For those who do horses before work

About 25mins to do full muck out, waters & hay. Not turned out at the moment as the boy is recovering from an injury and fields are slippery hillsides of mud (and also closed, but I wouldn't be putting out anyway!)

I'm usually at the yard for around 1hr and also fit in 1/2hr ride or lunging as well as the muck out :smile4:
 
Mine live out so about 20 mins to walk across field, make feed, give to horses and possibly take rugs off or leave them on, did it in 15 today! Damn that mud slowing me down morning time is precious!
 
Alarm off at 5.40. Get up straight out to yard. Tie up stressy one to stop him messing bed. Tie cob up on yard and start to muck her out. OH appears and turns her out, then turns out stressy one. He then takes hard feeds out to these 2. By the time he is back 2 stables mucked out and bedded down,wheelbarrow full and he empties it. Ginger one then tied up and I muck him out he empties barrow and ginger is hayed and watered and fed.

Fresh straw put in other stables and hayed. OH puts bale in steamer for later and mixes evening feeds. In by 6.10. Kettle on, smelly clothes off. Coffee, breakfast, shower in car just before 7 to be at work for 7.50. All works fine unless one of us is a bit too slow and we then get out of step a bit.
 
I get there at about 6.45am get nets out to drain (I soak nets atm) go get wheel barrow, make up ponys breakfast (handful of fibre nuggets and speedibeet) pull pony from stable and change rug (something lighter if staying in or turnout if going out) feed breakfast, I then skip out my stable grab haynets and hang, check water. Then either pick her feet out and turnout or put back in stable. Make the nights hay and put in to soak, sweep and empty barrow. Leave yard at about 7.25.
 
Work mornings:
Alarm 5.45, dress & drive to yard (3.5 miles) arrive as 6am news starting
Damp feeds and throw in, grab hay for daytime field use and either tie in shelter or put in 2 piles on floor.
grab barrow &skip out tiny fuzzy
go across yard to flf, put hood on if needed, go back to tf & grab her mane, go to flf & open her door and we go to 1 of the 3 paddocks off the yard (no wellies needed!)
Remove empty haynets and swap for full, remove feed buckets and lob in middle of yard.
Muck out flf, refill hers and tf water.
Empty barrow, rinse feed buckets, make up evening feeds and the following morning ones.
leave yard approx 6.20 (6.25 if had to ice break tanks)

Big tip: if own yard do not sweep up nor tidy muck heap on work mornings
 
PollyP99 said:
I'm on straw and doing one takes me 50 minutes, I now see I'm very slooow. She's not fed in the morning just as haylage in her field, time lost for me is haynets ( no where to store weeks worth) and mucking out as I do full muck out daily. Need to take some of your great ideas now I think!

I leave home at 6.15 back at 7.15 (5 mins drive each way) change and in work 55 miles away for 9.
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Thank goodness you posted, I was starting to feel inadequate! :D

Probably takes me about 90 mins to do 2, both get feeds morning and evening, and I do a full muck out of both in the morning - plus one is in overnight and the other in during the day and in separate fields. It's not so much the mucking out that takes the time though - it's the water, hay and trip to the muck heap!
 
Mine is out 24/7 but has a field shelter which has half a bed in, so don't have to worry about rug changing etc in the morning, just lift the rug and reposition. First one on the yard feeds, so they've usually all eaten by 7am!

On a normal day, I get up at 6.45 and to the yard 7.15 (1.2 miles and 5 mins drive). Mucking out (straw) takes 10 mins, 15 if I'm on a go slow, or less if I leave the bed up to air and put down after work. Usually aim to leave the yard by 7.40/7.45, get home, quick shower, change, breakfast and leave the house for 8.20am to be in for 8.50. If I want to ride, I will aim to be at the yard for 7.05 latest, brush face and saddle area and legs to boot up, on quickly and ride for twenty/thirty mins,I tack, flick over, rugged and out. If I am riding her owner lets her on the yard so that I don't have to trudge down the field to grab her.

Some mornings I have changed at the yard, which gives me more time fiddle about.

I can work flexi, so can go in at 10, but that means I'm in the office till 6, but have gone in for half 9 on some mornings, but don't like to do that too often. My work is 9 miles from my house, and depending on which route I go depends on how long it takes. Anywhere between 15 mins and 40 mins, traffic influenced of course.

Few time saving tips...
Wash your hair the night before and then put it under a hat when you're at the yard, then reshape etc afterwards.
Dress for work and then put a load of good quality overalls on. (I've not done this but have considered it)
I fill a load of Hay nets on Sunday, and then every other evening I will fill one or two if I'm not in a rush to get home.
Make feeds up the night before, or make them up in plastic freezer bags, so all you have to do is empty them out when needed.
Learn to never walk anywhere with your hands empty!

