Sharing horse care: sharers and half-leases

What to agree

Once, at the table, then on paper. A template (Yard Owner Hub’s free share agreement in the UK; a half-lease contract in the US) covers the legal side; this is the list of what has to be in it:

• Days and times, and what is expected of the sharer on such a day: riding only, or also feeding, mucking out, turning out and bringing in.
• What is allowed: hacking, jumping, lessons with someone else, a show; who she may ride out with; the bit and the saddle.
• Feed and rugs: the feed chart applies; who puts a rug on or takes it off, and on what basis (the rug guide helps everyone use the same rule).
• The vet: who calls in doubt (always the owner, unless it can’t wait), who may decide up to what amount, and who the vet is.
• Money: a fixed contribution per month or per day, what it covers (lessons, farrier, insurance) and what not; what happens when the horse or the sharer is ill. UK sharers typically pay per day or per month with chores on riding days; US half-leases split costs and spell out how emergency vet bills are shared.
• Liability and insurance: who is insured for what (the sharer’s public liability, the horse’s insurance, personal accident). In the UK the person in charge of the horse has the duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act, and owners can be liable for damage the horse causes; in the US a signed liability waiver is standard.
• Ending it: how much notice, and what then happens with kit and payments.

The week: where it goes wrong

Almost no share breaks down over the contract. It breaks down on Monday morning: the horse had no hard feed on Sunday because both thought the other did it, or twice. The rug came off because it was sunny and the owner had just put it on because it would freeze at night. The field was shut and the sharer didn’t know.

What helps is simple: one dated feed chart by the feed bin, which everyone feeds from; one place for anything that differs (a board, a note, a group with only that), where you put what changes and until when; and after every visit one message: “fed, rug off, she was calm”. Three lines are enough. Keep that up and you avoid most of the trouble.

How to hand over the week

1. The feed chart hangs up and has a date

   One version. If something changes, a new one, and the old one gone.

2. The stable card is up

   Who to call, what he gets, what he must not have. Also for whoever stands in for the stand-in.

3. One rule for the rug

   For example: “rain sheet when wet, filled rug below 4 °C at night, otherwise nothing”. Then nobody makes their own call.

4. A message after the visit

   Fed, rug, turnout, and anything that stood out. That is the group’s log; keep it clean for that.

5. Once a month together

   A coffee: what is going well, what chafes, what changes next month (farrier, holiday, show).

Frequently asked