More than one horse?? How long does it take you daily and am I going wrong somewhere?

Hels_Bells

Hels_Bells

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I had 2 horses until the end of this summer but then my mum brought home another one for me to look after (thanks mum :rolleyes: ) and I'm really really struggling with looking after three of them around all my other commitments!! So I'm keen to know the things that those of you with several horses do to save time etc?

I have one 32yo veteran on hay replacers, one rather precious "princess" eventer and the new one is a 24yo 13.2hh who is pretty low maintenance.

It takes me 90 minutes to do them each morning and often 30-40 minutes (sometimes up to 60) each evening. This is my daily routiine (sorry if this is long!):-

7.30 go to yard (2 minute walk). Collect up last night's buckets from stable and clean them. Put feeds together and soak hay replacers for evening feed for veteran (and soak for princess too who once had choke)!

7.45 Feed. While horses eating change rugs (1 off 1 on for vet; 2 off 1 on for princess). make up and weigh haynets for all 3. Put cream from vet on "princess's" lump before rugging him up. Take leg wraps off veteran and put baby oil on his back legs (he has a little bit of excitement incontinence with his waterworks!) If ground etc is frozen break up water trough and make up and put out 3 haynets in field.

8.15 (ish) Turn out all 3 (takes vet about 30 mins to finish up his feed). Clean out feed buckets and water buckets. Refill water buckets.

8. 30 (ish) Muck out. 32yo is on wood pellets as he's very wet. 13.2 is on deep litter shavings and quite tidy so pretty quick to do. Princess is on deep litter shavings and generally kicks about all his poo over night, hides it etc etc, so have to sieve through all of his bed to find it all, then relay smooth out bed etc.

8.45(ish) Put up hay nets, put water in return cleaned buckets to feed room. Put leg wraps in boiler room to dry out if necessary or take home to wash.

9.00(ish) home again.


Then in the evening, I make up the feeds for that evening and soak the necessary for the next morning. Do hay replacers (trug of readigrass, bucket grass nuts, bucket molichaff, soaked hard feed and sugarbeet). Put clean shavings/wood pellets down if necessary. Put them all in the stables, bring in, change rugs, leg wraps, do back cream etc. Usually takes 30-40 minutes sometimes up to 60 if extra odd jobs to do.

So basically it's taking me 2-2.5 hours in total per day. Am I going wrong somewhere!!!?? Is this reasonable?? How long do others take and any hints and tips for what I can do to speed things up??!!! Is it just this time of year that's getting me down!? It seems like a relentless never ending cycle. I just wish I could get it down to 1 hour in the am and 30 in the pm or something!!! It never seemed to take this long with 2 - and I can't believe it's taking so long when the little one is actually pretty low maintenance!
 
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First of all, I'd try to get onto the yard for 7 and feed you're veteran first. By 7 its getting light and by the time you're all done feeding etc it'll be light anyway!

Wouldn't also bother changing rugs if you're strapped for time! It is a HUGE time saver! Can you make up the mass of haynets the night before if you've a couple of spare minutes?

Will keep thinking.. :)

I've only got the one, but I turn up on the yard for 6.45/6.50, skip out around him (semi-deep litter shavings). Then throw out at 7 and am mucked out/hay/feed/watered by 7.25ish :)
 
1. Buy as many haynets as you can and fill them all at once so they are sat there waiting for you to just chuck into the field/stable.

2. Soak feeds for morning and evening at the same time so again they are sat there waiting and you only need to do it once a day, either in individual buckets ready to chuck in or in a big container to scoop out into the feed buckets.

3. Skip out daily and only do a full muck out every few days/once a week/whatever you can stand

4. (My preferred option!) Let horses live out and cut workload down by about 70%... :)
 
I am luck as mine live out and come into their stables when they want to. All I have to do in the morning is throw some haylege in the field and check they are all still standing.
If they had to come in over night to save time I would leave them in their turnout rugs, most are breathable these days and usable for stable rugs, also I wouldn't put haynets in the field, just piles of hay.
 