Once you get into routine, it becomes so much easier.
 
Me and two friends share morning duties through the week so we don't have to go up every morning.

In winter, when its my turn to do the three horses my alarm goes off at 6.15 and I am en route to yard by 6.45. Drive takes about 15 mins. I go along and give all three horses their nets and/or any bucket feed and then start mucking out. Mine is probably the easiest/quickest to do, even though she is on straw and the others are on shavings as she is fairly neat and tidy. Then I go and do the other two who are on shavings. one of these is a right messy beggar but is ten times better since his owner switched from straw to shavings - I can now do him with half a barrow, whereas when he was on straw it was usually two wheelbarrows!

As I go from stable to stable mucking out, I tweak any rugs that need it (whether that be simply straightening them out, folding necks back or changing them. I also fill their water buckets as I move down the row.

I usually take my mare for a quick walk down the lane in hand.

I always ensure that I have nets/feeds ready the night before so I don't have to do them in the morning. I am then getting changed for work by 7.50 and setting off for work by 8am all being well.

On my 'off days' I sometimes go up anyway and ride which is kind of nice as I don't have to do the mucking out!

In summer, I turn every thing out and then do my own stable chores ready for the evening
 
You will get into a routine eventually. When i first brought billy home i thought it would never work, but it has.[/QUOTE]

This, it's just getting back into it. I always do two things at once or one thing on the way to doing something else; leave water filling while I empty the wheelbarrow, get hay on way back, etc. Takes me about 35 minutes to feed, turn out and muck out two, on a good day!
 
On the mornings I have to be in early, I put on work clothes, then combat trousers, jumper and wellies over the top, quick strip off of top layers when finished and ready for work... sometimes with hay in hair but you can't have everything :)
 
I work nights so I stop by in the morning after work at 6:45am and chuck him out. He doesn't have breakfast so I just change his rug and he goes out which takes 5 mins. Sometimes I chuck my friend's horse out too if she's working early. I then go home to sleep, get up around 3pm and go back to muck out, ride and feed. Mucking out, nets, waters and feed takes me about 25 mins as he's the wettest horse in the world and his stable usually needs completely resetting because it looks like a bomb has gone off.

Like others have said, you get in to your own routine but I find putting him out first and coming back later to ride and muck out better for me, whereas others at the yard do it the other way round. Personsal preference :)
 
mandwhy said:
Mine live out so about 20 mins to walk across field, make feed, give to horses and possibly take rugs off or leave them on, did it in 15 today!
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Same as this. I find the dogs take me longer as i can just fling hay at the nags but the dogs need a proper walk
 
It's taking me an hour and a half atm with 2. That's tragic given I work with horses.

But it's a faff atm.
I get there, chuck feeds in (made up already), fill wheeley bin with hay and put on to soak. Fill 1 dry haynet and hang it up.

Then start changing rugs, lathering on mudfever creams, putting on mud boots...takes forever but tried without on vets advice as can't get it to clear up and it got ten times worse in a day...

Take hay up to the fields (tried with the horses but they're plebs and it's so muddy I'd rather walk twice than fight with pushing a wheelbarrow of wet hay through mud plus 2 horses trying to gorge themselves). Two turnout trips (I turn out my mums horses too but they stay in TO rugs when I'm working).

Muck out 2 filthy horses...they're on wood pellets but still make a huge mess and water. Pick up dry net on way back from muck heap and hang up...then fill up a huge net with wet hay, fight for my life tying it up. Sweep up and run.

Would be much much quicker if I didn't have to soak hay and do all the mud fever stuff, but what can you do? I don't like leaving them in TO rugs overnight either really so yeah. I don't mind though, I enjoy it really.

If I have time/starting work a bit later I poo pick after dropping off hay in the field too.
 
Arrive at yard for 7, chuck in pre made breakfast, while he eats I change rugs and take water buckets out, about 7.15 turnout & check field water bucket. 7.30 take down Haynet & muck out, I have a straw bed. I like to be mucked out with new straw, barrow tipped and ready made Haynet hung by 8.
Fresh water in the stable, buckets scrubbed and that nights tea ready for 8.15
Get changed and at work for 8.40 depending on traffic!
If I ride in the morning then I'll be down there for 6 and as above by 7!!

