Tips and hacks for the older and/or creaky horse owner

[Tiddlypom]

I'll kick off with a simple hack. I'm in my mid 60s and have three horses.

Today was tail washing day x 3. The vet is coming out tomorrow for routine stuff, and I do like my neds to be reasonably presentable for her.

Red buckets are horse washing buckets - colour coded to tell OH to go and find his own buckets for washing non equine manky stuff . I've treated myself to a smaller but still tall bucket for tails, which I can hold up to my chest height even when full of soapy water to dunk a whole tail and dock in. I can't easily lift a full size bucket up that high any more.



The last year has been hard for me energy wise with two bouts of Covid and other temporary issues, and I've had to rethink how to care for my horses.

Please share your own tips and hacks .

 

[Gloi]

I know the feeling really well. At the moment bending over to pick out a hoof leaves me out of breath. I recommend full livery

 

[Tiddlypom]

If I could rustle up one non wonky horse out of my 3 then full livery to keep just that one horse on would indeed be very attractive, and I never thought that I'd say that.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

1. Only push a barrow if empty, otherwise lift and pull it like a cart as is less strain all round on joints and muscles.
2. Never overload barrow, better to go back for a 2nd load instead.
3. Poo pick twice daily if time permits, see point 2.
4. Find keen young mum who wants to bring toddler down to sit on tiny pony, get them to pick out tiny ponies feet in return.
5. Keep hanks of baler twine over a corner post of far flung paddocks/field. Useful if needing repairs immediately, or for sudden lassoing of distant pony, saves traipsing back to yard straight away.
6. Use smaller water tanks, easier to clean, move etc

Prob loads more.....

 

[SEL]

Buy a 14h pony so getting on doesn't lead to your knees giving way

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Buy a 14h pony so getting on doesn't lead to your knees giving way

Yes! Definitely this!

 

[Blanche]

I'll kick off with a simple hack. I'm in my mid 60s and have three horses.

Today was tail washing day x 3. The vet is coming out tomorrow for routine stuff, and I do like my neds to be reasonably presentable for her.

Red buckets are horse washing buckets - colour coded to tell OH to go and find his own buckets for washing non equine manky stuff . I've treated myself to a smaller but still tall bucket for tails, which I can hold up to my chest height even when full of soapy water to dunk a whole tail and dock in. I can't easily lift a full size bucket up that high any more.

View attachment 107265

The last year has been hard for me energy wise with two bouts of Covid and other temporary issues, and I've had to rethink how to care for my horses.

Please share your own tips and hacks .

I always had red buckets for veterinary stuff. Was the only way I could stop people grabbing it and using it for something dirty.

 

[oldie48]

As I no longer have to do actual horse care mine is a riding tip. It's possible to do a very effective warm up in walk. Walk piris and turns on the forehand are great at getting the hind end under and the horse soft in the neck. lateral work is effective in walk and if they don't move properly with a light aid, I use a touch of a long schooling whip to remind them. I give myself lots of breaks but ask the horse to keep moving forward in a positive rhythm even if he's stretching. I try to save my limited energy for the trot and canter work when hopefully the horse is on the aids, in front of the leg and in a good frame. (I don't always succeed but that's the aim!)

 

[Gloi]

Buy a 14h pony so getting on doesn't lead to your knees giving way

And getting off. Train it to stand next to a 3 step mounting block for both on and off so you just need to lift your leg over.

...also ... Get a gaited horse so you no longer need to trot and make your knees do those nasty up downs

 

[MyBoyChe]

Excellent idea for a thread. Ive found Ive had to force myself to just be a bit less anal about some things, makes for an easier life. I do love my horses to be clean but as they are both pretty much retired now my grey highland has been left unclipped and unrugged this winter, He gets his feet done every day and hands run over but he isnt groomed every day and I dont have to faff with rugs for him. He is truly vile but happy and feeling very well. As they are only out for half a day through the worst of the winter I poo pick twice a week, not daily. Hay nets are filled at the weekend and if I run out I feed from the stable floor until the following weekend. Both on straw with very high banks, fully mucked out every day and left up to air the floor but banks are dragged down a bit more each day with an extra shake over the top if needed. I can lead them in and out together and the little pony is such a little sweetheart he will follow if I have to let go of the bigger one if he misbehaves! I would say that Ive just lowered my very high standards just a little bit, horses are not bothered and I am finding it easier by removing the need to feel perfect

