DIY tips, tricks and hacks?

[AandK]

would these fit a standard horse haynet in comfortably? I sometimes need to put haynets in my car to drive short distance to lorry.

I use a Shires bale tidy to transport haynets in my car, it's basically a giant nylon bag that's big enough to fit a small hay bale in. Has been a game changer for me!

 

[magicmoments]

Not on DIY, but i have 13 to hay twice a day. I use garden waste bags for hay instead of nets - the 120l ones fit a decent sized portion for one horse. They are quick and easy to fill, stack neatly on top of each other when filled, and have handles so you can carry loads at a time.
https://amzn.eu/d/6aTesVV

I hate filling haynets with a passion, although only have one to provide for, not 13. I use a builders bag that holds approx 2 days worth, and a larger version of the garden sack you use

 

[AntiPuck]

Depending how your yard is set up, plan your walking so you aren't 'wasting' journeys. For example my muckheap/hay area is on the way to the field. So I muck out first, then take barrow with nets to near the muckheap on my way to the field to turn out (with horse in tow!), then I tip barrow and do nets on the way back to my stable.

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I love doing this and trying to plan the most efficient way to walk around so that no steps are wasted. After a while you will learn where to leave items so that you can "flow" from thing to thing without retracing steps. Taking a tote bag can help as you can put stuff in there that you need but that would otherwise occupy your hands.

I save time by doing things like keeping a headcollar in the car, or setting things out the night before as well, to avoid extra trips into the tack room etc

 

[Suncat]

On the Getting Up aspect (I am not a morning person!), I love the Alarmy App (Android and iPhone). You set and carry out 'missions' to turn off the alarm - and there's no way of stopping the alarm without doing it! I have it set up to scan a barcode on a book in my kitchen, once I'm that far I'm out of reach of the snooze button.

And birdsong! Kings College London did a fairly big study recently called 'Feeling Chirpy' that demonstrated that seeing or hearing birds leads to improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours. I've started playing a birdsong track when I stagger into the kitchen and it seems to really helps my mood....

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Fill haynets and make feeds for the week at the weekend. Think about the order you do things and where things are and cut out any unnecessary walking to and fro. Never go empty handed.

I used to put down wood pellets in the pee corners (handy if your pony pees in the same place) and then shavings on top. In the week I would just skip out the poo and then on a Saturday morning I would lift shavings, take out the wet wood pellets and put down fresh pellets. This saved me so much time during the week, mucking out went from 20mins to 5mins.

Re waking up, I used to have a Lumie alarm clock which gradually got brighter and supposedly tricks your body into waking up naturally with sunlight. And go to bed earlier.

 

[Chianti]

Get really good waterproofs and wellies. You'll get good at lighting up times and phases of the moon in winter. A full moon is a great help. At least you're starting coming out of winter rather than going into it

 

[ycbm]

Don't use haynets unless you have to, many horses can be fed ad lib from the floor.

Don't remove mud unless you want to put tack where it goes.

Don't take a wet rug off a horse, the best dryer is a horse.
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[Love]

Not read all replies so unsure if its been mentioned before - but get friendly and buddy up with someone! Come up with a plan where one of you will turn out/bring in both horses on certain days. Gives you a rest at one end of the day a couple days a week. Also agree with leaving wet turnouts on the horse to dry! Prefill haynets if you use them and get a good pair of waterproof overalls. If im just turning out before work I stick them over my work clothes - job done!

 

[dottylottie]

On the Getting Up aspect (I am not a morning person!), I love the Alarmy App (Android and iPhone). You set and carry out 'missions' to turn off the alarm - and there's no way of stopping the alarm without doing it! I have it set up to scan a barcode on a book in my kitchen, once I'm that far I'm out of reach of the snooze button.

And birdsong! Kings College London did a fairly big study recently called 'Feeling Chirpy' that demonstrated that seeing or hearing birds leads to improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours. I've started playing a birdsong track when I stagger into the kitchen and it seems to really helps my mood....

this app seems like such a good idea, however i know full well i would simply bring the book upstairs…thank god i’ve no horsey jobs to do before work

 

[sakura]

Learning how each horse uses its bed is very helpful, as well as storing extra bedding in banks. Also, not changing out of turnouts.

 

[WBGG]

Good suggestions here. I always prepare everything in advance: feeds made up, straw in a builders bag ready to go and haynets all made up outside stable. Spare water buckets for cold weather. My horse wears her turnout overnight in the stable ready for morning, eats breakfast outside the stable while I muck out and follows me behind my wheelbarrow to the muck heap (on the way to the field).
I definitely save loads of time by not wasting walking time back and forth. In fact I've probably cut my morning routine in half time wise since I got my horse...

 

[Surbie]

I probably faff too much at the yard, though I try to do lots of the things listed above. I have a 20 minute round trip to our field and I use the mornings to brush muddy legs and rasp feet. I exercise my horse in the evenings and do jobs in the morning.

I do cut down on time at home by laying out what I want to wear for work the night before. If it's chilly out, those go on a radiator for the heaven that is putting on warm socks and jumpers after a shower.

And I've buddied up with other liveries in my field. We interchange turning out/bringing in, it's a lovely group and it means I get occasional lie-ins and can go away for the odd weekend or have my horse brought in if I am going to be late to the yard.

 

[Kunoichi73]

And birdsong! Kings College London did a fairly big study recently called 'Feeling Chirpy' that demonstrated that seeing or hearing birds leads to improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours. I've started playing a birdsong track when I stagger into the kitchen and it seems to really helps my mood....

Re waking up, I used to have a Lumie alarm clock which gradually got brighter and supposedly tricks your body into waking up naturally with sunlight. And go to bed earlier.

I don't have horses but definitely agree with getting the sunrise (and sunset) alarm clock. My lumie has several options for the alarm sound some of which include birdsong. The gradual increase in light finished with the pastoral alarm make waking much less stressful than the suddenness of a blaring alarm.

 

[poiuytrewq]

If you ever have a spare 10 minutes do a job, I don’t let myself think I’ll do that later!
I find it’s all down to being organised.
In the evening I load my barrow up with tools and clean straw in a builders bag. Make feeds and haynets and pile hay in the field for the morning so I literally put feeds in, strip the stables out buckets, nets etc. scrub and fill buckets while they eat breakfast.
Routine! When you have got into a good routine it’s easy!

 

[Tarragon]

I find it’s all down to being organised.

and that includes the old basics of "Time and Motion" efficiencies. I often find myself working out how best to organise my tasks, like combining one with another to save trips to a part of the yard, or doing them in a certain order so that I end up closer to where I need to be, or picking up tools for something I need to do later to save time... all these little savings add up! I think I can get a bit too OCD about it

 

[Fieldlife]

and that includes the old basics of "Time and Motion" efficiencies. I often find myself working out how best to organise my tasks, like combining one with another to save trips to a part of the yard, or doing them in a certain order so that I end up closer to where I need to be, or picking up tools for something I need to do later to save time... all these little savings add up! I think I can get a bit too OCD about it

Me too. My car, lorry, yard, school I use can all be in slightly different places from each others, so good planning makes a huge difference.

 

[Tarragon]

It makes me mentally cringe when I see people walk slowly past me, twice, when with a bit of thought they could have made just the one trip. And walk faster too! Crack on, as they would say. I hate dawdling.
I must be coming across as a bit of a mad woman ....

 

[Tarragon]

accidently posted twice - how ironic!

 

[Dave's Mam]

To avoid clockwatching & looking at my phone, I have an alarm set for 5 minutes before I need to leave.