Would I have any chance of finding a share horse?

[JackInABox]

I've read posts from this forum for a while now, and I've noticed that lots of people talking about sharers seem to not want teenagers straight out of a riding school. I was going to start looking for a share / part loan pony, but I'm wondering if I'd actually have a chance of being taken on by an owner. Everything I've learned has been at a riding school on riding school ponies, so would I be experienced enough to be looking at a share pony? If I did, would it need to be a safe ploddy type? I'm more than willing to learn and work hard but I'm worried now that I think I'm a better rider than I really am.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

 

[s4sugar]

If you are prepared to listen & learn and put in some groundwork rather than just wanting to ride you would be welcome here and I dare say many others on the forum would be willing to give you a chance.
Unfortunately all too often people (of all ages) only want to treat the horse as if hired from a riding school which does sour the experience for all.

 

[Tammytoo]

Riding school horses are totally unlike "private" horses, but if you are honest about your experience i.e. I have only ridden RS horses/ponies, I am sure that you will find one to share. Have you tried popping an ad. in your local tacks shops?

 

[Littlelegs]

Quite often what is deemed to be a safe ploddy type by a private owner can be the same type as a riding school uses for advanced lessons. Not always, but its common.
Provided you're honest & look for ones advertised as novice ride I don't see a problem. If I had a suitable horse up for share I wouldn't rule it out, I prefer keen teenagers who want to learn over clueless know it all adults anyday! Only issue might be some people need someone who can be left unsupervised for yard stuff which with your age & experience might be difficult, but on a bigger yard with others about wouldn't be impossible. Good luck & we all started somewhere!

 

[hannah90]

If you are prepared to listen & learn and put in some groundwork rather than just wanting to ride you would be welcome here and I dare say many others on the forum would be willing to give you a chance

i agree, as long as you are honest from the start about your experience,and the horse was suitable for you, if you are willing to take advice and learn, then i would be happy to share a horse .

 

[ghostie]

I think it really depends on your attitude and approach (which I'm sure is lovely ).

I'm thinking about finding a sharer for my boy and am a little bit nervous about teenagers straight out of a riding school as the stereotype is that they will tear around the countryside jumping everything in sight and wreck him. Now I know rationally that there are plenty of perfectly sensible, polite and considerate teenagers out there who aren't like this at all. So personally I would be more than happy to consider them, but would want to see them ride and probably speak with their instructor to get an idea of how their instructor rates their ability - but I wouldn't write it off at all. If they came across as sensible, well mannered and willing to learn and were capable of riding my horse then I would consider it - same criteria I have for any sharer really!

 

[Ibblebibble]

i think if you are honest about yourself and experience then someone would be happy to help you learn,

 

[Piccy]

What area are you in? Im sure if you were willing to learn and listen someone might be able to give you some experience.

 

[Jesstickle]

The fact you're worrying and asking the question probably means you're fine. Or that's how I usually find these things anyway

I'm sure you'll find a share, I hope so

 

[Worried1]

I have a lovely 14-y-o girl who shares Finn. She had only ridden at a riding school. About a year ago She knocked on our door and asked if she could come and help out as she loved horses.
She started helping out at weekends and after school, she was so keen and enthusiastic that I started letting her have a sit on Finn, she loved him and her mum approached us about a loan pony and I suggested trying Finn for a month on trial.

She did and has been loaning him ever since. She hacks, jumps has lessons and went to her first show last weekend.

The ironic thing is I advertised for months and never found anyone, yet just up the road was someone for him all along!

He's not quite a plod but with help and supervision she has really progressed. She pays £30 a week for unlimited riding but also is now an invaluable help in the yard, often coming to competitions and helping us. She has learnt lots being with us too.

 

[JackInABox]

Thanks for replying so quickly and helpfully.

I do stay whole days at the riding school, leading, tacking up and untacking, poo picking, tack cleaning etc, so I'd be more than happy to do 'chores' to do with the horse. I actually enjoy it almost as much as the riding itself. I've ridden there for ten years and helped out for about a year now.

