After horror sharers previously year why am I considering another one??

atillathefun

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Jan 7, 2005
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After horror sharers previously why am I considering another one??

:confused: Previously I tried to get a sharer for my horse and had the worst experiences I think I could. So now why am I considering it again!!
I read a lot of stories about succesfull shares but I just cant seem to find one myself.

My dilema is I have a wonderfull horse who is green when it comes to schooling and spooky when hacking. None of this bothers me and we are working on it but I had a horse on loan last year who was the opposite, I could hack out for hours without worrying about what we may come accross and his schooling was better than mine making him great for progressing on. I so miss him and I have found another horse who sounds perfect but my the catch is if I took another horse on - I would then like to get a sharer again!

In an ideal world I would love someone who wanted to be involved with them both who would enjoy schooling and improving the green one but that could also hack out on him or the experienced horse. I would be quite happy for them to spend as much time at the yard as they wanted. I would hope we would become friends and maybe take them to shows etc together. I think its a good opportunity for someone who is dedicated but that cant afford there own horse. Am I looking for too much or should I stick with mine and try to find a good trainer to help me????
 
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you've hit a sore point with me ! just ended share for one of mine because it wasn't working and my boy wasn't happy, so invited a neighbour who used to have her own horse to come down and have the odd ride. Just got a text from the yard to say that my horse had been put back in the wrong field ,the gate left open and all the horses were galloping around the farm !
Not only that, but she left me to muck out and clean his tack, grrrrrr !
 
I'd quit while you're ahead girls and give up now, UNLESS you've got enormous amounts of patience - I was looking for one last year and just gave up in the end - there's only so much I can put up with being messed about :D
 
After thinking I couldnt cope with full time college/uni, I decided to put Mysy out on loan/share - twice. First one she came back after 6 weeks rearing :angry: and the second, well dont get me started. She stayed at my present yard, and I did 2 days a week. This person was a 'competent rider' who had ridden youngsters before apparently. Mysy ripped her to shreds, she let her get away with everything and I had a bargey, pushing youngster back.

Needless to say, I will never, EVER loan/share out again. My girl is a one person horse, and take the mick out of anyone else that handles her, let alone rides her.

Good sharers are few and far between, I just hope you find the right one.
 
its so difficult, I don't expect anyone to do for mine what I do for them( total slave !), but I just wish I could find someone who would be committed to their well being and do their best for them.
It seems that when you offer someone use of a horse at a small, or no cost, they just want to ride when it suits them( regardless of a 30'C heat-LUNGING FOR 30 MINUTES IN SAND SCHOOL-A HEAVY WEIGHT FEATHERED COB !!!!!).
Ooops, just about to blow a fuse- excuse while I find a wall to bang my head against.
 
I'm sure there is one out there waiting for you. it took me two attempts to get mine :eek: Like you I almost gave up
 
Do you think part of the problem is people over-estimating their skills/experience?
Anyone should be able to shut gates, act responsibily around the stable etc, but a friend of mine who works at a riding holiday centre says its very common for people to over estimate what they can do. Just a thought.
 
I think it's always hard trying to find a good partnership - one in which they will get on well with the horse and also you. I have to say as a responsible (but poor ;)) rider it is almost impossible for me to find a horse to share that isn't either greener than a leaf or has *issues* and wouldn't mind me dead :eek:.

A big problem can often be that describing yourself as experienced or a novice can mean very much to different people - same as when advertising so it may be worthwhile listing out what you expect if you do decide for the share option and make sure that they are all of this before anything starts. I assure you that there are many honest are looking for something sharers out there - the only problem is they never seem to be anywhere near the honest and straightfowards sharees. :rolleyes:

Don't know if this got you anywhere! :eek:
 
rhiannon264 said:
I think it's always hard trying to find a good partnership - one in which they will get on well with the horse and also you. I have to say as a responsible (but poor ;)) rider it is almost impossible for me to find a horse to share that isn't either greener than a leaf or has *issues* and wouldn't mind me dead :eek:.

I have to say i completely agree with this. i had a share last summer, and, yes i probably overestimated my ability, since i have improved tremendously since then, but out of the 7 or somthing that i looked at (last summer), three were green in the school and the owner wanted me to bring them on (something i have no experience with, and told them so), some refused or spooked on hacks which they wanted me to sort (i am a nervous hacker, and would prefer a plod).

the one i went for was probably a bad choice, but i got on well with the horse, left a message for the owner telling her what i had done each day, offered to help with mucking out etc, was as careful with him as if he were my own.

