WWYD - Loaning

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OrangeDinosaur

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I part share a horse and have done since April.

He lives on a rs yard but wasn't being used as they went on a break so all was good and I could see him pretty much any day I wanted, 3 times a week. Not long ago they restated the lessons, but only for children, so as he's 16.2 he wasn't used. Recently they have had a few more older children/adults come who have ridden 'my' horse. I'm onk with this because I don't own him as such, however, they have failed to inform me when he's had lessons on the weekend, the time I find easiest to go down (I'm at college and struggle to go up after). It was alright the first time as it was a 'one off' as the lesson was forgotten about when I asked what days I could go down. However, today he had a lesson (I was again unaware other than a text asking me to lunge him yesterday after they found out his back was stiff in his routine back appointment and saying I could ride him tomorrow making me think lunge today too). This person has rebocked for another Saturday which is the day I normally find easiest to go down and see him and also often help out.

Bad thing is that I'm going to be doing my work experience there, so don't really want to stop loaning the horse as I probably wouldn't feel in place there at all, but if I do keep loaning him and he gets used more often on Saturdays I will be paying to loan him without getting the full use of what I'm paying for.

What do you think would be the best thing to do? Personally I don't want to let go of this, but I don't feel happy in the current situation.
 
Does the RS own this horse or is there another owner who loans the horse to both you and the RS? Either way it is highly recommend that you have a written contract specifying exactly what you are entitled to for your money. So, it should specify when you can ride the horse, e.g. days, times, types of activities you can do with the horse, any insurance you may need to take out, what happens if the horse is injured/sick and needs time off, notice period for cancelling the agreement, who pays for farrier/routine vet/ dentist, who pays for vet insurance, etc.
 
Part sharing is different from loaning, you don't normally get unlimited access/riding on a share. It's usually set days that are agreed between both parties.

You need to set out in stone which days are 'your days' and get a contract.

Are you paying? And do you do full care, mucking out etc?
 
It gets called both a part loan and a part share. There is some form of contract in place, I am required to do a minimum of 3 days per week and on those days the horse is 'mine' so I do full care other than bringing in. I pay for it along with helping out 1/2 times a week for free. The only thing specified that I can't do is hack as the horse is unpredictable out of the yard. The rs 'owns' the horse (original owner had to give him up but still comes and pets him etc (no riding) and is still sometimes called 'his owner' as he had the horse for 10 years I believe). My days in the week are flexible due to college and parents work as I can't drive or take a bus there as there aren't any, but Saturdays have always been the day that I have done and stuck to and the rs know that.
 
Is there any reason he cannot be ridden twice on Saturdays, it is a shame you cannot hack as that would at least mean he only did one session in the school, although many RS horses will do 2 or 3 lessons each day, most horses don't work hard enough and generally lessons are not too demanding so make sure he gets a break and hay to munch for an hour or so while you do your jobs then tack him up and do something with him.
Check the contract to see what the terms are but to expect to exclusively use a RS horse both days over the weekend is probably unrealistic as he will be earning far more doing lessons that he will be making by you loaning him, you may have to change the terms to 1 weekend day if you want to keep using him and riding twice is not possible.
 
OP this sounds mightily unfair!!

If the RS know which "your" days are, then frankly they're taking the P!ss big-time and taking advantage of your good nature methinks.

The situation is even more complicated by the brooding presence of the "owner" who doesn't ride the horse yet still owns it, and the RS have the usage of it.

I think you need to take the initiative and get things much more firmed-up. You need to get it written down as to when you have sole use of the horse. Get it in a proper contract and then if you do get the yard and the horse has already been allocated, you've got something to go on.

It sounds like you are "helping out" at the RS as well as paying, yes?? So methinks the RS are on to a good thing and are taking advantage of this situation TBH.
 
The 'owner' doesn't really iwn him anymore as he gave the horse up to the rs but still sees him and somethimes mucks out and treats the horse but nothin more.

I rely on my mum for transport and she works different hours each week unfortunately so can't have set week days so we text the rs what days I can come down in the week, no mention of weekend days as they know I'll be down on Saturdays.

I started helping out before loaning from them so just kept it up when I did. I am used as free labour and in a way feel it wrong now as I am being told off for sitting down for a couple of minutes by the paid worker. All I've got out of my many days working was one free lesson just to make up numbers as I was actually helping on that day.

The main reason for my frustration over this time is that they were aware that I was coming down that day to help with an event they had on but didn't mention that I couldn't actually ride the horse I'm paying for.
 
I shared a horse like this as s teenager. The horses would do 2 hours max s day and i would simply book in the diary when I was riding. If he'd been on a hack I would school, or vice versa. He was always super fit which was great. It can work well. Maybe speak to them with the suggestion that you book in the diary. Horses can cope with being ridden more then once a day.
 
OrangeDinosaur said:
I am used as free labour and in a way feel it wrong now as I am being told off for sitting down for a couple of minutes by the paid worker.
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What the hell???

You are very much being taken advantage of. With your labour and cash, you are subsidising the running costs of an asset owned by the business and used by it to create income. Presumably, these running costs would be tax deductible for the business as well so they're doing very well indeed out of their arrangement with you. In return, your allocated time with the horse is not always for your own quiet enjoyment, but is taken up with things like lunging to keep him ticking over for the school.

As MiJods said, you need to get this contract firmed up more. It's very one-sided at the moment. There needs to be Your Time and School Time. One day of Your Time has to be on the weekend. Your Time should not include anything that is actually School Time (e.g. lunging) unless it suits you and you agree.

If they threaten to terminate the deal, I'd call them on it. Frankly, they're doing so well out of you they'd have to be daft to genuinely want to break it. They might use it as a scare tactic with you, but the current arrangement is such a bad deal for you - surely it wouldn't be too hard to find more equitable loan/share arrangements elsewhere?
 
There's an RS near us who treats its "loaners" this way. The problem is that as soon as one cottons one and either makes a fuss or leaves there are always loads of up and coming youngsters willing to take this one - because they don't know anything better exists.

OP - I know it is tough when you bond with a horse. But you would be far better off with a private share or part loan. Unless that is the only RS you can possibly reach you could also switch your work experience. Depending on what you want to do with yourself after college more broad experience than the place you already basically work for free might be better anyway.
 
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