Sharers - tell me what you do? Owners tell me what you want?

[Jewkes]

I've been pondering getting a share since the summer. I returned to riding last year and just want something to hack on a couple of times a week, the odd lesson and maybe try hunting. Not bothered about shows or anything else competitive.

I have horse care experience having had my own as a child, have my own transport and am probably in the competent novice category so I'm not worried about it from that perspective but I work vile long shifts that i never seem to know what I'm doing one week to the next, have 2 primary school children, a husband with a full time demanding job and our own business. I know I could do two mornings a week but couldn't commit to which mornings and I'd struggle with doing both the morning and evening chores of a stable kept horse but would be happy to do the morning - ride and do stable etc. do most owners want someone to fully takeover on their days?

 

[FlaxenPony05]

Hello,
I only share once a week but on that day I bring in, groom, ride, turn out, muck out, and do waters and hay net. Owner does feeds when she comes down in the afternoon. Horse gets brought back into stable with other horses in the evening.
Hope this helps a little

 

[111ex111]

I share a 16.1hh TB who is very safe just sometimes spooky!
On tuesdays I bring in my share horse and his field mate. groom, tack up, school for about 40 mins, untack, put his rug on etc & feed. On saturday mornings I groom, tack up, hack out with his field mate & rider for about 1 hour but normally only get 1 quick canter. untack, rug up and turn him out.

I dont have to muck out, no jumping, amazing yard with massive floodlit school & pretty good hacking w/ no road work.
I pay £20 a week which is basically £10 a day. However since sharing him I have got another 'share' from another person on the yard which I should be starting next week, dont have to pay any money its a sort of muck out for a ride arrangment!

 

[EllenJay]

As an owner I would want you to commit to set days each week. With my current yard, you could pay about £1.00 a day for YM to bring in - so just doing mornings would be fine.

 

[Polos Mum]

I'd look for someone who keeps their horses at home rather on livery, I've had sharers here and they only came one end of the day but I'd be out doing the others anyway so not a problem for me. Or a horse out 24/7 so not really too much to 'do' in the evening.
If the horse was on livery and I had to go up in the evening to sort him on 'your' days that might not be so appealing.

I had a lovely nurse that worked shifts which changed each week so different days and different ends of the day - she would text me on a sunday letting me know when she'd be down to ride, she was reliable, a nice rider and enjoyed my boy. I don't think he minded which days he was ridden at all.

Lots of people genuinely want help exercise so the 'care' side of things isn't critical, it might take you a little longer but no reason you won't find someone who suits your lifestyle

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Hi. I share/loan a horse from a close friend.
I have her 7 days a week to ride and school etc ect when I want but I am a 6th form student so very busy at school and lots of work to do at home. Its easier in summer as horse is out 27/7 but in winter I do what I can and ride at weekends. If I can get up in the week to do feeds then thats great but if I cant get up to the yard I tell friend/owner and she sorts them on her way home from work
x

 

[Mrs C]

If you look for something on full loan so no chores applicable?

 

[Holly_09]

I share once a week, owner is happy for me to go whichever day I want. I just make sure I give her good notice to make it easier for her. I do all chores but only have to go once a day. I'm very lucky!

 

[ilovejake]

I share a 14.2hh gelding which I ride and take care of two times a week.I do not do any morning dutys because of school and she seems fine with it as she goes up every morning and evening. I'm quite lucky because in school holidays I am aloud to ride him whenever I want as long as it doesn't interfere with the owners riding but she only rides on weekends. It cost me £60 a month for 2 days a week. So far she hasn't raised the costs for more riding but she probably will. Hope this helps and good luck a share is really worth it.

 

[chestnut cob]

I had a sharer for a few months last year (horse was retired in the autumn so the agreement obviously ended). It was a great arrangement for me.

