Horsey people?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

As a youngster I rode often, in my early 20s I had a bad fall and stopped riding.

I've since been back in the saddle and I'm wondering whether to loan / buy BUT I want to make sure I can afford it.

At the moment I'm paying £20 for a group lesson at the local stables. There's a chance to part loan which is £65 a week riding 3 days.

I'm not 'learning' anything in the lessons, I'm just having a leisurely ride with jumps which I'm enjoying but it's not enough.

Realistically, and I know this will vary, what's the best way to go about it? Part loan? Full loan? Buy?

(Yes I know the responsibilities, and I know bin going to be skint :ROFL: ) it seems silly me paying £20 a week and not getting what I'm after if that makes sense.

UKTigerlily

Personally (as someone who hasn't been around horses in almost 20 years, but used to work with them), i'd full loan because then you can see if you can afford it, and have the time etc but without the commitment if it doesn't seem to be for you. Make sure you post photos though when you do!

TBagpuss

|As a first step, would it not be worth speaking to the stables about what you *do* want, to see whether they can accommodate it?

You might find that paying for solo lessons, or asking whether you can pay and take the horse out for a hack, gives you what you do want.

Are you looking for more frequent rides, more challenging ones, more time to spend working with the horse, or what?

TBagpuss

If you go with loan / part loan than make sure that you have a very clear, written agreement which includes things like:
- responsibility for insurance, vet costs etc.
- how the agreement can be ended and how much notice each party has to give
- How the loan works - will you have set days when you can use the horse, or do you have to fit around the owner?

Aim to have an initial trial period so that you and the owner can both see whether it works for you.

Check whether the owner has done this before, and if so, why the previous agreement came to an end.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

The part loan would be one of the stables own horses that they use for schooling. I'd ride 3 days a week and be responsible for care on those 3 days. Vets / dentist etc would fall under the stable and not me. It is also for a set period as the horse will do show hunts so I'd only have it for so many months each year if that makes sense. When its showing I wont be able to ride

I'm a plodder as a rider. I'm happy on a hack and popping a few jumps, I'm not wanting to compete etc. I want to ride more - I had solo lessons in the past, £34 for half an hour and again, I was doing what i wanted and not really "learning" anything. I can ride, to a decent level. I just need confidence to do it all again (I was back jumping after my 4th lesson so they're doing what i want them too if that makes sense)

arbrighton

Sounds like you need to find a different instructor for a private lesson then really. And decide whether you're happy to plod or what you do really want

And basically, they're getting you to pay for caring for their horse AND pay for it? Oh !!!!!!....

sheramber

I was doing what i wanted and not really "learning" anything. I can ride, to a decent level. I just need confidence to do it all again (I was back jumping after my 4th lesson so they're doing what i want them too if that makes sense)

But what do you want them to be doing? You say you were doing what you wanted and they were doing what you wanted so what is the problem?

Do you know what you want?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Sorry I realised that probably didn't make sense ...

I'm riding and doing "what I want" - but I don't actually need the instructor there (for example - If we're jumping the instructor is just changing the poles from straights to crosses and raising them up)

I could quite easily set a course and jump unsupervised. Same with hacking out - I don't really need to have someone ride with me if that makes sense. I used to ride out and jump alone before my fall. I needed the confidence to ride again on my own which is where I'm at now.

Obviously everyone can learn new things all the time, and I'm not saying they aren't doing their job. But I'm not wanting to get to a competing level etc. I didn't need "teaching" to ride, I needed the confidence boost which is what I got.

All I want is to be able to ride out, occasionally jump and have a bit of fun. I want to ride more often but without actually paying someone to "watch" me

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

arbrighton wrote: »

Sounds like you need to find a different instructor for a private lesson then really. And decide whether you're happy to plod or what you do really want

And basically, they're getting you to pay for caring for their horse AND pay for it? Oh !!!!!!....

I'd be paying for "loaning" their horse for 3 days a week. I'd get to ride whenever / wherever for those 3 days but I'd have to muck out etc


I see what you're thinking - I thought the same MY thinking was though that I wouldn't be limited on time for riding so if I wanted to do an extra half hour or so I would be benefitting from it

Spirit_2

My daughter has a share of a horse. Set days, the other sharer is not the owner. bills are split between them. If one sharer buys something without consulting the other then that sharer pays for it eg DD bought a ne bridle and stirrup leathers as tack was a mix of black and bown and she wanted it all the same, the other sharer was not bothered by it being mismatched.Vet bills are split 3 ways. 1/3 each per sharer and the owner.

DD hacks out, schools, bit of jumping, occasional dressage.

She used to have her own horse and then loans. We have stables at home but she prefers the yard environment and has made good friends there. This arrangement suits her because she can afford it, and it leaves time for her boyfriend/studying/ fits in with work she has the horse 3 days one week and 4 the next, gets to do DIY horse care as well as ride but pays yard staff for part livery
duties/turnout etc on occassions when she cant do her days.

DD has negotiated a working pattern where she starts later two mornings a week so that it optimises the time she can ride in autumn/winter.

This is her second share. She has been doing it for about eight years from when she was an undergraduate. It started because we/she did not want a fulltime horsey responsibility during studies and not at all whilst she was abroad.

£65 wk sounds quite a lot- can you reduce it by doing part livery.
The written agreement is based on an example from the BHS.

DD265

To put it into perspective, I pay £65 a week for full livery (excluding grooming and exercise).

I would look for a share or full loan of your own, and not from the riding school.