Is this possible anymore?

T

Trotting

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Basically, I was wondering if you can get a "free horse", anymore, as in W4R, free share etc...
I ask because I've gone into a couple of free shares being told beforehand no financial commitment was needed only to be later told that they want £20-£35 a week. I've seen adverts now an again but, nothing ever blows my way.
I understand how costly horses are, if they were reasonably cheap I would have my own but, surely if you are exercising someone's horse and doing the yard work you're helping them out?
Correct me if I am wrong but, that's like saying to the cleaning lady, "you have to pay to clean my house"?
 
They could see it as your getting a horse to ride for free, however yes there are free shares out there, I once advertised for a sharer with no money exchanging hands from either party.

I got one reply from a lass who couldn't even ride so I said thanks but no thanks and decided after that not to share him.
 
It is nothing like paying to clean somebody's house. Well I suppose it might be if all you were doing was mucking out and yard chores but you are also getting the benefit of riding somebody else's horse at a vastly reduced cost.
 
Well, this is a hard one really!
They do cost a lot and its not just food is it?
If you are riding you are helping to put wear and tear on the shoes and the farrier is not cheap!
Also, it is a priviledge to ride someones horse and takes a lot of trust on the owners part.
Having said that, I have 2 horses and a friend does everything with him, almost like she owns him really, I let her do what she wants when she wants and i trust her implicitly. I do not take a penny and would not dream of doing so.
BUT...............she is a FRIEND! and I would not let anyone else do this for free.
I dont think this answer is much help, but it may give you some food for thought?
 
no it not like expecting a cleaner to pay you, it is you paying a small contribution towards the horses keep that you would pay if you owned or fully loaned a horse. so you have a small amount of the responsibility of owning a horse without the worry and extra cost.
 
I am probably in the small minority that doesn't charge my sharer - however she has x2 lessons a week on him and takes him out and competes - things I have neither the time, ability or money to do!! It works well for us, she gets a nice horse to ride and I get him schooled, she does give a contribution towards shoes, but I wouldn't dream of asking her for a weekly fee - I should be paying her!!
 
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no it not like expecting a cleaner to pay you, it is you paying a small contribution towards the horses keep that you would pay if you owned or fully loaned a horse. so you have a small amount of the responsibility of owning a horse without the worry and extra cost.

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Absolutely agree with the above.
The horse is a complex animal, owning and riding is a science.
I would offer a contribution because I could not allow myself to have all the fun for free. ( just thinking of mucking out 2 stables in the morning and filling hay nets and water buckets before going to work which is a 9 mile journey and i have to be there by 9am)
 
The way I look at it is, you wouldn't lend someone your car for 3 days a week and put petrol in it for them too....even if they cleaned it everyday and kept it spotless!!
Its the same scenario with a horse, the owner has all the intial outlay and by you exercising the horse, you are wearing the shoes, they may need more feed due to increased workload etc etc etc....
However, saying that, there are people out there that just need the help and aren't so bothered about the money side of things, but contributions towards keep far outway the 'free' shares.
 
I was actually wondering the other day whether it was possible to get somebody reasonably competent to exercise your horse without charging you a small fortune.....!

I have a super horse that in term time is ridden by yard manager twice a week(I'm happy to pay her as she schools the horse), my daughter twice a week (she's at boarding school during week), and I lunge twice a week. Offered one day a week riding to a competent teenager during term time (no stable duties - I do all of those) - she wanted paying............
confused.gif
 
and the question that springs to mind is
WHY should someone else sponsor your hobby? if not prepared to contribute then go to a riding school and pay 25 MIN for max of 55 mins and walk away?
 
I am about to advitise for someone to help me with my horses, to ride ,some mucking out and general help, but mostly riding, and i wont be asking for any money from them as i see it as them helping me.
 
I think there are some folks out there who ask too much of sharers. I think if you want an experienced rider to exercise and look after your horse but not give them the oppotunity to do any of the fun things like competing, then you should be paying a groom. There have been folks posting on here, looking for such riders and expecting them to pay half of all costs! IMO, if a sharer is going to help with costs, it should not be more than half the basic keep, ie feed, shoes, hay, bedding and livery.

