Sharers - is it worth it? and should I ask for a contribution?

JulesRules

JulesRules

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So I have a sharer to help me out time wise. Not too bothered about the financial side, but I'm wondering if asking for a financial contribution might help to find someone a bit more committed, or am I just tarring all non paying sharers with the same brush as my last one??

So I got my last sharer at the end of the summer. I was a bit dubious about him at the start and probably should have listened to my instincts. I always felt that something was a little off, and it took weeks of my spending time with my horse and him before I trusted him to be left to deal with her. Just things he said didn't add up etc. Now I just think he had some anxiety type issues and basically liked to tell tall stories to try to impress people.

Over the past few weeks he has been really unreliable - car breaking down on several occasions, car getting locked in a car park, being taken ill, death of a family member (although he told YO and me different family members). Some days he didn't let me know until 3pm by text and when I didn't reply didn't try to phone me and I didn't see the message until a few hours later.

We have also had issues where he has been upset when YO has spoken to me about him. YO had a word with me as we are supposed to be done and gone by 8.30pm and he was there much later a couple of times. Also when he had left feeds out for YO to give later but not told her and she only noticed by chance. Obviously as he is my sharer YO spoke to me, for me to speak to him. According to him YO was being "bitchy" ( she wasn't )

Anyway, I reached the end of my tether just before Christmas when he let me know at 3pm that he couldn't get down and I told him in no uncertain terms to sort it out if he wanted to carry on. I said that I would do the rest of the week and if he wanted to start afresh after that he could.

Haven't heard from him since and I'm not chasing him up.....

So time to look for a new sharer.

I didn't ask for any money last time round as my horse isn't easy. She is fine to plod round the school, but as soon as you ask anything of her she will test you. She knows every trick in the book to get out of doing any proper work so needs a rider who won't let her get away with anything. She also had a year off following injury so I have only been working her in walk and trot although I am now starting canter work and jumping a few cross poles. She will hack out in company but I would have to trust someone to hack her our on the roads as she can be a bit spooky with anything more than cars. Past two yards had off road hacking so we haven't done much road work although this is my project for 2016. Yard does have a floodlit school, riding field at the back and a long driveway.

So should I ask for a small financial contribution? Looking at Preloved there are several horses in the area available for share that look more appealing than mine, so should I ask for a lower amount?

What are people's thoughts?
 
From a personal POV, I asked and got a financial contribution previously and my horse is push button to hack, school, whatever. However, I currently have a sharer who is so fab I wouldn't dream of asking her for money. She was already at the yard and very sadly, her mare died. She treats my boy like her own, is very experienced and 'pays' by doing chores. She also naughtily buys bedding (I've stocked up in bulk to stop her because she does enough for me via turning out and mucking out).

I would consider asking for a contribution to ensure you get someone serious, but if the horse has been out of work and is not very easy, you want someone who can help bring her back into work and can cope with spooking etc rather than worry about money. It is a hard one, but you say you want help time wise, so word the advert in such a way that it's clear you're more interested in comittment than money.
 
It might work for some, but not for others!

Personally I think that commitment and reliability don't necessarily come along with payment of money.

If you ask for money you may well weed out the ones without any commitment, but you will also weed out the ones who are short of money but rich on time - many of whom would be ridiculously grateful for the opportunity and ensure they could be relied on.

If your sharer had genuinely not been able to make it, would it have been possible for him to sort it out without bothering you, e.g. by paying YO to do what he had been supposed to do? That might be handy to think of for any future sharer.
 
From my point of view as a sharer myself, I think asking for a small financial contribution helps weed out people who aren't really committed but keeping the amount small also includes those sharers out there who are just skint but have the time and enough experience. It sounds like you have good facilities too. You might find there are less sharers looking at this time of year but there's no harm in advertising and see what interest you get. Also keep your eyes open on preloved for sharers putting adverts up looking for a share. I did this myself and had quite a large amount of replies.
 
Thanks both.

The sharer did ask the YO to help out when his car broke down, but she needs to know by lunchtime not 3pm too. As she found out late and was off site she did feed and hay, but couldn't muck out.I could have left work an hour earlier than I did if he had just phoned me.

He does have a share agreement that states that he is responsible for any costs incurred as a result of late notice.

To be honest the reason I was so annoyed was that his car had been out of action the week before so I had sorted out my girl. Never an issue as at the end of the day she is my responsibility, but surely he knew that his car was still out of action. I think it was just the straw that broke the camels back!
 
I ask for a very small monthly contribution, just to put off people who would otherwise just take up your time for a couple of weekends (when it's sunny), then never be seen again.