Okay, I have 6 to do all on my own. All stabled on rubber matting and wood pellets or megazorb and in a rota turnout in the all weather. It takes me 1 1/2 hours in the morning to muck out and turn out 4 of them. Then an hour midday to bring four in and put two out and muck out the other two, hay up, change rugs etc. Then it takes me 20 minutes to bring in and hay up at tea time and then 15 minutes to feed and hay up at 9.30 pm. So that's a total of around 3 hours a day, half an hour per horse. Of course I also school and do lessons in between. I don't have to soak hay as I use haylage and don't have any regular ointments etc to put on. Maybe you could save time ifyou didn't change rugs or didn't have to soak hay. Though the hay replacers are a must I guess.
 
Hels_Bells said:
7.30 go to yard (2 minute walk). Collect up last night's buckets from stable and clean them. Put feeds together and soak hay replacers for evening feed for veteran (and soak for princess too who once had choke)!
Why do you clean them in the morning? If you bought 3 more buckets you could have made up the feeds the night before, then save yourself 15 minutes :)

7.45 Feed. While horses eating change rugs (1 off 1 on for vet; 2 off 1 on for princess). make up and weigh haynets for all 3. Put cream from vet on "princess's" lump before rugging him up. Take leg wraps off veteran and put baby oil on his back legs (he has a little bit of excitement incontinence with his waterworks!) If ground etc is frozen break up water trough and make up and put out 3 haynets in field.
Could you keep the rug they are turned out in on them overnight? Saves about 3 minutes per horse!
Also, could you put the haynets out the night before in the field? Thats what we do if YO is away early

8.15 (ish) Turn out all 3 (takes vet about 30 mins to finish up his feed). Clean out feed buckets and water buckets. Refill water buckets.
could you not clean the buckets later on? and refill waters - if they are out then they dont need to be refilled in the morning :) otherwise invest in drinkers! :p

8. 30 (ish) Muck out. 32yo is on wood pellets as he's very wet. 13.2 is on deep litter shavings and quite tidy so pretty quick to do. Princess is on deep litter shavings and generally kicks about all his poo over night, hides it etc etc, so have to sieve through all of his bed to find it all, then relay smooth out bed etc.
Could you muck out at night? or when you are feeding them, skip them out?

8.45(ish) Put up hay nets, put water in return cleaned buckets to feed room. Put leg wraps in boiler room to dry out if necessary or take home to wash.
Again, nets don't need to go up till the evening? You also seem to be cleaning buckets an awful lot :o

9.00(ish) home again.


Then in the evening, I make up the feeds for that evening and soak the necessary for the next morning. Do hay replacers (trug of readigrass, bucket grass nuts, bucket molichaff, soaked hard feed and sugarbeet). Put clean shavings/wood pellets down if necessary. Put them all in the stables, bring in, change rugs, leg wraps, do back cream etc. Usually takes 30-40 minutes sometimes up to 60 if extra odd jobs to do.

So basically it's taking me 2-2.5 hours in total per day. Am I going wrong somewhere!!!?? Is this reasonable?? How long do others take and any hints and tips for what I can do to speed things up??!!! Is it just this time of year that's getting me down!? It seems like a relentless never ending cycle. I just wish I could get it down to 1 hour in the am and 30 in the pm or something!!! It never seemed to take this long with 2 - and I can't believe it's taking so long when the little one is actually pretty low maintenance!
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You just need to buy more of things so you don't need to be doing things as often; a quick rinse out for our feed buckets cleans them :)

Assuming you have more time in the evening, you could save most of the stable duties till then :)
 
I have three, they all live out together. Even through the minus 18s that we have had! :)

In the morning, during the week if I have to be at the office for 9, it takes me 20 minutes while I'm at the yard (if you add travel on, then an extra 10 minutes). I make up 3 feeds, wheelbarrow them to the field. My horses have reasonably good manners :p so I can feed them all together. I stand and supervise while they eat. I then take the wheelbarrow and buckets back. Fill up with hay, dump it in the field, come back, rinse buckets and away. :D

I could technically do exactly the same at night if I was pushed for time.

Living out makes the world of difference and IMO they look better for it :)
 
I muck out and change rugs while mine are eating breakfast, so they're all mucked out by the time I turn them out.

