Great, but simple, ideas ...

[Enfys]

If there is snow on the gound take hay out to the field on a sled.

Sled also works for frosty ground or mud :0

If you are using a wheelbarrow in muddy ground - pull, don't push.

 

[Enfys]

Keep a large plastic sieve by water troughs, useful for clearing all kinds of stuff out of troughs, leaves, drowned creatures, ice ...

 

[OldNag]

Keep a large plastic sieve by water troughs, useful for clearing all kinds of stuff out of troughs, leaves, drowned creatures, ice ...

We use kids shrimping nets

 

[ozpoz]

A builders bag when there is too much snow to use a wheelbarrow - they even have handles! They are also good for carrying hay, without making a mess of your yard, or if you need to take a hay to field, without it blowing away.

 

[pansymouse]

Ikea big blue shopping bags are ideal for carrying hay for one or two horses into the field without creating mess or worrying about wheels getting stuck on mud.

 

[cauda equina]

An empty carrot net is great for scrubbing mud off hooves

 

[lucky7]

A strainer (sieve) is great to drain soaked sugerbeet which has lots of water
Touch of silver shampoo works wonders on getting socks/white horses white!!
Yard tools always from a DIY store not equestrian outlets which are expensive
Dish brushes (with handles) make great hoof brushes!
Putting Bits and stirrup irons in the dishwasher brings them up like new
Plastic bags on feet for wet wellies! (sometimes i forget and leave them outside in the rain) nothing worse than wet wellies, they dry out loads too if you wear with plastic bags on your feet!!

 

[scats]

Kids hair detangler, about £2 from home bargain, works on manes and tails brilliantly.

 

[Antw23uk]

Someone has just shared a brilliant idea on my FB newsfeed .... a pair of over gloves draped over a saddle (when not on the horse, of course) with the stirrups curled back and tucked into the padded bits at the end where you would stick your hands to protect them. Keeps the stirrups secure and doesn't mark your saddle. Inspirational ....

Anyone else ... ?

I saw this and actually went straight to ebay and brought a couple of pairs, lol

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Use rubber gloves when picking out very muddy feet - keeps your hands clean and dry.
I second the rubber rings for the t-bars on surcingles. I use lamb castrating rings (put 2 on a rug this morning) and they work brilliantly.
Make a hay bar using an old rubber mat (cow mats are the best)
I've found Canter Mane & Tail or Coat Shine is actually the best thing for muddy coats in the winter. Spray legs/tummies/armpits, rub on ears/face etc and the mud will literally fall off overnight when dry. Saves an awful lot of washing/brushing!!

 

[3OldPonies]

If your tap is prone to freezing up, fill some plastic bags with warm poo from the muck heap and cover the tap last thing before you leave in the evening. The warmth will slow down the freezing and the thickness of the poo wrap will act as insulation even when the poo has gone cold. It helps if you can put a towel or something over the bags too to keep them in place. You can also make a bigger wrap for exposed pipes using larger bags like sugar beet bags and tie on with baler twine. These can stay in place all winter if you need them too; just use the smaller warm bags on the tap each night.

A gas powered candle lighter is great for unfreezing padlocks without making them wet or stinky with de-frosting spray or WD40.

 

[asmp]

Use a brown (or black) elasticated hair band instead of the rubber ring thingy that you are supposed to use joining the two pieces of a martingale together. Takes seconds!

 

[KM-R]

I've just bought a plastic garden sieve from Aldi to hopefully pick out the tiny bits of poo in my pellet beds (not every day! Not that fussy!). Thought I could have a good sort through a couple of times a week and the holes look big enough to let the whole pellets through whilst catching the small bits of dung that fall through the fork. If it works, it will be £1.75 well spent!

It works, Cornish - I borrowed one for a while for my pellet bed, and then bought one of my own, and it's massively cut down on pellet wastage and those annoying little bits of poo! I can get a night's waste into about a third of a barrow that way, and love that it's possible to get it really tidy.

Does have the side effect that my yard neighbours call my mucking out 'panning for poo' but that's a degree of mockery that I'm prepared to take!

 

[pennyturner]

Put a brick or similar in the water trough, with a bit of bailer twine up and over the edge. When it freezes simply lift out the ice with the string.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

The blue plastic barrels that most yards seem to have can be used for numerous things. Cut the lid off & then drill 3 holes equal distances apart around the top & put a long nut & bolt through the holes. Once done you can hook your hay net inside the barrel holding it open for stuffing it with hay. It costs you nothing & speeds up hay net filling.

 

[FFAQ]

Fantastic!

put a brick or similar in the water trough, with a bit of bailer twine up and over the edge. When it freezes simply lift out the ice with the string.

 

[limestonelil]

Put a brick or similar in the water trough, with a bit of bailer twine up and over the edge. When it freezes simply lift out the ice with the string.

Oh my - this is so useful, love it. Thank you.

 

[jojo5]

The blue plastic barrels that most yards seem to have can be used for numerous things. Cut the lid off & then drill 3 holes equal distances apart around the top & put a long nut & bolt through the holes. Once done you can hook your hay net inside the barrel holding it open for stuffing it with hay. It costs you nothing & speeds up hay net filling.

This^^^^ my oh has fixed four coat hooks ( rounded ends, no injuries) upside down into drilled holes with plastic ties at equal distance around the top of a black dustbin. Really quick to fill and added bonus of almost always equal amount in net if stuffed to fill bin.

 

[Led]

QUOTE=chaps89;13503726]Use a soft toothbrush on plaited reins and other nooks and crannies of your tack where grease and dirt can gather and it comes off a lot easier than just by scrubbing with a cloth.
Use a dustpan for emptying that annoying last little bit of water out of the trough that can't be upturned for whatever reason but doesn't have a plug to help you empty it. If the trough is plumbed in you can then use the dustpan to catch some water and rinse the sides off and re-empty before filling back in.

Use a sponge for remaining water

 

[Polos Mum]

I thought everyone knew this - but after a comment at a show last weekend worth a share - rather than red/ green ribbon in their tails - get a cheap roll of appropriately coloured electrical tape and tape around the tail (loosely) it's won't fall out and much less faffy to put in.

 

[scats]

Gorilla tape from B&Q and other hardware stores. It's like a super strong and thick duct tape and is absolutely amazing at doing temporary rug repairs. Just make sure the rug is brushed off as best you can as the tape doesn't like sticking to dirt.

I always keep a roll of it at the yard.

 

[hollyandivy123]

It works, Cornish - I borrowed one for a while for my pellet bed, and then bought one of my own, and it's massively cut down on pellet wastage and those annoying little bits of poo! I can get a night's waste into about a third of a barrow that way, and love that it's possible to get it really tidy.

Does have the side effect that my yard neighbours call my mucking out 'panning for poo' but that's a degree of mockery that I'm prepared to take!

one better.........make a rectangle out of wood and use chicken wire i find two layers work well, lean it you against the wheel barrow and pop the muck on this, a bit like panning for gold, its faster