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

[eahotson]

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.

Wow where do you get one of those.

 

[ycbm]

I recommend full livery

Me too, and I don't wash tails for anything
.

 

[nagblagger]

[QUOTE="eahotson, post:
Wow where do you get one of those.
[/QUOTE]

I got my mum one from wowcher, or you can get them from amazon or ebay.. but you have to buy the power pack separately

 

[ycbm]

Dismount by hooking your left armpit over the wither and sliding down slowly.
.

 

[Red-1]

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.

I don't know if they are advertised there or not, but yes, it does come down over the tow bar. It is a godsend, really low and easy.

Mine is an Armstrong and Holmes. It is over a year old and still looks brand new. Lovely company to deal with.

 

[Keith_Beef]

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!

I've been daydreaming lately about a thing that would look like a giant toilet roll holder, but for big round bales...

You would just unroll the amount you want, shear it off into a barrow.

 

[catkin]

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

Yes.
And if you have an old shavings fork experiment with narrowing the fork head - much lighter and manoeuvrable when throwing up bedding or lifting wet.

 

[OlderNotWiser]

Wow where do you get one of those.

Mine came from Amazon with the battery and charger included. It has 5 different heat settings and 3 separate hearing areas. It’s made by Arris but there are other makes. It’s definitely been worth it this winter!

 

[rabatsa]

We used to stand the bales on a flat trailer and take it round the yards and fork off the rounds for the housed cattle. Easy peasy.

 

[eahotson]

Mine came from Amazon with the battery and charger included. It has 5 different heat settings and 3 separate hearing areas. It’s made by Arris but there are other makes. It’s definitely been worth it this winter!

Thanks

 

[lme]

So far I have found continuing to work and having most of our horses on full livery has been the easiest approach. Limits the physical work required. If / when I retire, the plan is to have horses at home but kept mostly out. I suspect I will outsource poo picking.

For me, a big thing has been changing the type of horse I ride, and the type of riding I do. My newest horse (supposed to be my last young horse) is a laid back TIH x WB (my default choice would previously have been something sharper). Buying her has proved the best decision ever. She is huge but just so easy. I can hack her after a week off without any drama.

I now mostly hack, where previously, I used to have a dressage focussed trainer and ride mostly in the school. I’ve also stopped riding in dressage saddles (current saddle close contact jump), because they hurt my hips. I have found that jump saddles are much more forgiving.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Three 50 gallon water butts that old cob always has access to.
Load most of the weight over the wheel of the barrow, it makes lifting and pushing so much easier.
Deep litter. Or wood pellets in strategic places to hold the wet.
Switching to a synthetic saddle may make tacking up easier.
Can you trade jobs with anyone - as in 'if you will empty the barrow for me I will......... in return'

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our conversion of a poultry hut to a field shelter, with mud control mats means that our horses can live out 24/7. That has made life so much easier.

 

[Widgeon]

a hosepipe with a tap end that can be adjusted to leave filling the vessel while you get on with other jobs.

Wait WHAT? This is a thing?!

 

[Fransurrey]

For me I have two critical bits of kit.

1) For haynets I use double ended trigger clips. One end clips onto the tie ring, the other to the end of the looped rope (fed through the bottom of the net first and back up through the top). Much easier on cold stiff and arthritic hands than fiddling with knots.

2) A hoof stand with cradle for hoof stuff. I simply couldn't cope without this anymore. My cob is really unbalanced on 3 legs and it helps us both without putting my back out.

 

[Tarragon]

Keep yourself fit and supple with Pilates-type exercise
have field-kept ponies and minimise unnecessary stable duties etc.
ride ponies - no pressure to do big things or smart things, loads of fun (appeals to my inner teenager!), closer to the ground and keep you smiling

 

[welshcobabe]

I am in the early 60 club as well, Just one horse a young shire x who is very good. I am walking distance to his farm I work part time so don't have to rush as much I think that is the key I still do everything but just at a more sedate pace. I do have a mounting block for getting on but seem to be able to get off onto the ground OK. Layers is the key in winter and good gloves for doing the jobs. Good riding gear keeps me warm and dry, sheep skin saddle cover and the saddle is custom made. I have Sprenger stirrups which I really like helps the knees. I think having a well mannered horse is the best thing when you are getting older and some good friends around if you need a hand. But I also think that a good attitude and taking time out just to enjoy what we do and it keeps you fit as well.