We have several ponies, and a few sharers. The result is heaven... a social club, where the ponies get lots of attention, and we all improve our riding. Whether it's worth it for you depends very much on you, your horse, and (especially) the sharer.

Be warned. Reliable, responsible people are as rare as rocking horse manure.
 
I have a fantastic lady who rides 3 times a week. Beau is a great hack alone or in company and our area has great hacking with little road work. She rides, grooms, cleans tack and brings in my retired boy and puts them both to bed. I refused to take any money from her as she's great, treats both horses like her own, is reliable and trust worthy. Finding people like that is so hard. Personally I don't ask for money and only go by word of mouth.
Your last sharer sounds like he created you anxiety and hassle. That's totally not the point of a sharer. Definitely need a new one! Any friends of the YO/YM/other liveries that are looking for a horse to share?
 
I had a sharer, my horse was lovely but not push button, and she paid enough to cover the farrier plus a bit more.

The horse was on full livery (as in turn out, bed done, brought in and fed) so if she had not been able to make it, it was no big deal. In fact, if she did not want to come she did not even have to tell me, and if she did come we kept a log book of what the horse had done and when. The book was a source of delight, detailing struggles with crossing the river, fun lessons (she had lessons with her own trainer) and any extra jobs we had done, such as tack cleaning and washing the grooming kit.

To me that was worth her paying money, she had access to my horse, support, could have lessons, and she had permission to compete locally too, although she never did. The hacking was glorious too, woodland and moorland. BUT no bind.

Not sure how easy a sharer would be to find who would wish to pay if they HAD to come down and do chores. That becomes a bit of a bind rather than a pure pleasure. My sharer also worked full time, in the same job as me, but opposite shifts. So, we both had Gertie on our days off, and were both money rich, time poor.
 
I think it works for some but not others, and doesn't necessarily mean you will weed out those who aren't committed. I think it is more important to thoroughly vet potential sharers regardless of whether you expect payment or not.

I have been riding for 15 years but can't afford a share (low training wage and saving for a wedding!). I went to the yard 2-3 times a week without fail for my share horse for over a year until the owner sold him. When he had a few days off due to mild colic I still went up to groom him and do jobs etc. I didn't pay anything, I did offer payment for shoes, feed etc but the owner wasn't having any of it as I was helping by getting her youngster out and about.

I am currently horseless and had been looking out for a share horse, but there are so many advertised that want a large amount of money for you to ride their difficult horse or break in their youngster and do all the yard jobs etc that I have given up!

Likewise there were sharers on the yard who paid £100+ a month and still would just never bother to turn up for days on end and cause the owners no end of aggro.
 
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I think that asking for a contribution works 2 ways, you do weed out the non committed, but also (depending on the individual) you can get those that feel they have a divine right to certain behaviours. E.g to not do certain jobs, or have more of a say in the horses management.
Not that I am regimented nor think that anyone really should be, but it really pays to be very open right from the start.
Good Luck!
 
My horse is not in action currently due to being on box rest after severing her artery. I do have a sharer though who is a mum who works part time, she doesn't have lots of cash and doesn't pay me but she is fab and reliable and great with my horse. She has offered help during her box rest (not much she can do except cuddles and groom) but she still comes to the yard which is just great. For me money is not important at all, I wouldn't want to lose control so I prefer a kind gentle
good rider more than anything else. Hard to find but worth the search, having been a sharer myself I appreciate both sides, keep looking you'll find someone!
 
Sharer didn't really work out for me.
Yes the horse did get exercised a lot and the pressure was taken off me to ride him while having two other horses to sort but often the sharer would take horse out even though he was lame (they would turn up when they knew I wouldn't be there to stop them). They didn't help with any chores, once shut him in a stable for hours without any food and water because they assumed I would just deal with him (even though I was out). I took him to lessons for her, she got to compete him, hunt him, basically do whatever she wanted with him and all I got was £50 a month to 'cover costs'.
She did this for a year before I decided to sell him back in April to my best friends dad as a happy hacker. She flew off the handle at my mum saying 'how dare we sell her horse from underneath her and that she had made plans for that season with him'. I was upset that she felt that way but I felt it was the best thing to do for myself and my horse. At least my he is happy, loving life with a girlfriend who doesn't beat him up like my mare used to and ridden once a week at the most and is treated like a king.
So I would never have a sharer again.
In hindsight, I should have worked out how much the horse costs me per day over the year and charge the sharer that for everyday they have them and that they were to do the chores as well. It wouldn't matter to me how experienced the horse is, a horse costs what is costs to keep and if they want to ride it then they need to make a valid contribution.
 
My previous sharer was fab and kept coming even when my girl was out of work. I only lost her when she moved away for Uni and she still visits us in the holidays.

