Mucking out quickly?

[Bellalily]

It’s a complete myth that ad lib feeding means horses are fat. Absolutely not true. That’s why ulcers are now so common in horses, due entirely to having a restricted forage diet which their guts are not designed for. I’ve watched horses that have been put on an ad-lib forage diet after years of restrictions and every single one has adjusted after a few weeks. Once they know they are not going to run out, they don’t gorge. Simples.

 

[Melody Grey]

It’s a complete myth that ad lib feeding means horses are fat. Absolutely not true. That’s why ulcers are now so common in horses, due entirely to having a restricted forage diet which their guts are not designed for. I’ve watched horses that have been put on an ad-lib forage diet after years of restrictions and every single one has adjusted after a few weeks. Once they know they are not going to run out, they don’t gorge. Simples.

True, though when I’ve seen horses short on forage, it’s not been a weight loss tactic, unfortunately laziness/ penny pinching that’s behind it.

 

[Wishfilly]

Yeah ? it's really hurt me tbh and I really thought I was learning much more than the others Combined. I've messaged my old yards seeing if I can come back at some point but for now I'm probably gonna do a share.

The industry really put me off for a career and was just gonna let is be a hobby but now I just want my own horse and just been left alone ?

Honestly, the industry can be incredibly exploitative, and it definitely can be easier and more enjoyable to just keep horses as a hobby.

That said, there may be an employer out there who is willing to invest time in training you and helping you gain experience- which, in turn, can open doors to more interesting and better paid roles.

If you want to work with horses- and it's fine to decide it's not for you- look out for adverts where people seem like they are willing to invest some time in training you and know you won't be the finished article straight away!

 

[Tiddlypom]

The yard owner is taking the pee.

Expecting stable staff to race through yard chores at a gallop is one of the main reasons while said stable staff soon pack the job in. It's maybe ok while you're young, keen, and know no better.

I'd allow 15 - 20 mins per box to fully muck out a properly deeply bedded stable and scrub the water buckets/auto waterer etc. It takes more time if you are miserly/economical with the bedding that you throw out, like me. This is doing a thorough job at a steady purposeful rate, with the horse out of the stable.

A quick skip out, or a stable with hardly any bedding, would take less time.

 

[Surbie]

Thank you so much, she messaged me a few hours ago saying I'm an unsuitable volunteer so I'm a little sad but instead of working at a yard I'm gonna treat myself to a loan horse... it may take a few months but this is my 4th stable I've worked at since the pandemic anr seem tk always get picked on due the most random things but thank you all very much for your kind words ?

What a cowbag! That's a horrible, ungenerous and unhelpful thing to say to someone giving up their free time to help.

I hope you find a fab loan.

I take forever doing mine, but I'm not paid to do it. When I worked on a yard I would do each one (decent size beds, variety of bedding) in 20 mins. But I can't do it quicker unless they are on minimal bedding and I have a hose to trail round for the waters - I'm not young and I physically can't manage schlepping around loads of large heavy water buckets at speed.

 

[humblepie]

I think there is mucking out and mucking out. For example don’t bother about sorting out clean straw or moving banks - 10 mins. Sorting out clean straw and moving banks each day 20 minutes plus plus.

 

[smolmaus]

We have volunteers who can take 40 mins to fill a paddock wheelbarrow, some are just slow movers, some are chatting, or fussing the ponies etc and none of them are ever asked not to come back! Even if they're infuriatingly slow ? Even one wheelbarrow is another wheelbarrow staff or other volunteers dont have to do! What a very bizarre situation.

I take ages to do a stable at the sanctuary yard, the beds are huge and I do it properly. Its my time I'm offering for free so if I want to take half an hour I'll take half an hour and feel good about the job rather than rushing and leaving more work for someone else the next day.

 

[Ratface]

Nasty woman. You're well out of it.
The Old Horse is on full livery with his breeder.
A deep straw bed. Good banks. Three quarters length.
Highly-experienced YO does complete muck out, removes haynets, throws-up banks, sweeps out, scrubs water buckets/feed bowls, leaves to dry. Wet straw and poo barrowed to immaculate muck heap and thrown-up. Time taken: 15-20 minutes per stable.
Prior to bringing-in horses, YO puts beds down, re-does banks, fills water buckets, completes individual feeds in appropriate bowls, adds water and stirs. Time taken: 15 mins each stable.
Horses brought in, observed for stiffness/lameness, rugs removed/changed, feet picked out, horses checked for injuries/swellings etc. Time taken: 15-20 minutes each horse.
In my opinion, that's good responsible and caring horse management.
Enjoy your share horse. You are not a skivvy.

