Sharers.

[angrybird1]

Just a thought at moment but what generally happens with sharers?
I have a horse whose lovely but green.
I look after him completely by myself.
I could really do with some help both riding and looking after him.
I'm not sure really how getting a sharer works?
It would have to be someone very trustworthy if I went down that route.
What's the usual agreement with sharers?

 

[Shay]

You agree what you want to more or less - but the more restrictive you are the less chance you have of finding someone or charging a higher price. I would suggest, first determine your criteria. What exactly are your red lines? How many days per week, what care, what can they do with him. What weight rider, what level of experience. What do you want to charge? Is it realistic?

Once you know exactly what you are looking for then advertise. Personally I think you get better results from free ads on main sites than from things like facebook and preloved. But others disagree.

Always draw up a contract. The BHS website has a good one. Make sure you have 3P liability insurance and that your tack etc is all properly insured. Tell the sharer to get rider insurance.

And good luck. It can be fraught but good sharers are an asbolute gift. The bad ones are a nightmare.

 

[PurBee]

Whatever agreement you have with a sharer/loaner, make sure its put down in writing, signed by both, with neutral witnesses (so no-one can say their signature was forged).
It then becomes a contract. Legal. Consequential.
Trust is something of an unknown with a stranger sharing your horse, so contracts ensure a ‘trust’ is immediately established.
Contract drawn up with a friend even. As the saying goes, we only know a true friend when things go wrong. Its amazing how many, when it comes to the crunch, choose their own gain over maintaining friendship.

Oral agreement is useless for all. That requires deep trust and adequate memory of what’s been agreed, both very slippery human inadequacies when issues arise.

Its a great idea to share a horse...gives both the joys of it, while halving the expense and work.
There are many genuine folk out there looking for similar.

Insurance-wise youd want to check if youre fully covered for both of you riding the horse. Im no expert with insurance but get the impression from others that there are various policies for various uses of horse.

 

[Leo Walker]

A legal contract wont be worth the paper its written on, signed or not. The only way you can enforce them is to go to court, which is expensive and time consuming.

 

[PurBee]

Agreed lw, enforcing a contract can be expensive and takes time, yet its still a pending legally-binding, yet to be fully enforced contract, that would be fully applicable should either party wish to enforce it, IF issues arise.
Mostly, due to fair people its not needed to be fully enforced, as most issues are slight and easily resolved.

Horse people are passionate about their horses, and are used to spending a lot of money and time on them. If the worst happened that a horse was stolen by sharer, re-sold, or died due to sharers flunking of the contracted rules, like jumping it when owner said no due to injury etc, there’s no reason to assume they wouldn’t pursue legal avenues for compensation, and having a contract in the first place enables that, whereas just a verbal agreement leaves no recourse at all possible.

 

[Sandstone1]

Its something I've thought about but it seems fraught with problems.

 

[chaps89]

Like all things there's good and bad.
I have my own horse but I've always had a share horse alongside her (and my previous horse)
I've shared current horse for 4 years.
Can I find another to share closer to home? Not for love nor money.
I don't pay to share (I just can't afford it) However I also don't charge.
This works for my current horses owner - it saves her paying between £25 and £50 a time for someone to ride him for her when she can't get there and means his fitness/schooling is maintained to a reasonable level.
Some people ask for a financial contribution because they need it or because they think they'll get a more committed person and that's fair too.
I think it's unfair to charge someone competent to ride a young or green horse though personally.
Jobs in return for rides seems fair, especially if that's also what you need help with.
I've never had a contract but I do always make sure I have rider insurance in place for myself.

 

[fidleyspromise]

When I went for a sharer I made sure to clearly outline the dos and dont's (and got rid due to her not wearing a hat when it was my main rule).
Until then with a couple of very small hiccups it worked well. She basically got to ride when she wanted - hack/school or jump a sensible pony that goes out alone or in company.
All I asked in return was she looked after both my ponies (lived out so in winter - fill up water, put hay out that I had already filled into haynets and poo pick the field. I required a minimum of 2 days a week but she could have as many as she wanted.
I did tell her she had to have third party liability, rider insurance was up to herself and it was on a big livery yard so there were plenty of people to ride with/keep an eye on her. I got complements from a few people on the yard as to how good she was with my pony and she had a couple of lessons too.

