# Advice re sharing options please



## emilyjeff (13 May 2017)

Hi everyone, I've found these forums really useful so far, so hoping for some advice please.

I'm 36, rode regularly as a child and helped out at stables on weekends etc, got to a fairly good level. Gave it all up when I was about 16 and hardly rode after that as got married, had kids etc. Anyway, in the last 3 months or so I have started riding again and rediscovered my love for it! The thing is I am now wanting to do a bit more than riding once a week. 

The place I am riding now is a very small but friendly yard which does livery and some lessons. I have been riding a 14.2 cob gelding who is on working livery but doesn't get used a lot as he's not really suitable for the kids to ride. And his owner hardly rides him, like maybe once a week! So, I have the option of sharing him, riding 3 or 4 times a week and as much or as little care as I want as the rest of the time he is on full livery. Sounds great doesn't it....the only thing is he's not really the kind of pony I would choose for myself. He's strong, stubborn, and hard mouthed. Don't get me wrong I can control him ok, and my YO obviously trusts me to ride him but I would choose something a little softer, safer and more well behaved if I was choosing a pony for myself.

So the other option is, I look for a share or part-loan somewhere near me. The plus side is I may get more the type of horse that I am looking for, but the negatives are it would be a horse I don't know, in an area I don't know, I wouldn't have as much support as I do at my yard, and I probably wouldn't be able to continue my lessons there. 

Any words of advice please- what would you choose?


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## alainax (13 May 2017)

What about doing a short term loan with the cob, 3 months or so, to get you back into the swing of things, all the while looking out for something more suitable. Just make sure you are loaning through the owner not the school, not getting charged a silly price or silly terms being put on it.


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## ester (13 May 2017)

Of course there is also the possibility that said cob will become a much nicer ride with more regular work and consistency so as long as not stupidly priced I wouldn't write it off completely at this stage as you may appreciate the extra support available.


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## emilyjeff (13 May 2017)

Thanks for the responses guys!
Yes I hadn't considered that he may become a better ride if ridden regularly by me. Good idea about doing 3 months to start with too, to see how it works out.
I think I need to find out the financial cost, as I know roughly what a share would cost around here, then I can weigh up the options a bit more x


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