People with more than one horse and a job...

[_jetset_]

How do you cope through the winter?

I was hoping to get all three mucked out and the two girls exercised before work in the mornings (going to mean getting up at 5.45am) as I do not finish work until 5pm and by the time I can get to the yard it is 6pm. They are in most of the time through the winter, so I was planning on mucking out and feeding only in the evening so I get back at a reasonable hour.

How does everyone else manage it?

If you have done a winter with three or more horses, have you any time saving tips???

I have already been doing an exercise schedule to ensure the two girls are getting enough work through the week...

 

[AmyMay]

I've done a winter with two horses whilst working full time. It was a 5.45am start in the week to muck them both out as well. They were both out every day.

I only had one in work, and so would ride in the evenings only. But if they'd both been in work I would only have ridden one a day.

 

[kick_On]

PLAN. PLAN and PLAN.
What i've done in pass is done someone else horses in morning and so they do mine at nite - could this work for you?Esp on day when horses have day off, so therefore have time in morning?

 

[SpottedCat]

Do you have rubber matting? If you do, then to save yourself time in the evenings, I'd leave the bed up against the wall with just a minimal scattering of shavings down (unless you deep litter of course!) - then you just have to sweep it all out in the evenings.

I used to do haynets at weekends too - is that feasible?

I used to have two on DIY at a yard 20 miles away (so a 30 min drive). I'd be up at 6, at the yard by 7, muck both out and turn out and be at work by 8. Then evenings was ride or lunge and put beds down do nets etc. Worked fine but I was knackered by the end of the winter.

Now I don't work anywhere near the yard and have mine done for me in the winter - this has helped me retain my sanity!

 

[BBs]

Rubber matting saves loads of time by cutting down on bedding.
Always feed hay off the floor or in a big dustbin.
I tend to ride Mon/Wed/Fri I dont feel they need any more than that in the week.
Have feeds that dont take a fortnight to prepare and make them all up the morning before.

Keep NZ rugs on they dry off better and it saves you time by not changing them all the time.

Plaster legs in cooking oil so the mud doesnt stick.

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
I've done a winter with two horses whilst working full time. It was a 5.45am start in the week to muck them both out as well. They were both out every day.

I only had one in work, and so would ride in the evenings only. But if they'd both been in work I would only have ridden one a day.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks AmyMay... Mine need working 6 days a week really, especially because they have minimum turnout through the winter. But what I was thinking was lunging one and riding the other to help cut down tacking up time etc etc???

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
PLAN. PLAN and PLAN.
What i've done in pass is done someone else horses in morning and so they do mine at nite - could this work for you?Esp on day when horses have day off, so therefore have time in morning?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really, I am on a small yard and as I have three and the other two liveries just have one each, it would not really be fair

I do have a friend who I pay to do them once a week in the evening to give me a night off to get washing, cleaning, shopping (although do most online these days as time saver) done

 

[_jetset_]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have rubber matting? If you do, then to save yourself time in the evenings, I'd leave the bed up against the wall with just a minimal scattering of shavings down (unless you deep litter of course!) - then you just have to sweep it all out in the evenings.

I used to do haynets at weekends too - is that feasible?

I used to have two on DIY at a yard 20 miles away (so a 30 min drive). I'd be up at 6, at the yard by 7, muck both out and turn out and be at work by 8. Then evenings was ride or lunge and put beds down do nets etc. Worked fine but I was knackered by the end of the winter.

Now I don't work anywhere near the yard and have mine done for me in the winter - this has helped me retain my sanity!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha ha... I think I am going to be insane by the end of the winter

I worry they will be stood in wee if I only put a small amount of shavings down, so tend to have my beds thicker than most people. I have rubber matting down though.

 

[Shipley]

When I looked after 5 before work (not all riden) This is what I used to do.

All on Matting and deep litter monday to friday (wet at weekends)
Made all haynets up at the weekend (i had 7 night and 7 lunch nets per horse)
Rugs were possible stayed on but spares were near the stable if neede.

At night my wheel barrow was loaded with lunch nets am feeds and all tools
Fill one spare water bucket per horse at night as tap often frozen and horses would have at east one bucket till I made it up at night (5 hours max).
Always make both feeds at night.
I never walked anywhere in the yard empty handed (think about your yard layout as this may be different to you).

