Standard time to muck out

[toppedoff]

I've started on a new yard and it's safe to say, I am slow. Its shavings but 8:30am till 10:30am just doing 5 stables (4 and a half) has made me feel a bit disappointed. I do hope to get quicker by time.

How long does it usually take for you to muck out? What sort of time would be "appropriate" of expected time frame to muck on an employers view?

It's on a p2p yard so right now all the horses are out but once the season hits, I need to be really good at it. I was told I'll get better as time goes on but gosh I do feel I am letting the groom down

 

[Red-1]

Don't be disheartened, it takes a little time to get quick.

My top tip is to never walk anywhere without something in your hands, so take the buckets when going to fetch the barrow etc (or whatever jobs are suitable to be combined in your yard layout).

With mucking out, I always get all the obvious stuff out first, before moving on to the smaller bits. It makes the task less daunting.

I cluster jobs, so won't go fill 1 net, but will get all of them and fill them all at once.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

How big are the beds? That makes a huge difference as well.

We have shavings on rubber matting so we use less bedding. It takes approx 5-7mins to muck out a stable here but we aren't doing hay or water or any thing. We put the wheelbarrow in the door way and dive in with a snow shovel.

Mucking out my own straw boxes can take anything from 5mins to 5 hours depending on how much procrastinating I do

 

[teapot]

Layout of yard also can make or break times too - if you're constantly having to double back on yourself it makes it worse, and a discussion I once had with a boss after being asked the girls 'took so long'. I explained the layout of her yard and the muck heap, tap, feed room, equipment storage, and boxes being at the opposite compass points did not make for quick anything

As Red says try and double up, so if you're approaching a box with an empty wheelbarrow, chuck water buckets, nets in there, so you then you don't have to go get them once the box is done etc.

 

[toppedoff]

How big are the beds? That makes a huge difference as well.

We have shavings on rubber matting so we use less bedding. It takes approx 5-7mins to muck out a stable here but we aren't doing hay or water or any thing. We put the wheelbarrow in the door way and dive in with a snow shovel.

Mucking out my own straw boxes can take anything from 5mins to 5 hours depending on how much procrastinating I do

It takes up half the stable with banks and on rubber matting but is a bit compact. I don't know how big the stables itself but it's like a modern barn so maybe 12 x 12ft? Maybe a tad bigger, I'm not sure
Gosh I wish I could do 5 mins wow!

 

[toppedoff]

Layout of yard also can make or break times too - if you're constantly having to double back on yourself it makes it worse, and a discussion I once had with a boss after being asked the girls 'took so long'. I explained the layout of her yard and the muck heap, tap, feed room, equipment storage, and boxes being at the opposite compass points did not make for quick anything

As Red says try and double up, so if you're approaching a box with an empty wheelbarrow, chuck water buckets, nets in there, so you then you don't have to go get them once the box is done etc.

Everything is in the barn which puts more pressure I guess the muck heap is at the end of the barn just on the edge outside, feed is on the corner and the haylage too

I'll definitely double up though, thats a good idea!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I've started on a new yard and it's safe to say, I am slow. Its shavings but 8:30am till 10:30am just doing 5 stables (4 and a half) has made me feel a bit disappointed. I do hope to get quicker by time.

How long does it usually take for you to muck out? What sort of time would be "appropriate" of expected time frame to muck on an employers view?

It's on a p2p yard so right now all the horses are out but once the season hits, I need to be really good at it. I was told I'll get better as time goes on but gosh I do feel I am letting the groom down

well i put eve feed hay and muck out in about 20- 25 mins on average.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Having a process/method for mucking out definitely helps and doing it well every day means the stable won't get manky.
What i do is first pick up poos , then start from one side of the bed, at the front, moving in a line towards the back , lifting the bed to the side , removing any wet that I find. Repeat this front to back line until I get to the other side of the stable.
Once the whole bed is up , either pull a bit of the banks down or if not too big , toss through the banks to shake down any remaining poos.
Then pull the bed down , usually sides first.. Finally turn the banks over once again.
Takes me 10-15 minutes to do my stable (I like a deep bed ) and doing this every day means it won't ever get disgusting and take me longer.
It's when people don't do a proper muck out that you end up with more work the next day.

 

[Barton Bounty]

You will get yourself a routine and then it will be a skoosh for you! Super proud of you! Well done you have really gone out of your comfort zone

 

[SEL]

I'm always slow when I have to get mine in for a wet winter (they stay out as long as pos) but get more speedy as my muscle memory reminds itself what to do - plus coffee

I deep litter but I do skip out for all, then waters for all then hay for all rather than a complete stable at a time.

I also do my messiest first otherwise I lose the will to live

 

[toppedoff]

Having a process/method for mucking out definitely helps and doing it well every day means the stable won't get manky.
What i do is first pick up poos , then start from one side of the bed, at the front, moving in a line towards the back , lifting the bed to the side , removing any wet that I find. Repeat this front to back line until I get to the other side of the stable.
Once the whole bed is up , either pull a bit of the banks down or if not too big , toss through the banks to shake down any remaining poos.
Then pull the bed down , usually sides first.. Finally turn the banks over once again.
Takes me 10-15 minutes to do my stable (I like a deep bed ) and doing this every day means it won't ever get disgusting and take me longer.
It's when people don't do a proper muck out that you end up with more work the next day.

I like that sort of method, kinda how I sweep in "rows' thank you

 

[toppedoff]

You will get yourself a routine and then it will be a skoosh for you! Super proud of you! Well done you have really gone out of your comfort zone

Thank you

 

[little_critter]

You will get yourself a routine and then it will be a skoosh for you! Super proud of you! Well done you have really gone out of your comfort zone

I’ve just realised who op is.
Well done OP!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Love the new photo too @toppedoff

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve just realised who op is.
Well done OP!

