Anyone done this?

[Mollyplop999]

I have 2 ponies, both of which are very safe and steady. A neighbour has asked me if I will take her hacking if she pays me. She normally goes to a riding centre but they've messed her around a bit. I've spoken to NFU and she can take out her own liability insurance to ride my ponies. Has anyone else done this? It would help a but with the increasing cost if hay, bedding and feed. She would only ever ride with me. I'd never let her take one out alone.

I have (heavily vetted) sharers but I wouldn’t personally like this agreement. Wanting to go with you implies she expects looking after.

I would 100% avoid this situation. If she pays you will you then be liable for any 3rd party damage etc? I agree that the implication is that she would want looking after. What if your horse spooked and she fell off? What if she got injured or hurt whilst riding your horse?
Too many variables and what ifs for me.

We pay for share lines and I don't see how this is any different. Maybe make that sort of arrangement rather than a pay per ride? We don't need any assistance but there are others with shares at the yard who need help so it just depends on individual circumstances and if you are available to do so. Can be nice to have a hacking buddy too and get both out at once

*share ponies

I don't want any help at the yard but it would help with keeping them both exercised. My worry is if she fell off and injured herself. She said she wouldn't hold me responsible, but she would say that until something happened.

Yes if you are clear it's a share/part-loan arrangement not you hiring out your horse to her or teaching her, and have a written agreement setting this out with things like the number of days/rides per week (the BHS have templates covering this if you are a member) I don't see it would be an issue - you can insist she has personal injury cover, again the BHS provide this to their members as part of their gold cover, or there are other providers, it's not particularly costly, and usually covers 3rd party liability too. I've had sharers for my horses and it's always worked out fine, sometimes they ride with me, sometimes alone - the key is ensuring it's a good match from the start in terms of abilities and expectations, and then that there is good communication and reliability from all parties (sharers that are flaky are the most annoying to me as I make plans based on them regularly riding a certain number of times per week but if they then start deciding they only want to ride when it's nice weather or when they don't have other plans I have to rearrange everything to get the horses out another way so it stops being worth it to me).

I'd certainly want to assess her riding ability first before I took her out, as per the above you'd want to be very clear that while you are happy to ride out together in no way are you supervising or instructing her (as running a paid-for trekking centre or riding school requires all sorts of licenses and qualifications you don't have), I'd have her ride around an enclosed area or up and down a very quiet lane first and if you aren't 100% happy she's in control and could sit a spook or little buck without panicking or falling off then it would be a no from me, even the quietest horse can occasionally have a moment as I'm sure you know and although everyone has to start somewhere your horses probably are more lively than she's used to if she's only ever ridden at a riding school so I'd want to be sure she can cope before venturing out onto roads.

Also I'm sensing a bit of reluctance from you, I know MNetters constantly go on about 'no is a complete sentence' but it does bear repeating, if you don't want her riding your horses for whatever reason, then you really aren't obliged to accommodate her just to be nice, and it would probably be less awkward to just say no from the outset (giving some vague reason about insurance or similar) than to give it a go and have to back out for whatever reason which always has the potential to cause offence...

If she is paying to ride your horse / pony it will come under hire for reward and you do need a riding school licence

maxelly thankyou so much for your reply. You are right I was reluctant. Fortunately the situation resolved itself today. I bumped into the neighbour and explained that she would have to take rider insurance out, which is £8 per month. She replied that she didn't think that she would ride enough to justify that amount per month!! That made my mind up. My ponies are very precious to me and I've decided that I'm not going to pet anyone else ride them.

Wonder how much she thinks a part share is!

Think she is massively unrealistic about the cost of horses then 😄 but at least it has been resolved

twistyizzy very true. I think I was a bit nieve as I would have given anything for such an opportunity before I had my own.