Mucking out speed

[[155411]]

How do people manage to muck out in only 5-15 mins?! Takes me a good 30 mins + on straw pellets! No different when I was on straw, shavings (large and small flake) or chopped straw. Horse is a mare and quite wet but it’s the poo that takes the longest. She usually poos in different areas, she doesn’t walk the poos around that much and some are left untouched. Haylage is always in the bed and drives me mad. She’s fed out of a big net and a big bucket on the floor. Being tight on time and also trying to fit in riding etc this doesn’t work out. Any tips? I am very anal and sometimes sweeping takes just as long as mucking out as I make it perfect I just can’t help it. Please any tips?

 

[HopOnTrot]

Mine are only stabled for 5 hours on thick mats and shavings, it takes no time at all.

It probably takes me half an hour to dig out both and bank them them!

 

[dreamcometrue]

Work expands to fill the time available. I used to stop off at the yard and put the pony out, muck out and do nets in 15 mins on the way to work. Now I’m retired and it takes at least an hour!

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Absolutely agree with dreamcometrue ..I would whizz round when at work..now I pootle about..taking 15 mins to muck out each stable…it’s haynet filling that swallows up my time!

 

[Shinx]

My boy is in overnight on shavings and it takes me 30 minutes to feed, change rugs, turn out, muck out and do hay. And half of that time is spent yakking at other people

The poos are the easiest part imo. Scoop and chuck. I'm quite particular and use the big shavings fork to get most of it and then go back and pick out the tiny bits with my hands and it still doesn't take that long! How are you scooping the poos? Does she poo an extraordinary amount?

 

[Sossigpoker]

What on earth are you doing if it takes 30 minutes to do a pellet bed? My pony has a small pellet bed and it takes no more than 5 minutes. The poos are on the top and you can see any wet patches.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

How do people manage to muck out in only 5-15 mins?! Takes me a good 30 mins + on straw pellets! No different when I was on straw, shavings (large and small flake) or chopped straw. Horse is a mare and quite wet but it’s the poo that takes the longest. She usually poos in different areas, she doesn’t walk the poos around that much and some are left untouched. Haylage is always in the bed and drives me mad. She’s fed out of a big net and a big bucket on the floor. Being tight on time and also trying to fit in riding etc this doesn’t work out. Any tips? I am very anal and sometimes sweeping takes just as long as mucking out as I make it perfect I just can’t help it. Please any tips?

I'm not able to give tips except go more quickly.......

On a work day, I get my 2 fed, stables done Inc waters (both water and feed buckets washed), hay nets changed, swept back, 2 more feeds made up each, 1 x rug change etc, total of about 20 mins, 30 if puppy has  hindered helped

The only thing I save time on, is that I dont sweep the yard down if its dark, that can wait till a daylight visit. (But it's my yard, so my prerogative )

 

[SEL]

Dealing with horses who spread their poo everywhere takes practice and a good fork! I can throw the obvious stuff into the barrow, then flick up the bed against the wall so the hidden stuff falls out in about 10 mins. Pair of gloves helps with the odd rogue bit.

But I do feel the love for my littlest pony who poos in 1 corner and is a 5 minute muck out.

 

[[155411]]

My boy is in overnight on shavings and it takes me 30 minutes to feed, change rugs, turn out, muck out and do hay. And half of that time is spent yakking at other people

The poos are the easiest part imo. Scoop and chuck. I'm quite particular and use the big shavings fork to get most of it and then go back and pick out the tiny bits with my hands and it still doesn't take that long! How are you scooping the poos? Does she poo an extraordinary amount?

Yes she does a lot of poos!! Not like 5 or so like the usual horse, 10+!!

 

[[155411]]

What on earth are you doing if it takes 30 minutes to do a pellet bed? My pony has a small pellet bed and it takes no more than 5 minutes. The poos are on the top and you can see any wet patches.

She has a thick bed, she’s a big jump horse so does larger and more poo most likely! she doesn’t leave them neatly in a pile normally spread out all over the place… and being a very wet mare there’s a lot of wet to dig out.

 

[[155411]]

Dealing with horses who spread their poo everywhere takes practice and a good fork! I can throw the obvious stuff into the barrow, then flick up the bed against the wall so the hidden stuff falls out in about 10 mins. Pair of gloves helps with the odd rogue bit.

But I do feel the love for my littlest pony who poos in 1 corner and is a 5 minute muck out.

