Sharers - does this exist?!

[chestnut cob]

I'm debating looking for a sharer due to various time commitments (work involves quite a lot of European and within UK travel plus other commitments) which isn't something I've done for years. Are there still plenty of them out there?

Horse is lovely, can be a bit sharp and sensitive but is fine for anyone but a novice. He's kept on a full livery yard which is where I'd like him to stay (because he is the happiest there than any other yard he's been on, the routine suits him and the YO is worth her weight in gold) so I'd be looking for someone who could commit to 3 days a week plus a financial contribution. Depending on my work schedule, there might be more days available some weeks as I am often away for a week or two in a row. I'd also be OK with one of the days being a weekend day if it widens my pool of potential sharers. I'm reasonably laid back about what they'd want to do with him - someone who just wants to hack would be preferred however for the right person I might consider letting them use my trailer to take him to shows, for lessons (though I'd want to have a say in the trainer they use as there are some terrible ones around here and would prefer they used my DR or jumping teacher, both of whom are excellent), fun rides etc. Since OH and I are also thinking about starting a family, there might be the opportunity for the share to become a full loan in future but I couldn't guarantee that as we don't know if/ when a family will happen.

Any thoughts? Am I being realistic in hoping to find someone like that?

thanks

 

[Sukistokes2]

Surely worth having a go, may be someone out there.

 

[Jenni_]

There will be someone out there - might just take time to find them!

I'd imagine people will jump at the chance of a horse on full livery that has the potential to almost be a full loan for a week or so from time to time!

I don't think its unreasonable to request someone to use your instructors - if they know the horse and his way of going surely its in their best interests as they will get much more out of the sessions? If they really didn't gel with instructors you could re-assess and discuss alternatives.

I'm sort of in the position you describe - the horse I share has almost become full loan just now as owner is having a baby (due date today!) and she just didn't want him standing in a field as he thrives on being in work. I hope she has peace of mind knowing she can get on with enjoying baby and her horse is being looked after well!

 

[Deltic Blue]

Definitely worth putting adverts out there
Having a horse on full livery for the sharer could potentially be a big draw as no mucking out etc, the sharer can just get on and ride.

 

[Lexi_]

Seems very reasonable to me. There are lots of sharers paying financial contributions on DIY yards, so a full livery option would probably be bliss to lots of people!

I suppose your main problem is reliability - if the worst happens and they just don't turn up while you're away for a week or two, will he still get exercised? Will it be a problem if he doesn't?

 

[chestnut cob]

Definitely worth putting adverts out there
Having a horse on full livery for the sharer could potentially be a big draw as no mucking out etc, the sharer can just get on and ride.

This is what I'm hoping - but I would expect a financial contribution as FL isn't cheap of course! Do sharers contribute towards costs? I had a friend share my old horse for a while and she did but I don't know if this is the norm. I've full loaned (loaned out and loaned a couple myself) in the past but I'm not especially experienced in sharers.

 

[chestnut cob]

Seems very reasonable to me. There are lots of sharers paying financial contributions on DIY yards, so a full livery option would probably be bliss to lots of people!

I suppose your main problem is reliability - if the worst happens and they just don't turn up while you're away for a week or two, will he still get exercised? Will it be a problem if he doesn't?

TBH if the sharer turned out to be that unreliable then they wouldn't be my sharer for very long! I can pay YO to exercise (and do currently when I'm away or if I just want a day off) so it's not an issue short term but he does need regular exercise. Currently ridden 6 days a week and I'd like that to continue wherever possible, although I do of course understand that occasional emergencies happen to everyone.

 

[chestnut cob]

There will be someone out there - might just take time to find them!

I'd imagine people will jump at the chance of a horse on full livery that has the potential to almost be a full loan for a week or so from time to time!

I don't think its unreasonable to request someone to use your instructors - if they know the horse and his way of going surely its in their best interests as they will get much more out of the sessions? If they really didn't gel with instructors you could re-assess and discuss alternatives.

I'm sort of in the position you describe - the horse I share has almost become full loan just now as owner is having a baby (due date today!) and she just didn't want him standing in a field as he thrives on being in work. I hope she has peace of mind knowing she can get on with enjoying baby and her horse is being looked after well!

Will you be taking him on sort-of-full-loan Jenni? Sounds like a great arrangement!

 

[View]

If I were close enough I would certainly be interested. Give it a shot.

