Do you muck out with your horse in the stable or tie up outside?

Doormouse

Doormouse

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Just wondering what everyone does and why when mucking out. Do you tie up outside always, do you tie up in the stable or does it depend on the weather?

Whichever you do, for what reasons do you do it that way?
 
I hate mucking out around a horse, find it takes longer and they mess the bed up as you are trying to tidy it. Usually I turn them out and then muck out but if turnout isn't an option for what ever reason I tie up on the yard.

If I am skipping out I do it with the horse still in the stable.
 
I mck out when the horses have been tuned out. When they are in during the day in summer and out at night I'll pick up the droppings during the day with them in the stable but sweep the bed back and level it off once they have gone back out. If a horse is in on box rest I tend to move them into an empty stable whilst mucking out their stable.

Reason is to reduce dust around the horses.
 
i usually muck out with him in the stable ,its very large and he wont have a wee in the mornings until ive tidied the bed so he just waits with his legs crossed until ive finished . i would put him out or tie up outside if the bed was dusty tho
 
depends which horse im mucking out... Rio i will muck out around as he stands out of the way eating hay or having a nose out of the door and hes a bit of a fidget on the yard. Taz i tie up outside or stick in a spare box as hes huge and nosy and if you catch him in the wrong mood he kicks so its easier to keep him out of the way. i dont tie up in the stable as they cant move out of my way if they are tied up.
 
It depends. Skip out I usually do with them in the stable, although occasionally the youngster gets tied up as she wants to put her nose in *everything.* Muck out, I either turn them out or stick them on the walker. It's just easier not having to ask them to move all the time!
 
I tend to tie up in the yard and muck out while he's eating his breakfast. If raining I put a lightweight combo on - so much easier than trying to muck out around although I can do if need be.
 
I turn out then muck out. I have mucked out around a horse on box rest and it was a nightmare couldn't get the stable very clean. I ended up tying up outside instead
 
I prefer them out of the stable as it's quicker but that said I will start mucking out around them whilst they're having breakfast if I have to and will also do it if the weather is bad or there are lots of others already tied up on the yard.
 
Used to do it with Andy in stable as he had such a huge stable he'd stand on one side and I could do the other then we'd swap.

I tried doing it with Louie but he kept tipping my wheelbarrow over and the chewing my shavings fork then throwing my broom across the stable. Even when tied up outside I have to put the chain across otherwise he comes in and 'helps.' :rolleyes:
 
Bouncy youngsters either get turned out or tied in stable where I can keep an eye on them. Sensible older ponies are given haynet and left loose in stable.
 
if they can be turned out to be mucked out/skipped out i will do that

otherwise they stand in their stables, but i dont tie them up....both know that they stand on the other side on the stable that i am mucking out or the rubber mat at the front.
if i tied them up they couldnt stand out of my way.

i dont tie up outside as when ever i have done that they pull away, create a fuss etc...and when mucking out i just want to get on with it and not bother with what they are doing!!!
 
Usually I tie up on the yard, find I can get it done quicker then. However elvis has been on box rest and is a bit more fidgety and I wouldn't want to risk him breaking free. So I've been mucking out with him in the box, it's a large stable so it's easier, I don't tie him up, I just put his hay net in one corner of the stable, muck out 1/2 the stable, then move the hay net to the opposite corner and muck out the other 1/2. It works brilliantly and he's learnt to stand so he's not in my way.
 
We dont have outside tie ups on our yard so its either muck out while the horse is turned out or do it while they're in either in stable loose or tied up in there. Mine have always been easy to muck out around, I only tie up if theyre likely to leg it with the door open ;) xx
 
I expect them to shift over as required! Failing that, I would rather have them out in the field than tied outside, as have seen a horse get loose and take off whilst its owner was busy mucking out. Thankfully no one was hurt, including horse :)
 
I muck out when the horses are all outside in the field - if I'm doing a quick skip out for any reason I will skip out with the geldings in the same stable (they don't get in the way!) however I wouldn't do this with my mare as it would end in disaster.
 
Two different ways for me! When I muck out my pony I keep her in the stable but she doesnt need to be tied up cause thankfully she doesnt feel the need to walk out a nose around in the calf troughs across the yard :p However, with my sisters pony he has to be tied up because the second the door is opened he tries to barge out. Both of them stay in the stables though :) I find it fairly easy as long as they listen to you and move when you ask them :)
 
I try and tie up outside if i can as i can then fling the muck fork round without being careful and its quicker and easier. If i need to i can muck out with him in there, hes rather good at letting me do one side, then he will move over onto the other side and stay there till iv finished. Well unless hes being neurotic then he hogs the door and weaves and box walks if i try and move him over a bit. xD
 
In the winter I often tie them at the front and muck out with them in. In the summer I turn out first. I prefer them out so they don't stand in the dust, but I like them in so I spend time with them and they get use to me scraping the straw from around their legs so they are use to the noise and I can scrape poo out of the trailer with them inside.
 
It depends on the weather really. If its tipping it down i'll give them their breakfast in the stable while i muck out around them. They are all very good at lifting their feet up when i want to sweep up under them. We have wood pellets so theres no dust flying about either. But i must admit i do prefer to muck out when the stables empty.
 
My Tb won't eat his breakfast outside the stable tied up, so while he's eating I start mucking out and finish off properly once I've turned him out. He's very polite and doesn't hold me up. Ideally I'd do it without him.
 
I remember working at a yard years back, one of the grooms was mucking out with a very calm, well mannered horse in the stable. I can't think of how it happened, but some how the fork ended up embedded in the horses tendon. Whilst it wasn't life threatening, it put the horse out of work for a few weeks.

It was only last year that I was mucking out my horse with a dull plastic straw fork with him in the stable, I slipped and ended up giving him a good prod in the leg. Luckily it didn't make a mark, but it would of done damage if it had been metal.

From now on he's either tied outside or in his field while I muck out!
 
I loathe mucking out with a horse in the stable. I turn everything out first, then muck out. So much quicker and easier. I also leave boxes ready for bed time every morning, so beds down, feeds in, ready for horses to be put straight to bed. Makes life quicker in the evenings, and also meant that the first time I was rushed into hospital, all my friend had to do for me was put horses in stables.
As a rule I also hate "doing things" to my horses when they're in their boxes. If I need to tack up, groom, or do any other faffing about, they're tied up outside their boxes. Partly because I don't want to have to skip out and tidy beds every five minutes, but also partly because their stables are their "bedrooms" and I don't like to faff with them in what should be their quiet space.
 
Mine is tied up out side with a haynet, she's too big and pesky to be in the box. I have one of those waterproof show sheets that goes right up to her ears, so that goes straight over the top of her stable rug if it's raining.
 
I agree Staarzaan, the stable is her respite, and although she is perfectly easy to handle in there I like to keep it separate, and not invade too much.
 
If need be I will muck out with the horse in the stable, but generally I will wait until turned out/ put on the walker.
 
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