Rode my first while the others ate breckfast always took 2 or 3 to the field at the same time.

Max riding was 2 or ride one lunge one. My hubby sometimes helped and always had to ride am as he prefered me at home at night and I was too tired.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Last winter I had 2 in and one was on walking only,

I got up at 6, mucked them both out, rode the first one round the farm and did the proper work on her, came back and collected the second one by which time it was light and walked round the village leading the second one off the first, got back, put on turn out rugs, turned out and fed in the field. Left for work at 8.30. Home at 6.

Evenings - got both in, fed, cleaned and rugged up and bed.

 

[ClareHasler]

I get up at 5am ride 1, others eat whilst riding, t/o & m/o all 3, get stables all ready for bedtime, then when i get back to the yard at 6pm i get them all in, wash legs, change rugs, lunge 1, feed and head home by 7pm. I alternate what days off they have so only have 2 to work on work days, also have a very capable friend who can hack out 1 day during the week for me. (sanity time for her, she has 2 kids!!) Rubber matting & Aquamax are my best time savers, also make up all haynets on a sunday for the week. Completely knackering but couldn't imagine my life any other way!

 

[hellspells]

I do between 2- and 6 first thing (and I use to have to be at work at 8) sometimes at two different yards.

I make sure that I do as much as possible during the week. Evening down to making up the bulk feeds, i.e the the chaff and mix but not the supplements and put in plastic bags for the week. All hay nets made up but not haylage ones.
I also only scatter a small amount of bedding on my mats as it is so much quicker just to scrape away whats there than dig up the whole bed. Mine come it at lunch so unless the are soaked through they have their turnouts left on until I have ride in the evenings which mean they dry. I also put a summer sheet on underneath there PJ's as this can be washed regularly - they stay cleaner and I only have to have my thick rugs washed once at the end of the winter.
I ride in the school after work, but I do get up early one morning a week so I can hack out to add variety.
Tennis balls in water troughs are great - as I learnt one winter when the water frooze I went to put my hand palm down through it and cut all my wrist - looking like a self harmer!!!!

 

[SpottedCat]

They won't be stood in wee unless you have very tiny stables! It will make a massive difference to you time wise to just have beds mostly up during the day.

As for ride/lunge - that was what I used to do. I exercised 3 days in the week and both days at weekends too. Do you have a horse walker? Mine just go on that morning/eve if they can't go out.

 

[_jetset_]

That is a fantastic idea about putting summer sheets on under winter rugs!!! Brilliant

I don't have enough space to do all my nets, but try to do them all at once for the day (therefore 6 at once).

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Unless the weather is terrible one of mine winters out with good rugs. I usually get p and muck out at 5.30. I am then lucky as I can start work at 7 and finish at 3 so manage to get one worked each day. ~I will occasionly book a local indoor school and take both and I usually save my holiday and take a half day every 2 weeks to give them both really good exercise. Too be honest in winter you can get away with exercising each 3-4 times a week.

 

[_jetset_]

How much bedding do you actually put down???

My mares seem to wee A LOT, especially one, so a picture would be very much appreciated

But it is definitely something I will try out as one mare is very very dirty!!!

 

[Ferdinase514]

Turn out as much as poss.

Leave in turnout rugs most of the time.

Split the days with someone, so you do theirs some mornings and they do yours some evenings. Be careful they dont take the pee though, as if you are generous like me, they will!

 

[S_N]

Well at least you start at work at 10 am! Well that's what you said the other day anyways. How many days a week do you work?

 

[Ferdinase514]

Forgot to add, ride one each day - alternate.

 

[I_A_P]

I am working 4 days a week which gives me a thursday off but have to work every other sat.
Cut down on bedding, we did last year and went onto shavigs and the workload is so much less and makes it far quicker.
I can not ride during the week in winter without hiring an \arena 45min away so i doubt it will happen hence me having that day midweek so i can hopefully kep him going!

 

[Tempi]

When i had Archie and Bloss on DIY last year i was at the yard at 6am - one got turned out, one got mucked out - but when they were both in for the day it actually didnt take me any longer than turning one out because by the time id walked to the field and back i wouldve mucked out the stable anyways. Then i finished work at 4, mucked other one out and rode both, or lunged one and rode one. Was normally home by 6:30 at the latest as they both just had a sprinkling of shavings in the corner on rubber matting so i just had to sweep out the stables each day.

