Ridecamp: Re: [RC] leasing and how many days a week do you ride for a 25?

>  Well, the lease thing fell through with my horse.  I was >going to put an
ad in the paper, but I'm having second >thoughts.  I have spent a lot of
time training this mare, >and would hate to have someone screw that up.  I
want >to do a 25 in about 3 months.  I have read that I need to >be riding 5
days a week.  Does anyone agree/disagree >with this?


Agreeing with what everyone else has already said, I don't think you need 5
days a week.  Aside from that, I have never had very good luck leasing out
my horses (back when I lived in LA and boarded my horses adjacent to
Griffith Park).  I just found a subtle difference in attitudes when they had
paid to ride this horse and they were basically going to do what they
wanted.  I wasn't dictating their every move, just asking for responsible
riding and care (making sure tack fit, warming up and cooling down, walking
down steep hills, across paved roads and so on).  I did have one terrific
guy from Israel who was very good, but even he tended to second-guess what I
wanted for my horses if he thought otherwise (ie, how much riding was
advisable two days after completing a 50).  I eventually gave up the whole
idea, and now I just ride my horses myself, hire a professional (though I've
needed to redefine standards for that as well) or just accept my horses
being at a slightly lower level of fitness.  These days, I've been a lot
happier just allowing someone else to occasionally ride one of my horses,
but I make it clear that in return for the favor, they ride to MY standards,
and have been much happier with the arrangement.

I'm sure there have been plenty of mutually blissful leasing arrangements,
but that hasn't been my personal experience.

Susan G



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