bringing your horse in at night...

liss1987

liss1987

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As we approach that time of year when its pitch black when you leave for work in the morning and pitch black when you come home from work in the evening, how do you all manage to bring your horses in at night?

i dont have the luxury of someone bringing my horse in for me, so when the nights draw in im going to have to trudge through acres of fields in the dark looking for him (he doesnt come when called)

What do you guys do?

Im thinking of getting a really bright torch and hoping it does the job well enough for me to see where im going clearly!
 
LED torch or clockwork torch (have both)

Mine are currently out 24/7 but stables ready for when I get fed up with torch at both ends of the day (been using torch in morning for 3 weeks or so now)
Tip: I leave everything ready when I go in the morning - only needing to damp feeds, pop them & then fuzzies into stables.

In the eve, I arrive, flash the car headlights (association with food means they are at the gate when I get there ;-).
Pull on wellies, damp feeds & pop battery lights on in stables, open gates & they come in.
Then I go off & poo-pick paddock with torch - If wet, don waterproofs over work gear & after shutting the stable bolts I toddle off while they eat & then change rugs after :) 15mins tops :)
 
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Mine only come in from December earliest, sometimes its Christmas. It's dictated by my old girl, once she comes in for feed & rug change & doesn't head straight back out the open door, its the indication she is willing to stay in, & the other is happy wherever she is. I find bringing in when its dark easier. Just one journey. Before that its bring in to check/feed/rug etc then back to field again to turn out & hay. And ours are on a farm, surrounded by fields so its very dark. Never used a torch, I find my eyes adjust & horses & I know the footing. But, I do find most learn to come to call when they're hungry & you shouting means food. If you are going to use a torch though, get him used to it, many aren't impressed the first time you appear in the field resembling a lighthouse.
 
ahhh reflective strips is a good idea so i can tell which one is my horses straight away! haha! i can imagine me bringing in the wrong horse and not realising til hes in the stable and munching on my old guys dinner! lol!
 
Rambo do a good baseball cap with led lights in the brim (I was lucky to get mine as a freebie). If you can't get one, use a head torch so your hands are free.
 
Can't beat a good head torch, they are £40/50 but it leaves your hands free to do up headcollars, undo gates etc. They are pretty bright and light up quite a wide area.
My boys see the torch and wonder over to the gate so there isn't too much searching around for them. If they didn't come over to be honest I'd wonder about how much they needed to come in!
 
Head torch but I'm also lucky enough that my girl comes when I shout (tbh she's usually shouting for me to go get her before I'm ready :D)
 
Loads of hi viz, over a full set of waterproofs over my work clothes as I have to lead 2 big horses up a (private estate) road. Head torch. My horse and his buddy both quickly pick up the routine and are waiting fairly near the gate, if not they come to call :) I have sewn reflective strips into a couple of my boy's rugs too.
 
head torch. petzl ones are good

but mine know when to expect me and are usua lly at the gate. unless it's really raining,then they go and hide and make me find them! :mad:
 
well my horses know the routine they are usually waiting near the gate area, I used to have to use my small generator for lights in my old yard, it would just fit in my car so was very light and easy to handle, I could even use it for clipping too, but now I have electricity here and have the horses here at home, it makes so much difference life is so much easier now, but I do feel for all those that still have to struggle in the winter times, but hey our horses are so worth the effort ren't they:)
 
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Mine have 24/7 access to their stables, usually come to a whistle, so coming down the drive I wind window down and whistle, they usually meet me at the barn, if they don't come for some reason i use a head torch and go check them in the field, I find mornings more of a problem, since I hate disturbing them if the're in and I need to go through the barn to feed the hens, my horses are only having hay at night
 
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