Moving on from riding school

[Horseshoe2]

I want to start loaning a horse so I start to gain more experience of horses and also try to start progressing more but I'm in a riding school and under 18. What's the best way to get around those factors as most people won't loan me a horse due to the fact I am very novice and they expect me to have no experience with anything other than kick and pull horses. Which is basically right but I have ridden own horses on the odd occasion but can't put that as it wasn't much, was mainly a couple of years ago and one of them was easier than many of the riding school ponies I ride. I help out at the riding school and have helped late nights, including one which I was working. What advice can people give me on finding a loan and putting myself in the best position for owners to loan me their horse.

 

[Shay]

A few options for you...

Do you have any of your BHS exams or PC tests? If you could get at the least your stage 1 / progressive tests but ideally that and your stage 2 it shows you are competent as a rider and in horse care. Or pony club progressives to C/C+ at least? This will show any potential owner that you are committed and competent.

How are you going to finance this? Taking a horse on loan you are going to be responsible for all financial aspects of care. Livery bills, feed, farrier etc. If you are under 18 (and I presume in school?) how will you manage this? And where will the horse be kept? Very few owners will loan to school livery so you'll need a private yard. If you are serious about moving to a loan you will need to have all this worked out before you start looking.

Might a share be a better half way house? You will have to pay a fee but not as much as the full time financial responsibility. You'll need your parents to be in agreement because you can't sign a contract for yourself under 16. If between 16 and 18 you can sign the contract - but I suspect you would struggle to find someone to share with you if your parents are not prepared to take that legal responsibility.

I have sharer's for my daughter's main hunter as a PC Competition pony in the summer and they are always young people. I look for a good PC or BHS track record (He is a competition pony and the point is to get someone who can compete him - daughter events the others. ) and committed parents. Anything else I can teach as we go along.

When it comes to looking... your local PC DC is a good start. If you are not already riding at a PC Center try to fix that. Get your center DC to speak to the branch DC. Recommendations from your instructors / DC count very highly. Plus it improves your chances of finding something you can get along with well.

Otherwise adverts in tack shops / feed stores etc. Visit local yards and speak to the yard owners. But the more you have in terms of demonstrable skills the easier you will find it.

 

[Roxylola]

Definitely second doing stages or pony club tests. Also, would the riding school let you take something as a part loan?

 

[shadeofshyness]

I'd start off by doing some 'own a pony' days at the RS, then move onto PC activities, if there's a local one. Then I'd do a share. A full loan is a huge commitment - as much as owning your own, day-to-day wise. A share is much better for most people, especially if you are at school - or like me, work full time and can't commit to a full-time horse too.

Best of luck!

 

[daydreamer]

I would suggest you do a share first before loaning. I shared for a few years after riding in riding schools for years, I also kept up my lessons at the same time. I volunteered at local event/competition yards and also did my BHS stages. Eventually i got a loan horse but I was glad I had shared first. After my first loan horse went back I shared again for a while - it is much easier!! I currently loan again and found that the horsey world is very small and whether you realise it or not you build up a reputation so it is worth making sure it is a good one!

 

[Horseshoe2]

Ok, thank you for everyone's advice. I will look into all the advice and I will be looking into doing my BHS stages soon.

 

[Horseshoe2]

Definitely second doing stages or pony club tests. Also, would the riding school let you take something as a part loan?

That would be so expensive, like £60 for 3 days a week and the horse may still be used on those days, do you know if that's the normal rate for riding schools when they part loan?

 

[Horseshoe2]

A few options for you...

Do you have any of your BHS exams or PC tests? If you could get at the least your stage 1 / progressive tests but ideally that and your stage 2 it shows you are competent as a rider and in horse care. Or pony club progressives to C/C+ at least? This will show any potential owner that you are committed and competent.

How are you going to finance this? Taking a horse on loan you are going to be responsible for all financial aspects of care. Livery bills, feed, farrier etc. If you are under 18 (and I presume in school?) how will you manage this? And where will the horse be kept? Very few owners will loan to school livery so you'll need a private yard. If you are serious about moving to a loan you will need to have all this worked out before you start looking.