 

[SantaVera]

Install self filling water troughs in the paddocks,make sure all gates are easy to open and close and swing freely,invest in mud mats or jelka mats so you don't have to trudge through mud, make two trips instead of one if it's heavy,put haynets in the wheelbarrow and push to the stables instead of carrying,infact wheel tack and all sorts of things instead of carrying. Teach horse to be mounted from mounting block and from gates when out and about.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Buy a 14h pony so getting on doesn't lead to your knees giving way

Got my OH to build me an adequately sized mounting block mine is slightly bigger to get on a bigger horse, smaller horses, just hop over lol

 

[tristar]

buy a lotto ticket, when you win i get some commission, for a good idea, you get a dedicated full time groom, so you can , among other things take your old bones off to the sun in the winter, lie in as needed, have time and energy to ride then out to lunch and a spot of shopping, {must do that myself actually}

 

[OlderNotWiser]

A heated gilet. Keeps me warm when I’m not doing jobs but also warms my back up nicely before riding especially when I have a lesson.

 

[rabatsa]

Long handled muck fork, saves a lot with the back.

 

[Esmae]

Invest in plenty of hosepipes and fittings so that you can fill troughs all over the place without carrying water. Sack trollies for said purpose. Anything that saves heaving and lifting is a necessity.

 

[J&S]

The heated gilet sounds fab!
My tips:
A good wide body belt for support and warmth
A nice furry sheepskin saddle cover to absorb bumps, improve seat and balance.
Wide stirrup irons and treads to relieve pressure
Very well mannered horses/ponies are a must for older riders!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Fill all water buckets/troughs with a hosepipe with a tap end that can be adjusted to leave filling the vessel while you get on with other jobs.

 

[still standing]

What a great thread! I'm getting creaky too.
My tips are to get an Acavallo gel seat saver, very comfy for seat bones.
When DIS-mounting, without a mounting block handy, make sure your horse will stand still (important), then keep your left foot in the stirrup as this makes it easier to swing right leg over the cantle, stay leaning over the saddle while getting left foot out of stirrup, then just slide down to the ground.

I'm finding placing my saddle on my horse more difficult now, due to lifting its weight (leather GP), so I have changed my stirrups to lightweight endurance ones which makes it just that little bit lighter. My saddle is a perfect fit for her, so I don't want to change to a synthetic one, but I'd appreciate any tips in relation to this too please!

 

[black and brown]

Keep believing your 16 years old and repeat regularly as you struggle around the yard doing chores!!

 

[Gloi]

Keep believing your 16 years old and repeat regularly as you struggle around the yard doing chores!!

Even better, find a 16yo to do them for you.

 

[paddy555]

I'm bit a older that you and do 8 and hope to get several more years out of it yet. .
I got around the getting old problem by setting the place up so there was as little work as possible. I was one of those very boring people who planned for their old age as I have no wish to move or PTS horses so I have to be able to cope on my own. I believe yours is your own place so no livery restrictions.

I don't ever carry a water bucket. Each stable has a tap and drain underneath. Tip bucket, turn on tap and full bucket with no lifting.
Hay is soaked in a human bath. Tap to turn water on and pull plug to drain. Hay is then mostly lifted wad at a time into a plastic drum (the size of a 45g old drum) and wheeled by sack truck to the stable or feeding area where it is fastened back to the wall. Next morning it goes to the outside tap for a spray clean.

The hay is stacked next to the bath so it is just one lift of a bale or someone could cut the strings and put it in the bath in wads.

So far I don't have a problem kneeling to pick out feet, trim or boot but if I do have back ache I tie the horse on concrete and use a mechanics stool to get around them. Keep the rasp/hoof pick etc in the base of it and just walk your way around the horse on the wheeled stool without getting up for each foot.

I'm finding placing my saddle on my horse more difficult now, due to lifting its weight (leather GP), so I have changed my stirrups to lightweight endurance ones which makes it just that little bit lighter. My saddle is a perfect fit for her, so I don't want to change to a synthetic one, but I'd appreciate any tips in relation to this too please!

My saddles are kept in the house and for the tallest horse 16hh I can park the horse next to the doorstep, stand on the step and that makes lifting it up easier. If you had a mounting block close by you could use that or even just make a small step out of blocks.

