Those with 2 horses

[Henmen]

As of January, i shall own 2 horses

Im not concerned about the money side, i can cope with that (just!!), its the time aspect, with a 4 yr old to bring on and my new horse, and 2 young kiddies, am i mad!!!????
Both will be in at night, mostly out during the day except if raining, both on shavings and hay.

Time management tips please!!

 

[fairhill]

Make up lots of haynets at the weekend to last you the week.
Feed them the same types of food.
Skip out and deep litter their beds.
Ride each one on alternate days.
Ride one and lead one if both in.

Create a clone of yourself?

Good luck!!! I struggle doing 1 and a 1/2 with no kids at this time of year!

 

[cobwithattitude]

In same boat - horses are my sanity! (One is my daughter's but I look after it in the mornings (5.30am) Have 3 school age children - only one rides. Can be a problem. I find cooking in bulk helps to feed family quickly in evenings and as in first post make as much dry feed/hay nets up in adv ance as poss. Just wish there were more hours in the day - you will find it so easy in the summer! Good luck.

 

[the watcher]

invest in rugs suitable to be worn 24/7..obviously you will still need to check and adjust, but still quicker. do as much as you can when you have child free time (premix/soak feed, make sure beds topped up and hay is accessible, etc) so that everything is to hand when you are in a bit of a rush.

What is the new neddie to be?

 

[Tufty]

Get up early ! and get the mucking out done, haynets filled etc and lunge.
Then get kids up, breakfast etc, put washing on tidy up.

get kids off to various schools etc, if not school age get someone in to look after them for a couple of hours and then put other horse to work or lunge etc.

There you go , now you only have the night time to face - give kids to husband the minute he walks in the door, pointing out that he has to do his bit as they are half his !

Then get a take away or go out for dinner (dont forget to get babysitter if you are going out ! )

GOOD LUCK - You are going to need it.

p.s contact marriage guidance immediately as they get booked up quite quickly

Hope this cheers you up !

 

[Henmen]

She coming from the same place i got Solo, not liking being a broodmare, she loosing a lot of condition, giving it all to her foals, shes a TB so not really sutited to being a welsh mountin pony!!

 

[ihatework]

start training the kiddies now ... will pay off in the long run when they are mucking out

Seriously though, deep litter, ride and lead, keep NZ on 24h, hay on floor rather than nets, try not to have too many feeds and suppliments ... cubes are the way forwards! Fill a dustbin with water so that you can fill up buckets quickly

 

[kick_On]

the only advise i can give is be oraganised, plan, plan and more planning
never walk across yard without doing a job,
buy everything and do everything in bulk!
and good luck....
and spring is around corner

 

[AmyMay]

Do you work???

 

[Magicmillbrook]

3 horses, one child and full time work - know how you feel

1 - Houshold chores - get a cleaner, do bulk cook-ins and freeze meals, get OH & kids to help

2 - Get organised at weekends so you can get as much pre prepared as possible, save non essential jobs like sweeping hay barn and squaring up muck heap for then.

3 - During the week - Get OH and children to help, even youngsters can stuff haynets and push a broom. Persuade them its free excercise- alternatively state that no one gets tea until the horses are done.

4 - get a boiler suit - you can go staight from stable to work without stinking!

5 - Whilst the weather is bad and there is little daylight dont stress to much about keeping the horses fit, by feb the night will be starting to draw out. If they are out during the day they should stay sane.

6 - Cut out any faff with rugs and feed, keep everything as simple as poss

7 - try rubber mats and 1/2 beds if deep litter is not an option (you dont have to do a mega spring clearout either)

 

[Happytohack]

Have 4 horses at home, they are in at night & out in the day.

Use rubber matting, pick up droppings often and do major muck out once a week.

Poo pick fields regularly.

Use haybars instead of haynets (although Ella has haynet as she sat on her haybar & broke it

)

Get up early!

 

[spaniel]

Get yourself a BIG wheelbarrow and keep it handy at all times. Mine transports both turnouts, two breakfasts and a big slab of hay first thing in the morning and is then ready for muck after turnout.

Same in the evening. Saves trailing back and forth with two wet muddy rugs and can carry the haynets and teas later on.

You do get quite efficient after a week or so I promise!

 

[Taboo1968]

The best time management tip is to get into a routine asap..... However you will find that having two will make a big difference from just one!

(I've got 6 at home at the moment and there are not enough hours in the day!)

 

[filly190]

I dont think you'll find it too hard. I have three and they are all in at night. You get quicker!! When I had one, I think back and I am sure I wasted loads of time faffing about.

In the summer a friend will ride one of them and I do find one horse is not enough for all the riding I want to do during the nice months. I have one yearling and two riding horses and dont struggle at all.

