Look to buy or carry on sharing?

[AngelicCurls]

Apologies a this is long! I’ve ridden for many years (around 30 makes me sound old) but never taken the plunge to buy my own. I had a horse on loan a couple of years ago who I had for 6m before he tried to kill me on the road so he went back to the owner and then shared another on the yard I have been on for a around a year. I then got pregnant and got the fear riding so stopped and since having kids I’ve only ridden intermittently. I’ve had a very demanding FT job with lots of travel which hasn’t allowed me the time to ride regularly let alone have my own. But the kids are a little bit older now (school age and preschool) and I have a different job which will allow me to be around more often. I’ve been lucky enough to come across a wonderful horse that I have started riding a couple of days a week for his owner but am hankering after my own. I’ve always wanted to have my own and now feel like I am very nearly in the right place to do so. I’d be able to do the horse every weekday morning and ride 5 days out of 7, but would need assisted DIY as would need someone to bring in in the evening a couple of times a week.

Dilemma is the horse I am riding at the moment is amazing. It has been and done everything, very forward, in short my perfect horse. But he is older, had a few medical issues, though nothing ongoing, but his seriouscompeting days are probably behind him. I suspect he would have been worth around £10k upwards at his prime, which is way beyond my budget. So I know I’m very lucky to be riding him.

I’m rusty after a couple of years out and haven’t jumped in ages but I’d really love to be able to pop a XC course, go SJ etc as back in the day that was what I loved doing.

So do I carry out sharing this lovely horse who has given me some lovely fun hacks, or do i take the plunge and finally buy my own. Financially the ongoing cost isn’t an issue but equally it costs an awful lot less to share and I do feel guilty that it would be a lot more tonave my own as it’s family money I’d be spending (although DH is totally onboard with me having my own)

Sorry for the brain dump, but any opinions, advice etc welcome!

What about school holidays inset days etc? Have you got someone who will look after your children? Being around for vets and farriers etc?
We have couple of mums on the yard with children of similar sounding ages to yours as its the summer holidays they bring their children with them but neither ride. It's easy at this time of year to bring them on the yard but Im not sure what happens in the winter.
Knowing how time consuming horses I personally would wait till your children are a bit older. Can you jump the horse you currently share or has he too many health issues? Or maybe using the pennies your saving by not owning pay for some decent lessons on a good riding school horse so that when your children are older and you have time to own you wont be so "rusty".

Thanks for your reply. School hols and inset days I’d probably use the assisted DIY to turn out in the am (or take the kids up to do it with me) and then ride in the evenings. I’m lucky that DH is home from work by 5, so enough time to go ride esp if I use somewhere with a ménage. Xmas hols he has off anyway so childcare sorted there and summer hols can ride in the evenings.

I’m very lucky with the job I have that I’d have all morning free once be kids had gone to school, so from 9.15 to 1pm to ride/yard stuff/turn out etc.

I’d def have lessons if I had my own, I think it’s prob even more important with your own to have someone to critique you.

I can jump the one I ride currently, but it’s not the jumping per se that I’m super desperate to do, it’s the whole package that comes with having your own, the bond you get, the freedom to do what I want (and the horse can do) and yes potentially the adrenaline rush that comes with competing

How often do you ride your current share horse? If you are already dedicating a lot of your time to it and it's a good reflection of how much responsibility would be required owning your own then go for it.

If however you currently just do a couple of days a week you might find it trickier to make the transition (unless you've got assistance at the yard).

Another option would be to look for a full loan? Lots more around these days with the increasing costs of keeping horses!