 

[Horses_Rule]

Being as your not being paid op and your doing it for nothing I don’t really see how she has the right to dictate how long it takes you! A stable you do is one less for them! Go help someone that appreciates you!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Horses should always have forage available, it doesn’t make them minging. I still hear far too many people who think they have to reduce forage to get their horses fitter. That idea is straight from the dark ages and should stay there. Neither of mine are overweight and have nice healthy guts thanks to ad lib hay. And no, I don’t have minging stables either.

I didn’t say forage made horses minging!
I said they eat less forage wise the fitter they are.
The stables are generally cleaner when they are fit, but that obviously that wasn’t the rule and that we still have got horses who are super dirty or still want loads of hay.
As in they don’t all conform to my observation.

 

[mini-eventer]

Its funny because I noticed the more work my horse does the cleaner the stable... he always has ad lib haylege so it's not that. I think he's just more settled and chilled and not mixing everything up so much

 

[Kaylum]

It's also depends how far away the muck heap, bedding, water and hay nets are They can add a lot of time on.

 

[ycbm]

It’s a complete myth that ad lib feeding means horses are fat. Absolutely not true. That’s why ulcers are now so common in horses, due entirely to having a restricted forage diet which their guts are not designed for. I’ve watched horses that have been put on an ad-lib forage diet after years of restrictions and every single one has adjusted after a few weeks. Once they know they are not going to run out, they don’t gorge. Simples.

Well there's someone who has never met at least 3 of the horses I have owned. I am a fan of ad lib feeding but what you have written is not always true.

Insulin resistance will also often create permanent hunger and has to be resolved before the IR horse will stop eating.
.

 

[Lois Lame]

It’s always taken me an age to do a straw bed. A shavings one I can whizz through.

Ditto.

Straw beds are lovely for horses and gardeners, but I (in my minute experience of mucking them out) took an age, and afterwards was sweating like a racehorse.

 

[Lois Lame]

If you are mucking out the same horses daily you will soon know how they use their stable and you'll naturally become faster. If you're mucking out for someone who has a day off then you will take you longer because you don't know the horse so well and more importantly you may find that people don't do a proper muck out the day before their day off thus leaving you to do a more thorough muck out and therefore take longer. As happened to me!

Love this. It reminds me of watering glasshouses.

If you water the same glasshouses all the time, you know which plants need what.

If you share glasshouses, you have to cater for the person who watered the day before. Depending on their personality, their top-doggedness and their inflated opinion of themselves, you have to do more work because they didn't water properly.

 

[FinkleyAlex]

Good god, I’m glad I’ve never worked with horses, it takes me at least an hour to muck out/hay/water my one (disgusting) gelding who’s on shavings ?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

It’s a complete myth that ad lib feeding means horses are fat. Absolutely not true. That’s why ulcers are now so common in horses, due entirely to having a restricted forage diet which their guts are not designed for. I’ve watched horses that have been put on an ad-lib forage diet after years of restrictions and every single one has adjusted after a few weeks. Once they know they are not going to run out, they don’t gorge. Simples.

Erm not truth - my mare pigs her haylage out 1 section last her 1 1/2 hrs tops in a small hole haynet. Her weight needs to be controlled according to vet and laminitis and her navicular. I have one her who pigs out ( livery) she is controlling his diet. What about fat little ponies then, sorry but what you say is not " simples" for some horses

 

[Bellalily]

Well there's someone who has never met at least 3 of the horses I have owned. I am a fan of ad lib feeding but what you have written is not always true.

Insulin resistance will also often create permanent hunger and has to be resolved before the IR horse will stop eating.
.

Well maybe you do things differently from me, but I have an IR horse who does fine by ad-lib thanks.

 

[ycbm]

Well maybe you do things differently from me, but I have an IR horse who does fine by ad-lib thanks.

Then luckily you have his IR under control. It's not always that easy.

I have owned 3 horses, out of many, in the last 40 years who had no off button. Your assertion that all horses will stop gorging once they know that the food won't run out is not correct. If it was, no horse on grass 24/7 would ever need a muzzle or get fat.
.

 

[windand rain]

Of the 5 I am responsible for only 1 has an off button and she has never been food orientated but the others would eat until they dropped given half a chance

 

[Goldenstar]

Horses need to be managed to be the correct weight .
Its a commonly sprouted myth that means they need to have ad-lib forage they don‘t They need a diet based on forage that’s give them appropriate calories to meet their needs .

