Sharing costs on the up?

golddustsara

golddustsara

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Just after a bit of advice. I have been sharing my horse for nearly 2 years now and have just received a message from his owner saying due to costs increase his share price will have to go up to £20 p/w for 2 days. He is on her own land and doesn't even have back shoes so I think this is a little steep. I love him though so I'm sure I'll end up paying it or offering if she wants me to take him on full loan as it sounds as if they are having money worries with 3 horses.

Thanks guys x
 
Hmmm yeh does seem a bit steep if they dont have to pay for livery/shoes as they're some of the most costly costs lol. And for just two days. I pay £15p/w for mine, have him 3 days and he is kept on a livery yard and has front and back shoes etc. But i guess it's worth it if you get on really well with horse and if they're normally reasonable and are just genuinely having money worries.
 
That is what I charge for my 14hh NF pony. Basically £10/day. However I keep him on DIY livery with good facilities (£30/week) and he's not a particularly good doer, he's shod all round. £10/day is basically what he costs me excluding insurance.

How much has it gone up? I agree it's a bit steep if he's not costing the owner that much. Could you ask why it's gone up and how she gets to that figure? I am very open with my boys loaners about how I got to that figure.
 
Yes I might ask how she gets to that cost. I do 2 barrows of poop a week and he lives out 24/7. Only has a cup of balancer and chaff so not as if he is a poor doer....

I was paying £15 p/w
 
You all sound as if you are getting the share for much less than it actually costs the owner to keep the horse when you allow for shoes, jabs, dentist, insurance etc.
 
I know mine's cheap, i have said to people that i really dont know how my £61 a month and half towards shoes really helps my horse's owner that much tbh, but if thats all she wants to charge then fine, im not gonna demand i pay more lol unless i was to do a lot more on him i.e compete him regularly etc.
 
Opps forgot to say, dont think money's the issue with mine, think it's the time really as she wanted more time to be able to spend with her new partner so i guess thats why she's not too bothered about charging the earth.
 
I have to say I don't think £20pw is bad. You would struggle to find a riding school who would let you ride for an hour for that. I don't have to pay for livery, buy any hay or straw as we make our own, and he only he only has front shoes on, but he still costs £15pw to keep. I suppose that if I was to find someone to share him, some would say that I should charge only £7.50pw, but I'm afraid it would have to be more than that.
 
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You all sound as if you are getting the share for much less than it actually costs the owner to keep the horse when you allow for shoes, jabs, dentist, insurance etc.

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Yummmmmmm yes, in my eyes it is a mutal helping of each other..... no I dont pay full half of what the horse costs, but I pay something, I also "do" both her horses 3 days a week for her wether that be poo picking or mucking out etc, so that she doesnt have to.......... and everyday if she is on hols.

I personally wouldnt pay exactly half to share a horse as, as a sharer you will never get exactly half of the horse, you probably wont have a say on what it is fed, how often it is shod, wormed, (although if you are paying exactly half then surely you should?) ridden, competed, what bit it wears etc etc.........
I do however know that I am exceptionally luck to pay as little as i do for my wonderful share horse, but i do also do my bit
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I was paying £30 pw week when I shared Jack, so I really wouldnt be too bothered about £20pw.

What has it gone up from?
 
well i just got new sharer and it's first time i've ever asked for dosh and i'm asking 15p/w with min 2 days......... I feel a bit cheeky really, as i really want help in time, but have got pissed off, with folks in pass not be totally commitment so that's why i've asked for dosh.

Personelly i would voice your issues, as not to be to mean, they prob need you more than you need them........ as you rightly say not really costing them alot to run..........
 
I dont think that £20 for two days is bad. Riding lessons are £25 plus an hour at least in our area. Horses aint cheap and I expect it doesnt really cover her costs at all.

Until a couple of weeks ago I had a young girl share my cob. Now I am on full livery of £400 a month, plus insurance, shoes, vets bills, wear and tear. I didnt charge her a penny when she wanted to ride him twice a week - she was doing me a favour due to work commitments. When she pushed me to ride him 5 times a week, take him out to competitions without me and do things with him I didnt agree with I saw red. She couldnt afford to make any form of contribution and got upset when I suggested it, so she doesnt ride him anymore.

Good luck with it, I wont do it ever again.
 
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I personally wouldnt pay exactly half to share a horse as, as a sharer you will never get exactly half of the horse, you probably wont have a say on what it is fed, how often it is shod, wormed, (although if you are paying exactly half then surely you should?) ridden, competed, what bit it wears etc etc.........

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Don't want to comment on your personal position, but I don't agree totally with this comment. After all, the other person owns the horse - to my mind, it's a bit like renting rooms in a house living with the owner. You wouldn't necessarily get to choose which carpet went down or what colour the walls were as it's not your house, but you would get to use the facilities provided.

I tried having a sharer but didn't ask for money, as I just needed the help (timewise) while I was at uni 2 days a week. (ETA - didn't last long, I couldn't do it emotionally! and she broke loads of my stuff
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Thanks for all the comments - I do compete him and have a say in how he is fed, etc. I have bought many of his rugs and boots and I buy certain feeds too so I suppose half his costs are fair.

