This factsheet is designed to inform and assist individuals who wish to set up a new horse sharing scheme so that it operates legally, fairly and smoothly.

Horse ownership can be an expensive and very time-consuming commitment. Visiting riding stables is not a satisfactory alternative to horse ownership for many riders because there is no opportunity to build a relationship with the horse, and it is not possible to undertake any of the caring duties such as grooming, tacking up and mucking out, which are integral to horse ownership. However, there are a number of alternatives to single ownership that can alleviate the pressures of ownership while still providing the benefit of a sense of proprietorship over one horse.

In challenging financial times there are likely to be more people who own horses but are struggling to keep up with the costs. Sharing or loaning the horse can help to save costs and prevent a beloved horse having to be sold instead.

Types of Horse Sharing:

There are a number of ways in which a horse can be shared:

• It might be loaned by its owner to another person (either on a part time/part loan/half loan basis or a full time/full loan basis)
• It can be shared by two or more people who both own the horse and split all of the costs as well as the time commitment and riding benefits

A horse loan is a common concept to most equestrians. This involves the owner of the horse loaning the horse to another person to care for and exercise the horse for a period of time. This could be for a limited period of time (e.g. three years while the owner goes to university) or on a permanent basis (subject to a termination clause). If the owner still wants to ride the horse as well, then a part or half loan may be suitable. In this case the owner will keep the horse, but will allow another person to ride the horse as well in return for doing some work and possible also the payment of some of the costs.

Horse shares and loans can easily be found in a number of ways:

• Look in the back of horse magazines for classified listings
• Search for loans and shares on offer in your area on websites such as www.horsemart.co.uk
• Ask around at local livery yards to see if anyone is thinking of loaning or sharing their horse