The contract was for my sharer to do 3 days per week, 2 week days and 1 weekend day, but in reality she usually did both weekend days (I bought a second horse and didn't ride the older one much then so it wasn't a problem for me). On her days the yard did one end of the day, ie turnout/bring in, and she did the other end including mucking out, making hay nets, and would usually ride too. She did a few fun rides with him, took him to do a bit of dressage, anything she wanted to really. The only thing I was particular about was no SJ or competitive XC. I didn't mind him popping a few logs out on a fun ride but that's all I would allow. She gave me a financial contribution as well as her time.

 

[ChiffChaff]

I'm lucky, I do three days a week, 2 weekday evenings and one weekend - muck out, bring in (if not already done - owner pays someone to get her in earlier in the afternoon in week), hay net, make feed, ride, groom, rug etc.

Owner lives on site so normally feeds later (depending on when I am there) & chucks her hay in the morning if she's staying in (bad weather...) Only jump with owners say otherwise can do as I wish - hacking etc.

 

[Jewkes]

You've all been really helpful, thanks

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Also, the horse I loan only costs me £12 a week so not complaining about the occasional yard duty here and there!

 

[CambridgeParamour]

You sound like exactly what im looking for!!

I'd be happy to bring horse in, and finish off in winter (stabled) as long as sharer rode and mucked out in the morning Would be happy to work around someone with commitments as long as I knew in advance I think

 

[Jewkes]

Blimy! That's a bargain eh. I'm hoping to pay somewhere around £20 a week but a lot of adverts seems to charge a fair bit more than that so will have to see.

 

[Jewkes]

You sound like exactly what im looking for!!

Shame you live so far away. Thanks though

 

[unbalanced]

When I used to have sharers I was happy for them to just ride on their days and I would come up and do jobs. I had one lady who was a very busy lawyer and she shared one day a week so she could hack out with her daughters at the weekend (they had their own ponies and the nanny brought them up in the week). She wouldn't have had time for jobs or found it enjoying and I like doing it and I like seeing my pony every day but the financial contribution really helped me and my pony was the safe reliable type that meant she could just get on and enjoy riding out with her kids.
I also had a couple of pre-teens/young teens share who were just moving on from riding school ponies. I always went to the yard with them because they needed help to do they jobs correctly and the field was a mile away along a country lane - especially in winter it would not have been ok for them to turn out and bring in alone or even with just their friends of their own age (this was in North London). I also used to accompany them out hacking on foot. They went to pony club on my pony and to shows - when I hired a trailer they would usually come and do a class - it didn't matter whose day it was as we would just share. I saw part of the deal with that share arrangement as looking after them and making sure they were safe and happy at the yard, as well as making sure they learnt to look after my pony properly (and I am very fussy).
If you were sharing with me I would ask for £x financial contribution and lay out the restrictions on what my horse could do, then I would be prepared to work around you for the rest of it. If you wanted me to do some or even all of the jobs on your days some or all of the time, that would be ok.
I think it depends really why the owner is sharing. If it's someone that can't get there that day then it won't work unless they're on full livery or a yard that provides services. But if it's a multiple horse owner, someone just needing help exercising or someone mostly needing financial help you may be exactly what the owner is looking for. Good luck with your search.

 

[caseycat]

Jewkes you should post what area you are in, you never know you may get an offer on here. I tend to come on here on my phone as do others and you can't see peoples location

 

[Wimbles]

I'm not sure if the lovely lady that's been coming up to me is a sharer or not, I just know that I really appreciate her time. She's just been coming when I'm there to start with just so she feels happy and secure but I am sorting a spare set of tack for her to have for my big lad so she can ride when she pleases. My horses live out so the only thing she needs to do is knock the mud off and help me put the haylage out and occasionally roll a new bale in if it falls on a day when she's there. We don't have fabulous facilities but the hacking's quite nice and there's a school nearby to hire if needs be.

She's welcome to ride any of the horses although I think she'll stick to the big lad for now as the others are a bit like marmite........

