I have been riding for 4 years but only recently (since jan 2022) have I started to improve after moving yards. I can confidently walk, trot, canter and jump about 30cm. I have felt that the only way for me to improve faster is to loan/share a horse. Unfortunately I have had no luck finding one after searching for months now. Either the owner is looking for an adult (I am 15) who has been there and done that or it is too far away. Has anyone got any tips or advice?
Loaning/Sharing A Horse.
- Thread starter pinkiespartyhats
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The only tips I can give are to get your parents involved and make it clear that you're prepared to pay a contribution and do stable duties on the days you ride. People are understandably reluctant to enter into an agreement with a 15yo because if there's a problem they have little or no comeback and could also have parents on their back. Also they will worry that schoolwork will get in the way of horse care, and how you will get to and from a yard. Plenty of yards won't allow under 16s unsupervised which is another problem. You really need your parents to help you look and contact people looking for sharers. Also be realistic about share ads you reply to, it may not be what you want to hear but you need to be replying to ones that are quiet rides, suitable for a novice.
You have to understand that peoples horses are precious to them so it's understandable that they want someone who is experienced in riding and horse care. Do you have any experience in handling and caring horses? If not that's something you may want to work on by helping out where you currently ride. Also a lot of people, and I include myself in this group, don't want their horse ridden or handled by a novice who may mess up it's training or be unable to deal with problems which then escalate.
I'd say get more experience at your school, and also look to help out there to get experience handling. If there's a yard near you you could also offer to help there, but don't assume that will automatically get you a ride and again you may need your parents to come along and meet the yard owner and maybe sign something to say they agree to you helping and don't hold the yard owner responsible if you get hurt - horses will be horses.
You have to understand that peoples horses are precious to them so it's understandable that they want someone who is experienced in riding and horse care. Do you have any experience in handling and caring horses? If not that's something you may want to work on by helping out where you currently ride. Also a lot of people, and I include myself in this group, don't want their horse ridden or handled by a novice who may mess up it's training or be unable to deal with problems which then escalate.
I'd say get more experience at your school, and also look to help out there to get experience handling. If there's a yard near you you could also offer to help there, but don't assume that will automatically get you a ride and again you may need your parents to come along and meet the yard owner and maybe sign something to say they agree to you helping and don't hold the yard owner responsible if you get hurt - horses will be horses.
Thank you so much for your reply and your advice. Me and my parents have been actively looking for a share but have had no luck as of yet. I volunteer at me local livery yard and the owner has been teaching me everything about horse care, handling, etc… I am very knowledgeable in horse care and i am able to confidently look after one.
It may not just be your age. Shares are hard to find and almost every learner rider wants to move on and share a horse.
Such shares are usually found by word of mouth, for example through your riding teachers or through teen age activities such as the Pony Club. If you are in the UK the usual place to look and may be to advertise that you are looking for a share would be on your country riding group on Facebook. Shares for teenagers need to be signed off and insured by adults.
You say nothing about any qualifications you may have nor tests you have passed. Both the Pony Club and the British Horse Society have structured training and tests you can take. It isnt enough to be knowledgeable. Personal knowledge is important but it is based on the horses that one knows. Taking the tests and or exams will give proof of your basic knowledge and competence and be a good foundation should you decide to work in a riding school or do equine studies at uni.
Such shares are usually found by word of mouth, for example through your riding teachers or through teen age activities such as the Pony Club. If you are in the UK the usual place to look and may be to advertise that you are looking for a share would be on your country riding group on Facebook. Shares for teenagers need to be signed off and insured by adults.
You say nothing about any qualifications you may have nor tests you have passed. Both the Pony Club and the British Horse Society have structured training and tests you can take. It isnt enough to be knowledgeable. Personal knowledge is important but it is based on the horses that one knows. Taking the tests and or exams will give proof of your basic knowledge and competence and be a good foundation should you decide to work in a riding school or do equine studies at uni.
As you are already helping at a liverry yard, I would stick with that. You will be gaining a lot more than you realise as horses come and go and depending on when you turn 16, some of the liveries might need a hand here and there.
Do they offer stable management courses, or classes, own a pony days etc. Competitions?
I wouldn't be looking to loan or share at this stage. I would be looking to exercise to help the owners out. I did that three days a week and contributed towards the shoes. It was just me riding and the owner.
I found it by advertising, I might think of Preloved, the local tack shop or Facebook. If you go the Facebook route, think about you've been posting on your account. An owner may well look through to see what you've been saying and doing.
Location is another factor, I can think of horses that the owners would part loan, let people exercise, but they are not easy rides.
Do they offer stable management courses, or classes, own a pony days etc. Competitions?
I wouldn't be looking to loan or share at this stage. I would be looking to exercise to help the owners out. I did that three days a week and contributed towards the shoes. It was just me riding and the owner.
