Potential share - what should I ask?

[Snowfilly]

Impusively agreed to go and see a share pony tomorrow night, which is something I've never considered!

He's within walking distance of my house which helps, and needs riding 2-3 times a week, hacking out on his own in exchange for stable duties and care that morning, plus monthly fee for shoes.

Aside from riding him and seeing what I think, what questions should I ask his owner? What do I need in place and on the contract?

I'm a BHS gold member so fully insured, and got all my own gear still, but never had anything to do with a share set up!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I think you and owner need to both have a look at the BHS website as there are various specimen "agreements" on there, certainly for loans, and use that as a starting point to formulate a working written agreement between the two of you.

You need to cover stuff like financial contribution, access to the horse (for stuff like competitions too - don't forget this!), hacking, duties/yardwork.

You also need to include a "euthanasia clause" in any contract which means that if (god forbid, but it happens, as a recent thread on here showed only too well) the owner is not there and something happens to the horse, that you as sharer have the right to call the vet and that the attending vet has permission to PTS for humane reasons if the owner cannot be contacted. Yes its an awful thing to have to sign-up for, but essential IMO.

You also need to cover stuff like holidays, days & timings etc. As well as what happens i.e. who pays for not only routine veterinary stuff like vac's and worming but also if more is required like the horse needs expensive veterinary care or investigations, or what happens if the horse is out of use for a considerable period of time and you are unable to ride.

Perhaps there's someone on here who can let you have a specimen sharer's contract which they've used and found works well for them?

 

[LaurenBay]

How exciting

I would ask what the Horses usual routine is, so that you can follow it as closely as you can on your days.

Check if the Horse has any medical issues you should be aware of (like does the hay need to be soaked, or limited trotting on roads etc)

Ask exactly what chores they would like you to do, also ask about poo picking.

Ask what feed the Horse has and how much of it to feed.

 

[sportsmansB]

Clarify for sure about when you are unavailable / on holidays - How much notice you need to give that you can't do your specified days / whether you still pay your contribution / what happens if the horse is lame - how long are they lame before you stop paying your contribution (a share is different to a loan in this regard, in my opinion)
Any activities that the owners doesn't want the horse to do / can you take it elsewhere for fun rides / competitions.
The Vet stuff above - very important to know what you do if there is a serious issue - or even if you arrive and the horse has a cut / seems unwell in some way. Some people are first on to the vet, others might prefer to see and assess themselves before incurring a vet call out.
Then really its just getting to grips with the day to day routine

 

[Annagain]

Set out exactly what's required of you from the start and stick to it - with a degree of flexibility to swap a day now and again or cover holidays etc. Be clear about what you can /can't commit to, finances etc. I've had several sharers for my boy over the years and never had a written contract but we've always been very clear about who does what and when and what they pay and how (agreements have been different for every one depending on their and my circumstances at the time) We often revisit after a few weeks if anything needs tweaking. Above all even after you've got everythign sorted, keep talking to your share horse's owner even if it's just a text to say you've had a lovely ride and are home safely. It's very easy to crack on with your days and never see /speak to the other party.

 

[LaurenBay]

Set out exactly what's required of you from the start and stick to it - with a degree of flexibility to swap a day now and again or cover holidays etc. Be clear about what you can /can't commit to, finances etc. I've had several sharers for my boy over the years and never had a written contract but we've always been very clear about who does what and when and what they pay and how (agreements have been different for every one depending on their and my circumstances at the time) We often revisit after a few weeks if anything needs tweaking. Above all even after you've got everythign sorted, keep talking to your share horse's owner even if it's just a text to say you've had a lovely ride and are home safely. It's very easy to crack on with your days and never see /speak to the other party.

Good advice regarding the odd text to the owner. When I had my own Horse, I had 2 sharers, 1 was fantastic and I could tell she really like my Horse by the way she texted and it put my mind at rest that Horse (and rider) were ok. The other sharer NEVER text me. Which isn't an issue if she was a long term sharer that I'd had for years. But when she first started out, I'd have liked a text at least once a week just to let me know how shes getting on. I am now a sharer as I lost my Horse, and I do make a good effort to text at least once a week (I've been sharing him 11 months) when I first started I text after every ride to let her know what we had been up too.

 

[Antw23uk]

Ask around about the owner, make sure she isn't batsh*t crazy! Ask around about the horse …. same reason!

 

[midnight2025]

Make sure you get in writing what exactly you need to pay for .

 

[Snowfilly]

Ask around about the owner, make sure she isn't batsh*t crazy! Ask around about the horse …. same reason!

I could deal with the horse...crazy people scare me!

She's been clear that it's green and a bit looky, but enjoys going out. I love my lessons but I've not hacked since my boy was put down at Christmas and the idea of some riding out is very tempting.

There's some really good advice here, I'll see if I like the horse first - I don't mind green babies but I can't abide a sullen nature. I think shows and outings would be a long way off, as he's quite backwards for his age.

I shall report back!

 

[Littlebear]

I could deal with the horse...crazy people scare me!

She's been clear that it's green and a bit looky, but enjoys going out. I love my lessons but I've not hacked since my boy was put down at Christmas and the idea of some riding out is very tempting.

