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Bex_X

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I know its 30' outside but im thinking about winter haha
I was hoping i could get some time saving tips from everyone on managing to still ride in the middle of winter.
Im looking at changing both my horses bedding to help with quicker mucking out.
I thought now would be the best time to put everything in place to make sure i get as much riding in as possible hopefully will be driving by then so can get there early in the morning and finish work about 5 so hopefully can take him on a quick hack or in the school.
 
Stock up on haynets and feed buckets and make up the next weeks worth at the weekend when you have more time! (Assuming you have somewhere suitable to store them of course!)
 
I used to have 6 on DIY and did exactly that, made up all haynets and feeds at the weekend. I tried various bedding and couldn't decide for ages, eventually I settled on beddown Excel and have used for a couple of years now.

Now I am luck enough to have the horses at home so although they were never far away surprising how much time I save not having to drive to the yard. Also now have racks for the hay so save time on the nets.
 
Make up your feeds in bulk, I make them up & then store them in bags, so it just needs tipping into their bowls.
I don't use hay nets as they take time to fill so I use big flexi tubs (with a big stone in the bottom so they can't tip them up) when feeding ad lib hay I fill up a couple of tubs, so I only have to top up the hay every couple of days.
I don't feed breakfast, they just go straight out, if they've had plenty of hay that night they don't seem to need it.
Don't change rugs, I take the turnout rug off at night & do a check over but in the morning they go straight out.
If you've got 2 horses to exercise get them riding & leading, or even learn to lunge 2 at a time, it doesn't take long to get the hang of it.
 
As others have said, re: haynets, feeds, rugs etc.

I prefer haynets for stables - and fill trugs for field use to be tipped out.
Eco Comfy bed does the job for mine - I skip out droppings but otherwise semi-litter all week & then take out the worst at a weekend.

If own yard, then keep a large field tank full of water in sheltered place in yard - ideal for dunking buckets in emergency in case yard tap freezes overnight.

Dont be tidy obsessive in the worst of the winter - leave yard sweeping till the weekend (I do mine Sat mornings & Sun afternoons at that time of the year)

Never-ever leave the yard without having done 'everything' possible you can do.

Make sure you have a well placed list of what rugs each horse wears for field/stable & at what temps - this saved my mates a lot of head scratching when I broke my leg 2 weeks before xmas last year! (list also for basic feed & hay rations always good to do too!)

Finally: Have 1 night 'off' (Fridays are good) where you literally haul them in, feed, feet pick, check & burger off home :D
 
This year I tried a new method with their beds which seems to have worked really well and saved lots of time.
Their stables are set with door on left hand side and then haynet gets tied from grills on right hand side.
Obviously they stand at their nets eating like perpetual motion and manage to eat and poo happily.
I did their beds so they had banks and everything as normal but stopped about 1.5 ft from the right hand wall and then in this space I just put bedding as I would a day bed.
I found that this meant I had a pile of poo that required minimal sorting through most mornings and then I just had to play hunt the pee :-)

Obviously this only works if the nets are large enough to get them through the night. On the odd occasion they finished eating they trashed the joint to prove a point!

Also never go anywhere empty handed - plan what you're doing - i.e if I'm taking nets to be filled I take the water buckets as well so they're filling whilst I'm doing nets.
 
Gypley said:
Lunge 2 at a time ?!? Would like to see that Turkana!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I haven't got photos but I've lunged 3 different pairs of horses & they've all taken to it really well
They quickly learn to go around together, I start off walking around with them on short lines & gradually lengthen the line until they're going around in a nice big circle, I keep to walk for a couple of weeks. It helps if they know their name so I can control them individually & if the horse in front doesn't kick!
I use different coloured lunge lines to avoid getting mixed up.
It saves me a lot of time.
 
Sounds interesting. I have just about enough coordination to tie my shoe laces let alone lunge 3 at a time! But if it works for you it's a pretty nifty trick!
 
Thank you for all your replies have written them all down and making a plan think wood pellets are my number 1 choice after some research.
they have large haybuckets (just waterbuckets but hugeee) so will make haynets and then dump them in there :D
found some stackable buckets as well so there on my wish list
have tried the ride one lead one but my old guy isnt to keen as he has to swap sides as he only has one eye and likes to move about :( when leading him he zig-zags haha but will make a plan for schooling and stick to it :D
 
Gypley said:
Sounds interesting. I have just about enough coordination to tie my shoe laces let alone lunge 3 at a time! But if it works for you it's a pretty nifty trick!
Click to expand...

Sorry to sound confusing, I meant I've done it with 3 different pairs of horses, I have only managed it with 2 at a time; I think I would get in a muddle lunging 3 (although it might be worth a try!)
 
If taking horses separately to the fields, invest in a rope halter. I take out quite a few individually, the rope halter fits everything from 12.2 to mammoth and you don't have to play hunt the headcollar.
 
Remember Richard Maxwell doing an article in Your Horse magazine where he was lunging three ponies - he had them tied to each other rather than on separate lunge lines though.
 
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