 

[luckyoldme]

My God.
This is the way I was treat working with horses in the 80s.
I can remember standing there being belittled in front of other staff by some stuck up old bitch on a power trip.
It's only been three days and even if you were a paid employee she sounds horrible to work for.
Politely ask her to hold the fork for a minute then walk away and don't look back .

 

[sportsmansB]

many super fit event horses and race horses choose not to eat as much forage as they get fitter. There's not much can be done about it to be honest.

I take 5-8 minutes per stable on shavings depending on the horse. The most time consuming part is the ones who pull their hay through their bedding. Once you know the horse and their patterns it is much easier.
Bring the wheelbarrow as far in as you can (handles out if horse in stable) as this reduces time, can all be flung with fewer steps
I lift out the piles, scrape the top back and throw on banks to expose wet, lift out the wet and pull back down. Sweep and tidy. We have drinkers in most so that reduces a bit of time.

 

[bonnysmum]

UNSUITABLE and VOLUNTEER in the same sentence sounds damn ungrateful at best (and exploitative at worst).

Find somewhere that appreciates you- that’s no way to treat a volunteer!

Absolutely. This happened to my daughter. She was volunteering at a weekend and she was working with another girl who was being paid (note I am NOT mentioning their age, draw your own conclusions). Being two young girls of a similar age they were chatting quite a lot and giving the ponies attention as well as doing their jobs. They weren't working fast enough as a result and got hauled over the coals for it. Strangely enough I felt the problem was more that they had only one proper member of staff on trying to muck out AND bring in ponies AND tack up AND teach.

 

[Auslander]

It takes more time if you are miserly/economical with the bedding that you throw out, like me. .

This made me snigger - as I am exactly the same. I sift through the beds like a monkey looking for fleas - and can guarantee that there will only be poo in my barrow. It makes me itch when I see people scooping up forkfuls of clean bedding along with the poo, and slinging it all in the barrow! I like my beds very clean, but with minimal wastage.

I take all the poo out, sifting away like a mad thing, then work my way round the bed scraping away the clean bedding from the areas I know they wee in, so I end up with an undisturbed wet patch with no clean bedding near it. I scoop that up, then spread the clean bedding and use a broom to level the top of the bed, and square off the edges. Takes me about 15 mins per bed - except on Mondays, after other people have mucked them out at the weekend!

 

[Auslander]

It’s a complete myth that ad lib feeding means horses are fat. Absolutely not true. That’s why ulcers are now so common in horses, due entirely to having a restricted forage diet which their guts are not designed for. I’ve watched horses that have been put on an ad-lib forage diet after years of restrictions and every single one has adjusted after a few weeks. Once they know they are not going to run out, they don’t gorge. Simples.

I really wish this was true. MY hay bill would not be 1k a month if my lot self regulated! I like horses to have something to eat at all times, so the stabled horses get a LOT of hay overnight, but the field kept ones do not have ad lib, as they can pick at the grass when they finish their (generous) quota of hay. If I don't deploy slow feeding tactics, the mares in particular will stuff their faces until they can barely move, and then shout for more. They get plenty, but they have to work hard for it

 

[Pinkvboots]

I saw your other post and your in Hertfordshire if your looking for a job there were a few yard jobs advertised upstairs on the board in Tittmus in Wheathampstead you often get people looking for a sharer on there as well might be worth a visit.

 

[Pinkvboots]

This made me snigger - as I am exactly the same. I sift through the beds like a monkey looking for fleas - and can guarantee that there will only be poo in my barrow. It makes me itch when I see people scooping up forkfuls of clean bedding along with the poo, and slinging it all in the barrow! I like my beds very clean, but with minimal wastage.

I take all the poo out, sifting away like a mad thing, then work my way round the bed scraping away the clean bedding from the areas I know they wee in, so I end up with an undisturbed wet patch with no clean bedding near it. I scoop that up, then spread the clean bedding and use a broom to level the top of the bed, and square off the edges. Takes me about 15 mins per bed - except on Mondays, after other people have mucked them out at the weekend!

I'm like this I have to get every scrap of dirt without wasting clean bedding, I get great satisfaction looking at the barrow that has no clean in it, but I do only have 2 shavings beds to do each day but they are immaculate.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I'm dying to know where the op was it might be near me if it's in Hertfordshire.

 

[exracehorse]

Sounds like she’s a right old witch. I have five. Takes me an hour to muck them all out. And put bedding down. So approx 10 mins per stable. One stable is so easy. He poops at the front on rubber matting. Takes seconds. If you were on your phone all the time or chatting .. then she could say that your never going to get the stables done at that rate. But .. your a volunteer and just a bit slower than the others OR actually doing a better job. Hence your taking longer.