I’ve had her for years, and when she’s only in during the day it takes 2 mins, but it’s just overnight that’s the issue. I’m very anal about it so every little bit has to come out. Usually I end up having two piles of bedding to put back down and relevel etc..

 

[Surbie]

I hear you OP, I can't do it either! Not helped by needing to soak hay while I muck out, as well as the tap, muckheap and my hay being in different directions and not that nearby compared to other yards I've been on. It also makes a massive difference if my horse goes out at 6am or later. If later the bed gets exponentially worse. The quickest I can manage is 20 mins, but my hay is still draining into a bucket at that point. I also have a 20 min round trip to the field to factor in.

I've switched to picking out the poo by hand. It's quicker for me and just leaves one that my horse has invariably buried somewhere to find with the fork.

 

[[155411]]

I hear you OP, I can't do it either! Not helped by needing to soak hay while I muck out, as well as the tap, muckheap and my hay being in different directions and not that nearby compared to other yards I've been on. It also makes a massive difference if my horse goes out at 6am or later. If later the bed gets exponentially worse. The quickest I can manage is 20 mins, but my hay is still draining into a bucket at that point. I also have a 20 min round trip to the field to factor in.

I've switched to picking out the poo by hand. It's quicker for me and just leaves one that my horse has invariably buried somewhere to find with the fork.

Yes it’s always back and forth on the yard, completely lost with what I can do to speed things up!!

 

[Surbie]

Yes it’s always back and forth on the yard, completely lost with what I can do to speed things up!!

At least you can bed on straw pellets. Mine eats them so they have to be hidden under other bedding.

 

[[155411]]

I'm not able to give tips except go more quickly.......

On a work day, I get my 2 fed, stables done Inc waters (both water and feed buckets washed), hay nets changed, swept back, 2 more feeds made up each, 1 x rug change etc, total of about 20 mins, 30 if puppy has  hindered helped

The only thing I save time on, is that I dont sweep the yard down if its dark, that can wait till a daylight visit. (But it's my yard, so my prerogative )

Wow that takes skill! Maybe I need to stop being so particular about how it looks?? I’m very anal about the look of a bed

 

[[155411]]

At least you can bed on straw pellets. Mine eats them so they have to be hidden under other bedding.

Oh yes I was on hunters previously but took 1hr to muck out!! She had a humongous fluffy bed but still too long!

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

My 5 are in over night at the moment because of the wet weather. 2 are on sundown and 3 are deep littered. one and sometimes two of them do all their poos in one place in the stable which is a huge help. With this many to do I can be pretty speedy!

 

[[155411]]

My 5 are in over night at the moment because of the wet weather. 2 are on sundown and 3 are deep littered. one and sometimes two of them do all their poos in one place in the stable which is a huge help. With this many to do I can be pretty speedy!

If only I could potty train mine !

 

[meleeka]

I think you have to lower standards if you want to be a lot quicker. You’ve got time to either have a pristine bed, or ride, not both, so which is more important?

I think it takes me about 10-15 minutes. I take the obvious piles out then start lifting the top layer (Aubiose), throwing it against the wall as I go. I catch most bits by using the fork as a sieve and then what is missed rolls off the pile onto the floor. I’m sure I leave some small bits behind, but the thing about mucking out is it’s all back again tomorrow anyway . I sweep the yard daily and just sweep the bedding back roughly (since the horse is only going to kick it everywhere within 5 minutes).

 

[[155411]]

I think you have to lower standards if you want to be a lot quicker. You’ve got time to either have a pristine bed, or ride, not both, so which is more important?

I think it takes me about 10-15 minutes. I take the obvious piles out then start lifting the top layer (Aubiose), throwing it against the wall as I go. I catch most bits by using the fork as a sieve and then what is missed rolls off the pile onto the floor. I’m sure I leave some small bits behind, but the thing about mucking out is it’s all back again tomorrow anyway . I sweep the yard daily and just sweep the bedding back roughly (since the horse is only going to kick it everywhere within 5 minutes).

Thank you! I really think you’re right. Getting my horse ridden is my priority with completing. I will give it a go tomorrow. I suppose there’s always at least one day a week to give it a proper sift through to keep it clean. And I’m sure my horse doesn’t notice anyway!

 

[marmalade76]

Work expands to fill the time available. I used to stop off at the yard and put the pony out, muck out and do nets in 15 mins on the way to work. Now I’m retired and it takes at least an hour!

Yep, I'm terrible, I take my time because I can. Then I get distracted by a message or have to stop so I can hear something interesting on the radio.