 

[kc100]

I used to be a sharer before I had my boy and always paid a contribution. I live in the West Mids and paid £120 per month for a horse where I had a few chores to do but no mucking out (his owner liked to do it!) and 3-4 rides per week, then all the way up to £180 per month for a horse on full livery but I could ride as much as I liked. The higher the price the more you will limit your pool of sharers, so do some research online to see what people are charging in your area and make sure you are not way off with your price. The best sites for sharers are Preloved, Horsemart, Equine Adverts and local FB horsey groups.

Good luck finding someone!

 

[hairycob]

Might be worth putting a post on local RC or PC facebook groups, especially if you have contacts there.

 

[Lexi_]

TBH if the sharer turned out to be that unreliable then they wouldn't be my sharer for very long! I can pay YO to exercise (and do currently when I'm away or if I just want a day off) so it's not an issue short term but he does need regular exercise. Currently ridden 6 days a week and I'd like that to continue wherever possible, although I do of course understand that occasional emergencies happen to everyone.

Good point! I'm sure a good, reliable person will definitely be out there - it seems like a fab deal for them.

I suppose the only thought in the back of my mind is that if it's full livery versus DIY, they don't have to go up because they know he's already being looked after. Does that make sense? Whereas if I don't go up to look after share horse, he won't get fed/watered/mucked out, so I HAVE to go. I mean, I always would, so it's sort of a moot point, but if there are days when I'm short of time or not feeling great, I might do the yard jobs on my days but give riding a miss. If it's really important to you that he's exercised 6 days a week then you may need to pop something into the contract that they adhere to this.

 

[Jenni_]

Will you be taking him on sort-of-full-loan Jenni? Sounds like a great arrangement!

Nope, same arrangement as before contribution wise, (at the minute), just more riding / looking after. Although because I am the sole person riding I feel better contributing more in other ways - i.e if he needs something I will buy it e.g Anti rub bib, headcollar etc.

 

[lawa]

SHares I have had in the past I have always paid a financial contribution. Using your own instructor is sensible and something I have always done as can keep harmony when working with horse and looking at the same goals.

 

[ktj1891]

There is no harm in trying at all. However, I have searched for sharers for a long time now and I have found most do not want to pay their way to share which like yourself my main requirement is some money towards my pony's keep as I do not actually ride her myself. I have also found that you cannot rely on them to stick at it. I had one sharer last summer who was lovely and got on with my pony really well however, after about 4 months quit. It is disappointing and a bit soul-destroying at times as people just don't seem to want to stick at anything these days.

 

[GirlFriday]

Of course. You'll probably get the widest pool of sharers with a nominal but non-zero contribution. (Helps with commitment / weeding out time wasters but doesn't make it sound like you are running a business). Regarding days most people who work will want a weekend (and floodlights / an indoor for the winter) so make a guess as to how many retired people / stay home partners / kids if horse is small enough there are around your area and word ad accordingly.

Also: check with YO as occasionally yards don't welcome sharers and/or she might know someone.

Edited to add :
- Completely normal and sensible to specify trainers but you have to then think it is a bit like a RS for the sharer (they have to get on with you, the YO and staff, other liveries, AND your instructor as well as your horse which is quite a lot when you think about it and know how important you being able to chose YO is to you) so balance that lack of flexibility against other benefits

 

[PaddyMonty]

You need to think about the priorities with the share. People wrongly assume sharers are less experienced. A lot are but some are very experienced. Given that you already pay the YO to exercise when you're away an experienced reliable sharer who does not contribute financially is still saving you money and could benefit your horse and your peace of mind significantly. All depends what is important to you but in general the more experienced the rider the less they are likely to need to pay to ride a horse. Sliding scale of contribution based on experience might be something to think about.

 

[chestnut cob]

Of course. You'll probably get the widest pool of sharers with a nominal but non-zero contribution. (Helps with commitment / weeding out time wasters but doesn't make it sound like you are running a business). Regarding days most people who work will want a weekend (and floodlights / an indoor for the winter) so make a guess as to how many retired people / stay home partners / kids if horse is small enough there are around your area and word ad accordingly.

Also: check with YO as occasionally yards don't welcome sharers and/or she might know someone.

