Part loans and money

I haven't read all the replies .. But this is the way I see it .. If u want a free share .. They r out there .. But .. Screaming and shouting wont make it happen ..
Ask yourself r u a good rider ?
Can you improve a horse?
What can you bring the the party ?
Are u willing to work for the horse instead of payment ?

See the thing is .. I work hard for my horse .. And I work hard to improve my horse .. And I would not let someone FOR FREE get in the way of that .. BUT if someone came along ..that was better than my and could improve my horse then yes I might go for it ;) on the other hand IF someone said ..I will pop pick ..and clean ur tack etc for a hack out ..yes I might go for that .. If I was injured and my horse needed work ..yes I may let someone ride him for free ( but they would have to be a good enough rider)
See horses r such hard work and so expensive ..and most people share their horse for around £10 per day .. So u need to think how can I work off that £10 per day ;)
 
Mithras said:
That's more inconvenient to me than doing everything on my own! I've ended up providing free riding for two people and running around after them doing the horses while they ride! And I'm not unconvinced the cancellation wasn't due to me asking them to clean the tack after riding the previous week!
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Exactly this! In the past, I have found myself being stuck up at the yard, waiting around for people to come back so I can feed/lock up while they take my horse out for hours and put horse back in the stable, leaving him for me to sort out and untack!!
 
I have a schoolmistress, she's safe, looks after her rider, and is a saint, she'll do pretty much anything asked of her - so long as you ask her properly.

Now I have a girl who rides her in exchange for doing stable chores for me and a friend. She was supposed to be riding my friends gelding but he's been on box rest and now isn't very well.

She does not get free reign with her, she doesn't get to ride when she wants, or take her where she likes. Basically she doesn't get the same free reign of a part loan. But she gets to ride a very well schooled horse.

Now I wouldn't let someone part loan my horse without contributing in some way, be it chores or financially. Why should I have to do all the work and foot the bill for a stranger to have all the fun.

However I'm afraid op that your attitude stinks and I wouldn't want you near my horses with that attitude. The way I see it is that you seem to think the world owes you a favour. As someone else said, their horses their prerogative. However, I wouldn't offer riding of my pride and joy to someone who thinks it's a given right to have others provide horses for them to ride, as in my experience these people tend to have less regard for others and I wouldn't trust you'd show me or my horse the respect.

Another point, a lot of horse owners don't want novice loaners, especially if they are not contributing. I know my mare would happily plod about with a novice quite safely, but it only poses schooling niggles for me when she's not getting the consistency.

I think you may have some look with helping in return for rides. But your attitude would have to improve.
 
I've noticed a lot of quite novice riders seem to think they are doing you a great service by riding your horse for you.

Why they think this should be is a mystery to me. Unless they have a strong recent competition record, or record of producing horses to a higher level than they started out, it isn't likely to be true.

The most I've ever been able to hope for with a sharer is someone that doesn't make my horse worse than he is, so that I have to spend the next two weeks reschooling the faults that have arisen.

It remains a mystery why simply riding someone else's horse, that they have bought and pay for, should be such a help...

Mucking out, poo picking, filling haynets, doing the water, cleaning tack, coming to shows - all a help. Riding when you are not that great - not much of a help, occasionally harmless.
 
Wow OP, what an absolute spoilt brat you come across as! I spend a large proportion of my hard earned salary paying for my ponies, and if I choose to have someone else come and ride them I expect at the very least something towards their hay. I have a sharer do 3 days a week with my boy and one day at the weekend with my youngster, she gives me £15 per week and poo picks. Not a lot of money at all but enough to show she is reliable. If I changed my original wanted add to free riding id end up with someone like you coming to try my ponies and that aint ever happening!!

