What to look out for in your first riding share

Before you apply

Three questions to answer for YOURSELF before replying to a listing:

1. Which riding style? Dressage, jumping, Western, trail, leisure. Replying to a jumping-horse listing as a leisure rider is unfair to both sides.
2. How much time per week? Realistically, including travel and grooming. Two hours of riding often means four hours on site.
3. How far are you willing to drive? Swiss stables are often 15 to 30 minutes outside town. Three times a week, that adds up quickly.

If you do not know, take a few lessons at a riding club to reset before looking for a permanent share.

The trial days

Almost every serious riding share starts with two to three trial days, often two of them free. What should you check during this phase?

On site (1st visit)

• First impression of the stable: clean, well kept, other horses friendly? Pitchforks, bedding, water availability tell you a lot.
• How does the owner handle the horse? Calm, patient, consistent? Or rough, with a whip? That is your mirror for the months ahead.
• The horse's character: does it accept grooming, saddling, bridling without stress? A photo in the listing does not show this.

Riding (2nd and 3rd visit)

• At first ride with the owner present or at least within their line of sight.
• Try both indoor and outdoor arenas if available.
• Test the basics: can the horse do shoulder-in, walk-canter transitions, simple flying changes? If you do not know, be honest. The owner appreciates a willing learner.
• Tempo: does the horse react sharply to the leg? Or sluggish and dull? A dull horse usually means it is being ridden too little, not too much.

Warning signs

Better to pass on a listing if:

• No written contract is offered when you politely ask for one.
• Insurance question is vague or evasive.
• Previous riders changed abruptly (several trial months without follow-up).
• High price for the region WITHOUT a clear explanation (category R, Olympic-linked stable, similar).
• The horse looks nervous or anxious during normal handling. This often hides trauma or health issues.
• The stable looks run-down with thin horses and poorly kept boxes.
• The contract contains restrictive clauses such as «no other share within a 20 km radius».

What the owner is checking

Flip the mirror. What is the owner watching out for in YOU?

1. Punctuality in the application and at the trial visit. Someone who shows up 15 minutes late also shows up late for care.
2. Your own kit: helmet, riding boots, breeches. Coming without looks unprepared.
3. Asking questions about the horse (character, history, health). Asking only «how many days can I ride» signals little engagement.
4. Insurance already sorted or a plan in place. The «riding other people's horses» add-on must be active at Zurich, Helvetia or AXA.
5. Stable participation: do you help with mucking out, refilling hay, cleaning water buckets without being asked?
6. Riding level stated honestly. Someone who cannot show the level claimed at the trial visit is dropped faster than someone who says «still building walk-trot-canter».

The first four weeks

• No solo trail rides for now. Even if the owner lets you, you do not yet know the paths, the horse's quirks or the risky spots.
• Keep communication high: after each ride send one or two lines via WhatsApp («X rode great today, A, B, C» or «Y felt stiff on the right»). The owner feels included and you build trust.
• Have emergency contacts ready: stable number, owner, vet.
• Photograph the box card during the first visit. Beginners forget this and need it on the first weekend emergency.

FAQ

How long does the search realistically take? Three to eight weeks. Popular stables near cities (Zurich, Basel, Lausanne) often have waiting lists. In rural regions you find faster.

Should you run trial days at multiple shares in parallel? Yes, but be transparent. Nobody likes to find out they were plan B. Tell your first-choice stable honestly: «I am still in conversation with another horse, can I take a week to think?»

What if after two months I realise it does not fit? Use the notice period (usually 30 days to the end of the month). Do NOT simply stop showing up. That rightly angers the owner and you lose recommendations.

Can a riding share later turn into a half-horse arrangement? Yes, some constellations develop that way. Sort it together after six or more months of a successful share.