I went for a sharer because I needed help looking after the ponies so I could have 2 days off a week for my health so I made an agreement that suited my situation. It turned out to the be the most stressful situation for me (not related to the horses bizarrely)

 

[Auslander]

I've got a couple of really nice liveries here looking for sharers, and they are having no joy at all, despite the horses all being decent, well schooled, fun beasts. A few years ago, they'd have been inundated with potentials, but sharing seems to be going out of fashion!

 

[Chuffy99]

I don’t understand why people with green horses expect experienced people (and who else would you want riding your horse and improving it) to pay for the privilege

 

[Sandstone1]

I don’t understand why people with green horses expect experienced people (and who else would you want riding your horse and improving it) to pay for the privilege

I guess it depends on the horse and how green it is.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I’ve been on both sides at different times. For the owner you potentially get help with costs, chores and riding. As a sharer you often get to ride something better and sometimes more challenging than a riding school horse, you can get more rides per week for the money than paying per hour for a lesson and you can do the care part which is something people enjoy especially if it’s a step up to eventually owning their own horse. Often a sharer doesn’t want to commit to a horse full time nor the expense of it. What you agree with a sharer is really down to satisfying each other’s needs and expectations.

I have an oldie which over the last year or so I’ve had 3 riders. One for a few months who rode just one day at the weekend, one that came three times and I never heard from her again and one that I’ve had for nearly a year and rides as often as time and other commitments allow. i just ask for a small amount towards shoes and some chores. It’s on an ad-hoc basis so I don’t rely on it. I’ve shared other horses for a fixed number of days a week and a fixed monthly contribution.

 

[scruffyponies]

At the beginning it feels like you're running an under-regulated under-paid riding school, and it's a right pain. You spend most of your weekends teaching basic horse handling skills to people who are slowly realising that the lessons they had at the local riding school taught them absolutely nothing.

If you're lucky, the sharer might stick around beyond this point (most don't), and gradually become your friend, and you have a riding companion, and/or your horse gets a bit of extra attention and work. This is cool. We are lucky enough to have a little club of current and past sharers, and keep in touch.

If you're really lucky, after some years, your sharer has become part of the family and takes as much responsibility for the horses as you do. This is sheer bliss. As well as the comfort of an extra competent person around, you can get together and talk about your horse for hours in a way which would bore anyone else to pieces.

 

[Flicker]

I don’t understand why people with green horses expect experienced people (and who else would you want riding your horse and improving it) to pay for the privilege

Hmm, depends. I’m no pro rider, but I do consider myself to be reasonable and, under good instruction, capable of correctly schooling a green horse. I am ‘between horses’ at the moment, having sadly lost mine due to chronic lameness earlier this year. Financially and emotionally, I am in no place to consider buying again for at least a year. However, if I was offered the share of a green horse, as long as it was safe and sound, I would jump at the opportunity. It would be satisfying for me to be part of bringing on a nice horse, I would learn a ton in the process, and if it doesn’t work out I could walk away. What’s not to like.

 

[magicmoments]

I share now because I want less expense and less time commitment than when I had a full loan, but it has it's own compromises, as I can't just do as I please. I am experienced, reliable, do as the owner requests, expect to pay towards and do chores. I won't take risks with the horse and like to improve it if possible. I enjoy building a relationship with the horse and working out what makes it tick. I ended my last share because the owner was very selfish and it all ended up in her favour. My current share is a more genuine horse and I feel completely safe on her. I do think there are owners out there that want a sharer to pay for the privilege of bringing on their project pony which is out of order, but I wouldn't apply for those. I don't currently have a contract with the owner, but I would if it were the other way round if only to focus the Sharer's mind. would also ask for references if I didn't know the person beforehand.

 

[sharonmaskell]

I have a lovely sharer who has my boy Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As he is on full livery there are no chores apart from grooming etc. so she pays me £25 a week which goes towards things like his shoes. It works well for us as I can then spend time with my husband at weekends and she does not have to commit to horse ownership.

 

[tallyho!]

a good sharer is like finding unicorn poo these days. Just make sure they have insurance and they can cover vets fees if anything happens. Own transport that sort of thing x

 

[magicmoments]

I have bhs membership, but I don't pay vets bill's as that is already discussed at the outset. As a sharer I don't expect to pay 50% of all costs as I don't have 50% say on everything that happens with the horse e.g where it is kept, how often it is shod, physio, etc.

