Those with horses living out – haying, field shelters & storing saddles!

[diddy]

Hi everyone,

After some great advice on here, I have finally moved to my own place and have had a fab few days getting everything sorted! I’m really happy & so are neds (I think!) Have made very good use of the search engine on here to find answers to lots of different questions I keep coming up with! However, there are 3 things I haven’t managed to find out about online & was hoping some of you might be able to share your experiences!

1 Those of you that can only get down in the dark, how do you sort out your hay – do you prepare nets, trugs or something else on a Sunday? I can’t be bothered taking on my big bale on a nightly basis. I was going to make up a week’s worth of haynets on Sundays but have come down 2 mornings in a row to find 1 on the floor & getting a bit paranoid about them! So I was thinking about using big wheelie bins, which can hold about a night’s supply & I can keep just outside the field & toss it over as & when. Anyone done this or do you have another cunning alternative..?!

2 I’d like to keep them off the grass at night if possible. I have a 12x18 field shelter that can be divided into 2 with slip rails. Obviously not ideal, although we’re getting another stable over the winter. But in the meantime could I use the slip rails to make stables for my 2 ponies – 12.2 & 14.2 – or is it far too small & there’s too much of a risk of them getting stuck or kicking each other through the rails..?

3 Finally, those of you without secure storage on site, how/where do you store your tack at home? At the moment I have saddles on the floor in the bedroom, which isn’t going down well with everyone else at home!

Thank you very much for any ideas – leftover Halloween candy for anyone who makes it this far!

Diddy x

 

[TigerTail]

1. Headtorches are your new best friend You can do anything with one of them. I put a small bale of hay out in a wooden box which should last 24 hrs. I feed at night around 6ish by head torch and as of today a light in my field shelter tack room (sooo posh)

2. I wouldnt be happy with those stable sizes or the slip rails. Why do you want them off the grass at night? Can you mat/woodchip an area around the shelter and fence it into a little stock yard?

3. My saddle lives in the boot of my car along with the rest of my tack - I have a lockable tack room (6x12) on the end of my field shelter but wouldnt leave expensive tack there.

 

[maree t]

I try and keep mine off the grass for half the day, we are reasonably well drained but I like to think it helps their feet dry out a bit. I confess my stables arent a great size but the boys 13,3 and 13.1 have a stable 10 x 10 . they do only have rails between them as i think it helps the air flow

 

[Cocorules]

1 Those of you that can only get down in the dark, how do you sort out your hay – do you prepare nets, trugs or something else on a Sunday?

I just put mine out loose in the field (or shelter if it is very wet and windy). It goes in different places everyday so not a problem with wrecking the ground. With a head torch it is easy.


2 I’d like to keep them off the grass at night if possible.

Mine are out all the time, but they share shelters of varying sizes I wouldn't want them separated only by a slip rail even though they get on well. Is there any particular reason you need to keep them in at night?


3 Finally, those of you without secure storage on site, how/where do you store your tack at home? At the moment I have saddles on the floor in the bedroom, which isn’t going down well with everyone else at home!

I used to store mine in the car, but now got a 4x4 and no fully covered boot, so they are in the porch on saddle racks. They are a pain as they have to go up quite high as boots etc underneath, but very limited room at home so it is the best option.

 

[labruyere]

hay - try getting the big builder's bags they deliver stone etc in - most people are happy to give you them after use - OBVIOUSLY shake out really well first - and if in doubt turn them inside out - they are reasonably water proof, easily draggable, high volume, and if you pull the top over and turn them over 180 degrees once full they 'self seal' against wind and 'sensible' amounts of rain
-> split hay bale up into these on days when you are there in daylight

my horses live out full time BUT I have a 'sacrifice' paddock I use over winter - it gets trashed and looks like it will NEVER recover - but is usually grazeable again around August - they don't go back onto the summer paddocks until the grass has had a chance to get properly going again (usually May)

yup... car boot for the good saddles (or back seat in 4x4 with coats thrown over to look less 'obvious') - I used to leave the less good saddles (given they wouldn't ALL fit in car) inside my trailer which had every door padlocked

 

[Dubsie]

1 I prepare a few days at a time. Head torches are great, we also have a PIR operated pair of lights attached to the side f the haybarn with a clamp one facing in one out which give a good light and are low wattage - came from Lidl at £9.99 each.