Also get more feed buckets so you can prepare feeds the night before, same with haynets. I just use old shavings bags rather than haynets, then just feed them off the floor, much quicker.

In summary, everything is ready the night before, then I chuck feed and hay in and muck out super fast, chuck ponies out, fill water, sweep up, done. I can be done in 30 mins if I need to be, but they're coming back into work now so it depends whether I'm working them AM or PM.

Sometimes I make feeds up on the morning if I have a bit of extra time then all I have to do in the PM is bring them in and change rugs, literally 10min job.
 
Hey H- when i had both S and R on DIY I would
*feed
*muck out whilst they ate
*turn out
*bed down,make feeds and 2 days a week i would make sooooo many haynets that would last until the next net making session
*head to work

when i came back in the pm
*waters
*exercise
*feed hay and check for the night

Make lots of haynets, keep them in the same rugs if poss- I mean if you are riding the next day then by all means pajama up but theres no point unrugging if they are going out the next day!
I fed simple systems feeds at one point and they were ok to leave a large quantity soaking in a mega trug and feed from that for a few days, likewise i used to have an ENTIRE dustbin of SB!

if you can afford the layout buy a ton of nets/haybags or maybe a rack for the field?
buy lots of buckets and have the dry feeds already made- i am tubtrugs biggest fan haha

I was faffing with leg wraps etc but now i just mollycoddle when needed so dont do something unless abs neccessary so your oldie needs the care so save the time for him/her xx
 
My friend and I share our yards so technically we have two horses part-time.

We do two workday morning & evening each - this was also started up to save petrol so we're not driving to the yard unncessarily as mine is only 2.5yrs so isn't ridden so it's pretty pointless for me as its a 15 min drive in totally the wrong direction for me. As idle as that sounds.

Breakfast is done the night before so can just get thrown in while I put my grubby yard stuff on over my work stuff, get a wheel barrow and change rugs on the other (mine keeps his turnout rug on with lining because he's a proper wet lettuce). Usually by this time mine has finished playing with his food so they either go out together ot i muck the other out first and turn mine out then. Mine is on deep litter so pretty much gets skipped out and the other is on straw and is mucked out - together they take about 20mins to muck out, depending how much wandering round and playing with fresh air mine seems to have done. In all, it takes me about 40 minutes to do two in the morning but mainly because mine is a slow eater.

Evenings take about an hour and i make tea, put the one bed back down, do waters, two huuuuge haynets each, catch in, give tea and bung the hosepipe in the water carrier for the field to fill while I change the others rug and give some fuss to both then fill the field waters (our two are seperate as the other crib bites and is wrecking fencing so we're now electric fenced in), make breakfast and i'm done. So my actual yard presence is about an hour and half, give or take with an hour travel in total on the days I do, so my deisgnated horse time if i'm planning anything I lend 3 hours a day for the two of them, just in case anything occurs. When I just do my own I still have an hour travel a day but he takes less than half an hour to make breakfast, tea's haynets, water and bed and I can do it in a morning so i just have to catch in on a night!!!!
 
Thanks guys - some really useful tips here already. I will get some more buckets for sure (I currently operate out of 8) and haynets too! And try to soak everything in one go!

I would love to have them out 24/7 but eventer is a very poor doer and it really isn't feasible as he struggles to keep weight on. Also my 32yo has quite advanced arthritus and while it's good for him to be moving around I think he would get too cold in his joints esp with the frosts etc we've been having. Also he really needs to be in overnight for his hay replacers as that is when he gets most of his calorie intake etc - he doesn't get much hay or grass down these days.

Am not sure about keeping same rugs on all the time - but maybe I could for veteran. Eventer needs more warmth overnight to keep his weight on.

Am thinking about skipping out instead of "mucking out" but I think they are all just too messy to make it feasible, esp eventer.

It's not really that I have more time in the evenings and less in the mornings, just that I would like to get the overall timings down as much as possible!!
 
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Hay replacers - consider A&P Fast Fibre which is a 30 second soak, or their Veteran Vitality, 3 minute soak. As everyone else has said, prepare all your haynets when you have time, probably at the weekend, buy more buckets. Out of choice, keep them living out though, and have big bale haylage delivered into the field, invest in a ring feeder, and let them get on with it. Oh, and don't change rugs unless they need a different weight, T/O's these days breath, and will also dry much better on the horse, the wet doesn't soak through.
 
