Share& share alike
If approached in the right way, finding a suitable sharer for your horse can be a stress-free experience
Photos: Jon Stroud
Horses are not only expensive, they’re also time consuming, and if you’re looking to lighten the load financially or free up some time, a sharer could be just the answer you’re searching for.
Of course, if this set-up is going to work for you, it has to be the right sharer and, to find that perfect person, you need to go through a logical process, rather than plunging into it head first.
Honest and fair
It’s important to consider the cons, as well as the pros, to sharing your horse and be brutally honest with yourself. How will you feel if someone else is riding and caring for your horse. Will you be happy to relinquish some control or are you going to be dictating every detail of the arrangement?
How will you feel if that other person forms a bond with your horse and possibly rides him better than you do?
And will you be happy if it’s pouring on your riding days, while your sharer has glorious sunshine, or if something comes up that means you really want to have your horse on your sharer’s day? While the sharer might be fine about an occasional swapping of days, they’re unlikely to want it to be a regular thing – or last minute – especially if it’s often to their disadvantage.