2 Sacrifice paddock is well drained, has field shelter & hedges/trees. Rest is sectioned off and rotated.

3 On bed in spare room. If we didn't have this space would have racks above coats or boots I think

 

[Barleyboo]

We have big haybales but can't get them to the field so we have a shed next to the shelter and take enough along in wheelbarrows to last the week to save wrestling with tarpaulins in the dark/wet/wind every night. Head torches are good but we also have a light with a car battery in case we need more light in an emergency.
We do like to keep them off the grass at times too (for sake of shetland mainly) but wouldn't try to confine them to the shelter. In this case electric fencing is good, just make a smallish paddock around the shelter to use overnight. If they have hay they won't mind.
I've got a freestanding saddle rack in the corner of my living room. Not ideal but there really isn't anywhere else for it to go as we don't have a porch/spare room or anything. I can't leave things in the boot of the car as it leaks and is always damp in the winter. Bridles on an overdoor coat rack thing on the back of the door.

 

[pottamus]

Get yourself a head torch, I move fencing, muck out and do hay by head torch every day in winter. I do my hay on a daily basis as do not find it too much trouble. My lad has a field stable which I shut him in each night on hay.
My tack is at home as it is the most secure place.
I have my saddle on a stand on the landing and my bridle is hung up on a door...not a lot else I can do to be honest.

 

[Patterdale]

I will be bringing one in and leaving one out, I take hay to the field one on the quad and then bring the other one back in with me. I just put the hay on the ground in a different place each night.

I can't really see an issue with you putting ponies in a shelter that size, I'd do it if they get on

I store my saddles in a shed on the farm but it's not v secure and gets damp so I try to move them in this time of year but I get complained at. It's s constant issue!

 

[Batgirl]

If they get on why not leave them loose in the shelter?
No ideas on hay other than head torch as others have said.
Be careful if thinking of storing tack in your car, car insurance often doesn't cover high value so make sure tack or house insurance covera

 

[Newlands]

I have a lantern type lamp from Halfords and do have a head torch somewhere but can't find it now. My boys have big hay rounds in their field. I split their field into two and the only bit that's in constant use is around the gate/trough and shelter. I have a 12 x 24 shelter which is half stable and half shelter. I only use the stable for storage of rugs and feed and to put one in while tacking up and it's there for emergencies. The shelter they use quite a lot together. My saddle spends most of its time in the study at home or in the lorry locked and parked against the fence on our drive but only if I'm boxing out somewhere again as its a faff to move to get out.

 

[stencilface]

If you want to keep them in, I would do as Batgirl above and if they get on, I'd shut them in together - we can't do this with ours as they're too grumpy, but it would work with some horses.

Someone did a link to some good lights the other day - something like this, otherwise headtorch is your friend. We ran lights of a car battery for years, which can work if you know someone good at hooking those thigns up.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SOLAR-FLOOD...E3NK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352106641&sr=8-1

Hay - we feed this in large tractor tyres, although I know not everyone likes this - can you put two haybars in the field shelter and just put it in there?

 

[Passtheshampoo]

1. I use a metal cage for my haylage. It's the type that you sit an IBC water container in. It's light enough for me to move around the field on my own but sturdy enough for horses. I fill that to brim and it lasts them a few days.

2. Mine just live out all the time. trouble is if you coup them up over night they tend to want to whizz around when you let them out so more hoof marks. Personally I'd leave the shelter with open access and get a bit of hardstanding in front of it to keep it from getting too muddy in the entrance.

3. Tack is all kept at home and rought out when I want to ride( I have a small walk in cubaord at home in the utility with saddle rack and bridle hook, spare rugs live in the loft). I keep my headcollars and brushes in boot of car 24/7. Nothing stays at the field!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I make up a weeks worth of haynets at the weekend and I have one of the big builders bags as well that's filled for extra just in case friend has to give more

We just either drag in the bag or barrow it down I pop my haynet and water butt in the barrow and with my headtorch for the dull nights there isn't a bother

 

[misst]

Hay hutch for hay - fill it once a day. Dead easy and very safe.

Headtorch - excellent things

I have a solar powdered light in the field shelter which has a sensor which I leave off as I think it spooks them when they go in and it comes on. I switch it on when I am there and off when I leave - it cost about £30 and really works. I have had it 18 months and it is still going strong. It was really easy to install.

My 16.2 and 13.3 shared the shelter last year and it is 16 x 12 with a 2 foot overhang. I did not actually separate them as they got on well. If you want them off the grass make a small pen in front of the shelter which you could mat out to prevent mud. They would be fine unless they fight sharing the shelter and a small area around it. Just open the gateway to the field in the daytime so they can roam in and out.

Tack - in your car is probably the safest place.

 

[Luci07]

What about going to the local dump and trying to find a chest freezer? with handles on so you can padlock it? While I still would not leave saddles there, you could put feed and other things in there you don't want walked off with or chewed. Will be low cost thought you might need to call in a few favours moving the thing! As most thieves need to take things quickly, a heavily padlocked freezer might be passed over as too long to break into..

