Share/part loan - what to charge?

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DS is growing out of his pony. He's been in the family over 7 years and he is just the loveliest pony. He's an older chap but still very active (he didn't start his ridden career till he was 11 so he's had a fairly easy life) and we'd love someone else to have fun on him but we also can't bear to part with him. It makes no difference to us if he stays here, horses are kept at home, so I was going to try and find a sharer who would be happy to keep him with us. I've totted up what he costs us, and as he is very clean in his stable and is always on a diet (typical small pony tummy!) he is not expensive, it comes in at about £1100 a year and that includes his remedial dentistry and penchant for breaking fences as well as his feed, bedding, teeth, feet and worming. I was thinking of asking £100 per month for a share, and allow the sharer full riding rights ie they would be allowed to take him to Pony Club, hunting, shows, etc but we would be allowed to borrow him back from time to time if eg my niece comes to stay and wants to take him for a little hack. There would be no livery costs as they are at home, but the sharer would need to look after him each day as I work and would have 3 other horses to do (although I would be ok with turning out and bringing in as he is one of the gang and comes in/goes out to call.) I was going to offer an option for livery 5 days a week but am uncertain as to what to ask for that. I would use the extra paid to get a groom in, as it would help me out to have someone coming in each day.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to ask for a livery scenario? Or have any experience of keeping a pony on but at home?

This sounds like a lovely idea if you can make it work. Safe children's ponies are always in demand so I would have thought you'll have takers. £100 p/month sounds pretty reasonable to me, especially as they can have unlimited riding - although it does depend a bit where in the country you are. Also you don't mention what facilities you have? Do you have a floodlit or indoor school, if not then it might not actually be possible for sharer to ride that often in the week/after school in winter which would make it less attractive. If you want to offer the 'livery' option (I would phrase it as no stable duties required), which might be a good thing as you then guarantee the pony (and the yard!) is looked after to your standards, it depends a bit on how much looking after there is to do. If out 24/7 there presumably isn't much to be done beyond poo-picking so I'd maybe charge an extra £20 a month or so, but if in at night I think you could charge between £15-£25 extra a week, which is roughly what liveries round here would charge to muck out and bring in/turn out in the week.

I have had experience on both sides of the sharer/sharee fence in the past albeit not at my own yard/at home, but the one thing I would say is you need to be absolutely crystal clear with your expectations, even down to small details (don't assume the sharer is on your page until you know them well). Get it all written down in a contract, things like when you say you'd want to be able to borrow him occasionally for your niece, how much notice of that would you give the sharer, what happens when you and when sharer are on holiday, what happens if pony is sick or injured, how often you want stable duties like poo picking done and any yard rules such as open/lock up times (unless you'd be happy for them to be around at any time of the morning/evening) and security rules if they are last on the yard at night. You'd be wise to stipulate some health and safety things like adult supervision of children at all times around the pony, proper safety gear to be worn at all times and rider must have own insurance. The BHS have a template contract you can use if you are a member, I think. It feels a bit heavy handed but invaluable in case of a dispute - obviously once a relationship between you and sharer has developed a bit you can be a bit more relaxed.

Best of luck with it!

I would double check your accounts as that sounds very cheap.

My last horse on loan I paid £12 a day for and got a good deal, my better half reckons their horse would have to loan out at £18 a day to break even.

It sounds like you might be looking more at a long term loan with borrowing rights type affair in which case about £300 a month around here would be expected.

That said if you expect whoever takes them on to look after the other three as well it may be hard to charge much unless there is a real shortage of suitable ponies in your area.

I have a lovely team of helpers for the other 3 who ride in exchange for helping out. I just can't afford to keep every pony as the kids outgrow them, and asking the helpers to look after an ever-expanding herd will eventually empty their goodwill bucket! I've redone the sums and there is no livery to pay as he lives here - farrier every 10 weeks, dentist twice a year, vaccinations, worming, hay, bedding and hard feed come in at £1253 per year (he's a very small pony, permanently on a diet and is very clean in his stable.) No allowance added for unexpected vet bills as I put money aside for those. The only other thing he costs me is in fence repairs, as he treats fencing as a challenge rather than as his boundaries! I don't want to make a profit from him, but I do want him to be loved, ridden and looked after with his costs covered.

That sounds very reasonable for unlimited access.

Though possibly depends where you are! Here in the midlands id expect to pay around £300 for similar

Please that I am not asking too much. I've had lots of offers to 'take him off my hands' and a lot of offers to come and 'keep him ticking over,' but not so many people realising that a super-safe first pony is a commodity with some value and running costs.