[142807]
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Can anyone tell me what a typical stable management routine in a yard was in the 1970s. Something on the lines of 6am check horses, 6.30am feed, put in net ect. I would like to compare then to now. Thanks
Old School Stable Management Routine
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sunnyone
Well-Known Member
According to Mary Gordon Watson p.257 of The Handbook of Riding: (1982)
7.OO a.m. Check horse over, straighten rugs, water, feed, remove empty haynet.
8.00 a.m. Muck out, clean out feed and water containers, brush horse over, pick out and oil feet, tack up.
8.30 a.m. Exercise.
10.00 a.m. Groom, strap, rug up horse, give haynet.
12.30 p.m. Pick out box, straighten rugs, feed, water.
4.30 p.m. Change rugs,adding extra blankets in cold weather, water, pick out box, refill haynet for night, feed, clean tack.
9.00 p.m. Straighten rugs, water, pick out box, last feed, settle horse for night.
Hope that helps.
7.OO a.m. Check horse over, straighten rugs, water, feed, remove empty haynet.
8.00 a.m. Muck out, clean out feed and water containers, brush horse over, pick out and oil feet, tack up.
8.30 a.m. Exercise.
10.00 a.m. Groom, strap, rug up horse, give haynet.
12.30 p.m. Pick out box, straighten rugs, feed, water.
4.30 p.m. Change rugs,adding extra blankets in cold weather, water, pick out box, refill haynet for night, feed, clean tack.
9.00 p.m. Straighten rugs, water, pick out box, last feed, settle horse for night.
Hope that helps.
stormox
Well-Known Member
Yes thats pretty much what we did when I worked in yards in the 1970's - afternoons were used for tack cleaning and other jobs.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
From PC Manual of Horsemanship 1993 but won't have changed much:
7am - tie up, small net of hay, muck out, check health, pick out feet, water buckets, feed.
9am - remove droppings, quarter (short groom), saddle up and exercise
on return - body brush or sponge off, pick out feet, give a net of hay
12pm - groom thoroughly, replace rugs, check water, set bed if only a day bed earlier, give second feed, tidy yard
2pm - clean tack, allow horse access to grass
4:30pm - tie up, skip out, clean horse, refill haynet, third feed
9pm - skip out, check rugs, top up water and put in another haynet. 4th feed.
7am - tie up, small net of hay, muck out, check health, pick out feet, water buckets, feed.
9am - remove droppings, quarter (short groom), saddle up and exercise
on return - body brush or sponge off, pick out feet, give a net of hay
12pm - groom thoroughly, replace rugs, check water, set bed if only a day bed earlier, give second feed, tidy yard
2pm - clean tack, allow horse access to grass
4:30pm - tie up, skip out, clean horse, refill haynet, third feed
9pm - skip out, check rugs, top up water and put in another haynet. 4th feed.
Tash88
Well-Known Member
Interesting how the only difference between 1982 and 1993 is the addition of turnout! I think in general older management practices are better, but I don't know many people who feed more than twice a day now. I imagine the feeds they mean are much smaller though so the same amount of food but distributed 4 times rather than 2. We only fed once a day on yards / riding schools I have worked on too.
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
Well the above routine would be for a horse in full work, a competition horse or hunter. So a horse in much less work would need much less feed.
webble
Well-Known Member
Not much turnout in these descriptions is there
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
T
The original Pony Club instruction books were based on Army procedures, where they didn't turn out 30 odd horses altogether every day.
The benefits of everyday turnout have been proved now, and I think the sport of Endurance actually helped a great deal regarding turnout, feeding, etc. which has filtered down. Now many racehorses get turnout every day (except possibly the young colts) and some are even trained off grass.
The original Pony Club instruction books were based on Army procedures, where they didn't turn out 30 odd horses altogether every day.
The benefits of everyday turnout have been proved now, and I think the sport of Endurance actually helped a great deal regarding turnout, feeding, etc. which has filtered down. Now many racehorses get turnout every day (except possibly the young colts) and some are even trained off grass.
Shilasdair
Patting her thylacine
The BHS Manual was based on one groom to four horses. 
I remember working at a yard a few decades ago where there was two of us starting at 8am, feeding, haying, watering and mucking out 36 horses between us and also tacking up for the 10am lesson.
I remember working at a yard a few decades ago where there was two of us starting at 8am, feeding, haying, watering and mucking out 36 horses between us and also tacking up for the 10am lesson.
