DIY survival guide

[NinjaPony]

As per title-please share your DIY tips and experiences for a newbie! My two have always been on full but now I'm going to study a masters, I'm taking them with me and putting them on assisted DIY from September onwards. Aiming to do it all myself with some days either turned out or brought in for me if there are clashes with my classes/lectures. How do you all manage a full time job (which this masters will probably be equivalent to) and DIY? What are your routines like, and how do you manage to not smell/look 'horsey' after mucking out in the morning etc? How do you get it all done on a tight schedule (and have a social life of some sort)? Yard will be about 10 minutes from the uni campus.
Thanks!

 

[NLPM]

My MA was not at all full-time, so hopefully you'll have more time than you think! It depends what course you're doing of course though, I understand that. Good luck with it and I hope you enjoy it

Really, it comes down to being organised. I have several at home now and prior to that was on DIY, sometimes on multiple yards depending on what each horse needed at the time [never again!]. The time before that which I spent on full livery was an experience I did NOT appreciate enough at the time.

I've probably got nothing ground-breaking to add here, but what works for me:

• Turnout as much as possible. 24/7 with shelter is good for them - and you!

If that's not an option...

• Weekends:
  • Haynets - fill them all. Stops bits of hay getting everywhere on workday mornings.
  • Put extra bag of wood pellets in stable so no need to faff with more bedding during the week.
    
• Morning:
  • Get up when you need to. No getting away from it! I am NOT a morning person... This one is hard for me even now. I try to always sort the horses before breakfast as if I'm running late, I can eat breakfast at work. I can't take the horses to work.
  • Get to yard and turn them out. If they will lead together, even better.
  • Muck out - wood pellets are SO quick to muck out. Biggest game-changer for me, personally. Straw will make your hair smell to high heaven so definitely not something you want to do before work. I have overalls for morning muck-outs. I can't remember what brand - Draper, or something like that.
  • Rug accordingly, esp. if riding that evening a LW might be useful so they're dry. Saves time grooming.
  • If haying in the field, see whether a big bale is an option rather than needing to put hay out in the morning. If not though, see point one about weekends.
    
• Evening:
  • Muck out if not already done.
  • Add hay net and fresh water to stable. Multi-task - whilst hose is in stable filling the bucket (secure the hosepipe before wandering!!) you can be tying up haynets/sweeping/grooming if the horses are already in.
  • Skip out field then bring in. Once it's dark in the evenings, switch this - in the morning, turn out horses and skip out field from day before in the light. In evening, muck out then bring in.
  • Mid-week - add more bedding if needs be, but probably won't need to.
  • Ride/groom/rug/etc.
    
• General
  • Keep things organised - don't waste time hunting for headcollars/hoofpicks/etc. As near to your stable as possible. Bulk order feed/bedding where possible or buy from yard - saves time (might be more expensive, but usually not by much and if it saves you time driving around everywhere sorting out your own bedding, then I think the 50p or whatever extra is generally worth it! Obviously up to you though).
  • Keep tails trimmed - saves mud getting everywhere.
  • Avoid changing wet turnout rugs in the morning - mud gets everywhere; I don't know how.
  • Turnouts can stay on as stable rugs if short on time in the evening.
  • Rugs with liners are great. Gosh, for someone who hardly ever rugs I seem to be writing a lot about them...
  • Team up with others on the yard. If Wednesday (e.g.) is a busy morning for you, can someone else turn out and you'll do theirs on Thursday? Only just registered you'll be on assisted DIY - depending on what's included, an awful lot of what I've put might be totally irrelevant. Will they do morning turnouts for you? I find mornings the most pressured bit of the day.
  • Headtorches are essential.
  • Cut down - do they need 50 supplements, a 40 minute grooming routine with several passes over the same area with different brushes, a different rug every day and banks which are checked against a spirit level? Speaking of brushes, I find Haas ones most effective on muddy ponies. Clipping also saves a lot of time on grooming.
  • When it's muddy, get matting in field gateway. Traipsing through mud is a very slow process.

OK, stopping there... but I hope some of this was useful! (And if not to you, maybe to someone). None of it is particularly original, but it's stuff that helps me.

 

[NLPM]

Ahh, thought of something else as soon as I hit post.

Sometimes, depending on the yard... You might need occasionally to go down with headphones on, or be prepared with "sorry, in a bit of a rush tonight!" as sometimes the biggest time-waster is the other (usually absolutely lovely) liveries who want a chat whilst grooming etc., or the "oh wait a second, I'll come up with you to bring them in. I'm just going to ... [disappear for 15 minutes] quickly first then I'll come with you". Socialising definitely has its place and can really make a yard feel like home, but it can also be a bit of a hindrance when you're on a schedule!