My friend also has a sharer. She charged £10 a week for 3 days riding. Lovely well schooled horse and all she has to do are poo pick and top up waters. The sharer decided that she shouldn't have to do jobs as she was in fact paying to ride the horse not being paid to do the jobs. My friend looked at her and said she agreed with her. Why should the sharer pay to ride my horse and then have to do jobs as well? Scandalous! So she instantly dropped all yard duties and changed the share to riding only. So the price went up to £75 a week seeing as the going rate for riding around here is £25 an hour. Sharer was soon keen to pick up a poo pick and scrubbing brush then!

P.S OP, please may I use your car 3 days a week? I obviously wont pay for the fuel, tyres, tax etc as I expect to be able to gain driving experience in someone elses car at no cost to myself. Thank you, ill expect it delivered to me this evening.
 
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Woah...im advertising for someone to loan and asking for a small fee - why?

Because:
1) I want to get rid of the people that have a ride and never show again
2) My pony costs me a lot of money
3) I spend a lot of time and energy looking after him
4) I currently don't have a job and im living off of my student loan, a small contribution would help massively
5) Because I can. My horse, my money, my rules.
 
HaffiesRock said:
P.S OP, please may I use your car 3 days a week? I obviously wont pay for the fuel, tyres, tax etc as I expect to be able to gain driving experience in someone elses car at no cost to myself. Thank you, ill expect it delivered to me this evening.
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HA! Love it!
 
I am planning on looking for a sharer for mine in the Spring. Not looking forward to the procession of day trippers that will surely be coming out for a free ride :-(
 
bexcy-bee said:
Horses are expensive. Why should you expect to ride and have fun with one for free? The people that own my share horse aren't hard up, but I wouldn't ever have expected them to let me ride etc without a contribution.

Bexcy-bee x
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Exactly this.

If you can't afford a horse, then start saving. There are jobs out there, you just have to work hard to get them. I spent 4 months searching for a job, and must have sent off about 60 applications and have now finally got a job. Instead of focusing your efforts on trying to find a horse to ride for free, you should spend more time trying to find a job or volunteering with charities to get experience and boost your CV, perhaps?

But at the end of the day, if you can't afford it, you can't have it. It's tough, but there is always the future to end up getting what you would like.
 
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jeeve said:
However, I do not think they should continue to charge if the horse is unsound and cannot be ridden. That is a different thing altogether. A part share or financial contribution should be only while the horse is available to be ridden and should not take on the risks of ownership. IMO.
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I disagree with this. The horse still needs feeding, to be shod, livery bills etc? If you make a commitment to somebody, I think it is very rude if you then just turn around and say that if you can't ride, you're not paying. Undertaking the care of a horse, even as a loaner/sharer, you still have some responsibilities.

My loan mare has had various periods of time off one where she was lame for 4 weeks, another she was in horsepital, I still payed all of my bills, because that was what the agreement is. I didn't moan about not being able to ride, I made the most of spending time with the horse, bonding and doing little bits of gentle groundwork.
 
I've put a couple of mine out on 'free' share a few times now and everytime I have been messed around. They won't show up when they say they will, leaving me stood around at the yard waiting for them and they not even bothering to let me know they are coming. Or just not turning up for weeks on end.

I haven't had much better with paid to be honest. But they are always worse when they don't pay.

With your attitude I'd never let you near my horses. I spend a lot of money to keep my 5 horses and at the moment with all the injuries/illnesses they have I'm lucky to have £1 a month to myself.

Why should we let you have a free ride when we have to pay so much to keep them ourselves?
 
I recently started part loaning/sharing a pony because her owner hasn't got time to ride both her ponies and she's not asking much money or lots of chores to do either - however, just because I am helping her out a bit doesn't mean riding and looking after her pony isn't a privilege for me. I can't afford to buy or full loan a horse so really she is doing ME a favour! Riding and working with horses is a privilege full stop - why should their owners give people that for peanuts when they work hard for it themselves?
 
