Why Should You Be a Team Horse Owner?
The United States Equestrian Teams need you! At one time in history, all international teams were produced from national armies, and so horses and riders were chosen and paired by command authority. Until about 30 years ago, our United States Equestrian Team continued that tradition of centralized matching on a voluntary basis. Today, athletes are responsible for choosing, owning, and supporting their mounts. Costs have risen to the point where single ownership by a rider or sponsor has become largely prohibitive, making it virtually impossible for a top-level athlete to compete in international games without unprecedented third-party support. We have the athletes we need to win in the international arena, but simply do not have the means to acquire the horses they need to be competitive. In short, the U.S. needs more high-performance horses to support them. How can we all contribute to this need? Through one in a variety of ownership structures, including:
Why Own Through a Syndicate?
Chances are you are a horse lover and a fan of equestrian sport. All of us talk about helping our top athletes (and those who are nearly there), but mostly we have limited ourselves to making donations to the USET Foundation. Although the Foundation remains important to the future of our sport, it does not bring with it the phenomenal excitement of being directly connected to the top levels of sport through horse ownership. Past and current owners can relate once-in-a-lifetime thrills at national championships, international events, and world games. The satisfaction of being an integral part of a top athlete’s success, one that helps the U.S. Team win a medal, is unlike anything else. Syndication allows one horse to take a group of people on a ride, while managing the cost risk for each participant
What Does US Equestrian do for Horse Owners?
US Equestrian offers a series of recognition initiatives for owners, including awards, recognition letters, commemorative gifts, Team USA apparel, webinars, hospitality events, features in newsletters and press releases, and discipline=specific resources.
How do I Get Involved?
The first step in getting involved with horse ownership is to identify which discipline you would like to become part of. The creation of a syndicate and/or recruitment of owners often begins through personal connections. If you are unsure of where to start, information on how to get involved in an athlete’s program can often be found on their business webpages or by reaching out to their team directly.
Commitments & Connection of Ownership
The commitments of ownership are not only discipline-specific, but specific to the relationship between owner(s) and athlete. Owners experience the ups and downs of the sport firsthand. Before getting involved, you should work with athletes to gain understanding of afinancial commitments including development and maintenance, travel, veterinary, etc. Each owner and athlete relationship is established and built on trust, honesty, and transparent communication with a mutual understanding of goals, expectations, and financial commitments.
Types of Ownership
Sole or full ownership is when an owner is responsible for all costs associated with the horse. This could be an athlete owning for themselves, or an individual owning a horse for an athlete. This is the most involved type of ownership as the ultimate decision-making and financial responsibility lies with one person.
A group of two or three individuals who invest in a horse (or multiple horses). A partnership often has fewer members than a syndicate. Decision-making can be shared between owners and the athlete. Owner partners pay their share of the cost of maintenance and training
A group of several owners sharing a common goal of investing in a horse for a particular athlete. Percentage shares can range, with each syndicate owner bearing their pro rata share of the initial investment as well as ongoing costs. This allows new and continuing owners the opportunity to experience ownership at a lower cost than sole ownership or a partnership. A syndicate is typically governed by a syndicate agreement. Athletes are typically the decision makers for the syndicated horse.