 

[Fieldlife]

Me too, and I don't wash tails for anything
.

I need to wash the mud and mank out of the bottom of tail every 3 months or so. Keeps it much nicer. I use economy human shampoo and conditioner

 

[catembi]

Electric wheelbarrow! You might have seen that I won one from Plum Equestrian a few months ago. To start with, I thought that it was very nice but I wouldn't have paid £700 for it. Now that I've had it a few months, if it died I would absolutely scrape the money together & replace it! It takes the strain out of so many things. Unloading horse food from the car, transporting bags of poo to the lorry, I pop it on the lorry so when we get to the muck heap (we are allowed to use one 6 miles away) I can trundle all the bags to it instead of lugging them. I totally love it, and it can move 100kg at once. Big hay nets, etc. Anything I need to lug about & cba carrying!

 

[Fieldlife]

My tip is when competing / going out in lorry, is prep everything night before. So have least effort in the day. i load as much as I can into lorry, do as much as I can. I also don’t schedule anything big the night before. Or the morning before if a later start. All helps conserve the energy to enjoy the event!

 

[Widgeon]

My tip is when competing / going out in lorry, is prep everything night before. So have least effort in the day. i load as much as I can into lorry, do as much as I can. I also don’t schedule anything big the night before. Or the morning before if a later start. All helps conserve the energy to enjoy the event!

Oh gosh, I'm 33 and I do this!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Hidden stash of pain killers on the yard, in the car etc. some for me and some for the old horse ! if either of us was dope tested we would fail big time.
Huge mounting block that I also get off onto.
Mannered horses
Never go anywhere on the yard with empty hands.
Ignore the pain and enjoy every moment you can with the horses because they are never with us long enough.

 

[Fieldlife]

Oh gosh, I'm 33 and I do this!

I’m 44

 

[planete]

Hidden stash of pain killers on the yard, in the car etc. some for me and some for the old horse ! if either of us was dope tested we would fail big time.
Huge mounting block that I also get off onto.
Mannered horses
Never go anywhere on the yard with empty hands.
Ignore the pain and enjoy every moment you can with the horses because they are never with us long enough.

Oh yes, this. I had forgotten about the stash of Cocodamol that resides in the car together with some spare Bisoprolol!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Oh yes, this. I had forgotten about the stash of Cocodamol that resides in the car together with some spare Bisoprolol!

and you can calculate the pain relief level needed based on how long you are going to be on board for !

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Hidden stash of pain killers on the yard, in the car etc. some for me and some for the old horse ! if either of us was dope tested we would fail big time.
Huge mounting block that I also get off onto.
Mannered horses
Never go anywhere on the yard with empty hands.
Ignore the pain and enjoy every moment you can with the horses because they are never with us long enough.

Stashing pain killers at the yard is such a good idea I’ll definitely be doing this

 

[Auslander]

I'm 50, and appear to be falling apart! Facet joint arthritis in my lower back, 2 dodgy shoulders, and two knees that appear to have zero synovial fluid left - so I'm pretty sore and creaky most of the time. I take my meds at the optimal time for being reasonably comfortable doing the yard, and I have heat packs stashed all over the place!
I have my yard set up so that I can do all the feeding/haying/watering from outside the fields, and the horses all have hardstanding pens, or hardstanding by their gates, so they aren't drowning in mud, and I can catch them without dragging myself through mud.
I have 1000l IBC tanks with hosepipes for filling water buckets through the fence, and a 3 wheeler barrow on order, so that I can push the hay rations to the field rather than lifting and pushing a normal barrow.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Stashing pain killers at the yard is such a good idea I’ll definitely be doing this

Bottle of Port isn't a bad idea on cold morning - you need something to swill the pills down with after all !!

 

[paddy555]

Bottle of Port isn't a bad idea on cold morning - you need something to swill the pills down with after all !!

best suggestion on the whole thread.
couple of bottles and you won't need the pills.

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

@AdorableAlice noted thanks never had port before but will give it a try in a crisis haha