Sharers who work rota hours jobs?

sandi_84

sandi_84

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So I'm not quite there as yet but was thinking that maybe I'd like to take on a share sometime in the future before buying my own again (still keep swithering between wanting to and being too afraid of the massive loss) but currently and unlikely to change in the near future I work a rota hours job.

I don't have set days off nor do I do set hours i.e 9-5. I can start anywhere from 5am and work up till anytime around 10.30pm - not all in one go!

Does anyone else work such changeable hours and share a horse? How does it work, are you meant to do chores and feed or are you only riding?

I'm just wondering because really it's more the care of horses that I miss than the riding, which although I love isn't the be all and end all for me, and if I'm sharing chores and feed routines I need to be doing it just that, routine. How do you actually manage a proper routine on ever changing hours? Is it even possible?
 
Do you get your Rota in advance, even if just 2-3weeks in advance maybe enough for some?
Then you can share your rota with owner and manage it , have to just enquire asking as the other party is not very fixed to days then it may work.
 
I think I would be tempted to take on a share that costs a bit more money but where minimal chores are involved so a horse on full livery. A reliable rider to keep a horse ticking over while paying for the privilege could be a real bonus for someone with a demanding career who would be keeping the horse on full livery anyway (normally they would have to pay someone to exercise)
 
Dizzydancer said:
Do you get your Rota in advance, even if just 2-3weeks in advance maybe enough for some?
Then you can share your rota with owner and manage it , have to just enquire asking as the other party is not very fixed to days then it may work.
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One of my sharers expects to go back to shifts at some point.

Currently she does two weekday evenings.

I do 6 mornings, and two evenings.

Other sharer does a morning and an evening.

As mine live out, morning is by 10am, and afternoon is after 2pm to any time in the evening (wouldn’t ride after 9pm, but could check and feed).

Our thinking is that she will try and stick to same days, depending on when her 8 hour shift falls, but if not for any week we can swap round.

Am sure will be workable, and am sure you can find similar.

We have an online diary, we can all edit, and use it to record who is doing what and when people swap round.

TBH if you have day time winter availability for riding outside school and poo picking mid week, I am sure you will be in demand as a sharer.

Good luck.
 
The problem with taking a share with someone on livery is that the liveries around here are pretty far away so probably not doable for reasons of fuel and time. When I took my neice for a lesson a few months ago the instructor offered a share of one of her two (which was really really lovely of her given that she'd only met me twice and only seen me ride once) but unfortunately she liveries miles and miles away from me.
I've been offered the chance of shares through meeting horsey people through work but at the time I really really wasn't ready so politely declined. But then they didn't know about my hours etc just that I was horseless - there are some fabulously generous people out there :)

I do get rota's in advance but they get changed a lot! Sometimes I get given extra bonus hours that I didn't even know about - until I turn up for my shift and my rota has changed so I should have actually started an hour earlier/ get finished a couple of hours later as if by magic! :( I have spoken to my manager about this so hopefully I'll be notified now but I can't guarantee it :(

I don't even have a set number of early and late shifts, some weeks I could be on all earlies like this week and others be all lates but some are a complete mix.

If it's likely to prove too much of a bother it's not a problem, as I say I'm not quite there yet and it was just something I was pondering as I passed some horses on the way home from work.

Next year will be (hopefully) a different story depending on where we move to and what job I end up in so at the worst I'll be another 12 months horseless and then I could look into it when I have a better idea of what's going on.
 
Some people only want set days for a set cost type arrangement. Others are more flexible if you are good to their horse and pull your weight on the days you're there. You and the owner would have to be very good on the communication front and have a diary or calendar at the yard so everyone knows who is doing what when.

I have sharers to help exercise, not for cost or helping, so it would be fine by me..
 
I used to work variable hours due to travelling and share. I only wanted 2 days a week and I just used to arrange with the owner on a weekly basis. She had a similar job and would ask if I could do certain days and and I would be flexible when I could.
 
I ride a lovely horse in return for helping out with owner's other horses too (on her own yard). I let her know when I'm available and we work it out between us as we are both working variable hours. I would never be able to commit to certain days as it just wouldn't work with my hours.
 
There are some owners who could be flexible about days etc.
Even working a shift you would usually get a few weeks notice of what your hours will be so maybe you could agree week by week with the owner?

But finding the right horse and owner in the right location will be the first hurdle.
Unless you can volunteer somewhere?
 
I would be happy with a sharer on strange shifts, it would just mean we need to be good at communicating! But them I am a flexible type of person anyway!
 
When I started sharing I was honest with my shift pattern and asked outright if it would be a problem. They were happy that some of my days I could only do once a day and as long as everything was all done then they were happy with that.

I would just be honest about it from the start and then they can decide if they are happy to work with it like in my case or not. If they said no I would have kept on looking! But it is possible!
 
I am a share who works shifts....and very changeable ones at that!

I let the owner know a week in advance what days I can do. I don't usually do afternoons as I can never guarantee I will get out of work on time.
I tend to ride and muck out, hay, sort out feeds etc. On the odd afternoon the owner has done it all for me and I will ride and get him ready for bed!

Seems to be working out quite well at the moment. It took a while to find and I did find lots of shares that I could not take on, although I always told the owners my shift patterns at the beginning....and if they said no then keep looking!

If you are not having any luck and miss the care of the horse, is there a charity or RDA near you that you could help at?
 
Thanks everyone, glad to know it can be done :)

The nearest RDA is too far away to make it a viable option for helping out unfortunately, there is another riding school closer but I would need to get in touch and see if they wanted any help.

Lots of food for thought for when I am ready to get back into it so thanks again :)
 
Hi,

I would say your best bet would be to look for a share horse on full livery, that way you wont have to worry about getting up in time to turn horse out or bring in, muck out etc, and can just fit in the nice stuff like grooming and riding around your schedule. If you could guarantee your hours a week in advance or so then you might get away with a horse on part livery i.e. yard/owner turns out or brings in depending on your shift, but from what you've said that might not be an option. Good luck! :)
 
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