 

[NLPM]

Oh, and another one I picked up when working on a big, busy yard... Never go anywhere empty-handed (this one has made cleaning/tidying my house quicker too!).

Going to get your grooming kit? Take the brushes you've just swept with back at the same time. Putting away wheelbarrow etc.? Drag hosepipe/bring hay nets back at the same time. Amazing how much those 'backward and forwards' trips across the yard add up, even when they're just a few metres each. Bringing horse in? Take the wheelbarrow up with you to skip out the field with. Turning horse out? Bring the wheelbarrow back down with you to do the stable with. Etc. etc.

 

[Surbie]

Loads of good stuff already so my tuppence ha'penny is:
- make up feeds in advance when you have time. If you have supplements etc using freezer food bags saves you heaps of time fiddling with scoops. I make up 2 weeks' worth in advance.
- take some hot water with you in a thermos, depending on your yard setup. Our taps freeze and my horse has soaked feed. Hot water cuts the soaking time in half. Plus it means I make myself a coffee.
- keep some soap near your stable and wash your hands when you are done with chores to avoid transferring that delicious mucking out perfume to your hair.
- consider getting a couple of 25L water containers for winter to fill & put in the stable if your horse is in overnight. They won't freeze but the taps on the yard might.
- save time wherever you can - I muck out around my horse while he's having breakfast, put feed to soak before going to get him in from the field, sift through all the bedding on the weekend but cope with missing the odd bit during the week.
- keep spare batteries for the headtorch at the yard, likewise spare socks in case your boots spring a leak
- sort out waterproofs - camping/hiking gear costs less than anything equestrian and cheap ski gear is brilliant when it's freezing out
- be as organised as you can about riding so you don't have to think about it much when you get there - hacking days/schooling/lunging etc.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

My best diy purchase is £4 bottles of perfume from Lidl. They smell very similar to my Chanel perfume and means I can spray liberally without costing a fortune. I keep one in my car so I can spray after sorting pony in the morning and then have another in my drawer at work so whenever I get a faint whiff of horse I spray.

Time wise you just have to make it work. I have a full time job, have professional exams to study for and an overseas military OH to make time for once in a while. As others have said being organised is a big time saver.

 

[pippixox]

it is easy once you get in a routine.
mine mostly live out, but when they were in over winter, I would always chuck feeds in first so they could start eating, then get hay nets ready for the night before I had even turned out, so I was never stood waiting for them to eat. start skipping out if old boy still eating (only when he had bigger winter feeds!)
they came into a barn so often just left turn out on over night to save time on busy mornings
unless I really had no time, I would always do chores in the morning as there is nothing worse than turning up in the afternoon and remembering you didn't muck out in the morning!

I sometimes put clothes over the top. but found I get too hot when mucking out so just do a full change at work.

water at my yard is not near the barn and no long enough hose- so I fill big water containers and can just about manage 4 in a wheel barrow. so sometimes would only need to do the water walk every other day.

 

[SEL]

The small of straw beds clings to you more than wood chip I found - i deep litter on easibed over winter so mucking out is quick and smells better. Tie your hair back or it will whiff!

Ditto about avoiding time wasters. You can be polite but keep moving if you're in a rush.

 

[Red-1]

Label everything! On DIY you will likely have more possessions at the yard, and more people wanting to borrow them (and not out them back).

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm not on a DIY yard as such, have my own place, but AM a "DIY-er" as do everything myself, if that makes sense!!

OK here are my essentials:

Boiler suit to chuck on-top your "posh" clothes; I can easily be done-up for a night out - and bung on a boiler suit on top to do the horses and everything else I have to do (I'm on a smallholding), and then hey presto take off the boiler suit and am ready to go!

Disposable rubber gloves or the "nitrile" ones if you're allergic to latex (I am). Will save your hands and nail-varnish if you wear it!! You can wear them underneath ordinary gloves in the winter.

A Buff: ideal for wearing around your hair to keep it clean and hay-free! I wear mine underneath a riding hat.

Dry Shampoo: when you take off your Buff give your hair a spritz with this and ruffle it up a bit/comb through, and hey presto you'll be a hair-glam!

