SunshineTallulah
Well-Known Member
I am moving to a DIY yard at the end of the month, am currently on Part Livery. Any tips?????????
Am going DIY - any tips?
- Thread starter SunshineTallulah
- Start date
Damnation
Well-Known Member
Well what type of tips would you like?
scotsmare
Well-Known Member
Be organised, label all your stuff and expect to find some muscles you didn't know you had
SunshineTallulah
Well-Known Member
Time saving tips
Money saving tips
Anything along those lines........
Money saving tips
Anything along those lines........
Maisy
Well-Known Member
urrrrrmmmm............nope......I can save NO time, and certainly dont manage to save any money!!!
Will be interested if anyone knows how!!
Will be interested if anyone knows how!!
scotsmare
Well-Known Member
Don't stop to chat or you will NEVER get anything done.....
Stay out of the yard bitching 'cliques' (you'll be around more so more likely to get drawn into it)
Time saving stuff like the Fal rugs that can be worn inside and out are great, as is shavings or similar that can be skipped out every other day so you don't waste time removing the wet every day.
Stay out of the yard bitching 'cliques' (you'll be around more so more likely to get drawn into it)
Time saving stuff like the Fal rugs that can be worn inside and out are great, as is shavings or similar that can be skipped out every other day so you don't waste time removing the wet every day.
Spot_the_Risk
Well-Known Member
Be politely friendly to everyone until you can work out who are the goodies and the baddies!
Make up your haynets in advance, I used to do a weeks worth on a Sunday.
Get your feed and bedding delivered, pay by credit card then your feed merchant will just deliver it for you, and you won't have to send a cheque/leave cash where it might be nicked.
Buy some lockable storage stuff, it's amazing how people thinkg it's ok to 'borrow' other peoples stuff and then not return it.
Use decent breathable rugs, I never change my horses Horseware or Weatherbeeta ones.
Think of time and motion studies, if you're stable door needs to be lifted and wiggled into place, it will delay you half a dozen times every morning, so get it fixed NOW! Also, don't wander around aimlessly, if you are taking something from A to B, there is a strong chance something else needs to go B to A - so pick it up!
In the morning, a skip out of a small amount on rubber will take 5 minutes, instead of a straw bed on concrete, in which you have to search for poo, then leave it up to dry, which can take ages! IMO rubber mats have saved me loads of time over the years. I reckon (before my horses lived out 24/7 - the ultimate tip!) I used to muck out, tie up a full haynet, put in evening feed adn fill waterbuckets in about 15 minutes, which included taking the muck to the heap.
Good luck, you'll soon get into a routine!
Make up your haynets in advance, I used to do a weeks worth on a Sunday.
Get your feed and bedding delivered, pay by credit card then your feed merchant will just deliver it for you, and you won't have to send a cheque/leave cash where it might be nicked.
Buy some lockable storage stuff, it's amazing how people thinkg it's ok to 'borrow' other peoples stuff and then not return it.
Use decent breathable rugs, I never change my horses Horseware or Weatherbeeta ones.
Think of time and motion studies, if you're stable door needs to be lifted and wiggled into place, it will delay you half a dozen times every morning, so get it fixed NOW! Also, don't wander around aimlessly, if you are taking something from A to B, there is a strong chance something else needs to go B to A - so pick it up!
In the morning, a skip out of a small amount on rubber will take 5 minutes, instead of a straw bed on concrete, in which you have to search for poo, then leave it up to dry, which can take ages! IMO rubber mats have saved me loads of time over the years. I reckon (before my horses lived out 24/7 - the ultimate tip!) I used to muck out, tie up a full haynet, put in evening feed adn fill waterbuckets in about 15 minutes, which included taking the muck to the heap.
Good luck, you'll soon get into a routine!
L00bey
Well-Known Member
The best tip is....
Get a Dad who does it all for you
No I would say be organised know where everything is and label everything
I agree with Scotsmare do not stop and chat
Get a Dad who does it all for you
No I would say be organised know where everything is and label everything
kerilli
Well-Known Member
as above, plus lock anything away that you don't want used at the very least. there are a lot of "borrowers" around. if you can, keep feed at home and just take feeds up daily, because liveries do help themselves to feed, as i found out...."she'll never notice 1/2 a scoop"... yes, well, she will when you do it every day! (my farmer friend put a rat-trap in his feed bin. no-one ever nicked any more of his feed!)
hope they're lovely people at the new place!
hope they're lovely people at the new place!
hellybelly6
Well-Known Member
As per spot the risk.
Before you order and get stuff delivered from the feed merchants (hay feed etc) Ask if anybody else at the yard wants anything, buying in bulk is cheaper and you can split the delivery charge.
Make up a week's haynets and even feeds in advance.
Everything else has already been said, esp staying out of cliques etc.
Before you order and get stuff delivered from the feed merchants (hay feed etc) Ask if anybody else at the yard wants anything, buying in bulk is cheaper and you can split the delivery charge.