Yay! Well done!
You’ll get quicker. I used to only do one bank a day, but that only works if you are there every day.

 

[toppedoff]

I’ve just realised who op is.
Well done OP!

Thank you so much!

Love the new photo too @toppedoff

I uploaded a video somewhere in the "members with less than 10k messages".of him

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thank you so much!

I uploaded a video somewhere in the "members with less than 10k messages".of him

Im going for a look

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

My first job at a riding school aged 18 it took me around 30 mins per stable, bedded on straw. I got told I was 'too thorough' Second job it didn't take me much less time and they were bedded on straw, or aubioise which we would muck out by taking the poo out, loose top layer back then re fluffing it. Third job horses were bedded on shavings and it got it to about 20 mins per stable.

I was painfully slow but as although I'd owned my own horse for 3 years by my first job, she'd never been in a stable, so I had no experience mucking out especially more than one stable. I honestly believe you have to learn the art and that takes time, so keep at it, you will get there

My stables now take about 5 mins each as they are only in during the day, I skip out at lunch time and full muck out in evening. I can do all 5 stables in around 20 mins. Currently on Aquamax and rubber mats.

 

[Parrotperson]

How big are the beds? That makes a huge difference as well.

We have shavings on rubber matting so we use less bedding. It takes approx 5-7mins to muck out a stable here but we aren't doing hay or water or any thing. We put the wheelbarrow in the door way and dive in with a snow shovel.

Mucking out my own straw boxes can take anything from 5mins to 5 hours depending on how much procrastinating I do

And how much the shitlands help!!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Also , have a 3 prong fork as well as a shavings fork for a shavings bed. Use the 3 prong fork to turn the banks over , a lot quicker and easier than turning them with a shavings fork.

 

[toppedoff]

Also , have a 3 prong fork as well as a shavings fork for a shavings bed. Use the 3 prong fork to turn the banks over , a lot quicker and easier than turning them with a shavings fork.

I'll have to see if we got some laying around, thank you!

 

[Esmae]

I "do" 5 every morning in the winter time. (they are out now) Feet, Turn out, stables 12x12. Straw. Muck out to the floor, haynets, clean water, bed down, sweep up and tidy and feeds for night time. 2 1/2 hours. I've been doing this for a 100 years and I don't rush, just plod on. Don't worry op, you will soon get a routine that suits and you find most efficient.

 

[spacefaer]

I do our 5 in about an hour. Feed in, take.haynets out when I take the feed in. Hay all then muck out. Fill water buckets with hose while mucking out.
When we had 9 in, I'd make up the morning nets in the evening, and vice versa. It's amazing how much quicker it is. Took me 1.5 hrs to do the 9
And never walk anywhere empty handed!

I used to have working pupils. I'll never forget the one lad who took an hour to do a shavings bed and it still didn't look clean. He was horrifed to discover I'd done 5 in the same time- he got quicker!

It's very different from doing your own horse to working on a more industrial scale but you'll surprised how quickly you get into a routine

 

[toppedoff]

I do our 5 in about an hour. Feed in, take.haynets out when I take the feed in. Hay all then muck out. Fill water buckets with hose while mucking out.
When we had 9 in, I'd make up the morning nets in the evening, and vice versa. It's amazing how much quicker it is. Took me 1.5 hrs to do the 9
And never walk anywhere empty handed!

I used to have working pupils. I'll never forget the one lad who took an hour to do a shavings bed and it still didn't look clean. He was horrifed to discover I'd done 5 in the same time- he got quicker!

It's very different from doing your own horse to working on a more industrial scale but you'll surprised how quickly you get into a routine

5 in an hour how do you muck out?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Also , have a 3 prong fork as well as a shavings fork for a shavings bed. Use the 3 prong fork to turn the banks over , a lot quicker and easier than turning them with a shavings fork.

Snow shovels all the way! In underneath and flip, gets 1/3 of a side done in one fell swoop! Once you have tried the snow shovel muck out you'll never want to go back. But actually we aren't fussed if we take out a bit of clean bedding too so they wouldn't necessarily work for someone conscious of that. I don't get on with shavings forks. You can't lift all of the wet and would need a shovel anyway at some stage.

I do my straw beds with a proper 4 tine fork though. Couldn't do them with a shovel.

 

[TheOldTrout]

I take forever, partly because I like to be very thorough and partly because my mare likes to bury her poo. She also tends to wee next to the wall, so the banks often have the wettest, smelliest straw in the stable. Because I just have one, I empty the dirty straw out and leave any damp patches exposed to the air, then put the clean straw in last, including after riding so the damp patches can dry out a bit.

 

[Clodagh]

Snow shovels definitely best invention ever!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I just lift the droppings then chuck scrape all clean bed away from wet sweep then lay add clean takes about 15 minutes, I tend to turn a bank or edge each day I only have 1 bank at the back though.

I used to muck out 15 to 20 horses a day at one point when I was working at 2 yards, thats why my back is buggered now I would struggle with doing 3 or 4 a day now.

 

[First Frost]

I'm definitely a snow shovel person, can't get on with shavings forks at all! My 2 are on deep shavings beds, it takes me about 10 mins to do my clean young horse and 20 mins to do the dirty older boy. That includes waters and sweeping around the little yard. Mine are out in the summer and come in about mid October. I'm usually at full speed by bonfire night!

 

[toppedoff]

Ima need to go and hunt for a snow shovel now