My 4 all live out and dont get rugged - so no mucking out, changing rugs etc. Farmer will harrow big fields - so no poo picking - when moved into summer paddocks. Mum and baby get fed in field along with ad lib hay in hay ring. So Im all done and dusted with chores within 30 mins plus 30 mins travel time. I spend about 30 - 45 mins hacking out each day :)
 
I have three at home and our morning routine takes half an hour, although I do have daughter's help. One thing I do is to feed at 7am, as suggested above, and then go back in the house for breakfast/coffee whilst they eat. Has the twofold advantage that they are finished eating and ready to go out when we are back on the yard, plus fussy boy eats all his breakfast without distraction.

What saves me time are these factors:

* All on Fieldguard mats and Megazorb - makes mucking out very speedy.
* One is unrugged, other two sleep in their turnouts
* Field hay is just put out in sections, not in haynets and the one who can be trusted gets hers on the floor in the stable
* Don't wash buckets obsessively, just when they need it!
* Have a big container of water (plastic dustbin) full of water so just dunk buckets rather than wait for tap

Obviously it does depend on what things are important to you - some people just can't cope with the idea of rubber mats or turnouts in the stable, even if the horses don't mind!
 
Thanks luce and whoopsit - some more great tips!! Great idea about doing a big barrel of sugarbeet. We're on speedibeet at mo - how long do you think it will keep!!?? I too am in love with tub trugs, I only have 2 atm.

Right - where are the best vfm haynets??!!!

Am actually on the case with drinkers too - I can get two out of three done on drinkers which would be fab!!
 
As said, getting more things would probably be quite useful so that when you do have extra time you can get more prepared in advance.

I make up feeds days in advance, each horse has a stash of bags.

Fill loads of haynets in advance - colour co-ordinate for each horse if that make things easier. Do you absolutely need to use them?

I don't change rugs.

I have a floating population that averages about 20 between mine and the Boarders.

Everything in the paddocks have round bales and heated water troughs which saves an enormous amount of time. When I feed the outside horses, everything gets the same, straight oats and BOSS, I put feed straight on the ground (snow, no mud), I dole out feed with a scoop from the quad, that way I can get piles a good distance apart quickly without getting mobbed. I don't bother with bowls, I'd only have to retrieve them later anyway. Anything that has extras goes in the corral just inside the gate, they know the routine and wait to go in.

For horses that don't have round bales I fill a trailer (16') with hay once a day, then drive round and fork it over the fence, that takes half an hour once a day, that trailer also tops up hay for lates in the barn for the stalled horses and goats. I'll take the quad and drive down (furthest paddock is half a mile away at the other end of the property) to check outside horses (don't do walking - especially in the snow) there are about 6 paddocks.

Stalled horses don't get fed in their stalls in the morning, I put hay out the night before and feed them their grain outside when they are turned out. I never lead just one horse and the turnout paddock for stalled horses is purposely 30' from the barn so very convenient.

Stalls are shavings, so each one takes me 5 minutes to pick up droppings, lift the wet, rake over, empty buckets and put hay in.

I skip out/top up hay at evening stables (about 11pm)

If I feel like it and have to be somewhere else I can have everything out, fed, cleaned and ready for the evening in an hour, then an hour to get everything in, fed, hayed, checked and all set for the next day.

So, if I get a wriggle on I can be done in two hours. Usually you can double that because I don't have to rush, and I like to actually visit with all the horses rather than do a quick, four legs, upright and no blood check.

It does get to be a grind, so much time taken up with chores, and so many people are getting fed up at this time of year with mud, lack of light, cold etc to contend with. That's why I have mine out, I'd go nuts if I had them all stalled. Been there, done that, not doing it again.:mad: Ever.

Do they all have to be stalled? I don't actually give a hoot whether horses are in or out, that's entirely up to personal preference and individual circumstances, but, given the choice, I'd have horses out full time, any day. Even competition horses. The work load lightens considerably. Horses actually become a pleasure rather than a chore.
 
