DIY Routine?

[Surbie]

I get to the yard 5-6am - we're lucky not to have a start time on the yard and I'm not the first there. I feed first, then depending on how mucky he was the night before, I groom and oil feathered legs, check feet and rasp if needed and have a bit of chill time before turning out. When back from the field I wet his haynet and hang it to drain, muck out and do water. I can be home by 7.30ish before awful traffic. If I'm on flexi work or bringing someone else's in with mine I sometimes just turn out and do jobs later, but I don't like leaving it just in case he has to come in early.

In winter I have to bring in with the rest of the field so around 4.30pm - we buddy up so if I am working later someone will bring him in and give him a slice of hay till I can get there. I work him in the evenings generally and groom whatever isn't wet/muddy, but with all the jobs done I can spend time with him.

In summer bringing in is later, but he has sweetitch so evenings also include all lotions and potions.

I make up dry feeds in advance and mix with a bit of Veteran Vitality Lite which has a 1min soak time. On the weekends I make up enough weighed nets ready to grab in the morning. Poo picking also done on weekends. I use banks in his stable as stores for clean bedding and set them up on the weekend so I can just pull down what he needs each day to keep it nice and thick.

 

[monte1]

I have two on DIY but am lucky enough not to have to bring in if i choose not to, so can live out 24/7 all year round.

But if they are in for the night my winter routine is roughly arrive 06.30, feed them then turnout both ( i generally leave outdoor rugs on in stable so no rug changes before turnout) muck out both, refill water and hay nets and set stables ready for night time. walk dogs quickly and go home - all this take about an hour - (i live 10 minutes drive from yard so home again by 0745 latest usually)
If out 24/7 I take AM feeds to field, feed and check them both over by torchlight (still dark this time of year) quick poop pick and move electric fences a bit for more grass if still strip grazing or take some hay out if needed ( i have a huge field) take all dogs for 15 minute walk around farm then home- this option takes less time maybe 40 minutes or so -
similar routines PM but will try to get there before dark to ride one if I can ( other is 2 year old so not in work yet)

all the tips already given are very useful, pre-fill lots of hay nets at weekends and have feeds made up night before all save precious minutes here and there

once you get into a routine you get faster as well

 

[SEL]

I have three and they're coming in overnight from tonight because the land is a swamp.

I make breakfasts the night before. In fact I do as much as I can the night before such as making up nets

Feed cat (it shouts the loudest) & put wellies on.
Feeds over doors.
Hay into barrow for field and take out while they eat breakfast.
If any need a rug change / rug on.
Take out. This might be two trips depending on how bouncy the youngster is. I'm usually up to 20 mins now
Start big mare's stable. Fork poo in barrow, any obvious wet, sweep back. Empty her water bucket into hay soaking bucket. Refill. About 15 mins. Repeat for the other two.
Wash feed buckets. Soak grass pellets and beet - 5 mins.
Sweep up.

Feed cat again.

If the weather is ok someone gets exercised and I will leave two stables until the evening.

I'm on my own yard now but I was very anti social in the morning on livery. Three horses is hard before work. I do Flexi time but Jan - Feb is the busy time at work just when I could do with it being quiet.

 

[Julia0803]

I’d say check what routine everyone else is on first as it varies from yard to yard- so for example on our yard (in winter), they are usually all turned out between 645-7ish (unless being ridden), but then they all come in by 330- so even tho I have time to leave out later, I can’t as everyone else brings in in the mid afternoon.

I remember a friend, stabled elsewhere, was slightly horrified ours were in so early… but on further discussion it transpired that on her yard everyone turns out at around 9, so actually even tho they were coming in at 5, they weren’t getting any more time out.

If you’re a single horse owner, you’re probably going to have to tie in with what others are doing, particularly re bring in time. I know my boy, and a few others, will turn out alone in the dark if I’ve got to be early… but wouldn’t be happy being left out alone if everyone else came in.

Aside from that I’d agree with others who say never walk along empty handed.

Do jobs like soaking or draining hay first. I’ve made that mistake before- got distracted by something else, then had to hang about wasting time whilst I waited for things to soak/drain. Warm water on soaked feeds speeds up the time required too. Make up water buckets or similar whilst they’re eating breakfast- don’t spend anytime just waiting and being unproductive.

I use pellets underneath a straw bed so I don’t have to take the full wet out every day. I used to use wood pellets which I thought were much better, but cost means I have switched to straw pellets this winter and in comparison they are not as good- they don’t draw the wet down as quickly, so they straw does get wetter and some needs removing every day.

