Share-boarding is one of the most common arrangements in the horse world: it eases the owner's budget and gives a rider a horse that is "half theirs". Done well, it makes two people happy, and a horse that is better looked after. Done badly, it wears everyone out. Here is how to get it right.
What is share-boarding?
Share-boarding is an arrangement in which a rider regularly rides an owner's horse, usually on several fixed days a week, in exchange for a financial contribution to the livery costs. The horse remains the property and the legal responsibility of the owner; the share-boarder gets regular access to the horse, often with the option to take it to lessons or competitions depending on the agreement.
There are variations: part-loan (one or two days a week), a "leisure" share without competitions, or sharing between several riders in the same family. Our guide on sharing your horse between several riders reviews these different formats.
Splitting the riding days
The classic split gives three days to the share-boarder, three days to the owner, and one rest day for the horse. But the format is not what matters: what matters is that the split is explicit, stable and visible to both parties.
A shared schedule avoids the two common pitfalls: the horse ridden twice on the same day, and the horse forgotten on a day when each person thought the other was taking care of it. Occasional day swaps should stay possible, but visible.
What to clarify from the start
Most share-boarding arrangements that go wrong stumble over things left unsaid. Before you start, agree, ideally in writing, on the following points:
- The amount of the contribution and what it covers (livery, farrier, routine vet care or not).
- Each person's riding days and the horse's rest day.
- What the share-boarder is allowed to do: lessons, hacking, jumping, competitions.
- Tack: who provides the saddle, who maintains what.
- Routine care: who handles worming and farrier appointments, and who tells whom.
- Holidays and absences: what happens when one of you goes away for a fortnight.
- Insurance and liability in case of an accident (equestrian public liability cover is strongly recommended).
Communication, the key to a successful share
Day to day, what makes the difference is not the agreement, it is the information that flows. The share-boarder needs to know the horse was stiff yesterday; the owner needs to know this morning's session went well.
This is exactly the role of a shared tracking log and a team chat: everyone sees the same information, at the same time, without having to cross paths at the yard.
The right tools
A WhatsApp group and a whiteboard in the tack room can be enough at first, but information quickly gets lost there. GaloPlan was designed precisely for share-boarding: a weekly schedule, a log of sessions and care, a chat with photos, and synchronisation with your personal calendar. The free plan covers one horse and up to four members, more than enough to run a share-boarding arrangement.