In what way are private horses different? Are they just generally sharper or is it hard to explain? I'll try putting an advert in my local tack room when I next go, I haven't actually started to look yet.

I didn't put my location as I didn't want this to seem like an ad, will it be ok to?

 

[ghostie]

tell us where you are - that's fine I'm sure - you're not advertising, just telling us roughly whereabouts you're from

I think the thing with riding school horses is that they know their job - they go in the school, they go round in circles, they do the same thing day in day out so they're a bit 'deadened' in some respects. Also, because they will have a range of abilities sat on them they get used to confused/mixed signals. They don't tend to have bags of excess energy because they're worked quite hard, so you're often having to coax them to do things. In contrast, a lot of private horses are ridden by one or two people and will respond very readily to your aids, so you may well find that where you had to really nag a riding school horse to canter, just using your seat on another will be enough (which if you're not used to it you could do inadvertently!).

I guess they just tend to have a bit more spirit and life in them - but that's a huge generalisation and depends on the private horse and the riding school horse. When I returned to riding after a long gap I rode at a riding school and 90% of the horses were thoroughbreds and most of them were sharper than my horse is now

 

[JackInABox]

Ok, thanks, I'm in Gloucestershire.

I'm getting so excited now that it might actually be possible to find a share, I was so worried that I would never be able to.

 

[ghostie]

might be worth joining your local Pony Club or Riding Club. A lot of them have non-ridden activities like stable management days and things that are very cheap to go to. It's a great way of meeting local horsey people and if you get to know people you might find someone who has a horse that needs exercising and you could build it up from there? I know when I was in PC lots of people found sharers when they were doing GCSEs etc, so might be a good way of finding something to begin with?

 

[Queenofdiamonds]

Plenty of people find a loan pony straight out of a riding school. Just be honest about what you've done and you'll be fine.

Also, Even though you've only ridden riding school ponies, 10 years is a decent length of time, So it's not as much of a leap as it would be for someone whos only ridden for a year.

 

[Sparkles]

Got one in Swindon if that's near enough lol....but probably too far away!

 

[juliette]

I went to a jumping lesson at a riding school a couple of years ago and found that I had to kick on every stride to keep their horse in canter. (Very frustrating!) My horse, I ask for canter and it stays in canter until I ask for trot. In my opinion this is a good demonstation of the difference between a private horse and a riding school horse.

 

[lil'chesnut]

I have to admit that I am exactly the same. I had lessons for six years as we couldn't afford a horse of our own. as a 16 year old boy, we didn't think that people would want to know.
A friend of my parents owned a nice little sec D that she couldn't ride so we asked if she would be interested in me helping her with him. He has since been sold, but the YO recently ASKED me to ride her horses... I've recently started working for a local farmer who has several hunters and show horses and they too have asked to see if I can help ride even though I have been truthfully honest about my ability (as I am by no means a Hester or Bechtolsheimer )

As previously mentioned, there are people willing enough out there but you need to be honest and don't be afraid to ask either

I'm loving my riding now, more than ever

 

[misskk88]

I am trying to find a share for my horse currently (Suffolk sadly!!). I would rather have someone honest, caring and slightly inexperienced and willing to learn and love my horse than someone who knew more but had less concern or love for horses. The most important thing to me is someone who is just going to enjoy and appreciate the horse and enjoy the care and cuddles that come with it! I know too many people who see their horse as having a job to do, rather than viewing it as a partnership. give me someone who is going to give her fun, cuddles and love anyday over someone who can ride perfectly!

 

[Kirwil]

We've had girls straight out of riding school come ride our ponies. One was a disaster and her mother lied about her ability and both of their experience, leading to me coming back after a month to find all my hard work undone. It seems attitude it more important. If you are honest and trustworthy and willing to put in some effort (if the agreement stipulates things like taking a share of grooming and tack cleaning) then I'm sure you'll find something. Our latest rider has only ridden for a year and is 12 years old but accepts I'll be watching her every time she takes a pony out and sometimes she'll have to do "boring" things like be lunged now and then but is good for our ponies because their usual rider is special needs.
PS. friendly short people that don't weigh much welcome in the Cotswolds for rides on our Sec As