Late night checks!

hendrabonnie

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Just being nosey really, but how many of you do a late night check and what does yours involve?

I have always done a check around 10pm the horses come in at night at around 5pm, but I am feeling like I have no time to myself and working nights I am feeling shattered. If I didn't do a late check I could have a really early night on my nights off which would really help! I normally skip out and top up water (they have ad lib hay).

Would i be a bad mummy if i didn't do a check?
 
I check them at about 10pm. I give a small feed and a small haynet. I skip out and check water and make sure they are not too hot/cold.

I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't.

Jane
 
My late night check is identical. i leave it this late to maximise the skipping oiut of the manky warmblood - that extra poo makes all the difference.

guessing it takes you 20-30 mins.

only suggestion is to have a couple of buckets already full of water ready to top them up. would it be so awful to bring the time forward to 9.30?

Personally, I would be led awake worrying if i didn't do that check. l
 
I put in a night time net and fill water and skip out later in the evening but it can be any time from 9pm to 10.30pm (Sometimes later if we've been out).

A lot of horses don't get checked later on (once their owners have gone home for instance) and they seem to be ok - so I wouldn't worry too much if you checked them earlier on and had an early night!
Kate x
 
All mine are out somewhere within eyesight and earshot of the house.

I do a eye count by torchlight when I let the dogs out last thing at night. I know if anything is amiss though, they yell at each other if something is stuck or gone where it isn't supposed to be.
 
I am incredibly lucky that my YO does late night checks without extra charge, as he pops out to feed one horse that is fed every few hours anyway as he is on a strict vet feeding plan.
 
i dont as my yard is a few minute drive away and is down a narrow country lane and track, bit scary in the dark, and i have to lock all three gates behind me which is even worse in the dark lol. he is always fine, i dont think skipping him out would make a difference coz hes a dirty little shite and box walks it into a mash lol, he comes in between anywhere from 4pm and 7pm. goes out at 6am. i feel bad though when i swicth the lights on and hes blinded by it lol.
 
Mine are out and living about 150 yards from my house. A girl who's house backs onto the field sends her husband out at 11pm every night to check on the horses to make sure they are ok! He hates horses but, bless him, he waves his torch around and makes sure they are still standing!
 
I do love doing late night checks - I love their blinky faces when you go round with a torch
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But I don't usually do a check as the yard is 10 mins from my house!
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I usually leave the yard about 7.30pm and that's it for the night, I'm often the last to leave. The YO is on site and close to the stables, so would be out in a flash if there was a problem.
 
Ours are out night and day in summer, I usually have a last walk round about midnight, give everyone a treat and check all is well. In winter when they are in at night I go round check all have water, at one time would give the greedy mare second half of hay and hand out treats.
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Ours are kept at home though
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I do late night stables at midnight. Don't skip out - would take FAR too long (currently 16 in) but some get late night feeds, all get water and haylage topped up.

I got into the habit of doing it late when I had a regular colic getter - and he NEVER showed signs of it until about 11.30 pm. Now I do it because it means we can start at a civilised time in the morning (better for keeping staff) without leaving horses unseen/fed for more than 8 hours.
 
Mine come in at 8pm at the moment. Have a little hay and their hard feed. We go out at 10pm to collect the feed buckets, check water and give them their nightly hay mountain. We don't skip out.

Luckily they are about forty feet away acoss the courtyard, plus I can see into FB's stable from my bedroom window and I can hear if there were any problems - colic, cast etc. Very lucky!
 
I prob leave the yard between 6 and 7.30 everyday and dont go back up till 7am, the yard does a check at 9pm but doesn't give them anymore water or anything they just check for any problems.
 
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