Might a share be a better half way house? You will have to pay a fee but not as much as the full time financial responsibility. You'll need your parents to be in agreement because you can't sign a contract for yourself under 16. If between 16 and 18 you can sign the contract - but I suspect you would struggle to find someone to share with you if your parents are not prepared to take that legal responsibility.

I have sharer's for my daughter's main hunter as a PC Competition pony in the summer and they are always young people. I look for a good PC or BHS track record (He is a competition pony and the point is to get someone who can compete him - daughter events the others. ) and committed parents. Anything else I can teach as we go along.

When it comes to looking... your local PC DC is a good start. If you are not already riding at a PC Center try to fix that. Get your center DC to speak to the branch DC. Recommendations from your instructors / DC count very highly. Plus it improves your chances of finding something you can get along with well.

Otherwise adverts in tack shops / feed stores etc. Visit local yards and speak to the yard owners. But the more you have in terms of demonstrable skills the easier you will find it.

What do you mean by visiting yards and speaking to the owners and what would I talk to them about?

 

[Equi]

Just be honset and ask someone for a horse you think you can move on to. Some people have perfect horses that are not quite RS ponies, but have not the time or genuinely want to help others out.

 

[Esme2015]

That would be so expensive, like £60 for 3 days a week and the horse may still be used on those days, do you know if that's the normal rate for riding schools when they part loan?

I learnt to ride at a local riding school and then loaned one of their horses, it was around £100 a month, and I could only ride when the horses weren't being used. I've no idea where you are, but I should imagine this is pretty standard. Does the riding school have liveries too? I know a lot of the younger riders, who learnt at the same as I (I was a late learner), ended up loaning and/or eventually buying off other liveries (the riding school was also a livery yard) as they were all known to each other. A share sounds like it would be more affordable for you initially, as others have said. Are there any liveries at your riding school who would like a sharer? I'm not talking about working livery by the way, I'm talking about liveries who just have their horses located at the riding school and use the facilities. If not, could you find such a setup? It worked very well for the younger riders I know.

 

[Equi]

£60 for three days a week is, in my opinion, HUGELY overpriced. My sharer pays £50 a month, and that is as many days as she likes, flexible, chance to compte/go out if she wants and everything is provided.

 

[ihatework]

That would be so expensive, like £60 for 3 days a week and the horse may still be used on those days, do you know if that's the normal rate for riding schools when they part loan?

Even if you take a private share then you will still need to keep up private lessons.
So you might find a private horse for £30 3 days a week + chores, but a reasonable instructor would set you back an extra £30 a week.

I'd go the share + lessons route rather than full loan. Horses are expensive and at this stage your money will be best spent on your training

 

[Shay]

I've never been a fan of "sharing" a horse at a riding school. It does tend to be overpriced - although the £60 per week for 3 days the OP quotes is actually lower than our local PC Center charges. But you also get a RS pony with all the differences in that rather than a privately owned animal. Our local RS doesn't allow those who share to take the horse out to competitions - and even charges them extra to take "their" horse to camp.

Ihatework is also absolutely right about needing to keep up private lessons. You need to factor that into your costs.

To be honest if you think £60 per week is too expensive you are not going to be able to manage a cost of a full loan. To give you a rough guide each of mine on DIY costs me at least £175 per week. That's feed, bedding, vaccinations, livery costs, farrier, dentist etc but not tack, rugs, tools, lessons and entry fees. Or accounting for those with more expensive feed / supplements!

Perhaps focus on doing your stages or PC efficiency tests first. Stages are expensive too - usually around £200 per exam with training on top. PC Tests are cheaper - E - C+ are usually done in house so at a center you will only pay for the hire of the horse. B tests and above are done by area but the cost capped. BHS Stage 2 is equivalent to PC B test (you can swap between them now too!)

