Share, ride and enjoy MY horse for free...

PaddyMonty said:
I feel confident in saying none of the owners of the horses I have shared (double figures) have seen me as a freeloader despite never making a financial contribution. Without fail I have ended up instructing all of the owners(and their kids sometimes), often two or three times a week. I've provided transport if the owner didn't have their own and often fixed it if they did. I've attended any vet visits other than normal jabs etc. Covered holidays for all the family horses, not just the one I was riding. I've accompanied owners to comps, encouraged, provided a shoulder to cry on, common sense in stress situations. I'm pretty sure the owners felt they got a good deal. Contribution does not have to be financial.
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Totally agree with this. I've two horses and a non paying sharer, who makes a massive contribution in other ways (recent examples, dealing with saddler visit whilst I was working, driving horse 2 hour round trip for emergency farrier, being there for physio treatment, stepping up on occasion to exercise both horses.)

I also have a paying sharer, who doesn't do jobs, but has been totally understanding when horse had 2.5 months off with deep abscess last year, and six weeks off early this year. He rides zero to four times a week depending on his schedule and desire.

Both are over 40, experienced horse people who share the highs, and lows, and rehab and ups and downs of having horses.

Both enhance my horses and my experiences :-) I hope we do likewise for them.
 
I'm a sharer and a sharee (It's complicated, and I'm not sure which way round those descriptions go :D). Flexibility is the key to any successful share. Over the years I've had 5 sharers for Archie and the agreements for all of theme have been different. They've ranged from being with us from 6 months to 6 years. The shortest was only ever a short term agreement while her mare was off work with her BOGOF foal, 2 ended because the sharers moved away (which was the reason they didn't want to buy their own at the time) 1 got pregnant and the 5th is still with us.

Every single agreement was different and tailored to suit my and the sharer's requirements at the time. 1 paid for shoes, 2 paid a set amount each month (£60 a month for 3 days a week) 1 paid me in riding lessons on Monty and we improved no end with her help - that was far more beneficial than any money could be. The current one pays nothing but is an older lady who works part-time, lives really close by and is nearly always there to pick up the slack if work is mad with me - she'll pop to the shop to buy a bag of feed if I can't get out of work in time (and won't take the money for it). She adores Archie, will do anything for him. At different times of my life, my needs from a sharer have been different, Archie's needs have been different and the same goes for my sharers, hence the different agreements each time.

My agreement with Mont's owner (also my best friend) hasn't officially changed for 10 years but it's evolved. Officially, I pay for his "working costs" so shoes and feed and R pays his "resting costs" so livery, bedding, hay and vet and dentist bills. We split things like saddle fittings. In reality, whoever can get to the feed shop when it's open buys his feed and I've paid some vet's bills (including the big one) dentistry etc as I've been the one making the arrangements. Neither of us keeps count and it works for us.
 
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