Make up a week's haynets and even feeds in advance.
Everything else has already been said, esp staying out of cliques etc.
Highstep
Well-Known Member
yep sunday is the day I get it all done haynets for all week and a few spare.
Make sure you get into a routine for muck clearing if it applies as well as its quite easy if it rains one day when you planned to do it to miss a week and then its a mission to catch up on it if you only get the weekends ie if you work in the week as just the yard stuff will take up your morning and evenings I now pay a local teenager to do it well worth paying each week which saves you time.
I fill two water buckets and put outside stable for the morning in winter if im in hurry and water tap is frozen.
Label everything even brushes and hoofpicks and scissors -they are always te things that go missing when you need them and generally always go missing.
Have a hammer and screw driver in your kit so you can fix anything stable wise.
if you use hay by the bale tie your bale up after so other people dont borrow it and keep a note of how many shavings and hay you have. Saves you being paranoid and saves you losing stuff. I started doing this at the old yard after I thought a few bales of hay were going turned out 7 bales of hay were going a week. Im not suggesting the same will happen to you but just keep an eye on stuff.Same with feed and supplements.
Ols supplement tubs with lids are great for making feeds up in advaance - good luck im sure you'll get to grips with it quickly may take you a bit of time to get ina routine.
Make sure you get into a routine for muck clearing if it applies as well as its quite easy if it rains one day when you planned to do it to miss a week and then its a mission to catch up on it if you only get the weekends ie if you work in the week as just the yard stuff will take up your morning and evenings I now pay a local teenager to do it well worth paying each week which saves you time.
I fill two water buckets and put outside stable for the morning in winter if im in hurry and water tap is frozen.
Label everything even brushes and hoofpicks and scissors -they are always te things that go missing when you need them and generally always go missing.
Have a hammer and screw driver in your kit so you can fix anything stable wise.
if you use hay by the bale tie your bale up after so other people dont borrow it and keep a note of how many shavings and hay you have. Saves you being paranoid and saves you losing stuff. I started doing this at the old yard after I thought a few bales of hay were going turned out 7 bales of hay were going a week. Im not suggesting the same will happen to you but just keep an eye on stuff.Same with feed and supplements.
Ols supplement tubs with lids are great for making feeds up in advaance - good luck im sure you'll get to grips with it quickly may take you a bit of time to get ina routine.
lachlanandmarcus
Well-Known Member
and one more thing, you will get fit and its cheaper than a gym
))
Janette
Well-Known Member
Ditto labelling everything. Never leave anything out, always put stuff away and lock boxes.
Can you guess I'm having an issue with this at the moment?
Can you guess I'm having an issue with this at the moment?
Damnation
Well-Known Member
Label everything but not on actual labels, these can be ripped off (I have had experience of this..) so get a good permanent marker and just mark everything. Also get name tags for your rugs and tack. When stuff is delivered always make sure they put your name onto the shavings / feed as people will take them..
Also stay out of the bitchiness, talk to people if they talk to you and always be polite, never bad mouth ANYONE.
If you can buy several buckets and make up your feeds say a week in advance with just a bucket cover on top, and like someone has said do several days or a weeks worth of haynets at the weekend.
One last tip before I do end up rambling on like a maniac. If your wheelbarrow is getting used a lot or being left full, get a bike chain and chain it somewhere. At my old yard it was actually terrible for people using your wheelbarrow and then leaving it, so I chained it outside and I was the only one with the combination. I also used to do this with my grooming box.
Hope this makes some form of sense!
Izzi xx
Also stay out of the bitchiness, talk to people if they talk to you and always be polite, never bad mouth ANYONE.
If you can buy several buckets and make up your feeds say a week in advance with just a bucket cover on top, and like someone has said do several days or a weeks worth of haynets at the weekend.
One last tip before I do end up rambling on like a maniac. If your wheelbarrow is getting used a lot or being left full, get a bike chain and chain it somewhere. At my old yard it was actually terrible for people using your wheelbarrow and then leaving it, so I chained it outside and I was the only one with the combination. I also used to do this with my grooming box.
Hope this makes some form of sense!
Izzi xx
Highstep
Well-Known Member
Yeah that wheel barrow stunt is annoying ! permenant pen everythign even your mucking out tools I put a blob of paint on mine.
SunshineTallulah
Well-Known Member
Thank you everyone!!! Some valuable tips there - thanks a lot.
I am looking forward to spending more time with my horse and I'll have to remember that when in the winter i am getting up at 5am to go and muck out and ride before work!!
I like the idea about chaining up your barrow.
I am looking forward to spending more time with my horse and I'll have to remember that when in the winter i am getting up at 5am to go and muck out and ride before work!!
I like the idea about chaining up your barrow.
Highstep
Well-Known Member
Remeber when you do DIY through the in the winter you live for the summer! (also good tip dont go to yard in mornings during winter with wet hair it actually freezes!) and invest in good waterproof gloves and keep spare clothes at the yard ie coats etc