Horses are an expensive hobby and make huge demands on your time. On the face of it, sharing a horse with a friend or relative is the perfect way to mitigate your costs and to accommodate your busy schedule. You can both enjoy riding and form a bond with the horse and everything will be rosy in the garden. Or will it?
The Lazy Sharer
Things can and do go wrong when you share. The operative word here is share because some people aren't very good at that. Or at least they aren't very good at it when there is work involved! It is all too easy for the lazier members of the species not to fulfil their side of the bargain. This could leave you knee deep in muck when it isn't really your turn to be at the stable.
The Hangover
When your friend or relative has enjoyed a night on the town and then crawled into the sack at stupid o-clock, they just might decide not to get up again. But someone has to see to the horse so that would be you then! Of course you could take your revenge and perform a no-show of your own but you are a conscientious sort and wouldn't dream of it. When riders don't do their share of the work, arguments are bound to ensue.
The Trouble with Change
Things can take a turn for the worse when your co-owner acquires a new life partner or a new job. Their priorities change and the horse might find itself relegated in the pecking order. That will leave you with a level of responsibility that you didn't sign up for. The situation could prove to be even more serious if your friend's new job happens to be in Australia. Then you will be looking for a new sharer. People's lives change and those changes are often unexpected and sudden. There often isn't anything that can be done about it. But that doesn't make things any easier when it is you who has to pick up the pieces.
Difference of Opinion
Everyone has their own ideas on how best to care for and to ride a horse. You could find that your ideas are at variance with your friend's. You might believe that their actions are detrimental to the horse or are causing behavioural issues. Alternatively, you could find that your co-owner's insistence on a certain type of bedding or feed is stretching your budget to the limit.
Faltering Finances
Talking of money. What happens if your friend loses their job or falls prey to a long-term illness and can no longer afford the horse? It is a problem which can be sorted eventually, but in the short term someone has to cover the cost of the horse and once again, that would be you. Nothing is certain in this world and so sharing a horse could prove problematic no matter how careful you are about who you share with.