 

[Cob Life]

I share a horse and as I am the only rider I get to:
Ride as often as I want
Switch tack around as I see fit, I have brought a few pieces to try
I don't pay anything but do duties on the days I am there

I have insurance as well

Obviously as you still ride you may want to set more rules in place such as tack, days etc

One I went to view wanted £20 a week, I could only ride hacking out once a week on a Monday or Tuesday and wasn't allowed to do any stable duties. That wasn't going work for me as in the winter I start and finish work in the dark. Though I wish she had told me this before I went to try the horse as I wasted both of our time going to try her.

 

[staffylover]

I totally appreciate that a written contract may well have no legal validity, but it does clarify what the expectations are on both sides of the arrangement. Make sure you've thought through every possible eventuality/issue that could arise (within reason!), and that you have put the way you want it to be dealt with into the contract, and that your sharer fully understands and is ok with it. In other words, don't leave any room for misunderstandings. e.g if the horse goes lame or is injured while in the care of the sharer, the sharer pays the vet bill insurance excess. Have an agreed period of notice for either party too. Also, very important, have an initial probationary period of maybe a month or 6 weeks during which either of you can terminate the sharing arrangement with no ill feeling and no questions asked. That would be long enough to find out if you're happy with the sharer and the arrangement.

As long as there's total clarity between you and the sharer about every issue you can think of, you're setting yourself up for success. I've had quite a few sharers on this basis in the past, and can truthfully say that I've never had any problems with any of them (with one exception of a ditzy teenager who on reflection I should never have taken on in the first place. What was I thinking of?) Several of my ex sharers are now good friends. Agree which days are 'your sharer's days' and which are not. Though in practice I've had a flexible arrangement with sharers, so if I for example couldn't ride on a Saturday which was normally 'my day' I'd let my sharer know, or the sharer might ask to 'swap' one day for another occasionally. I'd add - go with your instinct when interviewing a sharer and watching them ride your horse for the first time. If it doesn't feel right, just say you don't think they are right for your horse. TBH, with almost all my sharers we've developed mutual trust, and it's worked well.

Finally, total communication from both parties is vital for a happy share. I always told my sharers to tell me if there's anything they weren't happy about in the arrangement, and that I would tell them from my point of view as well. Occasionally something did turn up (pony tired from too many lessons in a short time) which my sharer told me about, for which I was grateful as I hadn't picked up on it. Sharing can be really successful, with the right sharer and the right arrangement. Good luck!

 

[Michen]

I have a sharer for Bog. She rides him way more than I do and I charge her £50 a month as s nominal contribution. (He costs me about £1k a month inc lorry). She can compete etc as much as she likes but no hunting.

To me she’s worth her weight in gold as 100% reliable and a lovely rider. She even took him home with her to Cheshire for a few weeks (4 hours away) whilst I was away.

If I didn’t have her I’d have to pay someone to keep him fit enough for the odd time I want to ride (was hunting weekly before Xmas). I’m sure I could find someone willing to pay more but for me it’s not about the money. She benefits from having An awesome horse to ride, Access to a lorry etc with basically no cost.

 

[Chianti]

I have shared and with my current pony I have a sharer. My last two horses I wouldn't have wanted anyone else riding them as one was older and the other had physical issues. It suits me very well as he needs more work than I can give him. As he's small the sharers tend to be kids who do more fun things with him. You have to be very clear in your ads what you're offering and what you're looking for. I've always had the best responses from Preloved. I now have a contract as I didn't initially and one sharer didn't look after him or his things properly and another was very unreliable. A contract means you can end the share properly. I ask for a financial contribution as he's a very good pony. I'm not sure I would if I had something green. On Facebook recently someone was asking for a financial contribution to help look after her young horse that wasn't anywhere near being old enough to be broken in. The 'sharer' could groom and do ground work while the owner was at work!

 

[Skib]

I was informed by insurers and via BHS that a sharer cannot have vet insurance for a horse they do not own. The sharer having insurance arises only when a horse is on full loan.
A sharer contributes to the upkeep of the horse - so if one has a day's use, a day's livery and part of insurance and shoeing might come into the share charge.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I've just found a lovely sharer for a young green horse. She's not in a position to buy at the moment but is loving having a quality mare to have fun with. So they are out there. But I am not expecting her to pay or do jobs to ride. She gets a lovely horse to ride, I save money on paying a pro, Deedee gets education and exercise. Everyone's happy. x

 

[HEM]

I have shared a few different horses/ponies and they have always been through people I know/my instructor has known.