From my own point of view, I was just greatful to have someone experienced and trustworthy to exercise my horse. I did not have the time to do so myself (two small children and no babysitters), and was unable to compete etc because my horse was never fit enough. There was no work to do as my horse is out 24/7/365 (we don't even poo pick) so it wasn't really W4R. I never asked for money, but I am not a wealthy person and whenever my sharer offered some, I took it. She was able to hunt my horse and she came along to some comps where we did a class each for as I saw it, she had done all the fittening work and deserved to have a go at the fun things more than I did!

Finding the right sharer is a difficult job and when you find a good one, you should look after them!

HorseyHolly, if you're in my area, my horse is available for happy hacking, no chors, no costs!
 
im looking for a loan/share in stroud, glos - i would pay costs according to how much i ride- personally i think that the owners pay hundreds for the horse monthly, and still do the chores everyday, so i should pay aswell according to how much time i have with the horse. it would be different if i was a proffesional rider!
smile.gif
 
im looking for a sharer too lol
14.2hh connie x grey mare
foward but safe loves xc etc .
but i do want £20 a week and half towards shoes ?
but thats for all weekend usev and 1 weekday.
im essex
grin.gif
 
It is possible, and to be honest I think generally it is pretty fair.

Personally if you are sharing a horse that is at DIY or assisted DIY and you are doing all the chores on your days so that it saves the owner the trip to the yard then it is pretty even as a straight swap.

Owner gets the advantage of a day off without having to pay for assistance, and the horse gets exercised and cared for, the sharer does some work and gets a free ride. All's fair.

Obviously there are lots of circumstances where it might not work like that, and I think if you are "working for your rides" then you come second to the owner and they get first choice of days, and do the competing etc.

Personally if I was paying 50% of all costs I would expect 50% of the benefit too. I wouldn't want to be restricted to hacking and I would want to be able to say to the owner I think we need to up the feed or change the bit or whatever. I would want proper notice periods and things too. More like a part loan.

I wouldn't object to a small contribution to keep in return for a share, especially if there was less stable chores, but I think some owners expect it all their own way with sharers. And afterall a sharer is only going to share if it works out better for them than owning, if they have to pay a lot they will soon start to think why not buy my own......


......which is exactly what I'm doing because I got a bit fed up with sharing after my last one. I could write a list of things that irritated me, like the fact that the owner wouldn't muck out properly the day before I went up, or the fact that she'd not bother riding on her days and he'd be climbing the walls when I got there, like the fact she wouldn't let me enter a competition held at the yard where he lived that was well within capabilities even when she wasn't entering, the fact that she would cancel my days with no notice or the fact that she eventually terminated the share with no notice. It really wasn't worth it, and it was frustrating to spend time schooling the horse, having lessons with him, and keeping him fit for her to get the benefit when she sold him not long after.

The last time I saw him (after the share ended and before she sold him) he was fat, unfit and naughty.
 
Poor Katt, what a dreadful owner!

In this situation, if you were paying half the keep, schooling and improving the horse, then the owner sells, they really ought to give you half of any profit on the sale!
 
I used to work for rides as a teenager, I worked 5/6 hours and was repaid with an hours ride.

Because I have two, I've not asked a sharer as sharer to do any more than catch in and groom before they ride, so I have expected them to pay (£15 a week for 3 days).

The going rate in my area seems to be £20/£25 for three days and the sharer is expected to do chores on the days they ride.

I know of people who charge £15 a day for five days and expect half the shoeing money and help with chores though.

I pay someone to ride my pony once or twice a week so the children who share her have a sane pony to ride at the weekend. As they are novices and my pony isn't an easy ride I've asked that the children have two lessons a month, paid for my the mother (£50 a monthin total), this is all they contribute. As they are young I have to be on hand to supervise them.
 
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