 

[MagicMelon]

Ive got 5 horses, and TBH the best time saving tip ever would be to turn them out 24/7 if possible. Any horse (Ive had WB's, TB's, Anglo's etc.) can live out happily as long as they're well rugged, fed and have shelter. SOOOOOOOOOO much easier. I dont know how people go through all the hasstle of mucking out etc. if they dont need to!

 

[_jetset_]

I have recently taken on a 2nd horse, but my other is in foal at the moment so I am only riding one. But come next year, I will be riding two as well as mucking out two etc.

I have been getting up at 6am to muck them both out, do nets, ride Grace and feeds. Then at night I muck out again if they have been in (which they are at the moment) and go home. So when I have two to ride, I plan on riding one in the morning and then one at night.

 

[Weezy]

OK well it is VERY doable as you are not out at work! Get B sorted and to school and then off you go wth H to the yard and do what you need to do - however your biggest prob is what to do wth H whilst you are busy! Obviously you cannot leave him unattended as he is too young, so what you need to do is try and fit in riding whilst he has his nap in the car OR you make hm believe that his buggy is the happiest place in the world! Lots of those books and toys on cords that attach to the buggy so you are not forever retrieving toys!

Prepare everything for the day n the morning when you only have 1 child to contend with - in an evening I dont even have to go down as there is always someone wlling to chuck hay and a ready mixed feed in, but I do go down straight after school, check/re-rug/bring in and hay then his tea is given later at about 5 by someone else - so look into having that done if possible

Most important thing, when you do have to have both boys on the yard, is that they are as savvy as they can be - mine have grown up around horses and even now I have to have eyes in the back of my head and I do not let them on the yard anywhere away from me if there are any horses tied up on the yard that I am not in charge of (I dont want an accident happening as, at the end of the day, yards are not a great place for children and I dont see why people should have to check their behaviour because of MY children being there) - Boys like mixing feeds and filling water buckets so you can occupy B with that, portable DVD player whilst you are riding is a must (honestly totally distracts them for long enough - but they are still in your sight)

It really isnt too tough, I managed with 2 horses without breaking a sweat and will again from next month if all goes well!

 

[charlie900]

Know what you mean .I have 3 horses 2 kids and work 42hrs a week you will be sooooo busy that it will be summer before you know it. Its hard going bit worth every minute .My advice is plan ahead and forget house work and all non essential duties till summer let kids and oh know they will have to learn to fend for themseves for a while. Good luck!

 

[spooks]

single mum,5 kids, full time job, 2 horses and whoever elses i happen to see to in the mornings!!!
routine is the key...dont have a clue how i manage it but im fit for nothing by the end of the day! lol

 

[SpruceRI]

Get them used to being lunged a lot - and in the dark! Lungeing my pony two evenings a week and general riding at weekends and she's fit as a fiddle.

I don't find the looking after 2 the time consuming bit. It's the riding of them that is - you want to go on a long hack at the weekends but have you got time when you've got a 2nd one to ride? Long lazy rides seem to have become a thing of the past in my life since acquiring the 2nd ridden horse!

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
My advice is plan ahead and forget house work and all non essential duties till summer let kids and oh know they will have to learn to fend for themseves for a while.

[/ QUOTE ]

What?! Are you serious? I dont think that is fair on the OH or the kids at all! I have an agreement with my OH, I can have as many horses as I like, so long as they do not impact on our family life, hence I dont hunt or compete at weekends as seriously do not think it would be fair for my OH or kids to come second to the horses!

 

[Henmen]

Thanks everyone, same here weezy, as long as it doesnt have a major impact on family , i can have 20 if i want!!

H is generally very good at the yard, the hosepipe is the best thing in the world!! B is also quite good at entertaining himself, he has a portable DVD which i ALWAYS forget to bring, i will have to start remembering!!

 

[Solomon]

6 horses, 3 liveries, 2 children (that includes the husband!) and a full time job.


Oh dear I know exactly how you feel - I am lucky enough to have someone who mucks out for me on a Tuesday and Thursday but they may have to go after Xmas! House is a building site and Xmas is less than 2 weeks away. Won't have any plaster on the lounge ceiling or walls or a door to the downstairs toilet but hey ho all good things come to those who wait. Also school is to wet to ride in so have been hiring an all weather a couple of times a week so my kid and one of the liveries can ride - a round trip of about 1hour 40 mins including riding time! My ironing never gets done and I'm sure the washing machine has a mind of its own at this time of year and gobbles up every other sock in a pair! Hubbie works full time and has his own business so he is always busy too. good news is that I finish work on 22 Dec for the Xmas period as the firm I work for shuts!! Yippee can ride during the day and have a bit of relaxation!