 

[jellybaby]

Employ a groom........?!

JB x

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
How much bedding do you actually put down???

My mares seem to wee A LOT, especially one, so a picture would be very much appreciated

But it is definitely something I will try out as one mare is very very dirty!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically enough to cover the mats so you can't see them, but not enough to have any real 'depth' of shavings. It does mean I leave in NZs though in case they lie down!! I find that if the horse thinks he needs more, he uses his front leg to paw some down from the back - he self regulates the depth

I would do you a pic but mine is living out 24/7 at the moment so nothing much in his stable.

If you just do a strip biig enough for her to stand on in front of the banks, you could leave it about half an inch thick. I do a strip about that big if that makes sense.

Yes, the shavings are wet through, but towards the back of the stable and he stands at the front eating/looking out, so no issue really.

 

[Heidi1]

Have four, but only three are in work. I'm too far away and start work too early to work any in the morning, but tend to ride one, lunge one and give other one the day off, they all have a Monday off, I'm also very lucky to have a wonderful OH who is happy to come and muck out for me or with me. Also have them all on mats and bliss bedding and make most of my haynets up on a Sunday ready for the week, saves a hell of a lots of time.

 

[_jetset_]

I work 4 days, 10-5, usually three days at the office and one day from home (make up hours if I compete etc by working from home another day too!)

It is pretty flexible which is great

 

[Baileysno1]

It was tough I had Ryu and Bails together last winter and the one before and they were both in alternate days this meant mucking out 2 twice a day, plus if they were in I felt I had to do something with them usually lunge 1 ride the other, I had a sharer for Bails who owns him now but she didn't come in the mornings. I got up at 5.15am and was on the yard for 5.30 (was in work for 8) my friend Sue was usually half way through riding one of hers by the time I arrived! So I mucked out before work and again after if they'd been in then rode, luckily floodlit indoor and got home at around 8 to cook tea jump in the bath and do the washing, it was INSANE!!!

This winter I'll just have Leonard but am working very long days and have moved yard so no indoor school but at least I'll only have to muck out once a day.

 

[Gamebird]

Last winter mine were pretty much in full time (field a bog, horses would only stand at gate looking miserable) which actually meant less work as you didn't need to wait for them to eat on a morning to turn out (mine eat very slowly if they think you're in a rush!), no rug changing plus horses clean and dry most of the time.

Pretty much mucked out 6am, rode 6.30-7.30, fed, home for a shower and left for work at 8.30am. On an evening skipped out, refilled haynets and waters and fed again (~15mins total).

As they weren't turned out they did get exercised every day. Generally riding and leading (alternated which I rode) on some very quiet wide lanes in the semi-dark but also used school. They were both hunted once a week so the day after that they probably just had a good long steady walk on the walker.

 

[Ferdinase514]

[ QUOTE ]
I work 4 days, 10-5, usually three days at the office and one day from home (make up hours if I compete etc by working from home another day too!)

It is pretty flexible which is great

[/ QUOTE ]

You have nothing to worry about then!!

 

[sarahs]

FULL LIVERY !
Gosh you lot have made me feel tired just reading that !

 

[jaffs]

Got 4 to do.
If i have to be in work at 8am it's a 4.15 alarm.
I plan everything. They are turned out during the day.
Do all the nets as far ahead as i can , bought a lot of extra nets so i can do about 4 days worth together.
Make the feeds up for the whole week and put them into carrier bags so they can just be tipped into feed buckets.
I have good quality outdoor rugs which i keep on all the time (do keep checking for rubs though)
If it looks like it is going to freeze i make sure the taps are well insulated and put the hosepipe on top of the muck heap so it doesn't. I fill up water tubs and put them undercover so i have drinking water for them.
I deep litter during the week and they have very deep beds which works out fine but you have to have a good layer to make it work.
The most important thing is to plan ahead and do as much as you can when you have the spare time.
That's all before the 6.15 train and the rat run to work on the underground ...yuk!
In the evening i have most of it prepared, so it's lungeing 1 riding 1. Refilling nets skipping out,and checking the fenceline.
My Hubby is fab. and always does the final nets/ skipping out at night, even though horses make him sneeze