I have never had a horse before in my life, so yes, i expect i probably did some things wrong, or a different way to the owner, but i tried. for example, riding when it is hot - when is it too hot to ride?

There are sides to each story, and often owners are as bad as sharers, by withholding information and sometimes outright lying about the horse's abilities. i have had the same problems as you ATF but from the other side of the fence, so to speak!

Dont forget though, that people will go into sharing as a means to introduce themselves to horse ownership, where they will get guidance and/or supervision from the owner, not to sort out your horses problems.
 
Oh please. Dont get me started about finding a sharer, I seem to have been a Muppet Magnet in this regard, eg-
1) Lady who turned up & I took for 2 hour hack on horse on bestest behaviour. She phoned me next day to say yard was too far, which she must have realized when she got out of car, so why the hell, I enquired, did we go out hacking for miles??????!!
2) Lady who shared for 2 weeks then disappeared without an explanation and would not answer my calls.
3) Sharer who was great for 2 weeks but then got offered free summer share 2 mins walk from her house (ok not a member of the Muppet Show but damn annoying, if understandable)
4) The plethora of folk who post up ads on internet or threads on NR saying they want a share but dont reply.
5) Dingbat who turned up to yard without riding boots or hat (duuurrrr!)
6) Idiot who insisted on only riding on lunge and asked if i could get horse shod for her.

I dont want much, just a reliable kind person who will exercise my baby!
Sympthetically yours
Hackedoff
 
My answer to this problem was a 15 year old boy. Sounds odd??? When I was teaching at a riding school I was teaching him and now I need help with my horses I get him to come up, He only rides with me around, does exactly what he's told and will clean tack, muck out and do odd jobs like painting fences. It works for me. Putting an advert in the local riding school maybe, find someone who will work with you instead of an actual sharer, then you could hack together and maybe help your green horse to learn?
 
I would love to have the opportunity to share! I'd be a good sharer honest! I'd be willing to school through any problems, I'd be there rain or shine I'd help any owner through any problems. I can deal with most horses - have loads of experience. (Have qualifications too.) But I can't.

BECAUSE

I have an elderly horse who can no longer be ridden due to a heart problem - plus he is almost 30 now! And I have a 12.2 Welsh Sec C who keeps the old boy company and teaches my kids to ride. They cost a lot to keep and I do not have the finances to buy another horse (that I could ride) let alone keep one properly.

So that is why I don't share - I simply can't afford it. I expect there are loads of potential sharers out there who would be brilliant but don't come forward because they either can't afford it or they don't believe they are good enough.
 
Icegirl - you have hit the nail on the head there (well one of them anyway :) ) I had a sharer who said she was doing her PTT and it turned out she hadn't even done her stage 1. I wouldnt mind but in my ad I put I wouldnt mind someone wanting to learn aslong as they was honest!

When I describe my horse I am completely honest because at the end of the day the sharer is going to see any problems anyway and I want a long term partnership not to keep changing because I or the sharer are not telling the truth! (Having said that I have been on the receiving end of this as my previous loan horse was completely not as advertised so I realise some people do it)

Because I am now looking for someone to help me bring him on I think it will be more difficult but dyou think only beginners share then??
I thought because I am offering a free rein with him really (no pun intended!) then I would be able to get someone experienced. Also I am only asking half towards shoes but would even negotiate this if the right person came along.

Pinkpony your exactly the kind of person I am looking for why are you so far away :(. And you could even bring your 2 to me that would be perfect :) Fancy moving to Essex?? ;) Thats why I am very flexible over the financial side of things as I am sure there must be loads of experienced people out there who can not afford it.

noggin - I know all the great people are so far away from me :( actiually and too far from a lot of other people on here too
 
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Owning, or even loaning a horse full-time is a huge responsibility, especially for someone who has never had their own horse, just been on well trained school horses. a share arrangement is ideal, because you get the closeness of a single horse, with the security blanket of not having to know everything at once, since you can ask the owner a lot of questions.

i understand what you are saying about experienced people not being able to afford ownership, but again it is a question of how experienced they are. as has been mentioned, people over- or under-estimate their own abilities and therefore it is difficult to judge.

as for time wasters - i myself have been in the situation where the horse was obviously not right for me, and as an aside, i will always try and follow-up the trial every time with a thankyou and a yes or no. Often however, instead of telling the owner they did not like their horse, people find it easier to either ignore the issue and not reply, or tell them it is too far to travel, or other such excuse. would you like to be told every time that your horse is flawed because of this or that?
 
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