 

[Rach46773]

I would personally look into getting some more hands on experience too. But saying that a share agreement can work out well for you. I share my horse, and it's worked out very well. However i went to college and have worked with horses before i had him on share. I know the lady who owns him and we are friends and she offered me the share when i found out they were leaving and i offered to give her a hand However, my share is different as i don't pay anything, i just commit time and buy the odd feed/treats/tack ect. I know shares like this a few and far between, however i know a few people who will charge something between £10-30 a week depending on how many days you're doing and what the horse is and what livery it is on. It's all down to the owner. Facebook is very good for advertising stuff like what you're after, i see quite a few people posting asking for shares or loans ect. Or people posting asking for a sharer. It's going to be a hard job, but you might find something and a horse that works for you. A riding school "own a pony day" is very, very different to having your own, whether it's actually yours, a loan or share agreement, and i've worked for riding schools and i know it's very different as at the end of the day you still hand the horse back at the end of the day.

But i do agree with some others, maybe look into taking some courses or exams? I know there is a BHS Horse Owners Certificate which is usually done with evening classes and you all work towards the same test which is a sit down one. And putting the word out you're looking for a share agreement or loan. But obviously know your limitations. If you know you cannot commit time-wise a share would be best. And ideally you know you can always ask the owner for help. Ideally if you know whether you can get a horse on a yard with friendly people who are willing to help you and respect the fact you're learning that is very important.

It can work, you just need to go in with your eyes open and know completely what you are capable of and be careful you don't take on too much, as it's not just you it will affect, it is the horse. If you have time and money then go for whatever option suits your needs. But i stand by it, know the facts, but be willing to learn and take advice and keep your eyes open

 

[Roxylola]

£60 for 3 days, presumably with staff on hand to help you if you struggle. Would you have jobs to do (morning and night feeds/hay muck out etc)? Or would it be a case of turn up, groom tack up and ride at a time that is mutually agreeable?
For the second, bearing in mind you will have staff there to help with everything, I would say it is a bargain

 

[Esme2015]

I wonder if the OP means per month, rather than per week. I do think £60 per week for a RS loan seems an awful lot, but having said that, the help and support Is invaluable. I guess it depends on the set up and what's involved. And yes you can just give it back at the end of the day, so for me, it was a great introduction before perhaps loaning properly or if you can't find a suitable private horse to share (I'm not bemoaning this option at all).

Just for the record, I know of at least two riding schools near me who both allow their horses to be taken out to competitions, and quite often will transport or escort them there too. And I don't believe they charge them huge amounts either. I got the experience I needed to buy my own by 'loaning' riding school horses and if I had a child I would recommend this route for them. It also worked for about six young riders who all bought their first horses at a similar time to myself. I don't think any of us have ever looked back. The support I got from having my horse liveried on a RS/large stables (not working livery) was absolutely key though. I couldn't have coped any other way.

OP, good luck in whatever you decide to do!!

 

[Theocat]

I think a new riding school might be the answer - a decent one ought to be able to get you past the kick-and-pull stage, and you'll have more fun and be much safer and better off once you do start to share. Costs of a share plus a weekly lesson will probably be about £50 per week - start off with two lessons a week, perhaps at your current yard plus another one, and ideally help out at the weekend if you can, and see how that goes for a bit.

 

[Horseshoe2]

I wonder if the OP means per month, rather than per week. I do think £60 per week for a RS loan seems an awful lot, but having said that, the help and support Is invaluable. I guess it depends on the set up and what's involved.

It's per week, It can go up to £75 for three days. Also, support isn't that great, the yard staff at the moment aren't that nice, aren't very knowledgable (telling me I'm doing something wrong when 5 previous experienced yard staff and the manager has told me something else), or will completely take over unless I ask an instructor or the manager but they're not on yard, so that takes out the positives of loaning a riding school horse. Unless, I only have a week to loan so I can ride without an instructor, which many people looking to part loan or share their horse need you to be able to do, then it's hugely expensive and nothing I can't get from helping a couple of busy late nights and having some private lessons.

 

[oldie48]

When my old TB as still in work I had a 15 yr old girl ride out with me on him. I was also happy for her to have lessons on him and took her to the occasional competition. She came for nearly 3 years, until she went to uni and it was a good arrangement for both of us. She had only had RS lessons but was reasonably competent when she started however, she learned a huge amount over the years. I didn't charge her anything as I was pleased to have company hacking out, loved to see her improving and frankly didn't have the time to keep 2 horses in work. I found her through word of mouth, so if you know people with horses let them know you are looking for something. I hope you find something suitable. Good luck!