Sharer dilemma...

I think £75 to £125 might be too big a leap and you may risk losing her completely. Putting it up to £100 on the basis that your horse costs have increased since the initial agreement seems more reasonable.
 
My sharer pays me £120 per month for 2 days per week. No chores as full livery (all year round!). One of her days is a lesson as part of our agreement.

For the first six months she paid me next to nothing, just a token amount. Reason being I needed some time off due to personal reasons and she was moving house and didn't have much spare cash... so she kept my horse ticking over and I had some much needed time away. Mutually beneficial.

Once everything started getting back to normal and more settled, we met up for a coffee and discussed everything. And we agreed on the amount as it was affordable for her and we agreed it was a fair contribution towards my monthly cost.

She admitted that she was getting the best deal at first and was surprised I didn't want to up the price sooner!

So you never know, your sharer may be expecting a rise in price! I don't think it's unreasonable to put the price up, but it's only fair to discuss it with her and agree on a number that suits both of you.

ETA: an increase in my livery bill is what initially spurred me into upping the share cost... and my OH moaning that I wasn't getting much out of the share.
 
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I don't charge my sharer at present as he has been helping me bring my horse back into work, as I was short on time rather than cash.

As she is improving and doing more he has been warned that a contribution will be required. I charged my last sharer £60 a month for 2 days a week. I don't worry about what the cost of the horse is per day and all that - at the end of the day the horse is mine and she is my responsibility, so just a contribution and some yard chores helps me out a bit and takes the pressure off.

The going rates around here for a sharer are upto about £160 for 4 days a week on diy, but most sharers would only be expected to visit once a day and maybe muck out etc.

OP - there is another option - have you considered that the sharer may prefer to do more chores than pay more. Is there an option to reduce your costs by having DIY or part livery some days eg weekend over the winter and the sharer could pick up the extra chores rather than paying any extra?
 
I have a sharer because I work shifts/ on call so can't always be available for my mare.
I have found a fantastic sharer who is very reliable and treats my mare like her own.
I didn't ask for money to start with as I found her through a friends recommendation and she was honest that she couldn't fincacially commit.
In the long run she saves me money as I would be paying out for assisted livery if not.
However she now pays £20 a month. Although a small token it is better then nothing. Ideally more would be a lot better but I have seen and heard of so many sharer horror stories I would rather be short that lose a good egg.
I guess you need to decide what is important to you and your situation.
 
I think that's quite a leap to be honest. Its over a 50% increase. I know you're saying she doesn't have to do jobs - but she has no choice over that, her choice might be to do the jobs and keep the cost down.

By all means have a chat, and say that money is becoming more of an issue, but be prepared to either compromise on what you want/ getting an increase, or potentially losing your sharer.

I had a brilliant sharer for my mare. Would have preferred a larger financial contribution, but to be honest the time off it gave me, plus the fact she was 100% reliable, I trusted her judgment, she didn't hammer my mare etc etc - losing her wouldn't have been worth the trade off for the extra money. I really struggled to find someone decent, and I didn't want to lose her. Maybe worth considering before you speak to her whether the money is ultimately a deal breaker.

I don't know if your horse is on feed/ supplements, could you maybe ask for a contribution to those going into winter if you feed more? It just makes it seem more tangible I guess - and if shes been with you through one winter at no additional cost (which is part of the appeal of sharing I guess - you take on something at a fixed price per month that you can afford) then selling the increased costs to her might be harder.

Will stop rambling now!
 
One of the main things to consider is what is the average cost in your area for a horse on DIY livery including the costs of the basics so hay/feed/bedding/farrier etc? If she is happy doing yard chores you are unlikely to persuade her to pay the same per month for a share horse on full livery as what she'd pay to keep a horse of her own on DIY.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
One of the main things to consider is what is the average cost in your area for a horse on DIY livery including the costs of the basics so hay/feed/bedding/farrier etc? If she is happy doing yard chores you are unlikely to persuade her to pay the same per month for a share horse on full livery as what she'd pay to keep a horse of her own on DIY.
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The horse has just cost me £250 a month on DIY including everything but insurance, so £125 would still be under half price of what she could hope to keep her own for.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I am not going to increase the price this winter but I will give her a few months notice of a price increase from March. It will be up to her whether she wants to continue or not and I think she'd be hard pushed to find a decent share for any less around here. I'm about as laid back as owners come, the yard is amazing and the horse is a total Saint. Well, we'll see. All your views were much appreciated.
 
Mongoose11 said:
The horse has just cost me £250 a month on DIY including everything but insurance, so £125 would still be under half price of what she could hope to keep her own for.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I am not going to increase the price this winter but I will give her a few months notice of a price increase from March. It will be up to her whether she wants to continue or not and I think she'd be hard pushed to find a decent share for any less around here. I'm about as laid back as owners come, the yard is amazing and the horse is a total Saint. Well, we'll see. All your views were much appreciated.
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Personally if I were the sharer I would rather you just say that you appreciate how good a sharer she is and her financial contribution but that costs are increasing and you wondered whether she would be in a position to contribute a bit more. Then you could gauge her reaction and discuss the amount and timing of any increase. If she can't afford more then you know where you are and if she can then you start getting it a little earlier.
 
I would just talk to her and explain you're going to be up against it this winter. Like others have said, £75 a month for 4 days without jobs is super cheap. the going rate is £10/15 a day round here (Cheshire) usually with jobs to do on top. However, £75 to £120 is a big leap. That's not to say she won't be able to afford it, just that it's a big jump given how cheap it was.

I don't think the cost of DIY in the area is *that* important in the consideration - personally I share because of time not money, and I know a lot of other sharers in that situation too.
 
Mongoose11 said:
The horse has just cost me £250 a month on DIY including everything but insurance, so £125 would still be under half price of what she could hope to keep her own for.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I am not going to increase the price this winter but I will give her a few months notice of a price increase from March. It will be up to her whether she wants to continue or not and I think she'd be hard pushed to find a decent share for any less around here. I'm about as laid back as owners come, the yard is amazing and the horse is a total Saint. Well, we'll see. All your views were much appreciated.
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That seems like a really sensible approach. :)
 
What you have to bear in mind is if she says she can't afford it - what then? You lose her and then end up having to pay more anyway with no sharer at all !

I too think £125 is a little steep. I would just increase it to £100 pcm throughout the year as Xmas is an expensive time for people.

I would have an informal chat and explain how the costs have gone up for your pony and that you feel bad having to ask her.

Hope it goes OK Let us know !
 
Are you joking? She's paying £300 of your £450 livery bill, that's way more than 'fair'. I'd tell you to jog on if you too me you wanted more!!!
 
The Tank said:
Are you joking? She's paying £300 of your £450 livery bill, that's way more than 'fair'. I'd tell you to jog on if you too me you wanted more!!!
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Thanks for that but I think you might be confused. She's paying £75 of my £450 livery bill.
 
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I think it depends how much you need her tbh, whether that be financially or needing your horse ridden.

I would only be happy with the low contribution if she was a really good rider - good luck, I too hate having to discuss money :)
 
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