 

[Overgrown Pony]

When I kept my horse and his pony chum at home I used to put my big bale round of hay on a pallet. I'd have a 2nd pallet right next to it. You could even have a 3rd. I'd then unroll big leafs of hay from the bale and place it on the pallet in a massive pile i.e as much as you can fit on the pallet. I'd then cover the whole lot (bale and pile) with a huge tarp and secure it with rope. You could use 2 seperate tarps. All I then had to do to get the hay out was release the rope enough to pull the hay out from the pile. I could fit about 3 days worth on the pile so if you had 2 piles you could fit a weeks worth on them. I then used a massive garden waste bag to carry it from the pile to the field over my shoulder, or you could use a wheelbarrow. They've got 4 handles so can be tied shut if needs be. They're pretty much unbreakable too. I then put my hay in an old water container to keep it from being stood on and peed on. The container was light enough for me to move about the field to avoid poaching but heavy enough to avoid being blown around by the wind.

This worked well for me. I just restocked the piles on dry non-windy days when I didn't have to wrestle with the tarp

 

[Suechoccy]

Congratulations on getting your own place!

I have similar setup to you, horses live out, pair of stables (converted field shelter but I used a long metal grid-gate and some 4 x 4 posts rather than sliprails, so it's 2/3 height and makes an excellent rug-hanger too) where doors left open permanently so neds wander in and out but usually into their own stables rather than each other's or share. Mine was a field shelter 20 x 10, and the neds are a 16.1 and a 15.1.

No haynets, don't like the risk of getting hooves into them. At day I spread several loose piles of hay round the field. Change where I put it each day. Saves excess wear/tear on the field. At night I put a loose pile in each stable.

If you don't want to feed loose in the field, try one of those plastic loft water storage tanks, easy to move to different part of field when empty.

Headtorch is essential. Or buy a peaked cap with inbuilt headtorch (I've got a Musto waterproof, fleece-lined peaked cap with inbuilt headtorch, chinstrap and earmuffs, it is WONDERFUL).

Store hay behind a post-and-railed corner of the field (behind shelter maybe?) on pallets with a loose (air circulation) tarp. Store feed in old chest freezer or wheelybins or dustbins. Store headcollars/firstaid in bin or box with lid. Everything up on pallets - upside keeps the bottoms dry, downside encourages rodents.

Consider friendly farmer with tractor delivering you a round bale of hay as cheaper than small bales.

Some bedding in the stable if you're going to shut them in at night, and water buckets.

I only keep headcollars, hay/feed and firstaidkit down the field.

 

[diddy]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all your great suggestions! Today was my first attempt at doing everything in the dark & was actually surprised by how manageable it was - helped by the fact it wasn't raining or windy of course The little clip-on battery lights I bought light up the feed shed really well & you're right about the head torches - they're ruddy marvellous! Ponies didn't like them very much but overcame their reservations when a bucket was put down in front of them

I'm definitely going to nick lots of the ideas mentioned. I like the various feeding hay in the field ideas & will look at the builders bags etc. & putting a separate pile on another pallet as I'm overrun with the darn things

Also very helpful re. the shelter. The main reason for keeping them in overnight is that I have a pony on loan & have agreed to keep her stabled at night. However, she doesn't want to go in on her own & panics when my gelding wanders out of sight. He really likes her & follows her everywhere but he can be a bit grumpy in enclosed spaces so I wouldn't like to trust him shut in overnight in the same space with her. I might try sectioning off a little area with mats/wood chip & electric fencing & just leave the door open so they're more likely to stay in but the little girl can run away if she wants to!

Also, thanks for all the ideas re. saddle storage - glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't have a spare room to chuck it in & close the door Sounds like the car is the way to go or perhaps I could make a feature of them in the hallway - OH would love that

Main thing is, although it took me ages to get everything done tonight I've already decided I've done the right thing moving off DIY & onto my own place. I'm a miserable so-and-so & may as well embrace it! Thanks again for all your help - am off to look up solar lights, large hay containers & portable saddle racks!!

D. x

 

[pansy]

Hi , I am sure you will be really happy at your new yard - we use lorry tyres not as big as tractor ones so easier to move around the field - fill 2 or 3 up on a night - ready for when the boys go out in the morning - this worked really well ast year - if the ground started to get a muddy rolled them to another part - re lighting we have alll sorts- solar & rechargeable, a battery also runs the electric fencing - we were on a livery yard before & its the best thing we have ever done x