I found it by advertising, I might think of Preloved, the local tack shop or Facebook. If you go the Facebook route, think about you've been posting on your account. An owner may well look through to see what you've been saying and doing.
Location is another factor, I can think of horses that the owners would part loan, let people exercise, but they are not easy rides.
I wouldn't suggest saying to a potential share or putting in an advert that you are very knowledgeable in horse care or that your YO has been teaching you everything about it, that's going to come across badly and make someone wonder if you'll do things your way rather than how they ask you - believe me owners do not want that. Likewise from a sharing point of view I'd disagree with @Skib, I wouldn't find PC or BHS exams reassuring because if I was letting someone ride or handle a horse of mine I'd want it done how I say and I don't want someone arguing with me that that isn't the "right" way or going ahead and doing it their way.
I tend to agree with @newforest, if you're helping out at a yard keep doing that for now and also carry on with your lessons. Maybe something will turn up that way and hopefully it will be something suitable because they'll know you, you do have to be careful looking for shares because sometimes people will look for a share as a free way of getting a problem sorted out and that isn't what you need.
If all else fails save every penny you have and look to buy in the future!
I tend to agree with @newforest, if you're helping out at a yard keep doing that for now and also carry on with your lessons. Maybe something will turn up that way and hopefully it will be something suitable because they'll know you, you do have to be careful looking for shares because sometimes people will look for a share as a free way of getting a problem sorted out and that isn't what you need.
If all else fails save every penny you have and look to buy in the future!
Just adding to what @carthorse and @newforest have said, I would try to continue helping out at your yard and let it be known out there that you are looking for a share and in the meantime would be happy to ride people's horses for them if they need them exercised. This might give you more saddle time on different horses and would certainly help your "horse CV".
I'd also like to say that you come over as sensible, mature and with a realistic attitude towards your riding, which is pretty impressive for a 15 year old. If you were in my area I would let you come and try my horse! (I'm in Surrey, if you're wondering).
Good luck!
I'd also like to say that you come over as sensible, mature and with a realistic attitude towards your riding, which is pretty impressive for a 15 year old. If you were in my area I would let you come and try my horse! (I'm in Surrey, if you're wondering).
Good luck!
I’m afraid you saying you’ve been having lessons for 4 years, have only really improved in the last year and that you are ‘very knowledgeable’ comes across as conflicting and would put me off if I were looking for a sharer, because generally speaking in a year (especially when in full time education still) you can’t be very knowledgeable, it’s simply a matter of experience and it takes ages to get a wide variety of experience especially with difficult behaviour and medical issues etc. that you may need to deal with alone when you have a share.
I appreciate we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but that’s exactly what we do when we read an advert, it either appeals or it doesn’t.
I’d rather someone be a bit modest about their experience/ability than over egg it, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when entrusting your fragile, half ton animal into someone’s care because there are potential risks to both parties. Over egging knowledge of one thing in itself may not be an issue but I need to be able to trust what is being said and that would make me question the accuracy of everything.
Don’t give up hope though, the right horse will come up. Word of mouth is really the best way to find something, casually letting people know you’re interested if anything were to come up for share or exercise will hopefully get someone to volunteer you when they hear of anything.
I appreciate we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but that’s exactly what we do when we read an advert, it either appeals or it doesn’t.
I’d rather someone be a bit modest about their experience/ability than over egg it, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when entrusting your fragile, half ton animal into someone’s care because there are potential risks to both parties. Over egging knowledge of one thing in itself may not be an issue but I need to be able to trust what is being said and that would make me question the accuracy of everything.
Don’t give up hope though, the right horse will come up. Word of mouth is really the best way to find something, casually letting people know you’re interested if anything were to come up for share or exercise will hopefully get someone to volunteer you when they hear of anything.
Just to add at 15 I walked to a farm, knocked on the door where I had seen a pony and simply asked if I could spend some time with them.
(They said if you can catch it you can do what you like as she keeps throwing their kids off!!
)
My point being it's how I came across, at that stage I had no more experience than you.
For the record, I still call myself a novice, hopefully a competent one, but a novice all the same.
Someone brought up qualifications, and these are useful as a way of focusing yourself, meeting like minded people etc, some extra learning. I have qualifications, but knowing something doesn't automatically transform you into being confident and capable.
(They said if you can catch it you can do what you like as she keeps throwing their kids off!!
) My point being it's how I came across, at that stage I had no more experience than you.
For the record, I still call myself a novice, hopefully a competent one, but a novice all the same.
Someone brought up qualifications, and these are useful as a way of focusing yourself, meeting like minded people etc, some extra learning. I have qualifications, but knowing something doesn't automatically transform you into being confident and capable.
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