Skib
Well-Known Member
I have 1919 army routine from Edward Miller. It was Miller who found the advantages of turn out for polo ponies in winter but the routine here is for the Front in World War 1.
A Good Example of Stable Routine
6-6.30 in summer Water
6.15-7.00 in summer, later in winter Morning Stables
7.00 in summer, later in winter Feed
8.00-8.30 in summer,later in winter Exercise
10.30-11.30 Water
11.00-12.30 Mid day Stables
12.30 Feed
3.30 Water
4.00-5.00 earlier in winter Evening Stables
5.00 Feed
About 6.30 in hot weather Water
8.00 Feed Hay up
A Good Example of Stable Routine
6-6.30 in summer Water
6.15-7.00 in summer, later in winter Morning Stables
7.00 in summer, later in winter Feed
8.00-8.30 in summer,later in winter Exercise
10.30-11.30 Water
11.00-12.30 Mid day Stables
12.30 Feed
3.30 Water
4.00-5.00 earlier in winter Evening Stables
5.00 Feed
About 6.30 in hot weather Water
8.00 Feed Hay up
MuddyMonster
Well-Known Member
I was thinking that! Especially as I've seen on plenty of occasions people bemoaning supposed lack of turn out as a modern day created evil of horse keeping.
littleshetland
Well-Known Member
I was offered a job at a very 'old school' stable yard (this was back in the 70's, and the yard was very 'old school' even then..) where they were going to teach me how to 'plait' the front of a straw bed back in order to keep the stable tidy.
HappyHollyDays
Slave to a house cat, 4 yard cats and 2 ponies
My dad was a Calvary officer in India when they had squadrons of horses before mechanisation. Horses didn't go out in paddocks although when out of their stables they were tethered on lines in the shade. They were proper work horses and the routine was as you would imagine it very regimented from dawn to dusk. Troopers mucked out by hand, no implements were provided and they had two horses each riding one and leading their second. Polo was played every week as a way of recreation and respite from work for both horses and soldiers. He was devastated when they were all PTS when war broke out.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
I had to plait a straw bed in as part of the Pony Club Horsemans competition.
This all encompassing stable management comp was held in the winter, an unmounted team or more from each branch took part at the area comp.
I think the last time I plaited a bed front was to show my group I was teaching at camp how to do it, in the mid 80s when we were then discussing modern versus traditional ways of doing things. *I am not quite 60!
Esmae
Well-Known Member
We had to do that where I trained.
Tash88
Well-Known Member
Can someone share a picture of a plaited straw bed - I've never heard of this!!
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
I'll have to go into my old books as I know I've not got any photos.
Kat
Well-Known Member
Skilled Horsemanship published in 1937 has the following for polo ponies in summer or non-hunting days for hunters in winter:
5.15am - Men to be down in stables. Clean out Bedding, water, pick out feet, sponge nostrils and dock. Remove night clothing. Groom over with body brush. Clean head-collars. Put on day clothing.
6am - feed - 2lb crushed oats with chaff
6.45am - Saddle up for exercise. Unless there is any reason to the contrary this should be carried out in snaffles. In the meantime, stables should be left to air thoroughly - also air night rugs. If there is a man left in, he should sweep out the stable floors and hay up with 2lb or hay for ponies return when they will be thoroughly groomed and bedding put down.
On return from exercise ponies should be watered.
10.30am - feed 3lb oats 1 lb chaff
2pm - feed 2lb oats, 1 lb chaff
5pm - feed 2 lb oats 1 lb chaff
The above two feeds should be normal when not playing fast polo but on polo days the 2pm feed must be eliminated. Divide the amount allotted between other feeds; the 5pm feed may have to be later depending upon the time of playing. Ponies should drink their fill on return, night rugs should be put on and attention paid to any animal breaking out in a sweat when it should be rubbed down again.
8pm - 3lb oats 1 lb chaff
On polo days one of the afternoon feeds can be varied as follows 1/2 lb of boiled peas, 1/2 lb of boiled linseed, 1/2 lb steamed bran, 3lb steamed oats. This must be prepared beforehand and left covered over until required.
8.30pm hay up with 5lb hay.
Note the feed, more oats fed per day than hay!!!! And of course grooms are all men!
The author points out that a groom has no set hours and on a hunting day will have to work until 10pm or later.
5.15am - Men to be down in stables. Clean out Bedding, water, pick out feet, sponge nostrils and dock. Remove night clothing. Groom over with body brush. Clean head-collars. Put on day clothing.
