To buy or not to buy?

[MarniL]

I love the horses I get to ride and I'm so grateful to their owners for letting me, but for the past few months I can't stop wishing that I had my own, one that I could really build a bond with. I know how much responsibility owning a horse is and to be honest... it terrifies me. It's costly enough and yet there are so many things that can go wrong. To add to my doubts, I've had a few hairy moments with one of the mares and the gelding I ride and my confidence is getting worn down. I'm starting to doubt if I'm even a good enough rider to deserve a horse. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[noodle_]

a share??

mabey 20\30 quid a week - set days and much less than having your own horse??

 

[MarniL]

I've got three that I guess you could call shares - two mares and a gelding. I started riding the first mare about three years ago. I'm very lucky, especially because I don't have to pay anything.

 

[noodle_]

if you confidence is going from those then mabey either look for another share or get lessons to help you work through your issues?

i know what you mean about own horse - i loaned/shared and got so fed up i bought my own - only as owners kept changing the rules....

buying your own though you may not get the bond straight off or buy the wrong horse?

full loan with view to buy mabey?? safer option

 

[_Annie_]

How often do you see them? Have you thought about taking lessons on one of them? Would help build your confidence back up maybe?

 

[MarniL]

I'm up nearly every day for at least one of them. It's worked so that I have each horse two days a week unless plans change. Until fairly recently the yard I'm at was also a riding school, so I used to have an instructor around to help and give lessons when I could be fit in. I could try and get in touch with her.

 

[MarniL]

I think I might have to move on from them before I lose all my confidence; it's not their fault, none of them are bad horses, just for some reason I can't brush off spooks and falls like I used to. It would be so hard to let them go though.

What does full lwvtb entail? I've seen it on a lot of adverts but does it differ from seller to seller?

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Before looking for a LWVTB I'd be inclined to maybe get some lessons with a confidence giver, especially if you're struggling to brush off spooks as most horses will test a new rider and this can quickly escalate if you're not confident enough to deal with it.

A LWVTB will vary from seller to seller but you will generally have the horse on full loan for a defined period of time and then all being well will purchase the horse at the end of that period. You should agree a purchase price with the seller before taking the horse on loan and should have a loan contract in place as you would when taking any horse on loan. When I had H on trial it was agreed it would be for 6 months. During that time I could only keep him at the yard I initially stated (the YO who H was stabled with was a friend of my YO so it worked well for everyone). During the loan I was required to have him insured for the agreed value and also LOU with the agreement that these payments would go to his owner in the event of his death. Personally I would also get the horse vetted before taking on LWVTB.

 

[dodgers89]

I felt like this. I shared two horses, although I did all the riding and very little of the taking care of as I was working away. When one of the horses died last year I thought about getting one of my own to keep with the horse that was left (by this time I was married and living back in the area) I ended up getting a horse on full loan and keeping it up where I was sharing. It's worked out really well. I can still ride the horse I was sharing or I can go out with my friend. It also means if I'm ever away or if my friend is away, we're on hand to help each other out. I couldn't afford my own horse so getting one on full loan and moving it to my yard was the next best thing. I think of him as mine, his owners have no involvement at all.

 

[surreygirl17]

I was a bit like you. In the end I took the plunge as the share horse's owner was driving me mad. I also boughtt he 1st hors I saw, unbacked and 4yrs old hardly handled but I don't regret it. we have a great bond and I think he will be the horse of a lifetime in the end.

 

[MarniL]

That's one thing that really irks me sometimes, the owners. They're all very nice and could be so much worse to work with, but one of them... I just can't understand why she bought her horse in the first place. She was meant to be a mother/daughter share for her and her teenager (both relative novices) but I'm pretty sure the daughter lost interest about two months after and then the mother had a nasty fall (not the horse's fault) and fractured her pelvis. I get that she's nervous since the fall but she hardly has any involvement with her now and just leaves it all up to me and another rider. It's frustrating to see such a sweet little horse belong to someone who doesn't love her.

 

[MarniL]

On average how much does a full loan cost? I assume that you have a time period or something fixed in a contract, but do you ever get worried that the owners might suddenly change their mind or get involved? Sorry if this is stupid.