You can save time by making feeds & hay nets in bulk. Have everything you need handy and kept in the same place so you can go straight to it. Multitask I.e if you have to pass something on the way to the other do them at the same time saving x2 trips. Be organised and focus on what your doing. If you haven't got time to chat then don't, a simple morning will do and crack on!!
 
It takes me 15 mins with 3 horses. They all live out and they are at home.
I take wheelbarrow to the field full of haylage and fill 3 tyres and the shelter, check rugs and thats it.
At night time its the same but they get a feed whilst I do feet and fill haylage again.
 
Horses and time limits make people very efficient! My favourite time savers are:
Hay Bar - save me an age in net filling and hanging! Also saves me lots of hay as my darling boy doesn't drop it everywhere!
Dustbin to soak hay in - it has a couple of small holes drilled in the bottom. I fill the bin up (just a normal black plastic bin) stick it under the tap in the morning and leave it there while I turn out. On the way back in to the yard I turn off the tap, and thanks to the holes in the bottom it slowly drains during the day. Then I have a clean dry bin full of soaked hay to carry/barrow, instead of a wet haynet!
Rubber mats - definitely help the mucking out time and save bedding costs too.
I have forgotten what a stable rug looks like! This winter I've left turnout rugs on, basically using my stabled horse as a heated rug rack! I change for a different rug in the morning when the rug is dry.
Do everything the night before - fill haybin, water barrels, make feeds. In an ideal world I'd own 7 bins for hay and 7 feed bowls, so I could make them all up at the weekend, but I don't have the storage for them!

OP you will get used to your own routine and speed up as you settle in. As STO says above, definitely learn to multitask! For e.g. my wheelbarrow stays full after I muck out in the morning, and at night I empty it on the way to collect my now-drained haybin, as both the muck heap and tap are round the back of the barn so there's no point doing 2 half-full trips. A bit retentive perhaps, but definitely saves time - even 2 minutes makes a difference at sparrow o'clock!
 
Ahrena said:
then fill up a huge net with wet hay, fight for my life tying it up. .
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Ahrena, deffo try the haybar and dustbin to soak approach - SO much easier and quicker. Haybars not that expensive, esp if you can find a second hand or non-branded one. Mine is a copycat version, about £40. Every time I fight for my life hanging up someone else's wet haynet, I love my haybar just a little bit more!!!
 
Getting into a routine is everything. I do two (one particularly filthy) in an hour, including 20 mins travelling. Once you get your routine sorted, it also allows a bit of extra time for the unexpected/out of the ordinary, although I still find that puts me out of kilter for the day!
So, up at 6am, feed dogs, arrive at yard by 6.30
Turn both out - can't go together as gates are too narrow
Collect haynets, filled night before, and left ready in barrow
Remove treat balls from stables, take to feedroom, collect tools
Remove and replace haynets
Muck out both
Fill water
Empty barrow
Take tools back and collect evening feeds, made night before, and stick in stables
Turn out lights
Put empty haynets in barrow and return to barn
I am lucky enough to share the chores with a lovely DIY who brings in at night and poo picks. She also lets me have a lie in at the weekend by doing a morning.
My OH is in hospital so at the moment she has also been filling my following day's haynets for me every night, bless her! I'm also making up the following days feeds in the morning so that I don't have to stress about getting up to do it in the evening if I'm at the hospital.
 
It's just my friend and I at the yard so I turn them both out in the mornings and she brings in in the evenings. I've then only got mine to muck out, fill a couple of hay nets for, replenish his water and sweep the yard which takes me about 30 minutes, sometimes a little longer if I'm on a go slow which is usually from Wednesday onward! :D

I've always been slow so it's a good thing I chose not to continue with a career in horses. I was always finished last on duties at college and have OCD so that's my excuse!
 
Takes me 15 mins or so if I don't ride first thing too. Yard 10 metres from back door.

Horse lives in turnout rug so turned straight out in field with his breakfast, back to muck out, refill water bucket and fill up blue 45 gallon drum with haylage and put back in stable, make up evening feed. Done.

If I do ride, I am out at 6.10 a.m I tack up first and tie horse up in yard with rug on then muck out etc, ride, turn out with breakfast and am done by 7.30 a.m.
 
After reading all of these I'm so glad I changed to part time assisted. I do not miss those dark, wet, freezing mornings. When I did do mornings I arrived collected feed and head collar brought horse to his individual paddock and let him eat his feed there. Ran back to yard mucked out and prepared hay for later. A long hose pipe is the best invention ever saves so much time!
 