6am - feed - 2lb crushed oats with chaff
6.45am - Saddle up for exercise. Unless there is any reason to the contrary this should be carried out in snaffles. In the meantime, stables should be left to air thoroughly - also air night rugs. If there is a man left in, he should sweep out the stable floors and hay up with 2lb or hay for ponies return when they will be thoroughly groomed and bedding put down.
On return from exercise ponies should be watered.
10.30am - feed 3lb oats 1 lb chaff
2pm - feed 2lb oats, 1 lb chaff
5pm - feed 2 lb oats 1 lb chaff
The above two feeds should be normal when not playing fast polo but on polo days the 2pm feed must be eliminated. Divide the amount allotted between other feeds; the 5pm feed may have to be later depending upon the time of playing. Ponies should drink their fill on return, night rugs should be put on and attention paid to any animal breaking out in a sweat when it should be rubbed down again.
8pm - 3lb oats 1 lb chaff
On polo days one of the afternoon feeds can be varied as follows 1/2 lb of boiled peas, 1/2 lb of boiled linseed, 1/2 lb steamed bran, 3lb steamed oats. This must be prepared beforehand and left covered over until required.
8.30pm hay up with 5lb hay.
Note the feed, more oats fed per day than hay!!!! And of course grooms are all men!
The author points out that a groom has no set hours and on a hunting day will have to work until 10pm or later.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
I cannot lay my hands on a book yet with a plaited straw front in it. I have found a plate of twisting in the front in Horace Hayes... (revised edition, 1947, originally written in 1900) I have more to sift through later.
Plus a bit about straw beds ..
Plus a bit about straw beds ..
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Tash88
Well-Known Member
That is rather interesting and makes me feel very lazy with my straw and wood pellet bed... in my opinion it looks lovely, tidy and is easy to muck out, but I pay very little attention to the direction of the straw!
I have never come across twisting a bed in either... I started riding at a very old fashioned riding school with links to the army etc. in 1996 and while there were some management features that would seem old fashioned now (horses getting a bran mash on a Sunday evening etc.) they didn't twist in straw beds.
I have never come across twisting a bed in either... I started riding at a very old fashioned riding school with links to the army etc. in 1996 and while there were some management features that would seem old fashioned now (horses getting a bran mash on a Sunday evening etc.) they didn't twist in straw beds.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
I've edited my post above to include extra plate.
I took my B test in 77 at an old school yard and never saw twisting nor plaiting then nor 2 yrs later when embarking on BHS training.
The only reason plaiting the front was put in the Horsemans comp, was each year something 'old' got put in, for interest. I think it was 74 or 75 I had to do that when selected by DC lol.
My late mother did have to plait in, for the front stalls at the RS and livery yard where she was head girl at before having me and my brothers, so likely through the 50s.
I took my B test in 77 at an old school yard and never saw twisting nor plaiting then nor 2 yrs later when embarking on BHS training.
The only reason plaiting the front was put in the Horsemans comp, was each year something 'old' got put in, for interest. I think it was 74 or 75 I had to do that when selected by DC lol.
My late mother did have to plait in, for the front stalls at the RS and livery yard where she was head girl at before having me and my brothers, so likely through the 50s.
catkin
Well-Known Member
These are descriptions of what we now call competition horses and this is their routine during their working season. Most would be roughed off and turned away for part of each year - hunters in the summer, showjumpers show horses etc in the winter.
There were also ponies and family horses who were often kept at grass or in at night, just like now. Types of food, tack and equipment were more limited back then though
Skib
Well-Known Member
You shouldnt have tempted me. But thank you. I went on line and bought a copy. I am addicted.
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
We plaited straw in the doorways on the first yard I worked on we also twisted them which is quicker .
MuddyMonster
Well-Known Member
Planting straw has literally blown my (little) mind ? I can't picture how you would do it at all or why. Every day really is a school day!
Casey76
Well-Known Member
I particularly like the last sentence “and the twisted in section can be finished with a fringe of ears of straw”
I mean, does *anyone* have time to fringe their straw bed ??
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
That would be difficult to do with the Aubiose I currently use ??
[142807]
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No, but lots of exercise. Personally I prefer to exercise horses regularly opposed to them just being turned out, they seem happier having a job. But everyone has there own preferences,
onemoretime
Well-Known Member
Straw was longer years ago, its now very short and would be quite difficult to do this.
fredflop
Well-Known Member
I’ve not heard of plaiting straw beds... but I can imagine it was something that was invented in the army. Give recruits more work and something else for the instructors to inspect