seeing a possible share...what to ask?

nelsonsmum

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Nov 1, 2007
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Lincoln
seeing a possible share...what to ask? UPDATE!!

I am going to meet a lady and her 15.1 irish cob this weekend to discuss a share. This will be my first ever exerience of caring for a horse and attempting to persuade her to let me look after him. Just wondering what should I ask her about?
Have a few ideas but don't want to come across as a complete numpty.
Any help much appreciated.;)
 
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I know he jumps and does hack out albeit a bit grumpily and needs you to be firm with him. He has hunted and is just coming back into work after lameness. Can be a bit bargy while being led too and might try to nip. Just wondered if i need to ask about feeding and rugs, do i buy my own grromng kit etc?
 
You shouldn't need to have anything of your own except for your riding clothes :) I'm a bit finiky, I know, but I wouldn't be happy about someone using their own kit on my horse, as I wouldn't know whether it had been used on another horse, and there is a risk (okay, it's a small risk :eek: ) of passing skin issues such as mites, infections and ringworm between horses. Not all owners are as fussy as me, though :eek:

I agree that the owner will probably tell you everything before you get the chance to ask it! When I had potential sharers come to see us, I had great long lists of things I needed to remember to say :p Ask about the horse's routine, what is expected from you and don't forget to talk to the owner about what you expect from the share as well. Find out whether she is having a written agreement drawn up, and if not, do one yourself. Also check how any contribution is to be paid and see if you can do it by standing order, so that you have a record of payments. If she prefers cash, ask if she would be happy to give you a receipt. A friend of mine ended a share last year after things started to sour, and the owner claimed that she owed £150 in unpaid contributions. Unfortunately, my friend paid cash and there was no paper trail to prove it.

Also ask about any yard rules that need to be adhered to, what happens in the event of an accident (e.g. is there an accident book?) and how you would get hold of the owner if there was an emergency. Check whether there are any activites the the horse is not permitted to take part in, and whether the owner's insurance will cover you to ride, or if you need to take out a rider-only policy.
Ask about what happens if the horse needs the vet - does the owner cover the bill or do you split it? Are you permitted to call the vet or farrier directly if you think there is a problem, or do you have to go through the owner? Personally, I preferred my sharer to ring me first, and if she couldn't get hold of me to call the vet herself, as some injuries can look quite severe but are quite easily treated.
What is the procedure in the event that an emergency decision to PTS has to be made and the owner cannot be contacted? Some owners prefer the final decision to rest with the vet and the YO, but it's something that should be covered in your agreement.

That's everything I can think of right now... if I think of anything else, I'll come back! :D
 
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One thing I would ask is if she would mind awfully if you shadowed her for a few visits before being alone. That will give you the opportunity to experience the horses routine, the way he has things done, even how the owner likes things to be done and your way round the yard.
Also that will give you the opportunity to bond a bit with the owner, and with the horse while learning his quirks by someone who knows what he's doing and possibly why.
I just think if you start off working with the owner and learning their way then there is less likelyhood of there being problems down the line of 'I prefer things to be done like this'.
Good luck, hope you like him and he likes you :D
 
i have an irish cob too and he is just how you describe your soon to be horse,

ask about vet fees too and feed and hay etc, get this all in writing there is a loan agreement that is on the bhs website that you could look at for some more pointers
 
do i detect some sarcasm there just jas? :p
Don't mind grumpy horses really, just more of a challenge!

Not sarcasm intended- I like horses with character! I am with you there.
Kizzy has it by the bucket which is why we could not sell her.

Sez I agree about a set of old brushes not being appropriate but a brand new set kept purely for the new horse should not be a problem. I would not want to let my brushes out of my sight.
 
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Hi I am also looking at a horse with a view to share on Sat.
*Sez* you mentioned about vet bills, I just wondered if it was a common thing to share the vet bill if you are just sharing the horse, as opposed to a part-loan? How much could these vet bills cost?

Thanks!
xx
 
I mentioned vet bills purely because I stipulated in my contract that if my horse was injured as a result of something my sharer did or neglected to do, she would have to pay for it or at least contribute towards the expense. Accidents do happen, and it would have been fine if it were an unavoidable accident, but I have seen so many examples of bad judgement which has led to large bills that I didn't want to run the risk. In my mind, sharing is an opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of owning, and unfortunately the vet comes part and parcel! Normal stuff, like vaccinations, dentistry etc I paid for.

My reasons for sharing were purely financial and while I am always quite prepared to pay for the vet (my lad has him out several times a year for non-routine appointments :rolleyes: ) I didn't want to be in a position of being landed with a large bill if the fault lay with my sharer. An example was that my sharer (who had only been sharing for about three weeks at this point) decided to take my spooky TB out, after dark, on Bonfire Night. She went, alone, into a local wood and something happened that resulted in her sitting on the floor while my horse ran off. Whether or not he bucked or spooked I never found out. She walked back to the yard, and my horse was fortunately caught by a farm-hand who works for the yard who recognised him and brought him home. Luckily the only damage was a lost shoe, puffy legs and my sharer's bruised pride. It didn't occur to her at any point to inform me, and I only found out about it when I called the next morning to say that he had lost a shoe and that I couldn't get the farrier out until the following morning, so she may not be able to ride.
I had informed her that he was spooky (and it was written into the contract that he can be unpredictable), so to my mind, it was a case of bad-judgement to go out on that particular night, in the dark, in a wood she didn't know, especially to have gone alone. It was a mistake, and I was just relieved everyone was okay, but if my horse had come home with an injury, I would have wanted at least some assistance in paying the bill for the vet, unless it was something that required an insurance claim.

IMO, it's just worth checking exactly what the owner expects you to pay for. I know lots of owners who don't ask for a financial contribution whatsoever, and who even pay entry and transport fees when their sharers want to take the horse out to a show, but make sure you get everything in writing and agreed between you both beforehand, just in case.

Good luck with the viewing, Mandaloo77 :D
 
Update!!!

I went, I saw and I am going back tomorrow.:D Had a ride in the school and he was nice and steady. Hoping to take him on a short hack tomorrow eve, weather permitting.
Lady has him on perm loan form another girl but willing to let me ride him as many days as I like and then if we get on I can move him closer to home on a permanent loan. He is currently on DIY 30 mins. I am able to afford full/part livery much closer so hopefully we wil gel properly and i can have him forever.
Oh yes another thing. Do people normally get a vetting done of a horse for loan?
 
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I went, I saw and I am going back tomorrow.:D Had a ride in the school and he was nice and steady. Hoping to take him on a short hack tomorrow eve, weather permitting.
Lady has him on perm loan form another girl but willing to let me ride him as many days as I like and then if we get on I can move him closer to home on a permanent loan. He is currently on DIY 30 mins. I am able to afford full/part livery much closer so hopefully we wil gel properly and i can have him forever.
Oh yes another thing. Do people normally get a vetting done of a horse for loan?

hold on, she has him on loan and you are loaning him off her for ever? id check into that if i was you and ask questions about it
 
she has him on full permanent loan, owner was going to put him up for loan herself as loaner has now got another horse. However, rather than moving yards owner is happy to let loaner get a sharer (me) and if i like the horse I will meet owner and negotiate new loan agreement before moving him (Ollie) closer to lincoln. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Hope it makes sense now.
 
she has him on full permanent loan, owner was going to put him up for loan herself as loaner has now got another horse. However, rather than moving yards owner is happy to let loaner get a sharer (me) and if i like the horse I will meet owner and negotiate new loan agreement before moving him (Ollie) closer to lincoln. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Hope it makes sense now.

oh i see lol. sorry i was getting worried for you then:D
 
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