It used to take me 45 minutes, but there were two ponies sharing a stable, so it was carnage! Feeds were put in first, then I would go and get wheelbarrow and tools, by which time they'd have nearly finished eating. I would rug if necessary whilst they ate (mine don't mind that), or put up fresh hay nets for the evening and take out water bucket. Then they were turned out and I'd come back to muck out the stable. Waterbucket was then placed under tap (or hose trailed to stable and turned on). I would then race the hose, taking my muck to the heap.

Now it takes me less than half an hour, but they're out 24/7! Don't miss stables. At all. ;)

Forgot to add that I did all this with waterproofs over my work gear. All I had to do back at the car was peel the trousers down, get into work shoes and throw my jacket onto the back seat.
 
OMG! I feel so inadequate now! Have the horse at home and this is my routine:

05:45 - Alarm Goes Off
05:55 - Downstairs, let dogs out, boots own, go down to yard, open doors, sling feeds in and put headcollars on doors, turn on electric fence, take tarp off field feed manger
06:15 - Turn all horse out (3) having changed rugs, and booted up (the TB is a serial self-harmer)
06:20- All haylage in mangers ready for bring in
06:30- Start mucking out 2nd stable having mucked out the Shettie and let the chicken out and cleaned out their run
06:45 - Start on third stable
07:00 - Finished mucking out, swept outside the front of the stables and heaped muck heap. make up feed, let Guinea Fowl out.
07:10 - In house, feed dogs, get ready for work

I have the horse on Bliss so I only skip out during the week and do a full muck out on a saturday. having read what you guys do, I am such a drag arse!!!
 
I'm up at 5.15am & get the the yard by 5.45. Takes me about an hour. That includes feeding the whole top barn, muck out 2 (mine and a friend), change rugs for 2, and haynets in. That's if they're in for the day.

Takes the same amount of time, if not 5 mins extra when turning out as 2 trips to the field.

I make up a weeks worth of feeds at the weekend and I have about 12 haynets that I stuff whenever they are all empty. Saves loads of time.

I'm back home by 6.45am usually, then it's get ready for work and get to the office for 8am.
 
Just started this on a daily basis so on a learning curve!

Horses stables oustide house and field in front of house which helps!
Out of house at 6.45
First job is to feed all 3 (have now decided to make this up the night before to save time)
Put hay out in field whilst they eat.
Once finished take one out then go back for the other two. One is unrugged and tend to leave outdoors on the other two (take them off at weekend)
Above usually takes about 15/20 mins.
Muck out all 3 stables and fill water for the evening (and if i have time put fresh hay out for the night too).
This takes about 15/20 mins depending on mess.

Im usually back in the house no later than 7.30am and leave the house at no later than 8am.

I left them in today (much to their disgust) as expecting bad weather and i'll be hosnet they are now on their spring paddock so have to consider how i maintain that for th enext few weeks till this rubbish weather stops! It took a bit longer as mucking out around them is harder and had to bump up their hay supply (also a bit of haylage to keep them on side!).
 
I have breakfasts made up night before, mine stays in turnout rugs, other livery's horse that I turn out goes out naked and have haynets done. I managed to get both hayed, watered, mucked out and fed in 15 minutes this morning because of the weather they stayed in. Normally takes me 20 when I throw turning out into the equation - well mannered ponies and a stall guard you can duck under if ponies barge is a time saver as well! Also I overall up and then spray myself in opious amounts of body spray
 
Got nine to do....

If they are in (which they are at the mo cos wet but try and leave out when can)Down yard for 6.30 (600 yards from house) put in feeds (made up night before) Take down nets and refill water buckets while they eat. open 7 stable doors and all those can make their own way out. Go and get other two whic are on top yard (feed them on way down) put them out too (leave on TO rugs) close field gate and leave......home by 7. My one daughter mucks out 7 in the day and I muck out two top yard when I finish work other daughter fills next day haynets and makes up feeds foe evening and next morning, Horses in by 4.00 (except two I muck out) all but 3 (semi retired) are ridden daily.... Couldn't cope without the two girls though.... BUT on a saturday all nine take me 2.15 hrs from start to finish and back in their stables ready to be ridden......
 
My routine for 1 horse is

tie up outside whilst mucking out (YO gives all the horses their breakfasts at 5.30am)
muck out/do feeds/fill haynet (if im not feeling lazy i will fill one up for the next day) fill hay sack to take up to field fill up water then turn out all done in 30mins or less. Given up changing rugs so saves a bit of time although at weekends i do put him in his stable rugs
 
Sorry to ask a silly question but a few of you have mentioned wood pellets for bedding, am I right in thinking that this is the same material as cat litter, if so , how do you make it comfy for your neds ?
 
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