There's some really good advice here, I'll see if I like the horse first - I don't mind green babies but I can't abide a sullen nature. I think shows and outings would be a long way off, as he's quite backwards for his age.

I shall report back!

I would just add that you should watch the owner do everything with him that you might want to before you get on! I have seen some potential sharers used as cannon fodder! Do not get on unless you are happy you can deal with what you have seen x

 

[HeyMich]

I had a share for a while, and the biggest problem was that I wasn't allowed to change things - for example tack (using martingale), feed (cutting out molassed chaff and massive feeds through the summer), grazing (reducing area using electric fencing as horse and companion were both quite portly) that I thought would be beneficial. I obviously discussed my views with the owner and explained the reasons behind them, but after a while, she (the owner) just outright ignored my opinions on things, even though the vet/instructor/farrier agreed with me. It was that situation really that made me shy away from another share. We were just on a different wavelength, and I found it really frustrating!

So again, it's purely down to the owner and any difference in management and horse care that would be my biggest concern.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Most of the questions have been mentioned above but also get in writing exactly who is responsible for any damage or loss of tack, when I had a full loan it was in my agreement i was responsible for the tack and if it was damaged it was my responsibility to sort it. Same as if horse needs any veterinary treatment.

I'd also want a full list of jobs I was to sort on "my" days eg things like poo picking, if I was having a sharer I'd want them to poo pick and muck out on their days as the whole point of having a sharer would be to ease the jobs for me as there would be no point having double the poo picking when I went up next. Also little things like tack cleaning?

I'd also want to know if I'm allowed to hack, any issues the horse has with hacking, anyone they feel I shouldn't go with etc. Am I allowed to hack the horse both alone and with other people?

I'd want a clear financial agreement drawn up along with who is responsible for what. Also when you agree the loan a full list of contact numbers, if you're responsible for feeds full details of what is used to make them up eg quantities

Also is the horse insured? Even if they are I'd probably look at getting some kind of rider insurance for myself

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I had a share for a while, and the biggest problem was that I wasn't allowed to change things - for example tack (using martingale), feed (cutting out molassed chaff and massive feeds through the summer), grazing (reducing area using electric fencing as horse and companion were both quite portly) that I thought would be beneficial. I obviously discussed my views with the owner and explained the reasons behind them, but after a while, she (the owner) just outright ignored my opinions on things, even though the vet/instructor/farrier agreed with me. It was that situation really that made me shy away from another share. We were just on a different wavelength, and I found it really frustrating!

So again, it's purely down to the owner and any difference in management and horse care that would be my biggest concern.

Completely agree to this especially as OP is used to having her own horse think I'd struggle with the loss of control if I get a share after my boy goes! I had him on full loan before I purchased him outright when his old owner moved away and I wanted to use a different dentist as I was responsible for all costs and I didn't think the one they used was any good but she wouldn't allow it. Since I've had him as my own he hasn't seen that dentist again!!

 

[LaurenBay]

Completely agree to this especially as OP is used to having her own horse think I'd struggle with the loss of control if I get a share after my boy goes! I had him on full loan before I purchased him outright when his old owner moved away and I wanted to use a different dentist as I was responsible for all costs and I didn't think the one they used was any good but she wouldn't allow it. Since I've had him as my own he hasn't seen that dentist again!!

Don't be put off sharing after owning. I owned for 8 years, she was PTS in Nov. In Oct I began sharing (so had both for a month) The owner of my share Horse is lovely and has said she picked me purely because I had owned before so I was just that bit more experienced then others that tried him. She is open to any changes I want to make (although I haven't needed to make any changes) I would say if sharing after owning, I'd pick a person that had similar views on keeping Horses as you do, I can imagine it getting very frustrating if you both have very different views. But if the Horse is kept similar to how you'd choose to keep your own, then much easier. It can be done with the right owner and Horse.

 

[Annagain]

I am both a sharer and a sharee (it's complicated and I'm not entirely sure which way round those go but you get the picture ). Being able to let unimportant things go is essential to sharing. There are definitely times when you have to nod and smile on both sides but maybe moreso as a non-owner. My share horse's owner is my best friend, I've known her since we were 7 and I can say pretty much anything to her but I don't. There are things she does that drive me nuts but he's not suffering, nobody's being put in danger so I say nothing - even when she tacks up / untacks without undoing the noseband . Likewise with my sharers, I tell them at the start as long as they don't do anything to impact on his welfare and they keep him, themselves, him and everyone around him safe they can paint him pink and ride him through the village in a tutu for all I care.

 

[Courbette]

Ask about a trial period? I usually ask for a 4 week trial period and it is much easier to step away at this point if the horse is not for you. As others have said keep communication open with the owner and be prepared to let the small stuff go.

I have always had share horses and I would say getting a good vibe from the owner is even more important in some ways than the horse. Bad habits in horses can be changed, you are stuck with the owner!

I know everybody advises a contract and I agree with this 100% but in practice I have never been given one so in my experience agreements are usually verbal. I have also found owners are reluctant to discuss vets / euthanasia so I'd probably ask about what to do in an emergency if you agree to take the horse on but then get a feel for the owner before going into too much detail.