I have been part loaning for nearly a year now, I pay £80 a month, I get 3 days a week, I ride muck out, poo pick, and to the owners other 2 horses when I have the time or I make the time if I'm asked. I really don't see a problem with paying! If I could afford my own, I'd have one but currently studying at uni this is the next best thing and I see it as the owner doing me a favour, not the other way round!!!!!

Posts like this give part loaners/sharers a bad name!!!
 
All of the owners who are scandalized by this post, I have a question for you.

If you wanted a day, morning, evening, weekend off doing your horse, would you have to pay someone to bring in, muck out, change rugs, exercise etc?

If so, surely a sharer doing all that should expect to ride in return with no money changing hands in either direction. You get your chores done, the sharer gets to ride.

Comparing the situation to a riding school is silly. At a riding school I'd get tuition and wouldn't have any chores to do. Neither are their any jobs involved with a car as far as I'm aware.

I've had several shares over the years and have never paid a penny for any of them.

If I couldn't afford my horse without the income from a sharer then I wouldn't't have one.

Also, I wonder if people with sharers who contribute financially are declaring their extra income to HMRC
 
Gentlegiant88 said:
This thread just leaves me irritated to be honest...
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Same.

I was plagued by a freeloader earlier this year, they were friends with another livery but not good enough to really ride that livery's horses, or the horses of the other liveries who were so enamored of the freeloader who was "helpful" and a "laugh" and all.

My horse is a saint so I kept getting asked if they could just borrow her for hacking or to take to this or that place as if it were doing me a favour, or like it should be important to me that this freeloading twit got to have a good time with their chums on my horse, that REALLY got to me.

This was not a great rider and my horse didn't benefit from the experience in any way, on the occasions I was guilted into agreeing to lend her out it was clear my horse was a vehicle and little more.

This person would poo-pick (and do a half arsed job of it) without being asked by me to do it and even tidied my feed room and tack room which I didn't want and didn't ask for but I was supposed to be grateful for that and hand my horse over.

I did tolerate it for a while, I thought well, it must be me who is wrong here as everyone else likes this person, maybe I am being a bit precious, but in the end, I didn't even care if I was, if it meant that much to my fellow liveries, whom I do get along with generally, they could lend their own horses out!

Sorry OP, obviously, I am sure you aren't like that, I think I need Angry Management or something, I stewed on this for ages I guess!
 
Tapir said:
All of the owners who are scandalized by this post, I have a question for you.

If you wanted a day, morning, evening, weekend off doing your horse, would you have to pay someone to bring in, muck out, change rugs, exercise etc?

If so, surely a sharer doing all that should expect to ride in return with no money changing hands in either direction. You get your chores done, the sharer gets to ride.
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I'm lucky in that I have a friend at the yard who does my horse and in return I look after hers when I'm away.

However I have a lovely girl who rides my horse, she helps with yard jobs in return for riding her and doesn't pay anything. But then she doesn't have the same attitude that OP appears to have, where she should be given a free ride.


To be honest I don't need the help, anmd I could be riding and exercising my mare on my own, but this girl is lovely, is attentive to the horses and generally really nice.


It's more the attituude that gets me.

I don't see why it can't be compared to a riding school. A hack is what, £40, with no tuition. Pony trekking isn't cheap anmd people shouldn't expect a free ride but be gratefuul that owners are willing to let them get some pleasure from their pride and joy.
 
when I advertised for a sharer a few months ago, I considered asking for a contribution towards costs to make sure whoever took my horse on was committed to him.

Riding a horse you don't own is a privilege you should expect to pay for - you essentially pay to hire a horse when you have a lesson. why should a loan or share be any different?
For what it's worth, I haven't asked my current loaner for payment although she did offer. The most important thing is for my horse to be kept fit while I concentrate on my competition horse.

I've shared and loaned in the past - I paid for the privilege and did chores in exchange for riding so why shouldn't everyone else?

eta: to the poster who asked who does my horses when I want to go out - they're all on full livery so it's not an issue.
 
