Sharers and tack storage?

[noblesteed]

Hi all,

I have a sharer for my horse, as I am pregnant. Horse is kept at a private yard with one other horse. Other horse's owner (my friend) lives next door to the farm.
Now I have a slight problem with tack storage. Bridles, boots etc are no bother, as we have a spare stable that we use for storing feed, hay, bedding, rugs etc. Expensive things like bridles are in a very heavy wooden box with a padlock, I have a key, sharer has a key, friend has a key. HOWEVER there is no storage suitable for a saddle, and nowhere to lock anything away (we are renting stables that are within a working farm yard). Previously I have kept my saddle safely locked in the boot of my car, transferred to my house when I go home. Friend on-site has a conservatory attached to her house in which she keeps her tack. All fine.
However now I am unable to ride and can't get up to the yard as easily, I need to get my saddle to my sharer. She is only 13 so I am loath to let her take charge of it - in fact OH says NO she can't have it, on the grounds that she couldn't afford to replace it should it be damaged!!! (it was new with my horse so he knows how much it cost....)
So friend has said my saddle can be kept in her conservatory with her own. This is fine, BUT when sharer wants to ride and friend isn't in, sharer can't get saddle... Friend doesn't trust a 13 year old girl with a key to get into her house which is fair enough...

So I am left with the problem of where to keep saddle so everyone stays happy!!! What do other people do when faced with this problem? Or does anyone have a suggestion of a container that I could buy/adapt to become a secure saddle storage vessel?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Maisy]

Don't the sharer's parents have anything to do with the arrangement?? I would make an arrangement with them, that they take responsibility for the saddle....Presumably they fetch and carry their daughter to the horse??

Other than that, I would buy a second hand synthetic saddle and let the sharer use that....Its only fair that she has some way of riding the horse when she wants to.....

 

[Ali2]

Why can't she be trusted with the key if she can be trusted with the horse?

I am a sharer - Horses saddle is kept locked in my garage. His owner has a key and if she needs the saddle she picks it up from my garage - my house is in the same village as the yard so is on her way to the yard.

 

[noblesteed]

The parents of the sharer are rather haphazard and don't have much involvement. I work with her mum but the girl lives with dad...I suppose I could ask if there is a possiblity of keeping the saddle in the Dad's garage or something and me having a key... Then again I don't think my husband would be happy with that either! And possibly not the Dad.. it's a 'funny' village...

And I can't really expect my friend to let a relative stranger have a key to her house... that's just a bit odd. Her husband also teaches this girl so I don't think he would allow that anyway!

I might have to fork out for one of those lockable tack storage units to be kept at the stables, that may be the best I can do...

 

[sandi_84]

My sister bought a storage unit from b&q, they aren't that cheap but they are way cheaper than a new synthetic saddle. The are lockable and they are made for outdoor use so are waterproof.
My sister didn't really shop around for it (one of lifes handy impulse buys ) so you could probably find one elsewhere a bit cheaper.

 

[mil1212]

What about something like this?
http://www.totally-tack.co.uk/acatalog/lockable_saddle_rack_(saddle_minder).html

 

[Vodkagirly]

I find it a bit strange that you trust her with your horse but not the saddle?
What do you think she would do with it? If she kept it at home why would you need a key to the garage if you aren't riding.

 

[unbalanced]

Can you not make the stable more secure and have the saddle security marked so that it would be safe to leave the saddle there? I don't like to use lots of bolts on the door as it makes it look as though there is something worth stealing inside but a good padlock, bolt with the sort of covered screws that can't be undone easily and then when you get inside the saddle is locked to the wall. Mind, we also have dogs. Or some sort of alarm which would alert your friend as if I have the right idea it's by her house?

 

[smellsofhorse]

Cant you buy a locker?

or let the girl take it home but make her parents agree and even sign to say if damaged they will replace it.

 

[adamntitch]

dont understand one thing

you say your oh wont trust her with the saddle but yet your happy to lock it in a locker that she would have a key to

that not the same as just letting her take it home would be safer

 

[emma.is]

Just let her take it, if you trust her with your horse surely you trust her with a bit of leather? Whenever I've shared horses I've always treated the owners possessions with much more respect than they have. I'm only sixteen and got my first horse to share when I was twelve. If you keep treating her as if you don't trust her you'll probably loose her. If you're that worried about the saddle get a contract drawn up.

 

[criptic]

hmmm, buy a lock!

 

[noblesteed]

My lovely OH has agreed to build me a tack locker to keep at our stables... He is good sometimes! In the meantime I think the girl will probably only get to ride with my friend up until school holidays when I will prob have to let her take the saddle home...
It's not that I don't trust her, I trust her with my horse but then I also trust HIM with her if you see what I mean - he is very good at looking after himself plus he is bombproof and a schoolmaster so I doubt anything terrible would happen to the pair of them.
It's just as my husband said, if anything happened to the saddle she couldn't afford to replace it. I know she couldn't afford to replace a horse but then nothing/nobody could replace my horse anyway!!! And a saddle is a lot easier to damage...
Plus if it ends up at her house then nobody can ride him during the week, as my friend has offered to try and get him out once a week midweek so he's not too fresh for the sharer who can only ride weekends...

I never had this problem before, everywhere else I have been has had a proper tackroom!!!!

 

[LouandBee]

You might find your insurance policy requires a proper brick structure with a double lock - i know mine does, so the car, a shed or tack locker won't cut the mustard. I'm like you and ferry my tack to and from home but when I used to share a horse we kept the tack in an old chest freezer with a chain on it.

I think as a sharer I would get a bit fed up if the tack wasn't readily available.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

As said above by Maisy - can you stretch to a 2nd hand saddle that fits?
many good saddlers have good, but elderly and servicable saddles in their 2nd hand stock, some pretty cheap too. May not look the best thing, but if one FITS then its surely getting you out of a hole?

Worth you ringing around to find out?

You could be suprised at the cost compared to getting lockable trunks etc & then sharer can have something to look after herself.