How does half-board work?

Half-boarding allows a rider to ride the same horse regularly without having to bear the high cost of a purchase or the responsibility of owning it. This is an operation which, however, has both disadvantages and advantages.

How does half-board work?

Half-board is a system that allows a rider to have the same horse part-time or shared and to ride it regularly without having to assume the charges or responsibilities that an owner would have to assume. For this purpose, a contract or an "au pair" agreement is established between the lender and the borrower to establish and define all the conditions as well as the pricing. In a half-board system, for example, you can be offered half-time, a quarter-time or even a third-time.

In a part-time operation, the borrower has the possibility of taking the horse out approximately 3 times a week or 4 times. In a quarter-time operation, this will correspond to taking the horse out only once a week. In a third-time operation, the horse is taken out by the borrower two days a week.

Of course, in the contract, the days are fixed in advance and the price varies depending on the type of formula envisaged. However, there are generally three types of half-board formulas. Half-board for the club horse, half-board for the owner's horse and the possibility for the owner to put his horse on half-board at the equestrian center.

What is half-board for club horses?

When you are an experienced rider, the equestrian center offers you the possibility of choosing one of its best horses on a half-board basis. This allows you to work the same horse regularly. Likewise, you improve while creating special bonds with your favorite mount. You even have the possibility of going out to competition with the horse. In the event of the sale of said horse, you have priority. If the horse is unavailable due to illness or unshod, the half-board will switch to another horse for the entire time it is unavailable.

As for the benefits for the horse, the latter has the chance to be pampered by the same person and to escape the hours of rehearsal with beginner riders who jump on his back or pull his mouth.

As a disadvantage, during tourist seasons or competitions, the equestrian center may ask you to have priority over the horse. In other words, the horse will be ridden by several riders who are more or less gifted. In this case, all the work done for months with the mount may have to be redone or redone. The horse may also have acquired bad habits that you will have to teach him again.

What is half-board for an owner's horse?

Half-boarding for the owner's horse is practically the same system as half-boarding for the club horse. The difference here is that you deal directly with the owner of the horse. However, it is advisable to share the same levels of riding with the latter. Here, the horse is well trained and the accessories it has are exceptional, like those offered by https://laselleriefrancaise.com/ . Likewise, the horse is much more efficient than club horses.

On the other hand, you will have to comply with the owner's requirements regarding the ways in which you work the horse, the care you must give it, the equipment you must use when you ride it, etc.