Just finding a good one is so hard😯. I've had a couple of dodgy ones over the years. I know good sharers are out there. I used to be one too!

I have a friend who lost her boy last year. She is a great rider and would definitely add value in her schooling so I would not ask her for money. I've invited her to come up and see us so fingers crossed. Otherwise it's back to the drawing board
 
I've never paid when I have been a sharer. The arrangement was for me to help with exercise and yard duties on the days I rode. The first horse was being kept ticking over until she was sold (her owner's daughter had gone to Uni and the owner wasn't confident to do more than quiet hacking herself) and the second was to help the owner of a cracking gelding, who had a young child and was finding it all quite stressful. If I had been asked for money I probably would have made other arrangements as I wasn't in a financial position at that time to contribute, due to massive vets bills from care of my late horse. Both owners approached me to help out, we're financially happy to pay everything towards the care of their horses, but just needed their horse exercised and a few more hours in the week which I was able to give.
However I now have a horse on full loan and pay for everything.
 
I don't think paying means more reliable. In fact not requiring payment will increase your options a bit on who you get especially if the jobs side is more important to you.
My sis is very experienced and perfectly capable of sole care but cannot justify paying to have access to a horse on her new teachers salary. However she can be very useful to people who struggle with chores/getting horses ridden especially with longer holidays etc. I also don't charge the lady who rides frank a couple of times a week, the help is more important to me and she saves me a fiver a week get in costs.
I have never paid to ride, I have always been able to find people who need the help more than the money.
 
It is so different here to the U.S. - over there people routinely pay upwards of $2000 per 6 months and then their share of the costs on top of this. AND do all the chores on their days.
 
You need to consider what you want from a sharer as 'payment' and what you have to offer a sharer as 'value' and then figure out how the 2 meet if you want a fair shot at getting the right person. Things a share horse can offer include the horse(tick) a pleasant/easy ride (cross), good facilities(?), horse to compete (?), at a high level (sounds like a no), flexibility on days/ times (tick?), good location (?). Things a sharer can bring include time to do jobs (sounds like you want this), experience to ride/ train a tricky horse (sounds like you need this), reliability (seems very important to you), cash (not currently required). It therefore looks like what you have to offer is in the mid/bottom end of shares, and what you want from a sharer is much more at the desirable end. Honestly, you might get rid of some timewasters by asking for cash but it sounds like the sharer you want is sufficiently marketable that if they aren't already aware of this it is likely that you will struggle to keep them in the face of better deals available to them with no jobs or no cash required. I think a better way to find the right person would be to consider how you make your offer more marketable so you have your pick of sharers, or alternatively to take someone with insufficient riding skills with a requirement that they pay a proper instructor for weekly lessons on the horse to learn how to ride it properly to enable you to expand your pool of potential sharers.
 
I have found on the whole that paying seemed to go with more likely to turn up, it's a bit like if you have bought a ticket in advance for something you will probably go even if you feel a bit tired but if you haven't you're more likely to stay in.

Another solution that a friend of mine used was she didn't charge as the sharer was responsible for that days livery. If she came and did all the jobs no charge however if she couldn't make it for any reason, she had to liaise with the yard manager to get cover and pay for the day's cover.
 
EQUIDAE said:
It is so different here to the U.S. - over there people routinely pay upwards of $2000 per 6 months and then their share of the costs on top of this. AND do all the chores on their days.
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But the cost of horses and their keep is huge in the US compared to here, which is partly why firewell flew her chap over!
 
Err what about completion of chores?
The fact that the owner needs help exercising the horse?
That this horse in particular is not the most interesting of prospects for a paying sharer as the horse is tricky in the school and spooky to hack?
 
Pedantic said:
Wanna share a horse, then expect to pay, why would anyone expect a free ride. NOA
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Disagree. Think it depends on what someone wants from a sharer?

I'm effectively 'sharing' something now without any cost and they're just grateful someone can do him for longer than ten minutes and to school him properly. I can do him when I want without any expectation to do his stable/sweep up the trail of mess he causes (which I do do as I hate messy yards!) The only thing I have to do is let them know roughly what time I'll be on the yard, just out of politeness and so both schools arn't doubled booked. End of the day it all comes down to trust. :smile3:
 
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Yes, from an owner's prospective someone who I can trust with both the horse and to do the chores correctly/deal with any issues arising is worth more than someone that can pay £X amount per week.
Three non-owners ride on our yard of 10, none of them pay as their value is in everything else.
All three of those horses are nice riding horses, one competes at BE100/SJ/Dr, one is a PSG dressage horse and the other is Frank :p. (so a schoolmaster and fun hack). All hack alone and are pleasant and educational for the rider in the school.
 
