Sharing - Going Rate?

Matafleur

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I have a lovely horse, competing Medium dressage, a ropey change each way, canter piris, bit of piaffe, jumps (keenly!), BWE to Inter B, hacks alone and in company. He's not a dressage horse but we've managed to get to a reasonable level because he tries hard. However, he now needs medicating to maintain the level of work that I want to do (aiming for PSG).

I've decided that instead of pushing him when his body isn't coping with that level of collection, I will loan or (preferably) share him and get another horse for training and competing. I've had good experiences loaning previously but I'd love to keep this one on the same yard and still be able to ride him a couple of days a week if I wanted.

What is the usual set up for a share? I am on full livery, there is an arena with lights and some ok but not great hacking. Do people usually add up total costs and charge pro rata per day? I'd be happy to offer up to 5 days a week and I'd prefer if he were only working up to Ele, jumping up to 90cm.

Is there even a demand for this sort of thing or will I have to full loan?
 
I imagine someone will bite your hand off for that! Pro-rata for that type of setup is probably very reasonable I would have thought.
Thank you, I'd hope so as I need to cover some costs to afford another. My livery is very reasonably priced but even just counting livery, shoes and feed it would be £500 p/m for 5 days. Do people really pay that for a share?
 
Thank you, I'd hope so as I need to cover some costs to afford another. My livery is very reasonably priced but even just counting livery, shoes and feed it would be £500 p/m for 5 days. Do people really pay that for a share?
I guess if you're offering up to 5 days/week it's getting on for a full loan anyway.

I think one share I had I was paying was £100/month for 1 day/week for a horse on full livery and that was just for hacking (I say 'just' it was the absolute world to me!)
 
I’d say there absolutely is demand for that, and earlier this year I’d have bitten your hand off for that kind of opportunity!

If you divide £500 by the (rough) number of days the amount per day comes to less than a half-hour riding lesson per day, so not terrible at all. It’s definitely more expensive and variable if it’s your own horse, so I think it is absolutely still a brilliant opportunity for the right person!
 
To me doing 5 days and having full livery pretty much is a full loan situation as I'd only work a horse 5/6 days a week (which is what is making it seem expensive share wise). But you will have people who can spend the money and not have the time to do a DIY share set up - albeit most of us are probably doing that because we cannot afford our own.

So for 3 days you'd be at £300 and that's not outrageous given the set up you have and if you have someone that wants to do more you can offer it.

My own situ the owner has 2, I'm mostly sole rider on mine (owner/other might ride him once a week) I pay £100 and a bit in extras I don't mine picking up along the way. But I also do sole care of both every Saturday, and evening checks/muck out/poo picking for both on the weekdays I ride (owner covers the mornings) so probably 6+ hours care which at my going rate would work out quite a lot 🤣
 
I’d say there absolutely is demand for that, and earlier this year I’d have bitten your hand off for that kind of opportunity!

If you divide £500 by the (rough) number of days the amount per day comes to less than a half-hour riding lesson per day, so not terrible at all. It’s definitely more expensive and variable if it’s your own horse, so I think it is absolutely still a brilliant opportunity for the right person!
Yes, true. And I'd still be covering dentist, vaccs, physio etc. As well as the sharing being completely de-risked on any veterinary issue.
 
Thank you, I'd hope so as I need to cover some costs to afford another. My livery is very reasonably priced but even just counting livery, shoes and feed it would be £500 p/m for 5 days. Do people really pay that for a share?
Would the 5 days include both weekend days (if thats what the sharer would want) and are there facilities for riding in evenings in winter? I think it feels quite expensive if you were to keep the weekends for yourself
 
To me doing 5 days and having full livery pretty much is a full loan situation as I'd only work a horse 5/6 days a week (which is what is making it seem expensive share wise). But you will have people who can spend the money and not have the time to do a DIY share set up - albeit most of us are probably doing that because we cannot afford our own.

So for 3 days you'd be at £300 and that's not outrageous given the set up you have and if you have someone that wants to do more you can offer it.

My own situ the owner has 2, I'm mostly sole rider on mine (owner/other might ride him once a week) I pay £100 and a bit in extras I don't mine picking up along the way. But I also do sole care of both every Saturday, and evening checks/muck out/poo picking for both on the weekdays I ride (owner covers the mornings) so probably 6+ hours care which at my going rate would work out quite a lot 🤣
Yes, that's a good point about it being almost a full loan. Not sure if that means it's more or less attractive!

Useful feedback from everyone, thank you. I guess I'd just have to see if there was any demand. I'd hope I'd manage to loan him no problem but I'd love him to stay on the yard with me.
 
Would the 5 days include both weekend days (if thats what the sharer would want) and are there facilities for riding in evenings in winter? I think it feels quite expensive if you were to keep the weekends for yourself
I could be flexible with days, our arena is 20x60 outdoor with lights. It can get wet but I work full time and ride all winter with no problems (and a bit of moaning about the rain 😉)
 
If well behaved, can hack alone and you have good hacking I'd test the water with £500 including any days they like (with whatever pre decided rest daysk, including being allowed to take to competitions and fun rides. At least if you are anywhere near London commuter belt. If not a bit less maybe.or the equivalent of £100 per ridden day/week if you need to find more than one sharer.

