Home to yard to office then office to yard to home...

FlyingCircus

FlyingCircus

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Any tips and tricks?
Last time I worked full time, I paid someone to turn out for me in the morning and we had no lights at the yard, so I groomed and turned out in work clothes (oops?) before going home, I only rode at weekends.
Now, I want to turn out in the am on the way to work and then I want to ride after work before I go home (yard is on way to/from work).

Some things I need to take into account -

- Don't want to shower at office
- My saddle is kept at home, not at the yard
- I don't want to smell at work!

I'm sure loads of people do this, so want to steal some of your knowledge about how best to go about it :)
 
Don't wear your work clothes to the yard in the morning! Get to work in plenty of time to freshen up. Wear gloves. Keep your hair tied back. Keep your saddle in the boot of your car (so the smell of horses doesn't perforate your work clothes - which you should keep in a backpack and within the backpack a plastic bag - and because I would not leave a saddle on display in your car just in case!).
I do it most days and it works for me.
 
Unfortunately, horse seems to prefer straw bed, but I plan on mucking out only in the evenings and literally putting rug on and taking him to the field in the mornings!
 
FlyingCircus said:
Unfortunately, horse seems to prefer straw bed, but I plan on mucking out only in the evenings and literally putting rug on and taking him to the field in the mornings!
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The smell of rug is one of the worst offenders! Can he not live in his turnout rug - mine manage fine in theirs! I take it off and groom, then replace in the evenings, and have never had any issues
 
I always get changed back into my yard stuff before I leave work too. Every day I walk in with my backpack and everyday the building manager says 'horses today Lucy?' and the answer is 'yes Ken' every single day. Despite the answer never being different he still makes the same remark every single day.
 
I change into work clothes in the barn after doing all my jobs and riding in the morning. Hair tied back so as not to be dipping it in pee and poo. Large bottle of liquid soap kept by the tap by my stable so hands get a good wash before I leave the yard, then a squirt of deodorant or body spray once I'm in clean clothes. Only a couple of times at work has someone said they've caught a faint whiff of horse 😁

And do as much as possible at weekends to save time in the week. Eg. I fill a weeks worth of nets. I find even saving those couple of minutes adds up and can be the difference between getting home at a semi-reasonable time after going back to the yard after work.
 
All of the above- plus baby wipes with the change of clothes- use before deodorant, dry shampoo (in winter helps get rid of hat hair, and helps get rid of any smell).

I also keep a clean change of yard clothes in my car so I can change at work if need be before going to the yard.
 
In the winter I tend to muck out and ride in the mornings before work. I bring my work clothes/coat/shoes in my car and try not to let them be exposed to any part of the yard. I keep my hair and hands covered as much as possible. I change in the tack room and wash face/hands with wipes. I change out of my wellies when I get in the car (they go in the boot) When I get to work I go straight to the ladies room and sort out my hair properly and apply a bit of make up and deodorant/Impulse or something. I can't swear that the odd bit of hay or straw hasn't found its way into the office but my colleagues would totally call me out if I SMELLED of horse in any way. They're like that.
 
Second the dry shampoo mentioned above and gloves. I use disposable gloves as can then hoof pick and clean off hooves properly and not worry about having to keep washing them.
 
As with others hair tied back and cap/hat on, gloves so don't get muck under finger nails. Work clothes in a sealed bag and hard clothes ready night before, Thermos ready with coffee and sugar, night before so just have to click kettle on and add milk to take a brew with me. Bring any hay/straw you might need down as near to stables as you can the day before and if ice predicted have enough water already out in a trough/buckets with a couple of football's so not trying to thaw out pipes. Unless rug wet leave turnout on overnight so not having to swap next morning. Change in stable before work and have babywipes, deodorant and nail brush at the ready. Make any feeds or haynets up at weekend so only essential daily jobs done through the week and enjoy it :) oh and good thermals!
 
I do the horses every morning before work. Dont be tempted to just wear wellies with work clothes - you will almost ALWAYS end up with mud up the back of your legs when you turn out!

Take your work clothes and change after you have finished your jobs.

Bulk buy wet wipes - they will become your best friend...

Always tie hair up and cover preferably.