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blood_magik said:
eta: to the poster who asked who does my horses when I want to go out - they're all on full livery so it's not an issue.
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A horse share where there are no chores involved is quite different to those who expect a sharer to take responsibility for looking after the horse on their days AND pay. Riding in return for payment (as at a riding school or full livery horse), or chores in exchange for riding
 
Tapir said:
A horse share where there are no chores involved is quite different to those who expect a sharer to take responsibility for looking after the horse on their days AND pay. Riding in return for payment (as at a riding school or full livery horse), or chores in exchange for riding
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My horse costs me £x per day to keep, plus doing chores. If I had a sharer and therefore didn't have the use of my horse on the sharers days why should I still have to pay the £x. The sharer has the pleasure of my horse, the enjoyment of doing the "chores" and therefore should contribute financially.

Most sharers are not as experienced as the owners, nor generally do they ride as competently and are gaining experience, with the option of when the horse is unwell can just walk away.

I have been a sharer and would not have dreamt of not paying my way.
 
I am a sharer and I pay £15 a week. For this I don't have to do chores, just ride as the share was put in place due to the YO not having enough time to ride "the boy". I love him dearly and I feel the need to do his chores purely because I simply can't imagine not wanting to do them for him. I can also ride the YO's "special girl" which is very kind of her, and my daughter can ride the YO's pony from childhood. We can go as little or as often as we like as long as we give notice, usually 24 hours as the YO is there day and evening anyway. In the meantime, I pay for lessons at a local riding school for both me and my daughter and will continue to do so, but also the proprietor has asked me to ride one of her non-riding school horses for her for free. Like I said I pay for lessons but I also tack up/un tack and groom the horses we ride there as I believe it to be all part of the lovely experience of looking after horses. I have also been offered another share for which I only have to pay half the shoeing costs. I really believe you have to speculate to accumulate, ie show willing, yes, pay, be reliable and honest about your abilities and before long people will seek YOU out. It's horrible and frustrating being out of work, particularly if your hobby happens to be an expensive one like horses; consider this though, £15 = one bottle of wine, a lottery ticket, a magazine and a big bar of chocolate. Most people wouldn't think twice about spending it on those items, so why not spend it on the best hobby in the world instead?
 
Tapir said:
A horse share where there are no chores involved is quite different to those who expect a sharer to take responsibility for looking after the horse on their days AND pay. Riding in return for payment (as at a riding school or full livery horse), or chores in exchange for riding
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Or accept that chores are generally part of ownership and quite happily pay for the chance to do them *and* ride?

I'll happily go on comparing it to riding lessons - they're the only two options I have to be near horses. One costs me £25 for as many days a week as I want. The other cost £23 for 30 mins once a week. Easy decision!
 
"Most sharers are not as experienced as the owners, nor generally do they ride as competently and are gaining experience, with the option of when the horse is unwell can just walk away" from ellenjay's post


Absolutely this ^ I share because at the moment I can't afford my own horse and will not have one (or a full loan) until I have a minimum of £500 per month at my disposal. I am sharing because my long term goal is to get my own in approx two years time, in the meantime I am gaining experience in horse husbandry and my riding is improving all for £15 a week!! Happy days!! It's a win win situation :)

Original bit at the top by ellenjay, not sure what I did to make it look like it was part of my post!!
 
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Tapir said:
A horse share where there are no chores involved is quite different to those who expect a sharer to take responsibility for looking after the horse on their days AND pay. Riding in return for payment (as at a riding school or full livery horse), or chores in exchange for riding
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then you could argue that being responsible for the horse is to be expected whether the person is paying or not.
You may disagree but to me, paying to share the horse means sharing the chores and the riding - that's all part and package. okay, I currently pay someone to muck out and look after my horses but if I was on DIY then my sharer would be expected to help out on her days.
We were expected to help with skipping out and haying at the riding school I went to and I still had to pay for my lessons - I didn't mind though because I was getting to spend more time with the horses.