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Thanks spot - we are on fast fibre already - but also a few other things which take a bit longer.

Thansk for all the hints TGM, some good tips there!! Trouble I have with bedding is that I get my own shavings free (dad is a timber merchant) and while I'd love to use megazorb etc I can't really afford expensive beddings. We are on rubber mats on concrete though which are great. Veteran is an exception because he has got so wet lately it was a nightmare with my low quality shavings.
 
I have 3 too!

one 30 year old (16.1) ex showjumper

one 16.3hh warmblood

one 17.1 hanovarian

I work full time and get to the yard at 6.30 on turn out days and 7 on 'in' days, they all have very large boxes and I have high standards! I have to be back home to get ready for work by 8 and I do!

In the evening I spend 2-3 hours with them, mucking out and riding, its hard but its worth it!

You just have to get speedy and get all the equipment you can to make life easier!
 
if its cold the beet seems fine for a few days- initially started with a massive trug then progressed to a bin when i started to get into the winter chill.

go to builders yards/wickes type places for buckets and trugs, B+Q do the orange buckets for around a £.

Ebay sometimes has bulk amounts of haynets, also my small holed nets from Robinsons (who also do 3 packs of trugs) lasted for around um, 6 years!

re the rug thing- even if a horse needs more warmth if theres anything you can do to make the change easier ie leaving a bottom layer on, so you just change the top TO layer?

say hey to remy
 
Wow Enfys - that's amazing for so many horses!!! Thansk for the hints!! I dream of heated water troughs... maybe one day, but can't afford to install them right now.

They are out 24/7 in the warmer months, but I think in winter the only one I could leave out is the little one but it just seems harsh leaving her out on her own. Maybe I should just man up on that one!!! :D
 
I only have two but here is what I do.

* get to the yard about 7.15 and feed (brekkies made up the night before)
* whilst they're eating I skip out at least one, sometimes both (they're on mats and woodpellets so wet only comes out once a week, those things are a god send!)
* 7.30 chuck em out, both of them live in their turnouts which saves loads of time.
* 7.40 fill waters up and do haynets
* 8.00 go to work.

In the evening all I do is hang nets and fetch in and make dinners and tomorrows breakfasts. Then I am free to work them as I wish.

Often my plan goes awry and I end up doing all of this in the evening. Never takes more than about forty minutes though even then. I motor more when I'm going home instead of to work :D:D

It's the only having to skep out which saves all the time. If you're really struggling think about a bedding change or getting mats. It really does save so much time. I can skip out and sweep back both my boxes in about 10 minutes. Even at weekends when I take out the weeks wet it only takes ten minutes a box. And my filly is truly disgusting too!
 
Oh thanks for the tips on where to buy luce!! I will certainly say hi to Rem!! (No prizes for guessing that he is the "princess" in the bundle!!) :D - hope you're getting on ok with your girl these days - I think she was being a handful last time I saw a post!??
 
Hels_Bells said:
They are out 24/7 in the warmer months, but I think in winter the only one I could leave out is the little one but it just seems harsh leaving her out on her own. Maybe I should just man up on that one!!! :D
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I don't know how your yard is laid out - are the paddocks near the stables. If you left the little one out can she still see the others? Or could you leave the field gate open so she can access the yard and not feel 'alone'? On occasions I have had four horses and only three stables and the one left out has been fine as long as they can see the stabled horses.
 
I feed first and then collect water buckets, haynets and fibre feed Buckets. While they are eating I do the waters, put the haynets in soak and soak the fibre feed. If my friends horse has not finished her breakfast - which is common, I skip out B and take off leg wraps while she finishes. I take the 2 of then out together, although they are in separate fields they are side by side and its quite a long walk so it saves ages. When I get back I tip out the haynets and hang them to drip, skip out the beds, put in waters and then give the feed buckets a quick rinse and make up the evening feeds. I finally empty the wheelbarrow (one large barrow does both stables) and use it to take the soaked nets back to the stables where they are hung with tub trugs under them. Everything is then ready for both of them in the evening. This takes me about 40 mins we are in an American barn so everything is a walk away including the tap, feed room and muck heap so you have to be economical with your trips back and forth! - The time savings are - we muck out weekends and skip out during the week (one on straw, one on Shavings - they both have deep beds which despite B being quite wet and a manic roller keeps the wet at the bottom) We make up a weeks haynets at the weekend, buckets get a proper scrub at weekends and they have their turnouts on overnight - you will be suprised how much warmer they keep them than the equivalent weight of stable rug, especially when they are already warmed up inside.
 
