Re: Heated debate!

No, I can't see a problem - the people we share our field with have a pony that's too small for the children now, and another family with 2 little boys come up and sometimes groom and ride him, sometimes they just come up to make a fuss of him. They do poo picking, fill up water buckets, and any odd things that may need doing.

The owners are pleased that the pony still gets ridden, the other family are keen for the boys to learn ALL about pony care, not just the riding, and they wouldn't get that at a riding stables.

It makes a lot of sense, and makes two families happy, so where's the problem?

Re: Heated debate!

If everyone is aware that there is no money involved and happy with this arrangement I don't see what the problem is !!!

Some people can't afford their own horse and would love the oppurtunity to be around horses and ride for free ... I think what this woman was offering was a good chance for someone without the money to be involved in horses. The only reason the freelance groom was sore about it was because she would see it as losing money I suppose !!!

It's not anyone's business really, if the woman wanted to offer someone the chance to ride and care for her horse through the week and someone is happy to do this for free then  this arrangement had got nothing to do with anyone else !!!

Re: Heated debate!

Seems a fair solution to me.  Maybe the professional groom felt done out of a job...but that's not the case I'm guessing.  I'd guess that many people who offer rides in exchange for yard duties are doing so to benefit their horse but perhaps also because they couldn't afford to pay for full livery (or a paid groom) anyway... I always worked for rides when I was a teenager... I worked alongside paid grooms at a polo yard & mucked out cow shed (yuck) at the farm where I had riding lessons. 

Re: Heated debate!

When I was much younger I would have walked, and did actually walk, miles just to look at a horse and pat him, and I would have loved it if I could have got to actually spend proper quality time with one, the thought of being paid for it never entered my mind - I would have done it more than willingly and for free.

heated debate

Would only pay a professional, qualified person to ride my horse and if they were working on a particular issue.  I was brought up that you worked in exchange for rides.  Nowadays it has got too money orientated.  I'm in the situation whereby the horse I own is now on part-livery and I have a colleague just exercising him for me, plus doing jumping and using him for lessons etc, currently they don't pay anything, but my last month's livery bill was more than my mortgage (as have been recovering from an op) and have now asked if they can make a weekly contribution, in a nutshell they just turn up and ride, no payment for shoes, insurance, vets bills, no stable chores to do, no tack cleaning etc.  Before he used to be even tacked up in readiness.  Happy to hear what other people think?