2.5 hours is this enough time?

[Portly]

To give some pre ramble to the question - So with the world changing and yards putting prices up etc my yard shut to all liveries as its no longer viable or cost effective to have liveries.
I was fortunate to be allowed to stay as I have been friends for 20+ years with owner, and we do a lot for each other etc.
We have between us we have 3 horses and 2 ponies (12.2 & shetland).
We have a groom who comes in to muck out, bring in and haynets. (No turning out, feeds, changing rugs).
We originally said 2 hours but she said she was struggling to do it in that time so needed an extra 30 mins, we have paid this, of course, but I just have a niggle it could she is slow. I timed myself this morning as I did the whole lot, and averaged 20 mins a stable.
I am not wanting to skimp on people (plus grateful we have someone) but just wanted to get a different perspectives if im being skeptical in my thoughts.
To give some more information, barn stables, shavings beds, fields next to yard well set up no miles to walk. I take wet out every night and late night skipped out.
Am I expecting too much?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Filling haynets is probably the most time consuming part of that. Are you able to do it all on your own?

 

[asmp]

It may not be worth her while coming just for 2 hours? I work as a casual (on not much pay!) for a council and the minimum I am called in for is 3 hours.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think 2 hours is enough time to do that I have done 7 or 8 muck outs in 2 hours before.

The last place I worked I had 8 or 9 horses to do and did it all in 3 hours thats turning some out as well.

 

[Portly]

Filling haynets is probably the most time consuming part of that. Are you able to do it all on your own?

This is the next step, I just need to get some more haynets then will do this for days in advance, its just the adjustment to the change.

 

[Barton Bounty]

This is the next step, I just need to get some more haynets then will do this for days in advance, its just the adjustment to the change.

Yeah, Im the same, i just had to buy some more, so I have at least 6 made up ?

 

[Portly]

It may not be worth her while coming just for 2 hours? I work as a casual (on not much pay!) for a council and the minimum I am called in for is 3 hours.

I did think this, I have no problem with paying for the extra time but just dont want to be taken for a ride as I not there during the day.

 

[Winters100]

Personally I think I could do it in 2 hours, but probably only just, so 2.5 hours seems reasonable.

 

[Abacus]

I would think 20 mins per stable if they are average to muck out and you don’t insist on utter perfection - so that makes 1 hr 40. Add 15 mins for 5 haynets - say 2 hours, with a little slack. Does she do water? Bring in (and pick out feet?). It’s close to 2.5 hours. You might muck out more quickly if they are clean and easy. I’d probably do it quicker but am far from a perfectionist!

 

[spotty_pony]

I’d say 2 hours is plenty if they are on shavings.

 

[eggs]

Does she have far to travel?

 

[Portly]

Does she have far to travel?

Her horse is kept 5 mins from the yard so ties in with her day.

 

[Fjord]

How easy are they to catch? If she's bringing them in, does she have to spend time traipsing around the field to get them or are they waiting at the gate?

 

[Portly]

I would think 20 mins per stable if they are average to muck out and you don’t insist on utter perfection - so that makes 1 hr 40. Add 15 mins for 5 haynets - say 2 hours, with a little slack. Does she do water? Bring in (and pick out feet?). It’s close to 2.5 hours. You might muck out more quickly if they are clean and easy. I’d probably do it quicker but am far from a perfectionist!

Its interesting as I think the waters are one of the issue as she doesnt fill whilst working she does them after, and watches them - im going to fill a dustbin for decanting to help with efficiency (our water pressure can be hit and miss)

 

[Portly]

How easy are they to catch? If she's bringing them in, does she have to spend time traipsing around the field to get them or are they waiting at the gate?

Easy to catch, but sometimes they can be eating (every second counts to a poor starved pony and shetland).

 

[Red-1]

It always takes longer to do horses that aren't your own. I think generally, it will be taking her longer than 2 hours.

However, for the water, I fill into buckets outside the stable, so it isn't a disaster if they over-top. I can't imagine standing staring into the buckets as they fill.

 

[Barton Bounty]

It takes me 35/40 minutes to muck mine out, 3 barrows a day , minging ?

 

[Gloi]

The good grooms are probably settled in jobs leaving only the slow or unreliable ones. That seems to be the case here anyway. I'd certainly do lots of haynet filling one day a week do they just need hanging up.

 

[terrierliz]

I would say 2.5 hours is about right if full muck out, I guess some of it depends how much you are paying per hour as well, maybe split the difference and pay her for the job done.

 

[windand rain]

Depends on bedding type it takes a lifetime to properly do shavings beds so could be thay. I can muck out a straw bed in 10 minutes but takes a good 30 minutes for shavings

 

[Frano]

On minimum wage it is barely worth doing for 2 hours a day. What does she earn.

 

[windand rain]

The problem with short hours is you don't get enough income to warrant being committed to that job. I looked into lollipop lady but you have to be there every school day twice a day so unless there is a bonus to it or you have nothing else to do or your own school age kids it's not worth doing

 

[spacefaer]

So she's mucking out empty stables? That's quicker and easier.
I do 5 in an hour, including hay and water, with horses in the stables. Not bringing them in, admittedly, but mine are also all horses, not two tiny ponies.
She needs to fill the water as she goes along -- I wouldn't be paying her to stand and watch buckets filling.
She sounds very slow.

I did have one wp who took an hour and a half to muck out 2 stables (badly). She soon got quicker - and I wasn't paying for her services either.

 

[Carrottom]

I tend to take longer doing someone else's horses too. 2.5 hours sounds reasonable. If I'm bringing horses in I like to have a couple of minutes to check them over.

 

[Abacus]

An alternative is to pay her for the ‘job’ not by the hour. I.e. £25 per day to get it all done. Makes no difference to you except that you won’t be frustrated if she does dawdle.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Just be careful that if you cut down the time that you pay her for, she may decide its not worth the hassle for her and leave you to do the lot yourselves.

 

[sportsmansB]

Once she is doing the same muck outs regularly (i.e. more than 3-4 days) to get the pattern of what they do where, 15 mins per stable is loads. Stagger the days that new bedding is put in so its not all one day, do the waters as you go (what about using a barrel with a hole for the hose which can be filled as she works and then dipping the buckets?).
I honestly can't see how doing an empty stable on shavings which has been skipped out well the day before can possibly take longer than 15 mins.

What about one of those wee frame things to hang the haynets on to fill them easier? To be honest I don't like them but I've been filling nets quickly for a long time, some other people do prefer them.

I guess a bit of it is common sense in terms of not wasting journeys across the yard and not wasting time waiting

 

[Abacus]

Just be careful that if you cut down the time that you pay her for, she may decide its not worth the hassle for her and leave you to do the lot yourselves.

I agree with this. It's hard to find someone willing to travel to your yard for just a couple of hours. Several years ago I got through three grooms in quick succession who realised it wasn't worth their while, and fair enough. After that I just found a person to share my yard who was willing to help.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Personally I think I could do it in 2 hours, but probably only just, so 2.5 hours seems reasonable.

This.

I guess only you can decide whether they are worth paying the extra 30 minutes versus either fibding someone else or doing it yourself

If she's otherwise good and reliable, I'd be inclined to pay the extra 30 minutes to keep them

 

[Goldenstar]

Two and half hours is reasonable to do that well .
She may be slower than some but is she reliable ? Trustworthy ? we need to move away from thinking the most important thing about a stable worker is that they shovel fast .
She won’t stay if you force her to play beat the clock day after day why would she for two hours in the current climate .