Hi, thanks. YO would be fine about it, no issue there but yes you're right, she may well know someone. She knows a lot more horsey people than I do! I'm also wondering if my instructor might know someone. I'm actually toying with the idea of skipping the sharer, continuing to pay YO to ride when I'm not around (and maybe sending him to DR trainer occasionally for boot camp when I'm away for more than a week), then when we do decide to have a family, putting him out on full loan for a couple of years. He's a 15hh native X type who's done everything, true all rounder, he's done low level BE, SJ, just started his BD career, hunts, hacks, team chased, so he'd actually make a nice PC eventer for someone and he'd love that.

 

[puppystitch]

Yep - you've described my situation pretty much exactly. I share a horse on full livery and make a monthly financial contribution. I ride 3 or 4 times a week, more if the owner is away. She's very flexible about days and times (I have a long commute so usually ride quite late and at weekends), and we often go to shows or fun rides together. Either we bring my share horse and enter one class each or she brings her other horse along too. In fact, last year we affiliated BD (the horse is a retired showjumper) and are now busily collecting novice & elementary points and have qualified for petplan. If we try a new instructor the owner usually comes along to watch the first lesson or two, but she's generally happy for me to get on with things under my own steam.

I've been sharing her for 3 or 4 years now so there are some of us out there who stick around. I think they key is variety and allowing the sharer to get more involved once the relationship is established - if I was only ever allowed to school / hack I might have been tempted to look elsewhere (our hacking is pretty rubbish), but we get to go out to play which keeps it interesting and gives us things to work towards as you would with your own horse. Even just doing e-dressage gives us things to work on, and the owner comes down and videos for me when she can.

There definitely are some people out there who underestimate the commitment required to be a full time sharer and will flake out, probably in the winter, but there are some good ones too. Do PM me if there are any questions I can help with!

 

[chestnut cob]

You need to think about the priorities with the share. People wrongly assume sharers are less experienced. A lot are but some are very experienced. Given that you already pay the YO to exercise when you're away an experienced reliable sharer who does not contribute financially is still saving you money and could benefit your horse and your peace of mind significantly. All depends what is important to you but in general the more experienced the rider the less they are likely to need to pay to ride a horse. Sliding scale of contribution based on experience might be something to think about.

Yep, I totally get that and I do agree. However, YO doesn't charge much at all to ride him so the cost saving there would be minimal. I actually don't mind a sharer being someone who only wants to hack as I don't specifically want someone to improve my horse. I can take or leave hacking TBH and am happy for my days each week to be schooling and competing/ lessons. Maybe I'm being naive but to me I'd want a sharer to be someone who wants a horse to ride and have fun with, not someone who thought they could specifically improve my horse. If money was no object at all (which it isn't currently but I'm sure that will change if kids come along) then if I want someone to improve my horse, I'd just continue paying YO and sending him to DR trainer occasionally when I'm away for longer periods. Surely there is a difference between an experienced person who is looking to be paid for rides, or to ride for free, and an experienced sharer who doesn't have the funds or time to commit to having a horse full time but wants to have a long term commitment to the same horse for the sake of it?

 

[chestnut cob]

Edited to add :
- Completely normal and sensible to specify trainers but you have to then think it is a bit like a RS for the sharer (they have to get on with you, the YO and staff, other liveries, AND your instructor as well as your horse which is quite a lot when you think about it and know how important you being able to chose YO is to you) so balance that lack of flexibility against other benefits

You're 100% right but one of the reasons I want to stay at this yard is that it would be impossible not to get on with the YO and other liveries. If the sharer was the sort of person who couldn't get on with any of them I'd be worried!

 

[GirlFriday]

Was going to edit again (already added about the trainer) to say that as per PaddyMonty you can consider the saving... But see that thread has moved on.

Re: full loan I'd guess you are much less likely to be able to keep horse on same yard for that so it *might* be worth thinking about a sharer in prep for the family... Unless yard is particularly accessible/great value etc for a lot of people. If you get maternity leave/have a great OH you may find you can carry on with say two sharers and you one day per week

 

[puppystitch]

Surely there is a difference between an experienced person who is looking to be paid for rides, or to ride for free, and an experienced sharer who doesn't have the funds or time to commit to having a horse full time but wants to have a long term commitment to the same horse for the sake of it?

This is me! The mare is well schooled, there's nothing I could teach her, and if our hacking were better I'd be out and about a lot more. I'd love my own horse but work long hours and really couldn't fit in more horse-time than I currently do. I pay quite a lot each month, but the way I see it I'm paying for free access to a well schooled, lovely horse that I can build a relationship with and enjoy spending time with. I'm not interested in improving someone else's horse for their benefit, or going to a riding school.