One of those little "nice smell" aerosols, can't remember the name of them, but you can pick them up at any chemist or supermarket. A quick underarm spritz and you're sweet-smelling. Also I see someone else has suggested the cheap-and-cheerful perfumes from Lidls! Try them first and wear them round the store as one I used smelt of cats!!! Also, do be aware that if you've got ridiculously sensitive skin (like mine) then these cheaper versions might not agree with you; for this reason I spray it on my clothes rather than bare skin!

Head-torch: I use a re-chargeable one.

Spare leccy-fencing battery! No good running out of battery on Christmas Eve/New Years Eve/Bank Holiday, and Neds are looking with evil intent at your leccy fencing arrangement!

Spare leccy-fencing poles and spare reel of tape: classic example of "you can never have too many".

Packet of kids nappies (or packet of sanitary towels!) - ideal for wounds; and plenty of vet-tape.

A set of basic farriers tools; essential IME for when you do the Neds on a dark winter's night and notice something has a shoe hanging half off.

Strong thread and heavy-duty needle for rug repairs! Also a tub of that white glue (can't remember the name!!), think its called Copydex, and some spare material (try charity shops! or use old clothes) for patching/rug repairs.

Saline spray.

Sudocrem.

Hope this helps.

 

[DD]

buy a good alarm clock

 

[BOWS28]

Most importantly, label everything you own. Even hoof picks because EVERYTHING goes walkies... 2Oh sorry, i just borrowed it and completely forgot to put it back2 they say as they rummage around in THEIR box to retrieve it.....

Invest in multiple haynets. I make up all my haynets for the week when i have a spare hour on a sunday. Saves so much time when you're lacking it!

Make feeds up at the same time as haynets. I use freezer bags and add all powder supplements at the same time too. Means i just have to empty into a bucket and add soaked grass nuts before feeding.

I muck out first thing in the morning and leave bed up during the day whilst they're out.

You can never have enough first aid bits and bobs. Stock up.

You can also never have enough buckets or spare fencing.

If you can lock everything away in a shed that is ideal. I only leave certain things outside my stable in a big plastic box; ie. a couple of brushes, hoof pick, fly spray, headcollar, fly mask and sudocreme. Everything else i lock away in my tack room/ feed room and go and get them as and when needed.

You will settle and find a routine that suits you and you'll wonder why you were worried. As much as i would love to lay in bed all morning once in a while, i can't rest until i've laid eyes on the girls and know i've done everything lol.

 

[AFB]

I'm on the lazy side of DIY - I pay for turnout in the morning and muck out in the evening after work, before I bring in. That way only my OH has to put up with the stable smell when I get home.

Luckily we have all year turnout so obviously not so easy in some circumstances.

Get a decent routine in place, don't make any trips empty handed, fill haynets en masse if you have the storage space and make up feeds in advance. If your stable is near the tap, buy a hose long enough so you don't have to lug water around.

Also depending on the yard, label everything and lock it away!!

 

[vhf]

I used to keep essentials like a spare pair of shoes, smart jacket, spare tights etc. at work. Having got to work in my wellies having left my work shoes at the side of the lane, or face-planting in the mud while quick-changing in same lane, they came in useful.

Cut right down on stabling and grooming/kit-cleaning as far as your situation/personal standards will allow.
Rug changing never works in smart clothes, and always headcollar/tie up to do anything no matter how rushed you are, because you can 100% guarantee that that's the day they act like unhandled loons and you waste even more time than normal.
Get a good head torch. And a spare one.

 

[Fransurrey]

I have enough buckets to make up 7 feeds for two and just keep a 2.5 L bottle of water in the feed room to add enough to dampen down. I have a 20 L water container that I use in winter, so I only need to refill it every few days.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have always left mucking out until the evening. Who wants to got to work smelling of mucking out, which can only be banished by washing - the idea of spraying cheap perfume over the top makes me queasy tbh - and I wouldn't want to work near to someone who had done that.

My tip is to do the bare minimum in the morning, even if you ride before work, the jobs will still be there in the evening and you won't feel so rushed.

 

[Merrymoles]

Some really good advice on here.

Just to add my tuppence worth - tidy up after yourself to avoid annoying other liveries and YO; if you need to poo pick, keep on top of it as it is no fun pushing a heavily-loaded barrow through the mud - we do ours every day even in the worse weather to stop it becoming a chore; prepare for the fact that the taps may be frozen in the mornings and either have a container of water stashed somewhere and wrapped in an old rug or snug amongst some bales or prepare for the fact that you'll have to do both stable and field water in the evening.