I don't want any money, they're my horses and I should look after them, I just like the thought of them getting some more exercise and attention. I also remember back to the times as a child when I was overcome with jealousy of anyone that got to ride more than one every two weeks like I did!!!! It's nice to give someone a bit of horse time!

 

[Nicnac]

Where are you OP? Kent by any chance....

 

[Jewkes]

I'm in the West Midlands, between Halesowen and Dudley. I've seen one of preloved but didn't want to message incase my idea of sharing and everyone else's idea of sharing didn't match! I did call about one in the autumn but it wouldn't hack of its own and I don't really want anything I have to have a battle with every time I want to leave the yard. Just want something uncomplicated and safe.

 

[Jewkes]

"Where are you OP? Kent by any chance...."

Isn't the "are you in Kent" question normally aimed at dodgy people trying to screw someone over?

I pride myself on being a but weird but i'm not dodgy, untrustworthy or criminal in anyway.

 

[FlaxenPony05]

I would message them and just see what they say. I found it really hard looking for a one-day loan, and just messaged all of the adverts that said 2-3 days- three of them said I could do it!

 

[caseycat]

Nicnac that seems a strangely loaded question :-Q

 

[Karran]

Finished a share with Idiotpony in November. I did all yard chores when I got there, poo-picked, mucked out etc. I was unemployed at the time and he lived out in the summer and was 3 hrs from me. So it'd be two full days really at the yard.
The deal was free riding if I schooled him on for his novice owner, so we learnt to hack alone, to leg-yield, to get a admittedly scrabbly (but improving canter) to half halt and small jumps and stopping his temper tantrum bucking and napping.
My owner was happy for me to take him to a yard for lessons, hack out all day if I liked and show him (although I never did) and basically bimble about like he was my own.
Had to give him up as I couldn't get there once I started work and there were no facilities to get ride after dark!

Been looking for another ride since November, hopefully going to see another NF Sunday, and do the same sorta thing. Think I might have to pay 20 a week for the privilege (not that I'm complaining though)
Its been really hard getting something. I dont have a car so have been limited to my part of S E London and Kent so am really hopeful this works out!

 

[Billabongchick]

I have shared a couple of horses before we bought ours. I found that most people were just desperate for help with getting their horses ridden more than anything as have got out of the habit themselves/don't have time due to kids etc and their horses become field ornaments or they are nervous of their own horse. I did whatever end of the day duties needed doing (usually ride in afternoon and do evening stables) or if horse living out then just groom before ride and feed after and any bits like trimming and mane tidying.

On this basis I found owners are quite flexible as long as you give them a few days notice and are reliable and clear so horse doesn't end up stood in field with no dinner by mistake! I guess some owners want set days as others have said but I'm sure you will find someone who wants help riding due to maternity, work hours etc! Have fun!

 

[Bikerchickone]

My sharer usually does the same days each week but we're both flexible about this so sometimes it will change. She pays £30 a week for a maximum of 4 days but literally just comes up to ride because my boy is on full livery and is in during the day and out at night, so super easy there. I probably should charge more because he's a lovely safe and well schooled horse but my sharer is lovely and puts him first in whatever she does so I'm happy to stay with things as they are.

 

[mini-eventer]

Id be happy to let you share mine. I am in linclolnshire.

I am looking for a small adult. He is 14'2 done a bit of everything, safe for a competant novice, but will step up for a more competitive rider. Very well schooled but looking for a quieter life. pm me if you might be interested

 

[criso]

When I had a sharer I would have been happy with different days as long as I had a bit of notice.
I have my horse on part livery so no jobs were required but I was working during the day and had to travel for work so I found someone that wanted to hack out a couple of days during the week.

I charged £100 pcm for 2 days per week which was a bit less that some charge round here with no chores but it was just weekday hacking.

 

[lula]

have someone competent looking for a 16hh+ share in northants/north oxon/bucks at the moment if anyone in that area might eb able to help her pm me for details.

she works for herself so can do any hours that suit owner.