If I didn't own my own horse etc, and If I had an agreement to ride and do chores for someone else, I would insist on contributing money wise, I couldn't be that tight fisted, why would someone who pay's towards cost, example - say pay for shoeing each time, be any less reliable than some who pays sod all, they are either reliable or they ain't, don't see why money makes any difference, if I was a sharer getting all the benefits of riding menage hacking etc, I would insist on contributing, or I would feel I was taking the pee.
 
Pedantic said:
If I didn't own my own horse etc, and If I had an agreement to ride and do chores for someone else, I would insist on contributing money wise, I couldn't be that tight fisted, why would someone who pay's towards cost, example - say pay for shoeing each time, be any less reliable than some who pays sod all, they are either reliable or they ain't, don't see why money makes any difference, if I was a sharer getting all the benefits of riding menage hacking etc, I would insist on contributing, or I would feel I was taking the pee.
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Well for my situation at least, the yard manager actually apologised for not being able to pay me for the time I've literally just started putting into him which he really needs. He earns his keep in part anyway and if he continues to improve, he'll be able to earn more...


I remember visiting a potential share years ago and the amount the owner wanted as a contribution covered his shoes and livery every month. In return I think it was one ride a week but chores three days or something. That to me just smacked of a greedy owner trying to get someone else to fund their horse.
 
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The point is rather the opposite, that someone who does contribute may not be more reliable.

I've never felt I have been taking the pee by helping to exercise horses who need the work and doing associated chores, I have never had an official 'share' though and always been asked to ride rather than the other way around.
 
Massive generalisation for which I will semi apologise for in advance (and fully appreciate it doesn't hold true in all circumstances) but my general thoughts are:

Those shares where no money changes hands are generally with experienced horse people who for the sharer can be trusted not to ruin the horse and appreciates why reliability is important, the owner can appreciate someone with ability and some brain cells and be pleased they don't have to pay a freelancer.

Those that pay reasonable sums are often poor quality sharers who no sensible owner would let loose on a decent horse

*ducks to avoid the onslaught of indignant paying sharers*
 
ihatework said:
Massive generalisation for which I will semi apologise for in advance (and fully appreciate it doesn't hold true in all circumstances) but my general thoughts are:

Those shares where no money changes hands are generally with experienced horse people who for the sharer can be trusted not to ruin the horse and appreciates why reliability is important, the owner can appreciate someone with ability and some brain cells and be pleased they don't have to pay a freelancer.

Those that pay reasonable sums are often poor quality sharers who no sensible owner would let loose on a decent horse

*ducks to avoid the onslaught of indignant paying sharers*
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I take your point but think there is a difference between a poor quality sharer and a less experienced rider.

I said about my sharer a few pages back, she did pay, and the horse was on full basic livery, so although she did do chores of she wanted, she generally did not have to. She was a high quality sharer, paid the bills, was reliable, cheerful, honest, we had the book of rides that was fun for me in itself.

I do agree, though, that although she had competed in modern pentathlon, she was not the sort of rider who was going to improve my horse. She had ridden for the competitions, but when she started she did not know how to put on a headcollar, let along a saddle/bridle. She had never ridden outside an arena, had no idea about being "on the bit", needed to learn what was and was not correct (like what speed to go on the road).

BUT, she was articulate and intelligent, asked questions, would call if she was unsure, paid for lessons with her own instructor, would help me whenever I needed it, when the horse needed the vet for instance. She may not have been an "expert" rider, but that did not make her a "poor" sharer.

I felt like I was sharing with my sister or something. She was a good quality sharer.

I do agree, however, thatif she had been an expert rider, then I would not have expected her to pay. Other way round if anything.
 
Pedantic said:
If I didn't own my own horse etc, and If I had an agreement to ride and do chores for someone else, I would insist on contributing money wise, I couldn't be that tight fisted, why would someone who pay's towards cost, example - say pay for shoeing each time, be any less reliable than some who pays sod all, they are either reliable or they ain't, don't see why money makes any difference, if I was a sharer getting all the benefits of riding menage hacking etc, I would insist on contributing, or I would feel I was taking the pee.
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I can only speak from my own experience, but in the scenario you suggest three people would have lost out. First, me, financially crippled by massive vets bills and trying to get back on track and in the saddle after a devastating loss. Secondly, my friend whose daughter was off to Uni and was stuck with a quirky mare and definitely no funds to pay for sales livery and who desperately needed her to be fit and ready to go, to sell. And thirdly, my other friend with a small child, a relationship broken down and having to find a new house, and wanting to keep her own lovely horse in work so that he was safe and sensible on the days she could ride.
It was precisely because no money was involved that I could help out.
Each situation is unique.
 
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