If you were getting a horse to ride for free in return for chores

If this was a teenager doing chorse in return for rides, I would expect one or two hours work per ride. The chores wouldn't include taking care of the horse they were riding they would be expected to do this as part of their ride.

If they were sharing a horse and paying I would expect them to undertake the care for the horse on the days they were riding.

If the person is able to school my horse and compete to a much higher standard than I am I would expect to pay them.
 
I ride DD for nothing just turn up and get on. The owner pays for me to have a lesson on him with an instructor of her choice once a week ish.

Before finding me she had paid for him to go miles away to be schooled for her as she couldnt find some one small enough that would do it round here.

I dont nesicarrily need the ride as I have my own but I enjoy it and am learning from him.
 
I'm currently looking to trade chores for rides for my 4yr old daughter. This is going to be a lopsided response just because it's my wishlist I suppose.

I think of myself as skint but proud so it would be hugely important to me that any arrangement was in both parties benefit. I also feel very behoven to consider and care for the reputation of the yard I came from, it's a small world and as I'm able to get good references it's up to me to validate them.

Because I was a groom I suppose I'd want to offer some of what that meant to me. I know what I can do cleaning tack and as I've worked with many others I know it's likely to give an owner a wow surprise - and I can do it quckly! I've been down many routes umpteen times that are somewhat rarer for private owners, tubbing, poulticing, bandaging a foot, stuff that most people face but it helps to have faced it over and over again through care of countless horses! I'd enjoy those skills to fit well with a yard, I'd like to still offer them and honestly probably miss doing so far more than I miss riding. I can poo shovel in my sleep and always did, when asked to shovel less to ride more I politely declined, got there in time to do both!

I was always so proud of a raked yard, well rugged horses, impeccable bandages, spotless tack when off to a show, well fitted bridles, all that gaff.

I want to enjoy working for rides and I would get BIG pleasure out of being seen as someone positive to have around.

How all the above works in terms of time is going to depend hugely on what's possible and what's wanted. One man's meat is another's poison; right now it's about finding the match that works and is what I and they genuinely want.
 
tabithakat64 said:
If this was a teenager doing chorse in return for rides, I would expect one or two hours work per ride. The chores wouldn't include taking care of the horse they were riding they would be expected to do this as part of their ride.

If they were sharing a horse and paying I would expect them to undertake the care for the horse on the days they were riding.

If the person is able to school my horse and compete to a much higher standard than I am I would expect to pay them.
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This. A formal share means the sharer has exclusive use of the horse for 'their' days of the week, and their contribution should therefore more reflect the costs and work of 'having a horse'

A person who isnt going to add anything to the horse other than riding it, yes I would expect them to help for an hour or two

A person who has a good level of experience, or who is riding a horse of mine who I know to be tricky but they are happy to live with that and good at dealing with it, I wouldnt expect them to pay or do any work.

Someone whose skills mean they are sought after and paid for them I would pay too!
 
Depends on the experience of the 'helper'. I have paid for my horse to be ridden by an instructor who also competes her own at medium level dressage. I won't pay for someone who will just hack my horse out to give him a bit of exercise.
The teenager who is currently sharing mine gives me £10 a week but for that she has had sole use of the horse while I've been out of action and has had free teaching from me and my friend in all aspects of horse care and riding... so a better deal for her than paying £20 a week for an hours riding lesson at the local RS.
 
BlairandAzria said:
Erm it totally depends on your circumstances. I have two fab students who ride my boy once a week each for nothing, I don't pay them they don't pay, nor do they do any chores, I even pick them up and drop them home again.
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Ditto...

I have one for term time and one for holidays... Lovely girls who ride my TB out when they can and no payment either way or expectation of duties except anything relevant to bringing him in, tack, hanging around if he needs to dry before being turned out etc... It's a mutual favour really - nice riders who can't keep their own horse so get the pleasure of riding and he gets exercised... :) They're both going to be gutted he's going up for sale...

Capriole said:
I think you have to differentiate between sharing, exercise riding, and schooling work.
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I agree with this...

A share I'd expect a contribution to keep and for the sharer to have sole charge on their days...
Exercise riding is what I've got with the students so no financial implications...
Schooling work I would expect to pay for and see him improve in work...

:)
 
PaddyMonty said:
Mind if I ask why? There are plenty of us around who can ride to a reasonable standard that for one reason or another dont own a horse and are happy to do this for free.
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Where are you all??? I have horses that need exercising, I don't expect any chores to be done or any contribution to their upkeep but can I find anyone?
 
I ride sunny twice a week, in exchange I muck out, hay, feed, groom and water. I also poo-pick a wheelbarrow each time.
 
If someone were to ride my horse, I would think it was fair for them to do the chores for that shift (eg muck out, groom, ride, turnout) think that would be fair...
 
Slightly Foxed said:
Where are you all??? I have horses that need exercising, I don't expect any chores to be done or any contribution to their upkeep but can I find anyone?
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South Wales... But fairly close a university which generates a small pool of youngsters who've left their own horse at home or aren't able to travel to access their normal ride...:)

The 'out of term' rider I tripped over on Facebook... She lives locally but is in digs away during term time so can't keep her own... They're both really lovely girls and are totally in love with the horse... :)
 
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patterdale said:
He's a nice horse too, ANDid wash him down afterwards.

And if they wanted to compete I'd drive them to all the comps they wanted.

