Market research, what do you think… can’t afford a horse?

[lme]

I think there are a few different markets for this. One is experienced riders, with jobs / lifestyles thst mean they don’t want to commit to owning a horse or who are at an age where they don’t want a long term commitment. They are not necessarily wanting to compete, but to ride and have training on a quality horse without being responsible for day to day care, vet bills or keeping the horse in retirement.

 

[maya2008]

I would think your horses could easily become ruined. Perhaps a good market would be teens at the weekend. Horse is schooled (and could be competed) during the week, then teenager pays to have it at the weekend. Good for parents and would maintain the horse’s training. I part loaned mine out while my children were young, and the number of bad habits they picked up (despite the loaners having regular lessons) was impressive.

 

[Skib]

In England riding someone els'es horse at an agreed time each week and paying something towards its up keep is called sharing.
A loan usually refers to a person paying to take full time care and to have full time use of someone else's horse.

For sharing, there are time slots. The horse itself must be insured by the owner. The sharer has rider only insurance (3rd party). A sharer rides for a specified time each week.

A person or yard offering several shares has to be licenced by the local authority as explained above.

I have twice shared near London. There is usually a monthly contract. But the money paid by a sharer is intended to cover the cost of livery for the horse for that day.

Land in London is expensive so we Londoners usually pay far more than £20 to ride. And specialised dressage lessons on good horses cost more than the average hack. But what you plan to charge would have to compete with the charge at local riding schools.

So it really depends what you are offering. I have shared mainly to hack and I have never paid extra to have instruction on my share horse. But I have had access to a school in lieu of the hack, if I feel that either me or the horse will benefit from some schooling. I rode my old share solo but these days I hack with an escort and I do not pay extra for that.

A share means that the sharer pays per month regardless of whether or not they ride, i.e. if they are away on holiday. I have also paid even if I was ill, including through Covid lock down. But that was my choice. If I had owned a horse, I would have been paying its livery.

If you cater for experienced riders on a fast group hack, riders usually pay the RS less for taking part in a group.gest therefore asking for first refusal if the owner ever wants to sell that horse.

Although everyone knows that sharing is done because neither the owner nor the sharer can afford to own a horse without financial input, the most important element is trust and a good relationship between the owner and sharer. And also between the sharer and the horse. But I have never heard of anyone setting up a sharing yard as a commercial project.