Wear gloves

Try to leave enough time to change before leaving the yard - I can mostly be found in my tack shed stripped down to underwear stood on a towel getting changed in the early hours! I have also been known to have a mini strip wash with the hose pipe, I have no qualms about doing whats needed - luckily im usually there on my own lol.I do my make up in the car and I have a fail safe 'up do' for my hair.

Even though I do all this I inevitably end up with mud somewhere or hay in my bra..

Although nobody has ever said at work that I smell, I have a nice perfume in my bag always - just in case!

Oh and lastly, never be tempted to pop over to the horse in the field to say goodbye before getting in to your car - they have an uncanny knack of gobbing over you the minute your backs turned and you dont notice untill you see in the toilet mirror...after an important meeting :-)
 
I do a quick turnout in the mornings in my work clothes, though if I'm wearing heels that day I will change into my yard boots for the trek to the field. I make sure all jobs are done the night before, eg. top water up in field, so that all I have to do is put head collar on and walk him down. I then just have to do a quick sweep outside the stable door (yard rules) and can then scoot off to work. I also just quickly wash my hands on the yard tap. At the end of the day I have been known to muck out in my work clothes or I'll pop home to get changed, depends how much of a rush I'm in. Said work clothes will go straight in the wash when I get home though!
 
Ok so I seemed to work out a really good routine last winter, no comments about horsey smell at work!
So up in the morning shower, hair up and dressed in horsey clothes. work clothes are in a bag ready from the night before! turnout in the morning, mine and another and muck out my stable, Rugs are the worst for making you smelly so mine lives in her outdoor the majority of the time, she has stable rugs when im not working early the next morning.
Haynets and feeds etc are made the night before (haylage has a strong smell also so the least you need to handle it the better!
Muck out, pre filled nets up and lunch left in stable for her to be taken in around 3 pm.
Get changed in the yard toilet, wash hands, give hair a spray of dry shampoo to remove any smell and a spray of perfume! Make-up done in the car!
Drive to work, after work back to the yard, changed into horsey clothes in the car, then ride in the evenings and get everthing ready for the next morning.
I then have another change of clothes for the gym!
Always a good idea to have a spare set of clothes in the car, im a bit OCD and therefore I have basically spare of everything in the car or my handbag!
 
We only have my daughters lead rein pony to deal with so no riding to fit on for me as such but it does mean I have to do home-yard-nursery-office in the morning and the reverse at night! She is out as much as possible with rugs if needed and only in when the weather has been really grotty for a couple of days. My one tip I discovered last year was to invest in lots of thick black tights! I wear these with a pair of cheap Aldi or Lidl ski trousers when turning out on winter mornings. Once I have chucked her out the over-trousers get whipped off and I put a skirt on for work, so no stripping off in a freezing tack room. Mucking out gets done the same way in the evening on the way home. I have 2 pairs of trousers so 1 on and 1 in the wash means they never get too wet or stinky.
 
I put old clothes over the top of my work clothes in the morning or get changed in my trailer. Muck out/ turn out/ hay etc then head to work- wash hands and sort hair there.
In the afternoon I then get changed again in the trailer. At my old office I got changed in the office before and after work- this isnt doable at this office. I then ride after work. Always keep deodrant and perfume in my car for before work - not had any complaints yet and been doing it for 7 years!
 
When I have to go to the yard before work, I wear my yard clothes, and put work clothes in a bag in the car. I do jobs as required and then leave for work, the toilets/disabled toilets or locker rooms are my friend, I get changed into work clothes in the warm and dry rather than in the cold barn or tack room ;)

Again when ready to leave work for the yard, I change back into yard clothes and off I go.

I don't wear a hat, as I tend to get far too hot, despite having short hair.

ETA: Tack lives in my car, saddle, bridle etc., but I try to be disciplined and keep it all in the boot. :D
 
scats said:
I change into my work clothes in the middle of the barn aisle. The other lady who shares the barn with me often finds me in a state of undress in the morning!
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I do this! I am frequently found half dressed in the tack room at either end of the day, everyone is just used to it by now.
 
I sneak into the disabled toilet at work to get changed & get rid of the smell of horse. I have sat in the car park for 10 mins before waiting for a colleague to disappear so as not to see me especially muddy and smelly. Deodorant, perfume, a hairbrush & wet wipes all live in a bag that I can grab in the morning with my work clothes in. I agree with the person who said not to last have last minute snuggle with the pony - garlic & salt lick all over hair.....
 
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