Most of all, enjoy seeing your horse twice a day - it may be raining sidewards and feeling like minus ten but mine is always as pleased to see me as I am to see him. And if you are on top of the jobs by planning like the advice on here, you have always got five minutes for an evening cuddle...

 

[Tarragon]

I would choose your DIY livery wisely. Try to find one where the set up matches your horse's requirements (i.e. track system or controlled grazing if you own a fatty or a native, lower stable doors for ponies, or a place that caters for highly athletic and "silly" big horses if you own one of these) or you will be forever clashing with the owner or fellow liveries! This also applies to you! If you are laid back and into long hacks then don't choose somewhere that is highly competitive and into matchy-matchy as you will not speak the same language

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

My tip is to do the bare minimum in the morning, even if you ride before work, the jobs will still be there in the evening and you won't feel so rushed.

My tip is to do everything before work ☺ so you know on a very bad weather day that all you need to do is bring in and feed, whilst checking over and changing a rug if necessary. Or, someone can bring in for you if roads that bad to get there.
I'd rather get up earlier to do this.

Even in the summer I don't leave the yard till the essentials are done

 

[turkana]

My tip is to do everything before work ☺ so you know on a very bad weather day that all you need to do is bring in and feed, whilst checking over and changing a rug if necessary. Or, someone can bring in for you if roads that bad to get there.
I'd rather get up earlier to do this.

Even in the summer I don't leave the yard till the essentials are done

I'm with you on this, I leave my stable clean & ready to use every morning, I can't bear sitting at work knowing I've got all that work to do. If somebody else has to bring my horse in, the stable is ready for her & they don't have to do anything.

 

[Laafet]

I work in an office which you'd think would tolerate horse smells as it is on a stud but no way could I do my horse in the morning and come to work without having had a shower first. So I get up at stupid o'clock, do everything including make up feeds before I go home, shower and go to work. This means if it all goes tits up during the day, the only help I need is to get him in and feed him, which most people no matter how busy will do.
Allow for emergency time, one morning I suffered a blown tyre and another I was involved in an accident (got rear ended by a stupid driver) and neither time was I late for work. I'd rather have 30 minutes at home for breakfast or to tidy up the house than be worrying about getting to work on time.
I also have a carer for mine in the winter so that two days a week I get the evening off and it makes winter far easier!

Top tips are -
Fill haynets up at the weekend
If you horse is clean, skip out all week and muck out and leave up at the weekend
Make up feeds in advance
Have items used daily close to the stable
Share jobs with another livery if it works out for you. I used to have one who turned mine out every day while I was at Uni, I then got hers in in the evening as she wasn't there until 8 or later.

You do have to be good at getting up but you get used to and this time of year mine lives out so I get a lie in!

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have found having horses on nice deep shavings beds stay cleaner and you don't smell after mucking out, I find straw dreadful you just stink after one muck out and nothing get rid of it apart from a shower.

 

[The Trooper]

My winter routine whilst working full time.

Alarm at 0445, up and straight to the yard (taking dogs with me, 2 birds with 1 stone, morning walk done).

Remove horse from stable and give morning feed whilst tied up/in another stable (I have 2, only 1 mare comes in).

Muck out (Bank bedding to try and let floor air/dry) whilst horse is eating, I've gotten the art of mucking out straw down to a fine art.

Rug change (if applicable) and out to the field.

Sometimes I don't manage to get up at 0445 but always try to be home no later than 0630 to get ready for work/have breakfast etc, I try to leave for work at around 0730.

Finish work at 1630-1800 dependant on what shift I am on, home to get changed and grab the dogs.

Back to yard, bringing in, change rugs, feed, fill haynets and water, add fresh straw, usually every other day and pull bed down.

I try to spend no longer than 1.5 hours at the yard after work in winter.

God, just writing this depresses me haha.


I always make sure feed is pre-soaked, I soak the next day's calm and condition the day before so I am not waiting for it to soak and i try to make sure all tools/headcollars etc are handy just to be as streamlined as possible.

 

[The Trooper]

HHO have released the article today, a few handy tips...

11 top tips to help you survive the stable-to-office dash each morning.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I have always left mucking out until the evening. Who wants to got to work smelling of mucking out, which can only be banished by washing - the idea of spraying cheap perfume over the top makes me queasy tbh - and I wouldn't want to work near to someone who had done that.

My tip is to do the bare minimum in the morning, even if you ride before work, the jobs will still be there in the evening and you won't feel so rushed.

I've found that generally, any smell will stick to clothes rather than the individual. As long as I wear gloves, change my clothes and keep my hair tied back or under a hoody, there's very little smell to linger on 'me'. I guess it depends on the bedding used and other circumstances too though.