 

[sjdress]

I get to yard for 6am, turn out stabled overnight horse, muck out and hang hay net and fill water for when yard bring her in at 3pm ish. Then go to the field horse (retired and lives out 24/7) feed and poo pick field, do water etc and be ready to leave by 7:15 am to go home and get showered ready for work.
Evening routine, get to field horse for approx 5:45pm, poo pick and feed/hay and water. Then to the yard, skip out the overnight stabled horse (will have been in from 3pm), ride, feed, hang hay net for evenings etc. I then make feeds and hay nets for the next day and am usually home by 7:30/8pm if riding or a bit earlier if no riding. It’s a long day! I usually give my horse a month or so off over winter to give myself a bit of a break.

 

[Sealine]

I arrive at yard at 6.30am give pre-prepared breakfast, soak haynet for the evening, full muck out, water, fill haynet for tomorrow, prepare feeds (this evening and tomorrow breakfast). I turn out my horse with my friend's horse. I ride three morning a week. If not riding leave about 7.45am or if I ride 9am (I work from home).

I don't need to go back in the evening as the friend I turn out for brings in for me and puts feed and hay in stable. Alot of our liveries pair up with another owner in their field and share turn outs and bring ins. This is a useful arrangement as I've always got a horse to turn out with and my friend never has to worry about what time she gets to the yard and when everyone else is bringing in. There are four of us in our field who share weekend turn out/bring in to allow us to get a lie-in or a day without having to rush back to the yard.

In the summer my horse is out overnight but I follow the same routine. Farrier is always booked 7.30am to fit in with my schedule.

As others have said a routine to prevent you retracing your steps or waiting for hay to drain, buckets to fill etc will save you time.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I don’t tend to do the same thing every day, have shared chores rota for herd.

And I do some things eg twice a week / as needed.

But I do tend to give some thought to what i need to do each day. I write an efficient to do list, that groups tasks in most efficient and logical other. So I can check if done all things intended.

 

[Ouch05]

2 on DIY and work 0800 - 1700, I feed all the barn horses (10) in the the morning, while mine are eating I change rugs and put hay out in the field. Pop then out and muck out stables, poo pick then off to work (1 hr and 10 mins)

After work I make up haynets, feed and prep wet feed for next day. Bring in un-rug and groom both, I ride at least one a night the other with either be lunged/free schooled or get the night off, clean tack and sweep up. Home by between 1930 - 2000. I only ride for about 30mins they don't need more than that during the winter.

 

[throwawayaccount]

If I’m on an 8/9am starting shift-
I get down around 6/6.30. I have two horses, they will already be in their turnout rugs to save time.
if I’m riding, I skip out the retired pony/hay and water her before riding my gelding. He gets a quick brush etc before tacking up. We then school 30 mins. Brush again after, rug on, chuck them both out.
do stables, nets, waters, feeds. Leave by 7.30/8.30 depending on shift.

also, it may help you to watch morning routine videos on YouTube

 

[little_critter]

I'm not on DIY any more, but when I was my biggest stress was everyone else bringing in at 3pm in winter when I couldn't get to the yard until 5:30.
It didn't start out that way, it just crept earlier and earlier leaving me with 2 stressed horses that wanted to have come in 2 hours ago with everyone else.

So my suggestion is to check when people turn out / bring in (sometime had the same problem in the mornings when I'd want to turn out at 7:30 but no-one else was at the yard at that time. It was ok when I had 2, but when I only had 1 horse i had to buddy up with someone and turn their horse out for them in order for mine to have company)

 

[Amelia246]

Thank you all this is a huge help! For those who went from full to DIY, how did you find the transition?

 

[Jasper151]

I am on pure DIY for the first time in my life (previously been full and part), thankfully it is a small private yard with only a couple of liveries along with the owner. Also, my horse is fine on his own which does make it easier, though we do help each other out if needed.

My routine stays the same but time depend on my work schedule as I work 8.30-5 but also do some freelance work before work on some days. Typical day, at the yard for 6.45am, change rug and turnout, muck out (relatively clean horse on shavings, and I do a full muck out each day), fill up haynet whilst hose is filling up water bucket. Typically takes around 20-25 minutes. If I am riding before work, I will get there a but earlier, will tie up outside with hay whilst I muck out, ride and then turn out. I hate mucking out in the evenings, I don't know why, I just really struggle with it, so I will always try to do it in the morning. Evenings will be bring in and feed, put stable rug on, and if I haven't ridden in the morning then will ride after work. If I don't stop to chat and have a shift on I can do the morning in 15 minutes and the evening in 10 (with no riding). Our yard is really well set out though, which does make a massive difference as you don't have to walk miles to do anything. Thankfully we also have lots of lights so the dark doesn't hinder us too much.

Going to DIY has been a bit of a shock, mostly at having to be there twice a day so factoring that into my work and home schedule. Luckily the yard is 5 minutes from my house. It is lovely to be able to decide how long my horse is out for, rather than someone else dictating it. I am enjoying DIY but will see how long that lasts (only been 3 months so far)!