It's kind of all the rewards, none of the risk and work with owning the horse, as they can just walk away if not able to be ridden anymore. Do establish what you want to happen if horse can't be ridden for any reason though, like a lost shoe, smaller injury etc.
 
I am a weeday sharer. The rate I pay works out roughly the same as the local RS charges for a Private hack. But the advantage of a share is that one rides the same horse and can ride solo which in my case has proved much safer than riding with someone else. The disadvantage is that one pays for a share regardless of whether or not one can ride.
 
If well behaved, can hack alone and you have good hacking I'd test the water with £500 including any days they like (with whatever pre decided rest daysk, including being allowed to take to competitions and fun rides. At least if you are anywhere near London commuter belt. If not a bit less maybe.or the equivalent of £100 per ridden day/week if you need to find more than one sharer.

It's kind of all the rewards, none of the risk and work with owning the horse, as they can just walk away if not able to be ridden anymore. Do establish what you want to happen if horse can't be ridden for any reason though, like a lost shoe, smaller injury etc.
We are North Cotswolds so outside of true London commuter belt unfortunately. He is very well behaved, very forward but never rears, bucks, naps etc. I wouldn't say our hacking is particularly good without boxing out though sadly 😕.

I think I'll just have to see how I go. It may be that I need to consider a full loan as obviously people can do that more cheaply if they diy or have horses at home. No rush as I'm waiting for the market to drop so I can find something else, and he's great fun in the meantime.
 
I would be guided by finding the right person rather than whether it is share for 5/7 days or full loan.

What situation would someone knowledgeable and experienced enough to ride him correctly, has a spare £500 a month to spare and time for riding 5 days a week but doesn't want their own - who are you aiming him at?

When I was pregnant and not riding I had 2 shares for one of mine - a bit more admin but it worked well - there's more volume of sensible riders with £250 a month and time to ride 2-3 times a week than people with twice that.
 
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In similar situations, I've seen people have 2 sharers doing 2 days each.

Potential sharers may not have the time or money to do 5.

£20 a day is common around here so see if your pro rata calculations take you to a similar figure.
 
We are North Cotswolds so outside of true London commuter belt unfortunately. He is very well behaved, very forward but never rears, bucks, naps etc. I wouldn't say our hacking is particularly good without boxing out though sadly 😕.

I think I'll just have to see how I go. It may be that I need to consider a full loan as obviously people can do that more cheaply if they diy or have horses at home. No rush as I'm waiting for the market to drop so I can find something else, and he's great fun in the meantime.

I live in the Cotswolds and can constantly be found sobbing about prices here. There is a huge premium for anything in this area. Where I live I've got Jeremy Clarkson next door, and 5 millionaires within a few miles, go a bit further and theres a pocket of actually famous household names. You must be in the same sort of area. Its an expensive place to live and attracts big money. I think he sounds like the sort of horse if marketed right, will attract those sorts of people, as opposed to the people who share because having their own is too expensive.

I'm now sobbing that I am too fat and poor to be PMing you about your horse 😂
 
I'm not sure no hacking will be an issue either. I've been here for 6 months, driving daily through country roads, and not once have I seen a horse hacking out. The roads aren't safe. Far too twisty, very poor visibility and too many idiot tourists driving like lunatics. I am driving off the road at least once a day by people flying round blind bends in the middle of the road. Theres lots of bridleways, but nearly all unused as getting to them would be dicing with death.
 
If hacking isn't really an option if probably look to full loan or even sell eventually, unless you want your horse schooled heavily on the days he is ridden (depends on what f that would a what you want I guess)? A very forward going horse out hacking would need a relatively confident and competent rider.

Or just enjoy him as you are :)
 
I have a lovely horse, competing Medium dressage, a ropey change each way, canter piris, bit of piaffe, jumps (keenly!), BWE to Inter B, hacks alone and in company. He's not a dressage horse but we've managed to get to a reasonable level because he tries hard. However, he now needs medicating to maintain the level of work that I want to do (aiming for PSG).

I've decided that instead of pushing him when his body isn't coping with that level of collection, I will loan or (preferably) share him and get another horse for training and competing. I've had good experiences loaning previously but I'd love to keep this one on the same yard and still be able to ride him a couple of days a week if I wanted.

What is the usual set up for a share? I am on full livery, there is an arena with lights and some ok but not great hacking. Do people usually add up total costs and charge pro rata per day? I'd be happy to offer up to 5 days a week and I'd prefer if he were only working up to Ele, jumping up to 90cm.

Is there even a demand for this sort of thing or will I have to full loan?
If you want to ride horse a couple of days a week and offer 5 loan / share days a week he’d be working all 7 days a week. Seems a lot to me for a horse needing to step down. However I’d be thinking you need to work out your costs, less horse insurance as that’s the owners (you) responsibility. So include livery / farrier / physio / vaccinations & work out the daily cost then you can just multiply that by however many days you decide. Have a clear contract re what are extras - eg competition entry fees / clinics / farm rides/ transport / etc.
 
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