I couldn't bear the idea of leaving my jobs until the evening. I'd much rather know the essentials are all done in the morning before I go to work. Then evenings are free for either riding, a chat with other liveries or just bring in, quick groom and go which helps maintain a happier OH

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I went last year from having one that I paid someone to do Monday to Friday to having two on unassisted DIY plus a dog! I luckily do work flexi hours and can work from home and this saves loads of time as i don’t have to worry about being smelly. Ive done DIY before though so not new to it.

As much turn-out as possible is a godsend.

In winter especially I try to do as many jobs as possible at the weekend. I bought off Amazon 20 lidded buckets to do all feeds Monday to Friday. I also have 14 large haynets plus a couple extra to do all night hay. I check daily but if ok I clean out automatic waterers just at the weekend. In summer I poo-pick every day twice if they’re out 24/7. In winter I try to do some most days and mop up the rest at weekends.

I almost never use stable rugs now and just use their breathable Rambo/ Rhino turn-outs. I added some hooks like these Stable hanger so that everything I need to do a quick turnout was in one place. Hoofpick/headcollar/fly-mask etc.

I buy bulk wood-pellets by the pallet and find them really economical and quick to muck out, mine do have fully matted stables though.

I vary riding sometimes before sometimes after work. In winter mostly the morning. Luckily dog is really obedient and great with the horses so I combine at least one of his walks and a hack together which saves loads of time. I try to do most jobs in the morning but it’s not always possible. I can muck out in the dark but not hack out so I prioritise that.

 

[Annagain]

Make friends with the other liveries as soon as possible. Sharing mornings / evenings makes a huge difference. My friend as I have been friends since we were kids and have always shared jobs but we've made more friends as the years have gone by and shared even more jobs. There are four of us - two do mornings together and two do evenings. The two who do mornings each have a day in the week when they don't work and work a Saturday so on their days off whichever is is in work turns out so the other can have a lie in. They also turn out Saturday so those of us who do evenings (and there therefore in work very early) can have a lie in and we all take it in turns to do Sunday mornings. That way we all get at least one lie in a week and the horses still get their early turnout - one hates being in past 6.30 and one is old and needs to go out to loosen up before being ridden at the weekend.

Other than that, work out a routine that suits you and stick to it. Work it out so you don't have to go anywhere empty handed or make any journey twice. I do evenings so mine (if I'm not riding) is:
- Arrive, go to tack room, jogging bottoms and jacket on (if going straight from work);
- Do feed (have two rubber feed skips so you don't have to go to stable to collect one first),
- Feed and tools into wheelbarrow and into stable;
- Unload feed and tools; empty and put waterbuckets to fill slowly - hang one off tap so when it overflows it fills the one on the floor - stand that one in feed skip so it overflows into skip and washes that;
- Take wheelbarrow to get hay. Hay barn close to field, so give horses a shout;
- Hay back to stable and into haybar (definitely recommend one to save time, so much easier than filling haynets);
- Muck out; put wheelbarrow and tools outside stable;
- Collect water, swill feed skip out, put on top of wheelbarrow,
- Get horses (who thanks to the shout earlier are now at gate) in - i.e open gate let them take themeselves to their stables;
- Quick check over, adjust rugs etc;
- Wheelbarow to muck heap, stopping outside tack room to drop off tools and feed skip;
- Empty wheelbarrow, swill it out on way back and put away, along with tools;
- joggers and jacket off.

15 minutes is normal for this. On a day when I'm in a hurry I can get this down to 10 (horse is very easy to muck out as he doesn't poo in his bed). My record is 7 minutes but that was without doing hay and water as I knew I would be in a major rush so had given him enough the day before to see him through 2 nights. I'm lucky I can do this as he doesn't throw hay everywhere and will eat/drink hay/water he's had a couple of days. If you can plan ahead like this for busy days it helps.

I'm always last to the yard and usually on my own which helps me to be quick. Chatting is your worst enemy!

Jobs like scrubbing buckets, soaking wood pellets and topping up bed, emptying any uneaten hay from the haybar can be left to the weekend. As long as it's cold enough for it not to ferment, I soak enough grass nuts for Monday - Friday on Sunday night.

 

[JennBags]

Not quite sure what you're all doing to get yourselves so smelly! Only when I was on straw would there be an issue (and as I semi-deep littered, only then on days when I dug out).

Using the same (breathable) rugs is my biggest time-saving tip.