Coping in winter from part to diy and without a school

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mar2505

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Moved yards and am very happy however there is no school despite promises to build one. also have to go on a 3 day week at work due recession and am gonna lose a load of money so having to ask if I can go on diy. Wondered how anybody else copes. tonight it is pouring with ain, got stuck in traffic but because I am part, horse was bought in mucked out and I just fed her polos and left to a nice hot bath! Am happy to muck out before work but yard rules dictate no one allowed until 0730. How does everyone else cope.
 
i have horses at home and i manage, i work self employed at home so that helps. We have a 4 year old little girl and we have 11 horses and only two stables at mo so there is a lot of mud work! Other half also is suffering badly with back problems at mo so i am on my own to sort them out. Also have a youngster home from being backed which is the hardest at the mo. Our muck heap is ages away from stables, good when weather is good as i use the quad but [****] when weather bad as i would get stuck! anyway, suggestions! .... how about deep littering when your at work, eg just poop pick tidy and put fresh bed down on the days you work and sort it out on days off, thats what i do. i have no school, i have an area taped off to ride in when fine but when its a bit soggy i lunge in various areas of the 6 acres that she is in to save riding area. if its really bad weather she gets a day off, try not to give more than one day at a time! if the weather was to continue then i will hire a school to go and get on and have a good session thats fair to her and me! Get the morning feed/s ready to rock and roll the night before, do your haynets in advance and get a routine, i am sure you'll be fine! my way of thinking is preperation, preperation, preperation! Good luck! x
 
Is there anyone on the yard who you could share the turning out in the morning with? So they turn yours out on the mornings you are working and you do theirs on the other days? Reallistically if you cant muck out due to time then your horse needs to go out during the day. I only muck out in the morning if they are staying in. If they are staying in I fill water buckets the night before and leave outside the stable. Mats are a huge time saver too. Feed hay off the floor rather than filling nets. Another time saver is not to change rugs. And change your clothes when you get to work! Then they are in the car ready to change back into later!

As for not being able to work the horse in the dark you just have to accept that your horse wont be as fit and therefore you cant expect as much when you do ride. But you have to be quite religious about working them when you can.
 
I have mine at home and no school and work full time, used to have on DIY and the same routine applies. I have them bedded on Aubiose, which is highly absorbant so I just skip poos during the week, in morning while they have breakfast. Sling them out at around 6.15am, with head torch. When home from work, tidy up beds, do water, haynets, feed etc. head torches and go get them in around 6-6.30pm. Evening stables and quick skip out (so not so much to do in morn). And it all starts again. At weekend full muck out is done and field is poop picked and hay is put out for week ahead. I can only ride at weekends, if I want to ride during week I have to either go to evening training somewhere or hire an indoor school. I have never known any different and you just have to get on with it (unfortunately). As you are only working 3 days a week, it means that you have 4 days that you can ride etc.
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Good luck, I am sure that you will manage very well, as OP have said if there are other liveries to share chores with it will make life even easier! I am getting quite depressed thinking about the fact trhat winter routine will be startring soon
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I cope with 3 horses by having them at the right place with the right people. No restrictions on times we can be at the yard, but one of us gets there early and feeds and turns them all out together. They muck out theirs and leave. I arrive later and muck out mine and put their beds down. I tend to do my stuff with my horses then as well. My friends arrive later, work with their horses and then put all to bed and feed together.
I save myself time by being very organised and deep littering!
 
Can't your horse live out 24/7?

I've always kept my horses at home, I work full time and I don't have a school (only paddocks to ride in). They have all lived out all year round no problem at all (and they compete off grass easily). They have access to 2 shelters/stables (basically I just leave the doors open into the field so they can come and go). In the winter, I just feed them in the morning, give hay and muck out the shelters (have rubber matting so takes 2 secs!). Evening I do same again. I have a floodlight shining onto one paddock so I can ride in an evening if I want. I'd never stable mine, way too much hasstle!
 
I have 3 on DIY......it involves getting to yard around 6.20am to feed/turnout and muckout (or skip-out.....if I do that mon-Fri i make sure they get a bottoming at the weekend)...I get home about 7.30 to shower the stench off.

Straight to yard after work about 6pm to bring in. I get organised by doing haynets in advance so I can just hang them up, If I am mega organised I make feeds up in advance also so I have to just damp them down. I have an arena with floodlights but the surface is crappy but its ok if needs must.

It is do-able but it can be hard work...as I say, being organised is key and you soon get used to the lack of sleep
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