More sharing advice please!

RachelB

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Further to my last post about the horse I am looking at sharing...
Owner says she's ok with me competing but would want to be able to say when and where she goes which is fine (as long as she's not as controlling about it as my last share!) - although she does almost sound reluctant.
However she's now offered me three options:
1) I pay half of DIY livery which comes to £140/month (£35/week) and look after the horse 3-4 days/week
2) I pay £90/month (£22.50/week) and look after the horse and the owner's other horse, 3-4 days/week
3) I pay £200/month (£50/week) and ride the horse (no care of either horse) 3-4 days/week.
I'm now not entirely sure I can afford a share (well I can just about afford it - but I don't really see the benefit of paying only just less than I would be for a horse of my own, but not being able to have the final word over the horse).
Bearing in mind the amount of work it sounds like the horse needs (quite a lot!), and that I can't jump her, and that from what I have heard of her she won't be a fantastically talented horse (although good enough), is that reasonable?
I'm not actually sure about her now, as I really need something I can take out and do things with, and with a reluctant-sounding owner and all my money gone I'm not sure I would be able to.
Don't get me wrong I realise what the cost of having a horse is, I've had my own! I just really have no idea if what she's asking is reasonable or not!
 
it sounds like your paying her to look after her horses?????

Shame your not nearer me, I'm looking for a sharer just to pay the cost of shoes and do a little stable work and they can ride the horse 7 days a week!
 
Sounds stupidly expensive to me!!

Thingy used to share Nel for the cost of her shoes. Slightly different maybe as Gaby was working off most of her livery.
You could keep your own horse for £200/month!
 
That's what I thought (but didn't want to say in case everyone thought it actually was reasonable??)!
Yes I do think the moon would be a bit far to go... plus my space shuttle is in the garage for repairs at the mo...
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You could keep your own horse for £200/month!

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Exactly what I had thought!! Know of anything round here??!

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Theres that Kelley thing down at Francis's but she's a stroppy madame and has never been schooled!!
You could talk to Catherine about sharing Bruno, though I doubt Tam would want him to start competing again and you know what a little tyke he can be!!
Of course, there is always Topic.......
 
QR
My share horse is leaving on Sunday, and if I don't ride anything I'll go crazy(er)! Anything will do (to school and hack and preferably also to dressage). My share horse is a grumpy old madam too (E_R is this Kelly horse worse then??)
Bruno - he scares the life out of me! Ok I'll ride him in lessons but only because Tam's there, and when I was down to school him the other day I couldn't persuade myself to get on him for about 5 mins (nerves)!
Topic - last time I rode him I got stuck up on the ridge, little bugger span and did bunny hop rears and I had to get off and lead him home! I now refuse to ride him!
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I'll ask Tam tomorrow to keep an ear out for me
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I have only heard snippets from my friend who used to keep a horse at F's yard. She sounds like she just needs someone who means business and wont allow her to get away with murder!
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QR
Topic - last time I rode him I got stuck up on the ridge, little bugger span and did bunny hop rears and I had to get off and lead him home! I now refuse to ride him!
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I'll ask Tam tomorrow to keep an ear out for me
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My little Topic? Never!! We're down to hunt in a few weeks time so he needs more canterwork....
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Yeah, ask Tam as she may know something.

Keley is ok, she'd be convenient at least- Tam teaches Amelie on her so again, you could talk to her. There is an ad up in the village shp for a highland pony to share and thats right next door to Franics

Tbh this lipizzaner woman seems to be demanding alot and I doubt she'll get it unless its a seriously nice horse. Maybe try haggling with her if you like the horse?
 
Maybe not then, I'm a bit of a wet blanket!!
So far in about 3 minutes of searching I've found about 5 perfect-sounding horses. Is a hour too far to drive 3 times a week??!
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I may give up hope. Or I may email the first person back and try to negotiate!
 
Hmm ... to me that sounds on the expensive side considering that the owner sounds controlling and the horse can't jump and isn't particularly well schooled.