They are on fieldguard mats so minimal bedding and the liquid goes through however rarely wet as I have taught them to pee outside on command also the doors are open so if they want to they can walk out to their sand pee area. Shovel dung up with a coal shovel into a poo picking scoop and empty that into the barrow. Tip barrow downhill on the dung heap which is lower than the yard. As they have the change several choose to go outside of their stable to dung anyway so mats kept clean.

Keep the same rug on day and night (although that will go from 100g to 200g month by month)
Put rug on after riding even if they are wet and turn out. (horsewear rugs)

my yard has each of the field gates opening off it so no headcollars to lead, if they are out usually yell, they appear and follow me in. Going out open door and then open field gate. They know the way. Saves reaching up to put head collar on.

poo picking the field use either a mechanical picker especially to clear up after winter or poo pick manually into a tiny hydrostatic tractor with a link box that tips. No barrow pushing. Tractor is very low so no climbing on an off, just step onto it and as hydro no gear change to bother about.

Groom the head, ears and girth/saddle area to ride.
I have never washed a tail and however much it will be seen by everyone on here as "poor horsemanship" I have no intention of starting now.
All tails "raked" out daily by my fingers. All very well conditioned with cowboy magic makes this very quick and easy.

if it freezes arrange to have one central tap sufficiently insulated to keep it going with hose click on fitting on it then just attach a light hose that you can take the nozzle off to stop the flow and walk around doing buckets.

mounting block on the way out of the yard. All riding horses trained to stand where they are put alongside any bank, wall, log or anything else so I can scramble aboard. We have several gates on rides that you have to get off for so I need to be able to get back on easily.

 

[oldie48]

Best tip for getting off is to use a neck strap, difficult to explain but a quick pull on the neck strap gives me a little more momentum to get my right leg over cleanly.

 

[eahotson]

And getting off. Train it to stand next to a 3 step mounting block for both on and off so you just need to lift your leg over.

...also ... Get a gaited horse so you no longer need to trot and make your knees do those nasty up downs

or a year cob like mine who has such a comfortable trot its easier to sit to than raise to.

 

[eahotson]

or a year cob like mine who has such a comfortable trot its easier to sit to than raise to.

Trad cob.

 

[nagblagger]

Instead of lugging small hay bales daily i now get the local farmer to deliver big round bales weekly, he even has a key to the gate so i don't even need to be there - luxury!

 

[tda]

My set up is very easy, but I'm at home so not for everybody. Round bales in feeders all year round, free range never shut in stables, water in baths filled with hosepipe on roller cart.
I poo pick with a quad and trailer, I go right next to the poo.
Small hairy ponies, big mounting block. No rugs, or brushing,

 

[planete]

I had to put my pony on full livery when the muck heap access defeated me this Winter. Woody is only 13.2 so I got that right! Exercising is mainly in walk, hacking or schooling, faster work is done on the long reins or at liberty. Woody has now thankfully accepted that pulling, pushing and barging are not acceptable and standing stock still by the mounting block is needed. The saddle and stirrups are light. I am hoping to move to a track livery where Woody’s weight should be kept under control even when I become unable to give him any significant exercise. I am having too much fun with this pony to give up yet, he is cheeky, affectionate and makes me laugh most days. This a great thread for us oldies.

 

[Red-1]

I bought the mother of all muck trailers, the sort where there is a low loading ramp and the trailer tips from the other end. I pay a framer to take it and am not scrupulous about chucking up. It costs more but is do-able.

BIG mounting blocks.

Doors/gates that actually fit.

Part time job so I'm not in a rush.

Polite horses.

Fab delivery man who outs stuff just where it needs to go. No more stacking bales or lifting sacks.

EMS horse is on Horsehage instead of soaked hay. More expensive but easy peasy.

Poo picking twice a day so it isn't too much.

Downgraded to a 3.5 type van, so everything is light and easy (and it is an auto).

Revised my ambitions.

Water is carried by a hose right into the stables.

Leaf blower instead of sweeping.

 

[paddy555]

I bought the mother of all muck trailers, the sort where there is a low loading ramp and the trailer tips from the other end. I pay a framer to take it and am not scrupulous about chucking up. It costs more but is do-able.

is that the trailer often advertised in H & H where the ramp opens over the tow bar? I often wondered if they were good trailers and it was a good idea.