Sharing/ part loaning my horse

[Horseperson432]

How do people go about part loaning/ sharing horses these days?

I have a 21 year pony who I want doing some consistent work. I don’t have time to ride him every day with work/ other horse but still want the chance to ride him from time to time. He needs some consistent riding as I feel if he doesn’t get it he’ll get too “old” to get going again and he loves being ridden.

I’d be happy to do all yard duties etc but would it be acceptable to ask for a final contribution? How do people go about this element of sharing? I’m very lucky to keep the horses at home so livery isn’t an issue, just shoes, food etc.

I like to take him the beach for the weekend from time to time/ do the odd sponsored ride etc… do you think people would be put off if I occasionally wanted to do this despite them making a financial contribution?

Pony would mostly just want hacking as not currently fit and strong enough to jump (he has a mega jump on him so perhaps that may change with time). He’s also still a competition pony at heart and can be hot/ quirky in fields ( I love it but wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea!) which makes me worry I may struggle to find the right person for him anyway as I feel more competent kids/ riders would rather have something they can jump big on etc?

 

[Max123]

I wouldn't look for any financial contribution under those circumstances. I would be happy to find the right person.

 

[luna*lucky]

You could try advertising first with the financial contribution mentioned - but if you don't gain much interest (or the right interest), you could then try without. Much harder to ask for any payment once someone is already involved.

 

[Skib]

To me it sounds a bit mean if you are going to have the weekends and the fun of beach rides and your sharer isnt.

Yet I am a weekday only rider and I pay to share a horse. People who no longer work may be free on weekdays. I am an o.a.p. not a child. And unlike most sharers, I dont jump and I didnt need week ends.

You need to charge. If one shares and rides for free there is an ambiguty? Ought the owner be paying the rider to exercise their horse? I shared a semi retired horse in her early twenties and hacked her twice a week every winter until she properly retired. I paid roughly the rate charged by local RSs for a hack

 

[TheresaW]

The way I read it, it would be now and then the OP wanted to go out of a weekend. I would ask for a contribution towards shoes maybe?

 

[Horseperson432]

The way I read it, it would be now and then the OP wanted to go out of a weekend. I would ask for a contribution towards shoes maybe?

Yes exactly, a couple of weekends a year max! I’d be super flexible too… happy for days of the week to change so that perhaps some weekends I get one day and others they have him the whole weekend. I hardly have time to ride him now anyway, weekend or weekday and I won’t be getting anymore time! Not looking for them to cover full costs, was just thinking a part of the cost of shoes or something as they’re so bloody expensive these days

 

[Caol Ila]

I also have this thought, like every year at the end of the summer. Well, since I backed my youngster. Should I find a sharer for my Highland to make keeping two horses in work less of a ballache in the winter?

Then I can’t bring myself to advertise him on the loaning/sharing sites because I can’t be arsed filtering out unsuitable people. But it would be nice…argh.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm looking for someone for mine, but it has to be the right person as though she's a real sweetheart she's also a sensitive little soul too.

I'm in a similar position to you OP in that I have mine at home. My feelings are that I wouldn't want money to change hands on either side TBH; when you start either paying or receiving money, everything just gets soooh bloomin' complicated, and the main thing then you would have to think about is insurance (not that you don't with a cash-free arrangement, not at all, but somehow the money-thing just puts everything on a different footing).

The thing you could do I guess would be to put out an "Honesty Pot" if the person wanted to put a bit of cash in occasionally to help with shoes; I did this years ago when I had an old school chum riding my old lad. It worked well.

 

[Splash2310]

I would charge a small fee if I were you, I think it weeds out the “fair weather riders” who decide not to turn up if there is a slight drizzle!

I think it’s absolutely fine if you want to go out on the occasional weekend - my share horses owner takes him out most weekends, I just ride the other weekend day and hack or ride in the week that week. At the end of the day he’s still your horse! It would be nice of you to let your (prospective) sharer go out occasionally though if they wanted to.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

If time is your main problem why not ask for some help with yard chores?

 

[tda]

I suppose I have a sharer for one of mine, the lady had advertised looking for a ride/share, she came to see the pony, we got on, she comes a couple of times a week now, treats the pony very well
She did ask, but I don't charge her anything. I would have had to pay to get the pony exercised otherwise

 

[Ahrena]

It’s pretty common for sharers to only have ‘one’ weekend day so I feel that would be workable.

I have a similar horse and got a sharer for him when he was about 18. I still borrowed him for the odd weekend to go and have some fun but I didn’t have time to ride him consistently. He’s now 26 and she’s has now had him on full loan for 4 years. Over the years she’s done fun rides and xc schooling (only tiny as she’s quite novicey jumping) and it’s been lovely to see my old man teaching someone the ropes.

He can also get a bit giddy when you hit a canter spot! I think you’d find someone no problems especially if he’s able to show a less experienced the ropes over small jumps.

She paid and helped with chores on her days.

 

[Horseperson432]

I would charge a small fee if I were you, I think it weeds out the “fair weather riders” who decide not to turn up if there is a slight drizzle!

I think it’s absolutely fine if you want to go out on the occasional weekend - my share horses owner takes him out most weekends, I just ride the other weekend day and hack or ride in the week that week. At the end of the day he’s still your horse! It would be nice of you to let your (prospective) sharer go out occasionally though if they wanted to.

That’s great thank you, I just would want to make it clear that I still want to have the opportunity from time to time to enjoy him (or he may as well be sold/ on full loan elsewhere… but I just love him too much!) and was worried id struggle to do that if I shared him so happy to know it’s doable!
I would definitely be happy to let the sharer take him out… I have another horse so would even be cool to do stuff together/ even swap horses about if they wanted (the 6 year old is probably quieter than the 21 year old)