time saving tips

[gypsiegal567]

i am sure we all feel like we have no time at the yard sometimes so if anyone has some nice time saving tips they would like to share go ahead!
i will go first:
water troughs, clean with feed buckets, so much easier and quicker to get in the corners,
carry bedding and haynets in the same barrow if u can fit to get less trips, and when i say fit i mean pile them!
make a haynet filling aid out of wood or use a barrel/bucket
go ahead! im sure you have better ones then me

 

[SilverLinings]

I keep a cheap plastic sieve by the water troughs and once a day quickly scoop out any leaves/grass from the water- this means that the troughs need emptying and cleaning much less often (even though I am picky and like them very clean).

When emptying troughs to clean them a large car-washing type sponge is great to remove the last bit of water in the corner that you can't get out with a bucket.

I am more likely to be in a hurry in the morning than the evening, so every evening I make sure feeds/hay/rugs/etc are all ready and stacked in a wheelbarrow ready to take out to the field in the morning.

I store things grouped together for easy use, so a bucket with bath stuff in, a bucket with cleaning stuff in, a small grooming kit outside each stable etc so that I don't spend time looking for things when I need to do a job.

I have greys and keep their tails covered in winter (unless it's warm and dry) which saves a huge amount of time as I only need to wash them once every 8wks or so rather than every time I ride.

 

[dottylottie]

buy extra hay nets and stock pile at the weekend! i work 12hr shifts, so when i’m on a couple in a row i have nets and feeds made up ready to go

 

[WBGG]

I second this. I have so many haynets!

Also I fill a builders bag with straw and leave outside my stable for topping up bedding through the week. I put straw pellets under the straw to soak up the wee. Only dig out the bottom layer at the weekend. This means a super quick muck out on week days. And I have multiple feeds made up in advance.

Remember: never walk anywhere empty handed or stand still to watch a bucket filling

 

[rextherobber]

I have greys and keep their tails covered in winter (unless it's warm and dry) which saves a huge amount of time as I only need to wash them once every 8wks or so rather than every time I ride.

Wow!! Isn't it interesting how people's standards are sooo different! I have greys too, only wash the geldings tail before competitions, and the mare's before the farrier. I put them out in the rain a lot, to let nature do it for me!
Agree with the forward planning, get things sorted the evening before, and be tidy , put things away/ charged up etc - I waste so much time looking for things.

 

[pistolpete]

I used to fill and weigh all my haynets meat x feeds into sandwich bags and do supplement pots so they were all ready for the week.

 

[BallyJ]

I have a grey and accept she's going to look a little yellow throughout winter - saves me hours on grooming!

Also where possible I don't use stable rugs to save time swapping rugs

 

[SDMabel]

- Buy a shed load of haynets, fill em up at the start of each week - future self will thank you for this when you are short of time.
- Get feedbucket lids , I can then make dinner and breakfast up in one go and saves waiting for them to soak.
- Sieve on the ground above drain if you tip water down one, saves hay/ bedding clogging it all up and going everywhere - saves time sweeping.