It could be quite difficult to find a good/experienced sharer for your green horse but I think your best way would be putting feelers out with friends, instructors and other liveries asking if anyone they know who would be suited to your horse.

I have never had a formal contract I guess because it has always been through friends or friends of friends.

In terms of what they can/can't do with the horse, just make it clear from the beginning and there shouldn't be any problems!

Respect both ways is key for any sort of relationship like this!

 

[Annagain]

I have been both a sharer and a sharee for the last 13 years (I'm not sure which way round is which!). My horse developed foot problems and had to stop jumping. At the same time, my best friend started having babies and was struggling to give her horse enough time. I started sharing him so I could carry one competing and got a sharer for my boy. It's really suited us. Over the years, I've had 5 sharers for Archie while I've shared Monty the whole time. All my sharers have been on different terms which suited both me and them at the time. Some paid, one gave me lessons instead (she was from New Zealand and a trainer back home and just missed horses). My current one doesn't pay but helps out in the week for the farrier etc as she's self employed.

I've only ever had three rules which I've had for all of them. 1 - they get insurance, 2 - they wear hi viz on the roads, and 3 - they don't do anything that endangers them, Archie or anyone else. As long as they do those things they can ride through the village naked playing the harmonica (hands free of course ) if they want for all I care.

The key to a successful share is good communication, a degree of flexibility on both sides and the ability to let small things go. I've never had anything in writing but my sharers (other than the Kiwi as she had no transport so came to the yard with me when she could) have always had set days so we always know where we stand. However, they've all known if there's a problem all they have to do is talk to me and we'll swap days. If push comes to shove and neither of us can do it M's owner will help out too - she normally does morning and sharer and I do evenings. We all cover each other's holidays. There are things both my sharer and M's owner do that bug the hell out of me but they're pretty minor in the greater scheme of things and they don't affect anyone's health or safety so I've never said anything. I'm sure I do stuff that annoys them too (I tend to be messy most of the time and have a big tidy up once a fortnight rather than keeping things tidy which I bet annoys people! They know I always do tidy up though and that I never expect them to do it ) but they've never said anything. If you're in any way control freaky and can't let little things go, a share might not suit you. We have one woman at our yard who tried to find a sharer and her list of rules were so long nobody would agree to them.

 

[kc921]

Unfortunately for me I've only experienced bad sharers.

Either stepping too far thinking they own my horse and changing tack around or doing certain things with my horse which I had already previously asked them not to do.
Or them taking him out for 6 hours straight on a hack and telling me they were only gone for 2 hours....

I won't go into more detail but there have been more and much worse like making my horse lame etc.

Im very wary of sharers now, but when I did share out my horse it was £10 a day, 1 week day a week, they could school, jump or hack (as long as they were experienced enough)

I must admit since the last sharer a few months ago, I haven't considered getting another one and I don't think I will again, unless it's a friend I can trust

 

[scruffyponies]

I'm happy to let my little sharers change around bits of tack. One of my ponies is currently sporting a diamante V shaped browband, supplied by his enthusiastic 13yo sharer. He'll survive.

 

[Widgeon]

I've just found a lovely sharer for a young green horse. She's not in a position to buy at the moment but is loving having a quality mare to have fun with. So they are out there. But I am not expecting her to pay or do jobs to ride. She gets a lovely horse to ride, I save money on paying a pro, Deedee gets education and exercise. Everyone's happy. x

That is good news AA, glad to hear that.

 

[rowan666]

I have sharers for two of mine, my perfect pony I find I get frustrated over because shes well perfect and the loaners are novice and have inadvertently taught her lots of bad habits and haven't listened to a word I say and often either dont turn up or turn up late so ehave to do all the jobs for fear they dont turn up, although they are lovely and do genuinely adore her. The loaner I have for my horse, who is green and is a little tricky when it comes to anything but hacking(which he is foot perfect for) is fab but he is basically hers for £15 a week and she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants, our arrangement is flexible and she is doing all the things I woukd never have done with him and they have fantastic bond so there are good sharers out there for green horses.
In all honesty I wish I hadn't bought another horse after my break from them and just looked for something unbroken I could part loan and helped the owner back and bring on without the full time responsibility because that's what I love doing so I cant see why others wouldn't feel the same