Think I'm not in a v good area for keen horsey people :(
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Good god! If you were round Notts and had a pony to offer I'd be beating a path to your door! I'd still do stuff though, I don't think I could hack being waited on hand and foot. Anyway, why pay gym membership to exercise on some dumb, meaningless machine when leaving a fluffy bed for a horse has some function and is infinitely more satisfying!
 
I would love to have someone to come & play with my horses & maybe do a bit of poo picking or tack cleaning when it suits.
I have a mare that needs bringing back into work and a 3yo. Everyone so far wants to bring kids along -no chance.
 
blazingsaddles said:
I wouldn't. At a riding school under supervision and instruction one would work for rides. A private owner needing help with exercising (for whatever reason) and expecting you to muck out/groom etc for the pleasure of it, almost surmounts to extortion. I would pay someone if I needed my horse exercised. I've got five dogs that walking, I know, I'll get the walker to turd pick my garden, groom my dogs and make up their dinners, just for the privilege of walking my dogs!
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But how many people have you got queing up at the door to do it? There's a subtle difference between you wanting someone to exercise your dogs & someone wanting to ride your horse because they can't have one of their own.

I would've thought the perfect solution for anyone not able to have their own horse would be to ride someone elses in return for helping out but as we all know, it's more than just riding and if a potential horse owner is put off by the ratio of work to pleasure involved in owning a horse then so be it.

Which leads me on to our youngster who only seems to want to go to the horses when riding's involved :mad:
 
I think it depends on what you and the owner expect from each other.

If you are an experienced rider who is riding the horse to improve it then I wouldn't expect you to do more than catch, groom, ride, put away and clean the tack.

If I was paying you to school then I would only expect you to ride.

If we were helping each other oout - me providing you with a horse to ride then I'd expect you to do some chores apart from those related with actually riding the horse.

One rider I had helping me was allowed to ride the horse everyday but had to pay for a lesson once a week. She got the extra riding, I got the horse exercised when not doing lessons and I got some money towards his keep. The lesson also allowed me to keep in touch with his schooling and her riding.

It worked out well most of the time - I did have to remind her - often - to clean the tack! However she was very dedicated to the horse. I'm still in touch with her, she's married now, moved overseas and has a horse of her own.

This is the pair of them in the early days at their second show
HuggyBear.jpg
 
gracey said:
I rode and looked after someone elses horses when I was a kid, from the age of 11, (after I had pestered the life out of the poor old fella who owned them.. since I was 8) ..he had 4 rescue horses, I had none.. he finally gave in to my nagging and begging, (bless him!) and I looked after the 4 of his horses, one was 'my' horse, and I used to muck out, water, hay, poo pick everything, in return I could treat them like my own, I learnt lots from him, he was a real 'horse whisperer' .I had those horses until I went on my travels, and I was the one that held them as they where pts years later, ..he has died now and all his gorgeous horses have gone, but I am so grateful to that man for giving a horse mad kid who knew nothing a chance. ..so as to answer your question, lol, I done all the work that was needed and was more than happy to do it .. x
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Bless....that brought a lump to my throat.

Someone did a similar thing for me....when I was a teenager I was allowed to treat the pony as my own as long as I did all the chores for that pony and another retired one....leaving the owner with 2 to do instead of 4. I looked after all 4 of them when the owner was away on holiday too.

To me the chores and management is all part of it....which is why I have my own at home rather than on full livery.....
 
Very much depends on the horse & rider. If I was riding & schooling someone's horse for free, I wouldn't expect to do any jobs as I'd be improving it. A top comp schoolmaster that I could gain something from I would be happy to work in exchange for however many hours added up to the cost of sharing it.
When my daughter was a toddler I had a fab teenager to ride/help. Very competent & trustworthy, she did jobs on her days but I used to let her ride on my weekdays too. Plus was willing to do horse if I had ever been stuck in an emergency. I got what amounted to free part livery out of it, my pony kept fit & happy to be working/ competing. She got a fab comp pony to have fun with for free & take to comps & shows when she liked. I gave her free lessons on her so pony kept well schooled too. In fairness pony is the type I could have found paying sharers no problem. But liked the girl who at the time couldn't have her own & liked to see pony happy.
 
Slightly Foxed said:
Where are you all??? I have horses that need exercising, I don't expect any chores to be done or any contribution to their upkeep but can I find anyone?
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Ditto! I have two ponies who don't get anywhere near enough exercise but round here it seem only to be kids fresh out of riding schools looking to ride. If I had time to supervise such a rider, I would have time to ride myself!

Ruth M, shame you're not near me 'cause I have a perfect but under used LR pony and would be more than happy for someone experienced to take their kids out on her.
 
Well Ive just found a sharer and ive asked for half his shoeing money which will be £30 every 7 weeks for now then come winter for her to supply the odd bag of feed or shavings etc what ever she can.
Ive not actually asked her to do any chores but last night the shared horse and our other 2 came in as the field flooded and she has text me saying she will muck them all out etc!
I will only expect tho in winter for her to muck the one she shares out on her days, i think thats fair!
 
When I shared it was a mutual benefit thing. I would bring in/turn out, feed, skip out, groom, hay etc while I was there. I got the benefit of a free ride, and the owner got the benefit of a day off and saved their petrol money. I would also do full cover while they were on holiday or if they couldn't make it for work reasons or whatever and within reason would do this when I couldn't ride as well.
 
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