jen1
Well-Known Member
Adding to the sharer posts recently. For many years I just couldn't afford my own horse, although I rode as a child and teenager, when I left school got a job, my first house, married, working all hours etc it all meant getting one was pretty impossible.
I went to riding schools for quite a few years but got bored with having to trot when all the ride trotted and canter when the instructor said and not being able to do my own thing! Anyway I found out about sharing but finding a 'decent' horse was so hard! I tried out a youngster with no steering, a huge hairy cob that just wouldn't go, and a TB mare that was downright dangerous, although I did end up sharing her for a while (doh!) until I thought I would like to live a bit longer!
It's not that I was fussy, just wanted something that wasn't going to kill me and that I could hack out nicely and have the odd lesson on, not much to ask? Finally though I ended up with a 16.2 hunter type on DIY livery that I shared for about 3 years and he was great, although not what you'd call a novice ride as he was quite sharp he was only available for hacking as he had dodgy legs he was a dream in the stable good to catch great on roads, never bucked or reared etc etc etc and I was very happy. I paid £10 a week (we are talking about 12 years ago) which was much less than the riding school, I could do what I wanted with him and spend as much time riding and pampering as I liked! Then my twins came along, so I gave up riding again for about the next 5 years.
2 years ago though I thought I would bite the bullet, kids in school, me working part time, tiny bit of spare cash so went GG hunting. Have ended up with a fantastic cob, he's now 6, 16hh great round the stable, jump, clip, travel etc etc etc although not a novice ride as he can be quite spooky. Anyway I have advertised for a sharer as time and money have become tight again, time mostly. I advertised him honestly and put up some lovely pics but stressed the NOT A NOVICE RIDE and his SIZE!
I have had calls from 2 x 13 year old girls, one from a lady who wanted to teach her partner how to ride (assuming as he's a cob he would be 'easy' and quiet) a man who came to ride but was very novicey and the mum of a 11 year old girl who's pony mad and been riding at a riding school for a year! HE IS A 16HAND 6 YEAR OLD FULL UP HORSE! I was very polite to all these people and said he wouldn't be suitable, but where have all the sharers gone?
I was one once, a responsible, experienced adult willing to do stable duties, would turn up rain or shine whether I could ride that day or not and fully committed to the horse I shared. I treated him as my own and loved and cared for him very much. His owner and me have remained very good friends even though he's now gone to the big stable in the sky!
There's 3 other owners at my yard who'd love sharers one has a great 15.1 arab gelding, another a 15.3 TB ex race horse who's just a dream to ride and another 14.3 ex jumping mare, none are what you'd call novice rides but all sane and safe (as safe as any horse is) and above all genuine. 2 of the owners now have young kids, one is also pregnant again, and the third has a job with long hours.
Surely there must be people out there who are in the situation I was in, can't afford time or money for your own but a couple of days a week would be great? There seem to me more 'suitable' horses up for share/loan than when I was looking.
Is is that EVERYONE is just so short of time and money these days? Maybe it's the way society has changed?
Also I have heard about sharers that have been unreliable, unwilling to do jobs and one put an injured horse in it's stable in the evening and left the yard without saying anything to anyone!
Oh well just thought this might start some discussion and bring up some different experiences either from those wishing to share their horse, those wanting to share or those already doing it, how does it work for you??
I went to riding schools for quite a few years but got bored with having to trot when all the ride trotted and canter when the instructor said and not being able to do my own thing! Anyway I found out about sharing but finding a 'decent' horse was so hard! I tried out a youngster with no steering, a huge hairy cob that just wouldn't go, and a TB mare that was downright dangerous, although I did end up sharing her for a while (doh!) until I thought I would like to live a bit longer!
It's not that I was fussy, just wanted something that wasn't going to kill me and that I could hack out nicely and have the odd lesson on, not much to ask? Finally though I ended up with a 16.2 hunter type on DIY livery that I shared for about 3 years and he was great, although not what you'd call a novice ride as he was quite sharp he was only available for hacking as he had dodgy legs he was a dream in the stable good to catch great on roads, never bucked or reared etc etc etc and I was very happy. I paid £10 a week (we are talking about 12 years ago) which was much less than the riding school, I could do what I wanted with him and spend as much time riding and pampering as I liked! Then my twins came along, so I gave up riding again for about the next 5 years.
2 years ago though I thought I would bite the bullet, kids in school, me working part time, tiny bit of spare cash so went GG hunting. Have ended up with a fantastic cob, he's now 6, 16hh great round the stable, jump, clip, travel etc etc etc although not a novice ride as he can be quite spooky. Anyway I have advertised for a sharer as time and money have become tight again, time mostly. I advertised him honestly and put up some lovely pics but stressed the NOT A NOVICE RIDE and his SIZE!
I have had calls from 2 x 13 year old girls, one from a lady who wanted to teach her partner how to ride (assuming as he's a cob he would be 'easy' and quiet) a man who came to ride but was very novicey and the mum of a 11 year old girl who's pony mad and been riding at a riding school for a year! HE IS A 16HAND 6 YEAR OLD FULL UP HORSE! I was very polite to all these people and said he wouldn't be suitable, but where have all the sharers gone?
I was one once, a responsible, experienced adult willing to do stable duties, would turn up rain or shine whether I could ride that day or not and fully committed to the horse I shared. I treated him as my own and loved and cared for him very much. His owner and me have remained very good friends even though he's now gone to the big stable in the sky!
There's 3 other owners at my yard who'd love sharers one has a great 15.1 arab gelding, another a 15.3 TB ex race horse who's just a dream to ride and another 14.3 ex jumping mare, none are what you'd call novice rides but all sane and safe (as safe as any horse is) and above all genuine. 2 of the owners now have young kids, one is also pregnant again, and the third has a job with long hours.
Surely there must be people out there who are in the situation I was in, can't afford time or money for your own but a couple of days a week would be great? There seem to me more 'suitable' horses up for share/loan than when I was looking.
Is is that EVERYONE is just so short of time and money these days? Maybe it's the way society has changed?
Also I have heard about sharers that have been unreliable, unwilling to do jobs and one put an injured horse in it's stable in the evening and left the yard without saying anything to anyone!
Oh well just thought this might start some discussion and bring up some different experiences either from those wishing to share their horse, those wanting to share or those already doing it, how does it work for you??