 

[GirlFriday]

Surely there is a difference between an experienced person who is looking to be paid for rides, or to ride for free, and an experienced sharer who doesn't have the funds or time to commit to having a horse full time but wants to have a long term commitment to the same horse for the sake of it?

I always thought that if paying pro rata (i.e. a 'fair' share of costs according to days) then a sharer might as well have their own horse and have their own sharers. To get the less financially able but still committed sharer you need to charge a bit less... And not suddenly increase the amount when your circs change - very exciting time when they do though

 

[PaddyMonty]

Surely there is a difference between an experienced person who is looking to be paid for rides, or to ride for free, and an experienced sharer who doesn't have the funds or time to commit to having a horse full time but wants to have a long term commitment to the same horse for the sake of it?

I think there is probably every type of rider and deal going out there. The trick is finding the right one. I simply mention it as a possibility as a serial (experienced) sharer/rider as there seems to be the assumption that sharers are less experienced and have to pay a financial contribution. All depends on what the owner really needs/wants. In your case I guess you're looking for a dedicated happy hacker in which case ignore my ramblings.

 

[Smogul]

I suppose the only thought in the back of my mind is that if it's full livery versus DIY, they don't have to go up because they know he's already being looked after. Does that make sense? Whereas if I don't go up to look after share horse, he won't get fed/watered/mucked out, so I HAVE to go. I mean, I always would, so it's sort of a moot point, but if there are days when I'm short of time or not feeling great, I might do the yard jobs on my days but give riding a miss. If it's really important to you that he's exercised 6 days a week then you may need to pop something into the contract that they adhere to this.

This doesn't make any sense to me at all! when I had horse, it was always on full livery and the whole point of the sharer being there was to ride. Can't see the point of having a sharer who only wants to mess around with mucking out and so on.

 

[chestnut cob]

I think there is probably every type of rider and deal going out there. The trick is finding the right one. I simply mention it as a possibility as a serial (experienced) sharer/rider as there seems to be the assumption that sharers are less experienced and have to pay a financial contribution. All depends on what the owner really needs/wants. In your case I guess you're looking for a dedicated happy hacker in which case ignore my ramblings.

I'm not really sure what I'm looking for now, hence the somewhat disjointed replies to posts! As things stand currently I'd be happy enough with a happy hacker type. But of course if kids do come along, I'm much less likely to have any time and may not have competitive ambitions then so in that situation, I guess I'd be more likely to be open to someone who did want to get on and do more as I have no idea how my priorities might change then! I don't think it's as simple as there being happy hacker sharers and experienced sharers who want to improve your horse but want to be paid for it (or make no financial contribution). There must be experienced people who can ride, would enjoy the chance to have a well schooled, fun little horse to ride 3-4 days a week for a financial contribution but who can't commit to taking on their own.

As I said above, I might just wait until we do start a family then put him out on full loan for a couple of years. I definitely don't want to sell him, he really is one in a million and his type are like gold dust.

 

[Lexi_]

This doesn't make any sense to me at all! when I had horse, it was always on full livery and the whole point of the sharer being there was to ride. Can't see the point of having a sharer who only wants to mess around with mucking out and so on.

Depends what both parties want out of the arrangement though, doesn't it? Just turning up to ride isn't my preference but it'd suit plenty of others and it clearly worked for you. I wouldn't be keen on sharing a horse on full livery because I like doing the jobs, pottering around the yard and getting the whole experience - I like horse care and I wouldn't class it as messing around. My share horse's owner is fine with me not exercising him on the odd day if I'm super short of time (she does the same thing with her other one) and it works for us and for the horse.

All I was trying to say in my earlier post is that if OP's main priority for getting a sharer is to keep up her horse's level of exercise, she'll need to make sure that they're actually riding him or putting other arrangements in place, because if his basic needs are being met by the full livery package the sharer doesn't HAVE to turn up. I'd hope that a good one always would, but it's something to consider for the occasions when emergencies crop up.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

send him up to Scotland for a working holiday with me

 

[Holding]

Seems like you need to decide what kind of sharer you want. I would gladly split costs if I could treat the horse as my own on my days, including schooling/competing as I chose. However if you just want somebody to hack out, I.e. exercise your horse in the way you specify, for your convenience, I wouldn't be expecting to pay. You might get lucky and find somebody who only wants to hack, but it definitely limits your market.