How do I bridge the gap?

[Narwhalelife]

Hi all looking for advice!

I’m 32 and it’s been my ambition to own my own horse since I was about 6, never had the opportunity as a child.

About 18 months ago I took the plunge, started at a brilliant riding school, 1 or 2 private lessons per week every week since then and I’m pleased with my progress (walk, trot, canter, jump 60cm) been out on hacks, even a couple with some small jumps, jump clinics, lessons with dressage riders, also lots of horse care, grooming, tacking up, baths in the summer, plaiting anything really as I bloody love it!

(I’m basically the oldest member of an unofficial pony club!) which I actually did ask to join at one point 🤣🙈

I have had the same instructor and mainly the same 2-3 horses in the last 6 months all of whom are on working livery but privately owned. Riding school is brilliant but I am starting to get the hunger for my own 🫣. Am I mad?

I have had a look at loaning but I work odd shifts (random days/nights/weekends) and can’t commit to set days that people seem to want (understandably). Plus I want the opportunity to have some freedom for hacks etc but also keep having lessons. I just want to build a bond with a horse and work with just them to build a partnership.

Is there an in between from the riding school to loaning? If so sign me up!

We took the plunge from lessons to owning our own (well, I just pay for it - my daughter does the riding). If you can afford to keep it on full livery at a yard with experienced staff and continue to take lessons, there is no down side 😃Honestly, the only downside is the cost. Otherwise, it has been brilliant.

Do the riding school offer loans? Several do. It’s a good way to get a bit more independent riding without the cost or responsibility of your own, and no need to pay for the vets ski holiday

My riding school has part loans where you look after the horse and you can ride when it’s not in lessons. But they limit what yiu can do outside of lessons (eg no jumping). You’re not tied into anything in that they look after the horse if you can’t make it. You can walk away any time and no additional costs beyond £55 per week.

I reckon you should buy or full loan and keep it on full livery somewhere for a while as even if the riding school does loans you will likely be restricted on what you can do . Alternatively you could speak to one of the owners of the horses you currently ride and see if you could make a private share arrangement as they are obviously more flexible as their horses are on working livery .

If you're in London I know a yard that does a lot of loans and always has horses available for loan

Thanks guys, I need to save for a horse (had a little fund going) but apparently not enough to buy 😳 in the meantime il ask about loaning to see if they could be more flexible.

it’s exciting though 🥰

I would look for a horse to loan who is already on full livery. That way you can fit riding around your shifts and won’t have to worry about being there for mucking out, turning out etc

Agree a loan or part-loan would be ideal - it might be worth contacting a few advertised even if they say fixed days - you might get lucky and find an owner who can be flexible or even one that works shifts themselves and would welcome a more flexible sharer (I have advertised for sharers in the past and always said fixed days as that's what most people want but for the right person would have considered flexibility). A riding school loan is a really excellent bridging option also.

Otherwise I would say your best bet is to save hard to buy your own - you will need a substantial budget, safe sensible schoolmasters suitable for a novice (you may not be a novice in riding school terms but steer a million miles clear of anything described in a sales advert as 'not a novice ride', this is horse-speak for nutter!) will always command a premium and the horse market in general is still buoyant. I would budget to keep horse on full livery for at least the first year so you will have assurance s/he is properly looked after while you learn the ropes, and include/budget for having staff at the livery yard school him or her for you at least a few times a week (some livery packages include this in their full livery) as well as continuing regular lessons - this will be pricey but so worth it to keep you on track, if you end up finding you don't need as much help the money can always be spent elsewhere on tack/kit/clinics/competition/transport or one of the million and one other ways horses can drain your bank balance so it will never hurt to over-budget .

Another option you can think about since your yard offers it is working livery, this is a good way to keep costs down and also ensure your horse is kept well-schooled and under the eye of experienced people BUT approach with caution. Be clear about how much time they expect to use the horse and how this impacts routine and whether you have to fit around their schedule or vice versa - at my yard they use the working liveries for an average of 30 mins up to max 1 hour a day, 5 days a week, which sounds not too bad in theory but in practice often means the horses have to come in from the field and be stabled all day as all the horses being used in lessons are brought in together first thing in the morning and often don't get turned back out until after last lesson is finished, I prefer mine to be out as near 24/7 as practical so wouldn't want this. 2 of the 5 days are always weekends as well, of course you can ride around when the horse is booked into lessons but if you want to go out on a lovely all day hack or to a competition it can be tricky. Also the type of horse matters, slightly counter-intuitively I would prefer to have a trickier, more challenging horse on working livery than a super kind easy one, the former will only be used in more advanced lessons and with more experienced rider whereas with a bombproof saint (especially a weight carrier) it will be all beginners bouncing on their backs and pulling their mouths all day long (I know we all have to start somewhere but it isn't what I would want for my own horse, can easily and quickly turn them sour)...

Not a gap but a great way to ride. DH and I have had our own horses in the past but work and children got in the way. Now I'm in my 60's and don't want the responsibility, DH and I go on riding holidays instead. We have ridden together in Wyoming,Morocco, Assam, Exmoor, and Cumbria. I've been to Iceland and ridden coast to coast in Scotland on my own, and for a weekend with TransWales - which was the most exciting riding and with the best horses ( though the retired race horses in Assam came a close second). However long you go for you just get totally immersed in your horse and the riding for the duration, usually with like minded people, though we were on our own in Assam with a team of three grooms for the horses! Just have a look what a tour operator like Saddle Up has on offer and I'm sure you can find something exciting and fun which might help you make your mind up longer term.