For a similar price my sharer can compete, have lessons, jump etc. when she wants to. I just let her get on with it, plus she has access to my horsebox. The horse is also pretty established and essentially a complete schoolmaster for her.
 
I've not even seen the horse yet
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the reason I know so much about her is that my friend has her horse at the same yard and has told me what she knows.
Will definately talk to Tam then. Will 100% definately be having a word with her if she ever puts me down to canter Tops up on the ridge!!
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QR - Sim she is having a total and utter laugh!!! There must be plenty of people around who want help, especially during the winter - why don't you put a sign up in the local shops and any horsey places?
 
Weezy and everyone else who has replied - thank you so much! You've all saved me from ending up spending far too much money on something I don't really want! I don't think she is offering those prices "to see if I'd be silly enough to pay them", I can see how she came to those figures, but TBH I think she has as much of a clue about sharing prices as I do (nothing! I have had one free loan and two free shares in the past, along with my two I have owned).
I've not officially started loooking yet, hence why no adverts about myself have gone up. I just spotted this mare's ad, thought she sounded rather nice, and here we are. I will definately put some ads up now though
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It just makes me all the more fed up of uni, only 7 1/2-8 months to go but I really want to get out there and earn some money now so I can get my own. Part-time grooming just doesn't pay!
Thanks so much everyone for your advice!
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That is total rubbish! Although confused on one point - is that paying half of £140 a month? Or paying £140 a month yourself? Because what DIY livery is £280 a month?! that's insanity??

Anyway she's basically taking the pee by the sounds of it. If you had basically half ownership of the horse then I would expect to be paying about half of the costs - which IMO is around £100 a month on DIY. Asking any more, or for you to look after her other horse too is completely ridiculous.
 
£140/month is paying half of DIY livery plus feed and bedding. I can see how she found those figures, but my horse on box rest (and she seriously pees for England (well Ireland) and uses loads of bedding) was about £200/month. Although my yard doesn't have an indoor school but from what I've heard it's much nicer at my yard. Makes me wonder why I don't just take the plunge and get a horse on full loan...
 
I always managed to keep a horse on DIY livery for about £200 a month so I think asking anymore than half of that is just silly.
 
Depending on where you are in the country I think you'd struggle to keep a decent horse on £200 if they were part stabled with reasonable facilities and non native.
Eg - DIY for mine is £120, Shavings £25, Haylage £30, Feed £20, insurance £25, wormer £5, shoes £50. Comes to £255 and doesn't include routine vets, insurance excess, tak/rug repairs, suppliments etc.

That doesn't mean to say I think £140 a month is reasonable for a nag you would essentially be schooling up (its not), or that you couldn't keep a horse on £200 a month (you could easily if lived out or on cheap yard with no/limited facilities) but I think you would be very naieve to think you would be better off taking one on full loan if money and time is an issue for you.

In your position I would put some notices up offering to help looking after a horse in return for riding. Would be free for you. I know someone with a horse in Winchester if that is not too far, you would only need to turn up to ride, nothing else.
 
We're in Oxon which I don't think is a cheap part of the country and all the yards I was at were around £30 a week for DIY, generally including straw or more like £35 a week including hay too. All those yards had a good sized school, nice boxes and turnout, hacking available, floodlights etc. Add on shoes about £55 every 6-8 weeks and wormer and things it never came to more than around £200 ish though maybe a bit more in winter. And I had two tb types and then Paris. Maybe I was lucky though that mine never needed the vet and not much in the way of supplements.

I am sure DIY livery is more expensive in some places, particularly if you have a very high maintenence horse, but I just think that this lady wants you to pay to look after and school her horse for her. If it was a super nice horse who was a real schoolmaster that you could compete a lot then I'd say £140 would be fairly reasonable.
 
Haven't read the other replies, but I seem to remember all the options are more than you wanted to spend! I saw plenty like this when I was looking and walked away - sorry!
 
Dont suppose you want to drive to me
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All I would want you to pay for is Barneys shoes £48. He's 5, schooling at prelim and just started pole work, hacks alone etc. I have to pay people to work my horses
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