Thanks TGM - yes she could get to them and stand by them overnight if she wanted to. Maybe I should just do this. Also she and veteran share half a very big stable each. If she were out he would have his own big stable (easier to keep clean) with drinker which would be really helpful. Maybe I should just do this!

Thanks also Jane_Lou. I think I will certainly keep the veteran in his T/O from now on and try to just skip out during the week now... That's a really useful summary of your tinme savings.

I have just ordered some new haynets and am gonna make up a load tomorrow - mum can help me!!!! :D
 
The most I've ever had to do by myself was 22...and the least since then has been eleven... to save time I would -

Make up all feeds (morning and evening) at the same time, and leave them all ready)

Fill enough haynets to last two days, so that you can just chuck them in

Leave turnout rugs on overnight, saves a massive amount of time. Not always possible, but truly, you'll be amazed how much time you save!

I would turn the veteran out first with his feed, as he takes the longest, and do his box while he's eating, and then do the hay and water for the other two, before turning them out.

I'll think of more things I'm sure!
 
Don't be tempted to make up sugarbeet in any larger quantities than can be eaten in one day and out of all your buckets, be the most scrupulous with this one!

I don't think you do too badly as you don't mention wheelbarrow emptying, bale unwrapping and the fiffing and faffing about with new bags of feed and all the empty wrappers. I have a washing machine i have going when I'm out there and have all manner of extra things to do throughout the week. Also, I poo-pick my fields daily, and have a terrier demanding that I throw her ball continuously throughout.
 
I have 9 and I work. I don't feed breakfast, they wear the same rugs all the time.

Get a hose pipe, and fill the water whilst you muck out. I feed good haylage so they only need a feed at night. If any need extra feed, pop back to them at 10pm and give them a feed then, seeing yard so close.

I can have all turned out, mucked out (straw on mats, lifted daily), waters filled and haynets in barn ready to fill (2 each) in an hour, be showered and on my way to work by 8.30am.

At night, I fill the nets for when they come in, lay beds, get in, feed. Takes about an hour. Back ut at 10pm, fill bedtime nets, last check, done in 20 mins.
 
Oooh brill - thanks Staarzan!! Great idea about turning oldie out while I muck him out!! please keep the ideas coming!!! :D

Thanks Brighteyes - I do have to say I have the dog problem too, but from a collie!!! ;) Have to say I didn't mention things like getting a new bale of haylage in (requires tractor and strong man to help roll it into position) or opening feed bags. Feed bags have to say are opened probably every other day or so as so many diff feeds for hay replacers!! Wheelbarrow emptying... muck heap is quite a long way, but I have a "two barrow" system going whereby I manage to sweet talk hubby into emptying them for me, but always have an empty one available ;)

Ok britestar - you are clearly wonder-woman and I'm just never going to be like you no matter how much I want to!!! :D :D :D
 
My routine on a morning in winter - 2 horses

6.30am - arrive at yard.

First thing I do is change rugs if they need changing, then lead the two girls out together to the field which saves time. They don't have breakfast.

Back in the barn, do haynets and put them in, then I muck out - I get both stables into one normal B&Q orange wheelbarrow, and sweep the yard.

Empty wheelbarrow.

Do water buckets on a conveyor belt - while one is being taken to the stable the next one is filling, etc. I also have a small orange bucket for filling up quickly to top up water buckets.

I make my feeds up for the week in bags at the weekend, so it's just a case of emptying the right bag into the right bucket for the evening feed.

Off the yard 35/40 mins later.

In the evening I get to the yard, add water to the feeds and stir, go and catch the girls and lead them in together. Tie them both up and do 8 feet, change any rugs that need changing, and then into the stables for evening feed. Also skip out if they poo before I leave. Total about 20/25 mins.
 
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