I just never thought he would cost £160 a month to look after on her own land on minimal feed and front shoes only.

Think I am going to mention a full loan at the weekend and see how the land lies. She only rides him 1 day a week if that.
 
Don't forget that if she's got him on her own land there's the cost of buying the land in the first place. Currently agricultural land costs about £6K/acre, but equestrian near a more urban area is a lot dearer, and if it's part of a property it can add ££££ - there was a house in Northamptonshire on one of those TV programmes and just adding a stable block to their 2 acres increased the value by 80K. She may have a mortgage, and if she's had to secure a fixed rate (perhaps daytime job isn't too secure) then it'll be a lot more than they were fixed at. Then there's the cost of rates (most places went up 5% this year) water rates, insurance, fencing, ground maintenance...aside from the cost of insuring the (now older) horse before you get into the other horsey costs of vets bills, dentist etc.
 
When I had my boy up for share the sharer paid 50% of all costs (not insurance of vets/saddler fees etc) and she had him 50% of the month. So it was about £25-£30 a week for her to have him and he was stabled but on DIY and not shod.
It did cost me more than her obviously, but she also got to have him for lessons and take him to shows etc
 
I pay £20 a month, she is on DIY livery and is fully shod! I look after her fully twice a week too...so for me you are paying FAR too much.
 
My sharer just pays for 1/2 of his shoeing costs, into the bargain i have a very good rider schooling my horse 3 days a week and competing him too.....

sounds as though it could be money worries - i am selling one of mine soon as she is too small for me and too expensive to keep as a pet!! I have seen horse shares in my area for upto £30 a week (sussex) although that does seem expensive to me.....
 
I think thats quite a bit TBH. It seems the price of share horses is going up, which I understand with the credit crunch but - say I took on a share horse 3 days a week and did the horse fully those days as the owner couldn't make it to the yard. I'm actually saving the owner money as they're not having to pay for full livery on those days IYSWIM
Sharing used to be known (vaguely!) as "work for a ride" but now it's more like "work for a ride, then pay me £100 a month on top"
 
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I think thats quite a bit TBH. It seems the price of share horses is going up, which I understand with the credit crunch but - say I took on a share horse 3 days a week and did the horse fully those days as the owner couldn't make it to the yard. I'm actually saving the owner money as they're not having to pay for full livery on those days IYSWIM
Sharing used to be known (vaguely!) as "work for a ride" but now it's more like "work for a ride, then pay me £100 a month on top"

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how true......As i said i am very happy with my arrangement for one reason i don't have the pressure of riding him as he is young and i'm not good enough!! She is happy to pay some towards shoes - she suggested it, i personally wouldn't have charged a penny!! she poo-picks and has her own transport to take him to shows etc, she also has a lot of lessons on him, so i am basically getting my horse well schooled for free!
 
I think a token contribution is fine, but if you are relying on a sharer to finacially support your horse, it's a dangerous position - what if the sharer has an accident and can't help - how would you pay for full livery? and what if the sharer left and you couldn't get another?
If I got my own horse again, I would happily have a sharer and would need one to assist on days I was at work. But I would expect them to come up muck out, ride etc - and not take money from them
 
The one thing that no one has mentioned is that unless the horse is somehow disposed of when he becomes lame, old or just unwanted by the sharers .... then the owner is back to paying for everything
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Sharers have the advantage of being able to say goodbye at any time and for any reason!

I sometimes think of having a sharer but have never found anyone who I would be really happy with.

Its not about the money for me.... its more that some weeks I struggle to give him enough exercise and in the winter I hate riding..... currently he has a holiday from mid november till late february, but if I had a sharer he could still be exercised. I am sure he couldnt care less though as he lives out anyway!!!
 
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The one thing that no one has mentioned is that unless the horse is somehow disposed of when he becomes lame, old or just unwanted by the sharers .... then the owner is back to paying for everything
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Sharers have the advantage of being able to say goodbye at any time and for any reason!

I sometimes think of having a sharer but have never found anyone who I would be really happy with.

Its not about the money for me.... its more that some weeks I struggle to give him enough exercise and in the winter I hate riding..... currently he has a holiday from mid november till late february, but if I had a sharer he could still be exercised. I am sure he couldnt care less though as he lives out anyway!!!

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on the other hand the owner could decide to take the two horses off the sharer and put them out on full loan as she can't afford them..... and the sharer is left upset as she has cared for them almost full time
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*knows*
 
If someone is hard up for time but not money, then I can see them going for a free, work for rides arrangement.

But if not, why risk your horse and restrict your riding for no renumeration (if thats the right word).

I wouldnt lend my car to someone for nothing, for the miles to be added, and the potential damage to be done to it etc.

If for no other reason, this is my worry.... what if I share Merlin and then for either his arthritis to worsen (might do anyway, but who would know) or for him to be injured and there fore not rideable...... where would I stand then
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Its the same principle for sharing the horse.... why, if there is no reward.... especially as more people than ever now are feeling the pinch and can either not afford to own (and therefore want to share) or cant afford to share
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Neither of these comments is directed at anyone at all
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To be honest i dont think that is a bad price, you wouldnt get 2 riding lessons for that kind of money and certainly not the one to one relationship you would obviously get with the horse.
 
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