Splitting horse share costs fairly: who pays what in Switzerland?

A horse share is neither a sponsorship of horse keeping nor a payment per ride. It is a proportional contribution to a horse's running costs, and it has to match both the number of riding days and the services agreed. This guide shows how the contribution is normally calculated in Switzerland, what it usually covers, and who carries the special costs.

What a horse actually costs in Switzerland

Before you can split a contribution fairly, it helps to look at the total. reitenundyoga.ch and markt.ch both put the Swiss full-cost range at CHF 1'000–1'500 per month. The rough structure looks like this:

• Stabling and feed: CHF 600–1'000 per month, depending on the type of yard. Open stabling sits at the lower end, full board at the upper.
• Farrier: CHF 80–200 every six to eight weeks, which works out to CHF 50–130 per month.
• Routine veterinary care: vaccinations, worming and dental checks add up to roughly CHF 50–100 per month, before any unusual treatment.
• Insurance: owner's liability and, where taken, surgical cover run about CHF 30–80 per month.
• Equipment and sundries: saddle, rugs, grooming kit and a buffer for repairs spread out to roughly CHF 50–100 per month.

The HorseDeal price calculator shows that in practice this range varies by 15 to 25 per cent between the Zurich area and the French-speaking regions. If you are new to Switzerland, note that "full board" here usually includes daily turnout and feeding. It is not the bare stable rent the term can mean elsewhere.

The sharer's portion of full costs

Swiss practice has settled on a simple ratio: at one or two riding days per week, the sharer carries 10 to 25 per cent of monthly full costs. That produces the range you will see quoted almost everywhere in Switzerland, CHF 80–300 per month (see the cost overview).

Three factors move the figure within that range:

• Riding days per week. One day usually corresponds to 10 to 15 per cent of full costs, two days to 18 to 25 per cent. Three days are rare in Switzerland and approach half of full costs.
• Services included. A pure riding share, meaning riding plus the care that goes with it, sits at the lower end. A share that also covers stable duties sits at the upper.
• Region and type of yard. Urban areas and full-board yards sit at the top of the range, rural open stabling at the bottom.

What the monthly fee typically covers

In Swiss practice, most horse share agreements cover the following.

• A share of stabling and feed for the days and hours the sharer uses the horse.
• General care costs: grooming kit, stable rug, routine hoof care during the share days.
• Riding work on the horse using the owner's equipment: saddle, bridle, saddle pad.
• Access to the facility (indoor arena, outdoor schools, sometimes a jumping paddock or round pen), where the stabling agreement includes it.

What is not in the fee and remains the owner's responsibility:

• Veterinary bills and farrier appointments
• Insurance, meaning owner's liability and any surgical cover
• The sharer's own riding gear: breeches, boots, helmet, gloves
• Lessons with an instructor, unless expressly agreed
• Replacement rugs and comparable investments

The portal reitbeteiligungen.ch reproduces this split in nearly every template it publishes. If you agree a different line, put it in the contract in writing. That is the difference between an agreement and a misunderstanding.

How to calculate a fair contribution

A pragmatic method in three steps:

• Step 1: add up the horse's monthly full costs realistically: stabling, feed, farrier, routine vet, insurance, equipment.
• Step 2: estimate the sharer's usage. With a two-day share and an owner who rides five days, the ratio is two to seven, so about 28 per cent. In practice this figure is damped somewhat, because the horse generates costs on the days nobody rides it.
• Step 3: compare the calculated share against the real Swiss range of CHF 80–300. If your result sits well above it, the sharer will most likely walk away. If it sits well below, the owner will feel short-changed sooner or later.

An example: a horse with full costs of CHF 1'400 and a two-day-per-week share. Twenty-five per cent of 1'400 is 350. Damped against the Swiss average, the realistic contribution lands at CHF 220–280 per month.

Special costs and special appointments

Special costs belong in the agreement up front, otherwise they turn into disputes. Three ground rules keep it simple.

• The causer principle. Whoever triggers the appointment pays for it. The sharer wants extra lessons with the instructor? The sharer pays. The owner has the horse vaccinated? The owner pays.
• The exception: damage. If the sharer causes damage, her private liability insurance comes into play, and in Switzerland that policy only covers riding someone else's horse when the corresponding add-on is in place (see the Mobiliar example and our guide to insurance for riding someone else's horse).
• Joint investments. If the sharer contributes to a new rug or a shared lesson, record it in writing. Skipping this rule almost always produces misunderstandings.

More detail and worked examples in the extra costs guide.

Swiss key points for payment

A handful of Swiss specifics make payment straightforward.

• Payment date: monthly, customarily by the 3rd or 5th of the month.
• Payment method: bank transfer, TWINT or a standing order. Cash is rare and best avoided, because it leaves no trace.
• Receipts: not mandatory, but sensible for larger amounts. A short email confirmation is enough.
• Taxes: a horse share does not count as employment income, but as a contribution towards the horse's costs. If you do use the horse commercially, speak to your cantonal tax office.
• Adjusting the contribution: if the stabling rate rises or the arrangement changes structurally, the contribution is renegotiated using the agreed notice period.

Frequently asked questions

What share of full costs is a fair contribution? In Swiss practice, at one or two riding days per week, roughly 10 to 25 per cent of full costs. Those run CHF 1'000–1'500 per month, putting the contribution between CHF 80 and 300.

What is typically included in the monthly fee? A share of stabling and feed, general care costs, riding work on the horse, and access to the arena or outdoor schools where the stabling covers it. Not included: veterinary bills, special farrier appointments, lessons and personal riding gear.

Who carries special costs? The owner as a rule, because she owns the horse and holds the contracts. Exceptions apply where the sharer wants extra lessons or triggers a special appointment.

How do you calculate the contribution? Add up monthly full costs, estimate the sharer's riding portion, and check the result against the Swiss range.

What happens to the contribution if the horse falls ill? It usually continues, because stabling, feed and insurance continue too. For lameness lasting several weeks, an agreed reduction is the fair answer.

Sources and further reading

• Monthly cost of a horse share (markt.ch)
• Cost, tasks and contract (reitbeteiligungen.ch)
• What does a horse cost in Switzerland? (Reiten & Yoga)
• Price calculator (HorseDeal)

Track contribution and special costs transparently

In HorseCompanion the monthly contribution, special costs and joint investments are documented per horse. Owner and sharer see the same picture, without either of them keeping books. Start for free

Updated: August 2026