I'd be very particular with anyone riding my girl especially hacking.
 
I paid a girl to hack my horse out and it was £30 a time. She was very local and the hack was only about 45 mins. As in all things you get what you pay for, a responsible adult who turns up on time, rides well and looks after your horse will want to earn a reasonable wage. Add up the time it takes to drive to you, brush the horse, tack up, ride it etc. I bet they will spend an hour of their time before they even get on it's back.
 
I don't get this paying people thing....people pay to share/ride a horse, and yet other people expect to be paid! I can understand it if you are having your horse schooled proffessionally, but not for just hacking! There are so many people desperate to ride but can't afford a horse of their own, have a look around some websites.

I met someone on the internet, and now share her horse. No money officially goes between us, but we halve shoes, and i buy bits and bobs for him. His owner appreciates (I hope!!) the help, and now we are really good friends, and have been through a lot with him together. I know not everyone is this lucky, but just have a look around :)
 
I had someone who charged £20 a day and rode for a about 15 minutes - she left ostensibly to get a better job! Now I have someone who rides for nothing. Its such a difficult question to answer really but I think £10 an hour is a good wage just for exercising.
 
I used to do this and charged £15/hour to hack and £20/hour to school.

Would discount slightly if more than one horse at the yard or if it was very regular.

I think the £45 you are offering is probably aboout right for this particular scenario.
 
I am more than happy to pay her to exercise the horse 3 times a week. Hopefully it will only be for 9/10 weeks at most and then I will be back on board and the horse will still be fit enough for me to hunt for the rest of the season.

I am not looking for a sharer, nor do I want one.

I am going to pay her so I know the job will be done properly and she'll be there on time etc. Luckily we have the horses at home and once we've decided what time etc she comes, the horse will be in and tacked up ready to go and all she has to do is jump on, do the ride and hand the horse back to me!!!

We are both doing each a bit of a favour - her to keep mare ticking over and me because she wants to earn a little extra money a week. She will be baby sitting etc as well once baby born.

I just wanted to make sure what I was going to offer her was the right amount. Thank you everyone for your advice. I think I'll stick to offering her £45 a week for 3 rides.
 
To me the price would depend on the quality of the riding and if theyre schooling your horse or not.
Even on a hack i would be schooling a horse, youre dealing with the many reactions a horse can display to various things he meets, so you need to be happy that your rider is capable and sensitive to your horses needs.
 
I also would never pay anyone to ride my horse for me, there are so many people who have no choice but to pay lessons just to be able to ride a horse.
They would be doing me a favor but I would be letting them ride my horse for free. I wouldn't charge and I wouldn't expect to pay !!!

Just my opinion.
 
BigRed said:
I paid a girl to hack my horse out and it was £30 a time. She was very local and the hack was only about 45 mins. As in all things you get what you pay for, a responsible adult who turns up on time, rides well and looks after your horse will want to earn a reasonable wage. Add up the time it takes to drive to you, brush the horse, tack up, ride it etc. I bet they will spend an hour of their time before they even get on it's back.
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I agree completely. When you are making a living out of it, it's just not feasible to do it for any less.
 
I have had a bit of a blip with my show jumper, so a local pro is helping me by schooling her in the short term & the we will take her out & he will jump her for a few times, I take her to him & he rides for as long as necessary, £20 per time, so at the moment £60 per week which I thought was quite good as he is involving me & I need his expertise, as the sessions progress then the plan is he will ride her first, then help me when I get on. So at the moment I am hacking her only. Not sure I'd pay that just for someone to hack her out. From some of the prices quoted on here, this now sounds expensive, but I did actually think it seemed ok.
 
I think it is all relative if you are blessed with the finance and a good rider will work/school the horse thats fine you are right to pay.

Tbh I have been riding for a friend and I get to ride she gets her horse exercised and I clean her tack poo pick it takes the pressure off her during the week.
Now I am looking for another horse to ride while I am horse shopping for me but I wouldnt expect to pay I am hoping someone who works full time and is hit by the clock change will want a bit of a hand (The horse I have been riding doesnt hack safely and fields are now too wet to work in) I am time rich and cash poor and every penny is going in the Horse Teapot.
 
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