These are just my opinions though so feel free to ignore. :smile3:
 
What a crazy attitude!
I did a 'free' share this time last year. I don't claim to be the best rider but I was unemployed, couldn't afford lessons and was basically asked to do chores and in exchange I hacked the young pony to gain experience in the outside world. So we met tethered shetlands, abandoned matresses, went under the kingston bypass, under railway bridges and over a bridge for the m25. In return I always poo-picked, scrubbed water troughs and at least once a month cleaned tack. I was almost disappointed to get a job and lose the ride!

Now I pay to ride a slightly demented horse three times a week. I muck out on my days and groom. I helped with clipping her and have turned down friends plans and nights out because one of my days is on Friday nights but it wouldn't be fair to mess her and her owner about and I simply don't have time to do both.
But. In return I've been allowed to take her to local shows, hack her whenever I like. I learnt how to canter legyield, do shoulder-in and last weekend I jumped my first double at the mighty (and terrifying) height of 50cm!

I figure its a hell of a lot cheaper than me having lessons to do all the above, its been good experience for the eventual plan of getting my own and all my loan owners have been absolutely lovely and I'd hate to have them thought of as money-grabbers! It takes a lot to trust your pride and joy to a stranger as she merrily trots off down the road!

Also! Not all of us loaner/sharers are unreliable nutters!!!
 
Lexi_ said:
Or accept that chores are generally part of ownership and quite happily pay for the chance to do them *and* ride
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The key word there is ownership. The sharer doesn't own the horse, they generally have no say in feed/management/shoeing/yard/tack etc and have chosen, for whatever reason, not to own their own.

It depends on why people want a sharer, can they not afford a horse without? Or do they want the odd break from having to see to the horse twice a day, everyday.

If they are reliant on a sharer's financial contribution I would be very concerned. However, many people would like an evening a week where they could do something else without having to worry about fitting in their horse. This person would either have to pay someone to see to their horse, or swap chores for riding.

I'm clearly not the only person who thinks this way as I've never had any problem finding free shares in the past.
 
Hi I've read all the above posts with interest as I'm not sure what category I fit into... I am a largeish bloke 6'2" and 16stone and have been looking to learn to ride and look after horses for a couple of years. I have emailed all the local riding schools (and some not to local) asking if they would teach me, explaining size, weight and age (late 40s) a couple got back to me say they could not help most did not bother answering. Early this year I tracked down a lady who had several large horses, I emailed her and explained the situation, she asked me up and showed me round. She offered to teach me to ride and how to look after horses, and gave me a price per riding lesson. At this point I discovered I love horses, being around them, riding them, grooming them, in fact I don't mind what work I do around them. I can only finish work early 1 day a week, most of the time, occasionly twice but that's it, I leave for work at 6 in the morning get home for 7 that night so I can't buy my own horse it would not be right. On my early finish I get to the stable an hour may be an hour and a half before the owner so I go down to the fields and poo pick, in that time I normally clear 3 out of the 4 fields. I then come back to the stables and in the summer put the horses out, in the winter bring them in, I restock the stalls with hay and do whatever job I know I can do. The owner arrives and if she has time she will give me a lesson if not I will ride around the school, however as I do these job she no longer charges me any money. I can afford to pay and would do happly if required.
So if I read this right I should be paying for this privalidge? I am very reliable and have always turned up (and work my ass off), I don't always get a ride as the owner is so busy (I don't complain). The only downside is recently a couple of others have started coming to the stables and they know a lot more than I do about horses so tend to take over, they do the nice jobs with the horses I get to poo pick.
 
OP get of your high horse and come back to the real world. An attitude like that is going to get you know where in life. Why should someone who has worked hard and probably gone without so their horses don't, give you a free ride?

It seems there is many people think the world owes them everything and OP you fall into that category
 
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