Sharing a horse. Your experience good or bad.

TrasaM

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I was prompted to post this following on from the post about whether owners allow others to ride their horses.
Long story short(ish) I share a horse with a friend. Loose arrangement ..If she's away or working I will ride him and help with tack and grooming. She bought him about 9 months ago as a 5year old and it's her first horse. There have been several issues with him, grazing spooking and bucking, but I have always got along well with him and can keep him in check but she is really struggling with him and it's gotten worse recently. It's been the source of a lot of frustration for me as I seem to get him behaving and really nice to ride but then he becomes ASBO horse when she rides. To be honest if he were mine I would not let her ride him but he's not and it's really none of my business at the end of the day how she rides other than I like the little chap and I hate to see him messed about. I can't ride at the moment and won't be able to for another six weeks at least.
The post is not about solving my problem but I'm just interested in hearing what other people's experience has been..good or bad. :)
 

FfionWinnie

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Shared out my horse which hadn't been in work. No problems with the horse but once I'd shelled out for shoes, a martingale the girl wanted and a couple of other things she gave up after a month leaving me out of pocket :rolleyes:

Previous loan was a disaster too, woman basically stole all my stuff and handed her back with hardly anything and tatty old rugs etc.

Current loan they are buying her but paying in installments. Hasn't gone wrong yet but she has needed dental work since they "bought" her and they have gone very quiet about this months payment. As far I am concerned I sold her below market price and am letting them have an interest free loan so I hope it's not going to cause an issue. I haven't pushed the point yet. :rolleyes:
 

Silmarillion

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I've shared quite a few in the past. Mostly my trouble comes about from me being terrified of doing the "wrong thing" and the owner giving me the boot, despite my being competent and capable! I've never paid or been paid, either. It's almost always worked. The one time it got uncomfortable was when I got the lady's horse doing dressage movements she was only learning, and she got upset that I was interfering - she hadn't asked me not to ride those movements up until that point. She then asked me only to jump and hack, but I didn't want to so I gave him up. I went back to him a couple of years later, though, and was specifically asked to school him on the flat this time as the lady didn't have time to.

I currently "share" a lovely TB with an elderly lady who isn't strong enough to ride him effectively any more, but loves doing what she can with him. I've spent the last year teaching him to canter and think like a dressage horse instead of a racehorse cross giraffe. She has benefitted from his increased level of schooling. She keeps him on full livery and I don't contribute financially, other than my schooling her horse for her for free. I'm very lucky in the arrangement, I think! Also in that I really adore him :)

I try not to think of shares as mine at all, though, or get too attached - the owner could move away suddenly or sell the horse, and it would be too upsetting if I was too attached. Try to distance yourself - it's not your horse so not your problem if he gets worse when she rides. You just have to get on him and ride him for how he is that day.
 

111ex111

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I share a TB at the moment and its so good! the owner's pregnant so I am the main person who rides him- owners mum rides him sometimes and a new sharer is going to start riding him every sunday.
£20 a week for 2 days- 1 day schooling & 1 day hacking. no jumping
when I started sharing him I came straight out of a riding school to the owner was so lovely to me! if I didn't know how to do something she would just show me :) she also helps me when I school him so its kind of like free lessons ;)

I dont have to muck out atm because the owner wants to! I think im just lucky i've found the perfect share straight away!
 

Puddleduck

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I have a sharer for my mare. I wasn't even thinking of having one however I changed jobs and started doing a lot of travelling in the week so couldn't ride. I put my girl on full livery so she would be worked in the week.
However after about a fortnight the YO rang me to say another girl on the yard had got rid of her sharer and as I knew her and got on well with her (and she loved my horse) would I be interested in doing a share with her instead of paying full livery.
We met up and she tried my mare and we agreed to give it a go. It's worked out great, my sharer has her in the week, I do weekends and a night in the week if time. Horse is fit, happy and in full work, sharer has lessons with YO who is a dressage rider/ trainer so we all benefit from the arrangement (except perhaps YO who did herself out of full livery by getting us together :D)
 

TrasaM

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I know I'm really lucky to have access to two horses with little cost. Good to see how well it works when we all have the same objective.
 

debsflo

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We have been sharing a lovley horse for the last 6 months. Daughter can ride 3-4 x weekly,hack,jump,compete etc and the owner is really flexible. We have been told to treat her as if she is ours but we know she isnt. Works perfectly as daughter can stay involved with horses and she is kept at a yard with all facilities.
 

Luci07

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I share my retired event mare. Both sharers are lovely and take great care of her. She is very happy with them too so works well for me!
 

L&M

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I have had a sharer for one of mine for just under a year now and is working out really well.

She rides a couple of times a week and helps with stable duties too, and gives a small contribution each month.

It works really well for both of us as she works too long hours to have her own horse, and as I am lucky enough to have another one, plus my son's pony to keep fit, so she helps tick over my old boy.

She is quite new to riding and the horse is a real schoolmaster so is teaching her loads and really building her confidence.

The secret to a sucessful share imo is communication - we speak every sunday night so know which days we want the horse, and which days she has time to poo pick or muck out, so have the week timetabled out. The financial contribution is also great as was considering selling him before she came along.
 

ecb89

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I was meant to be trying a horse to share today. However the owner emailed me a couple of days ago saying that she had someone else on trial but will let me know if it doesn't work out :(
 

igglepop

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Having shared for 10 years i wish i could say if i had my own i would have a sharer. I know i have been a reliable sharer and shared with amazing owners and grateful for their trust but sadly i have also seen some terrible people (sharers not owners) who i have spent a lot of time running around after and fixing their mess. If i found a person i could trust i would love to but sadly i think i unless i knew the person beforehand i would not be comfortable with doing it.
 
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