 

[scats]

I definitely agree that you make a job last as long as you have (if that makes sense). I do 2 beds in 15 minutes because I’m always in a rush. But on days off I’ll find myself slowing down a bit.

As for hints to speed up- use your eyes first to suss out the bed. Can you lift any areas of poo and obvious wet first? Chuck the rest up against a back bank in a sort of skimming action layer by layer (avoiding the very floor layer as this is where wet settles). Then you can remove any settled wet if you are taking it out.

If you have a box walker mulcher like one of mine, I don’t even try to take out any whole poos because it’s pointless. I go straight to the chucking layer by layer against the back bank.

You’ll also get used to which areas of the stable they don’t really mess in and which are the worst bits.

 

[[155411]]

I definitely agree that you make a job last as long as you have (if that makes sense). I do 2 beds in 15 minutes because I’m always in a rush. But on days off I’ll find myself slowing down a bit.

As for hints to speed up- use your eyes first to suss out the bed. Can you lift any areas of poo and obvious wet first? Chuck the rest up against a back bank in a sort of skimming action layer by layer (avoiding the very floor layer as this is where wet settles). Then you can remove any settled wet if you are taking it out.

If you have a box walker mulcher like one of mine, I don’t even try to take out any whole poos because it’s pointless. I go straight to the chucking layer by layer against the back bank.

You’ll also get used to which areas of the stable they don’t really mess in and which are the worst bits.

Thanks! The back left corner is normally bare or has the odd wee in the rest is just poo madness

 

[Chippers1]

Yes it’s always back and forth on the yard, completely lost with what I can do to speed things up!!

My trick when I worked on a yard was to never go empty handed! If I was going to the muck heap I'd take all the haynets to fill on the way back etc. It did help that whole time wasting walking around thing.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

If only I could potty train mine !

I know!!! If I could the other 3 wouldn’t be on deep litter

 

[wiglet]

Well the actual mucking out takes me 15-20 mins. I pick out the poo while she eats breakfast (that takes 5mins) then once she's out I get the wet out and sweep the bed back so the rubber mats can air/dry out through the day. I do like to keep my bed pristine though and the shavings are always white, I don't like seeing dirty wet shavings!
However, I'm at the yard for around an hour... it takes time to rug up/boot up (rug storage shed is not near my stable), my field is the furthest away so a good 5 min walk to it, and back from it. Then nets and feeds need making up for evening and never underestimate how long sweeping the yard takes! The muck heap is away from the yard and of course you have to stack and tread down your muck which all takes time.
Added to that there's the social aspect of it - I mean you've gotta have a chat with everyone, haven't you?

 

[bwook5]

Yes she does a lot of poos!! Not like 5 or so like the usual horse, 10+!!

I thought mine was the only one who does 10+ poos

 

[skint1]

God I feel really slow. From start to finish- 1 stable, generously sized chopped straw bank on rubber mats, haylage fed on floor and in haynet, 3 water buckets, horse stabled at night (from 4pm-8am). It takes me around 45 mins if don't stop for a break to let the floor air out a bit. That includes 2 trips to muck heap, rinsing/scrubbing/filling/transporting 3 water buckets, collecting haylage from haylage point and sweeping my part of the yard, so maybe not too bad!

 

[Hackback]

It can vary a lot depending how dirty your horse is. Mine both do about the same number of poos overnight - I haven't counted but way more than 5! One does big moist poos which are easy and satisfying to dig out, and one big wee patch. The other does more like giant rabbit tod style droppings which bury themselves deep into the chopped straw and are a pain to locate and fish out. He also has 2 wee spots and in addition seems to like to dig up his bed like a dog before lying down, with the result that clean, droppings and wet get all mixed up. It takes me twice as long to do his stable

 

[9tails]

Horse has a large bed of wood pellets and small flake shavings. She kicks her poos around and, if the hay isn't up to scratch, that gets thrown in the bed too. She does 10 poos a night from 6pm until 6.30am so there's a lot of poo kicked around. She also dunks her hay so there's wet hay and bedding stuck to the ground. The picking up of the poos isn't too time consuming, that's done by glove and bucket, but it's the faffing and hay removal that takes time with a basket fork. I save as much bedding as possible, shaking poos off so shavings and pellets drop back into the bed. I *could* do it in 20 minutes, but it wouldn't be perfect and there would still be hay or tiny bits of droppings in the bed, so mine takes 30 minutes. Water bucket is cleaned and filled while doing the mucking out and I've got a net ready from the night before. I only have one, I don't find it an arduous job and I can daydream while I do it.