Sharers - does this exist?!

I found my current share horse through my instructor- only stipulation of the share is I continue having lessons with said instructor and clean tack after riding. Other share horses I've been able to treat the horse as my own, others have been much more rigid (set days, chores, can do x, can't do y)
Whilst I can understand asking for a financial contribution (it's standard nowadays) do you really *need* it? Just thinking you may open your options out a bit more if you don't. (Appreciate often people need sharers for the financial side of things as much as/if not more than any other reason and it could be unreasonable for someone to expect to have a free horse to ride entirely)
Just to offer a different perspective, I am very fortunate that I don't pay for my share horse- not because I don't understand/appreciate the costs involved (I very much do) but a) I have my own pony already so no funds to put towards another and b) have done freelance teaching/groom/riding work where I would be paid to ride, therefore certainly wouldn't want to start paying for the privilege of riding someone else's horse (without wanting to sound bratty/above myself/cocky :o) . It works for the owner as it saves her £££ in paying someone to ride him when she's not there and she has someone competent riding her horse. Maybe just another perspective anyway!
 
When I had a sharer for my son's horse it was to keep him fit as he was working very long hours. Luckily he worked Saturday so we could offer a weekend day. She paid a nominal £15 for 3 days but some weeks, if I was busy she would poo pick instead. She was lovely so we let her borrow our trailer to take him to a few competitions. She & her mum actually saved his life by spotting he was not quite himself one morning & it was atypical myopathy (we had lost my horse to it a few days befor). I was off on a course & wouldn't have seen him until the evening. They got him to the vet in time.
 
Can't seem to edit my original post from my phone- that'll teach me for posting before I read the whole thread!
Can now see that my post is largely ir-relevant having already been covered. Will say I am not a pro, just an average rider and I've been very lucky finding my share horse as I'm under no illusions I'm not adding to him, just maintaining his standard of schooling and in fact learning from riding him. I share because my pony has a fondness for the vet and I simply don't have time/funds for another of my own so our arrangement is mutually beneficial- helps the owner as she is short on time, helps me as I have something nice to ride.

If you would prefer the sharer to use your trainer then I don't necessarily see a problem with this (although what suits one person may not suit another as I'm sure you'll know) your trainer may be a good place to start- they may have another client whose horse had to be retired/is off games etc.

And on another note, he sounds like a lovely sort so I'm sure you shouldn't have any problem finding someone.
 
chaps89 said:
I found my current share horse through my instructor- only stipulation of the share is I continue having lessons with said instructor and clean tack after riding. Other share horses I've been able to treat the horse as my own, others have been much more rigid (set days, chores, can do x, can't do y)
Whilst I can understand asking for a financial contribution (it's standard nowadays) do you really *need* it? Just thinking you may open your options out a bit more if you don't. (Appreciate often people need sharers for the financial side of things as much as/if not more than any other reason and it could be unreasonable for someone to expect to have a free horse to ride entirely)
Just to offer a different perspective, I am very fortunate that I don't pay for my share horse- not because I don't understand/appreciate the costs involved (I very much do) but a) I have my own pony already so no funds to put towards another and b) have done freelance teaching/groom/riding work where I would be paid to ride, therefore certainly wouldn't want to start paying for the privilege of riding someone else's horse (without wanting to sound bratty/above myself/cocky :o) . It works for the owner as it saves her £££ in paying someone to ride him when she's not there and she has someone competent riding her horse. Maybe just another perspective anyway!
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I absolutely do see where you're coming from but I suppose I'm thinking longer term that if we have kids and I go on maternity leave, my pay will reduce dramatically and I'll have no time at all so if someone was getting as much riding as they wanted, I'd need them to contribute to the costs as well. It's that or sell him, which I really don't want to do because as said above, he really is one in a million. I think I'll end up not bothering with a sharer then full loaning for a period of time once we have kids. That sort of arrangement might well suit an older PC type rider as they tend to outgrow smaller horses within a couple of years.
Just thinking out loud really ATM I suppose and do appreciate all of the replies :)
 
chestnut cob said:
I absolutely do see where you're coming from but I suppose I'm thinking longer term that if we have kids and I go on maternity leave, my pay will reduce dramatically and I'll have no time at all so if someone was getting as much riding as they wanted, I'd need them to contribute to the costs as well. It's that or sell him, which I really don't want to do because as said above, he really is one in a million. I think I'll end up not bothering with a sharer then full loaning for a period of time once we have kids. That sort of arrangement might well suit an older PC type rider as they tend to outgrow smaller horses within a couple of years.
Just thinking out loud really ATM I suppose and do appreciate all of the replies :)
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The person you need now is likely to be different to the 'potential' one you need in the future. Don't think about it too deeply, advertise for the situation now and go with the flow.
 
It seems to me there are as many different share arrangements as there are sharers! Without sounding trite, I think you just need to be straight up with yourself and potential sharers about what you want from the arrangement. At the moment you sound reasonably clear you're looking for someone to take him for a hack a couple of times a week to help keep him on track with his exercise routine, but that you'd be happy for the sharer to ride in the school sometimes and have lessons with either your instructor(s) or one you approve. I would have thought you would be able to find someone like that, possibly with a small financial contribution. Although it does sound as though, if it was the right person, you're not actually that bothered about the money.

If I were in your position my first port of call would be finding someone through word of mouth via trainer, YO or other people who know you and your horse. Especially as it doesn't sound as though you're desperate to find someone in a hurry.

If and when you start a family and you need to rethink the arrangements with your horse, deal with it then - a lot could change in the interim and there's no point tying yourself up in knots about it now, trying to sort out something now that's completely future proof!
 
Micropony said:
...Without sounding trite, I think you just need to be straight up with yourself and potential sharers about what you want from the arrangement...
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I especially agree with this having very recently trialled a share horse where the owner changed the goal posts each time we met. Everything from the amount of contribution to whether jumping was or was not allowed changed several times a week. Needless to say I ended the trial when I was told that I could not hack the agreed one day a week and should school instead (I would be schooling two other days a week anyway) because she had decided she would be hacking four days a week and did not 'feel comfortable' with the horse hacking five days total.

There were other factors as well which led to me saying enough including being spoken to like dirt; I wish I had ended the trial at the first instance of this but decided to give the benefit of the doubt.

I think the best thing you can do for both yourself and any potential sharer, especially if you want to find the right one, is to decide exactly what you want to gain from it and what sort of sharer you expect. That way everyone knows where they stand and it saves a lot of heartache later on. The right person will be out there; it may just take a little while to find them.

Whatever you decide, I hope it works out well for you! :)
 
Sounds like a great deal to me. Perfect for someone who is too busy to do DIY chores or can't come at set times to turn out/catch in and feed but has enough time to ride but does not have enough money for their own horse on full livery.

I presume if you are on full livery you have good facilities and sounds like the horse is a nice sort so the deal would be much better than someone would get at a RS. I presume if you are needing the person to always exercise on their days that you would be ok with them riding in extreme weather conditions such as thunder or heavy snow or rain, or extreme heat?
 
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