What's your mucking out routine

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Annagain

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Reading the thread about what people hate most about mucking out, the differences in routine - filling haynets weekly/ watching waterbuckets fill etc are interesting.

Mine (for weekdays anyway) is based around making as few trips back and fore as possible and therefore being the quickest possible way of getting it done.

-Arrive at farm go straight to tack room, make up feed, collect wheelbarrow and tools.
-Take everything to stable.
-Turn horses out. (we have a rota so turn others out too, the feed is for later, he only has one a day)
-Return to stable, remove everything from wheelbarrow
-Empty waterbuckets, put one under tap to refill.
-Take wheelbarrow to collect hay from hay shed, place in hay bar
-Swap waterbuckets over, turn tap down to a trickle
-Muck out (shaving on rubber matting clean horse, only take 2-3 minutes), leave bed up if I'm back later or pull down if someone's bringing in
-Put feed and water in.
-Balance tools and empty feedbucket on top of wheelbarrow, drop them off at tack room (on way to muck heap)
-Empty wheelbarrow, return it to tack room.
-Leave.

Using this routine means it can be done in 15 minutes on a good day 20 if i'm being slow. What do you do? Any tips on being even quicker? That extra 5 minutes in bed makes all the difference!
 
I get so confused if on little thing goes wrong that I end up barely doing anything! My boy is near the main gate so my routine.....

Say hi to the boy (turn straight out if not rugged)
Go past and collect wheelbarrow, straw, shavings and mucking out tools.
bring out buckets to start filling at tap by stable.
Separate the clean from dirty and sweep the rest into one big pile (dont ask why - it just has to be in a pile before i shovel!).
Rescue an overfilling bucket and put another under.
Fill a wheelbarrow and take to dung heap along with haynets.
Refill hay on way back and take back in wheelbarrow.
Rescue another bucket.
Put up nets and take out rest of dirty.
Take all mucking out tooks and feed bucket back and go to dung heap.
Back across yard to put buckets in and leave bed up for the day :)

Then im handily by the car park! Normally all takes about 15 - 20 minutes :)
 
Honestly? My routine's dreadful haha. I only do it occasionally so it's okay :P

Get tools,
Approach stable and recoil at the state of it,
Realise i've forgotten half the tools I need,
Stand and chat to passing friend, about the state of said stable,
Approach stable and faff about putting music on,
Decide which corner to tackle first,
Scrape all muck to the front of the box.
Pause, taking jacket off to cool down and admire ones handy work, express ones admire with passing friend
Load wheelbarrow up
Empty water, re-sweep then drag to tap,
Watch it fill up whilst discussing how slow the tap is with a friend,
Drag water to the stables.
Finished.
 
Arrive at yard collect feed buckets, ball and haynet from stable and give Leo a cuddle (he's normally already been brought in)
Wash out buckets and his ball
Go and fill haynet (if I have made any up ready)
Make up morning and night feeds for next day and his ball
Get wheel barrow and tools
Spray haynet (and hang up to drip dry) and put buckets with other liverys buckets
Bring Leo out of stable -pick feet out and wash hooves, tie him up or stick him on the walker
Empty water bucket, clean and put under tap to fill
Muck out
Put water bucket back in
Put haynet up
Sweep yard and stable
Return tools
Empty wheel barrow
Give Leo a full groom
Ride (depending on time and what day it is and if he hasn't been on the walker)
Stable rug on
Put to bed
Give ball
Think that's it! Lol!
Tips for quickness, fill 7 haynets at the weekend when got more time, only give a quick groom/bush off (however I'm a bit OCD with grooming, if I haven't used every brush in my box I don't feel like he's been groomed properly :D lol!) make up feeds if u have somewhere to store them for the week, have an unmessy horse and deep litter! (Leo is a whirl wind in his stable!)
:D
 
Before work

-Turn Horse out
-Collect wheelbarrow on way back from field
-Unlock my tack room (located at back of stable)
-Fill up 2 nets of hay
-Put nets into tubs and fill with water and leave them to soak
-Muck out, either skip out if in rush or full muck out
-Make feeds and leave one in back bit and one out the front of the stable (someone feeds her breaky as rule is first up feeds everything)
-Change water if its dirty or top up if clean
- Pull bed down
- Put away tools in back bit
- Get the now soaked nets from the tubs and hang on the gate to drip. Empty tubs and put them away
- Take wheel barrow back (kept near carpark)
- Get in car then leave.

After work

-Tie nets up in stable (still damp)
-Put feed from back bit in stable
-Grab hoof pick and leave outside stable
-Bring Horse in and tie up outside stable
- Pick Hooves
- Put her in and put her to bed.
 
get to yard. go to feed room and make up tomorrows feeds- put in feed bin for when yard feeds him.
grab wheel barrow and tools
go to stable, turn him out.
take obvious muck out, chuck against wall so remaining muck rolls down, take it out.
level bed. fill bucket up with water & very slow tap. take to stable. put hay in bucket for next day. go to muck heap. fail and have to fork it all up. go home.
 
Should add this is morning only. I take rugs off to either ride or groom and check over and generally spend a bit of time with him in the evening or sharer does if she's bringing in. I'm not so callous that the only contact I have with him is turning him out!
 
I have 3 so get the to yard - go to feedroom and get breakfasts and feed them. Chnage rugs and fill haynets while they eat. Turn all 3 out (together - I'm lazy :D).
Skip all of them out (deep littered through the week on shavings) and tidy beds. Usually I fill buckets between doing the stables. Once each bed is done I put the water in and close the door. At the end sweep the yard, rinse buckets and make feeds for the night and next morning. Takes 1hr15mins to do all 3. I'm sure I could be quicker but it's too early!
 
Me,

Monday - Friday
Get up at 6.15, throw some clothes on (sometimes inside out, and sometimes back to front as I don't want to wake hubby up!) go to the yard which is about a 15 minute drive away.

Get wheelbarrow, try and find brush, shovel and fork as somebody else has usually 'borrowed' it and not put it back :mad:
After lots of cuddles and nibbles, tie the beast up outside his stable and muck out, fill and soak hay net for night time and fill his waterbucket. Leave bed up during the day to air, and sweep outside the stable.
Switch from stable rug to turnout rug and trek 1/4mile to the field
Say a quick hello to Polly who is currently on grass livery, but coming in later this month, and then rush home to get ready for work.

Start work at 9am and spend most of the day on HHO :o

Finish work at 5.30, change into jods etc in the work toilets, and get to the yard usually around 6pm

Tie haynet up and pull bed down
Fetch both horses in from their fields, quick brush and tack up and ride for about 30mins, depending on how busy the school is, or lunge for 15/20mins
Quick flick off, put Bentley's pyjamas on and put him back in his stable for the night. Put Pollys turnout on and pop her back out in her field.

Arrive home shortly after 8pm

Saturdays & Sundays
Roll up at the yard usually around 9am, turnout, muck out do water and haynet, go home to do various housework, shopping etc. Back to the yard later on in the day, usually 2 or 3pm, put bed down and pack the banks with enough straw to last the week, fetch in, groom and hack out for anything up to 3 hours, depending on where we go & how light it is. :)
 
Get to yard - he has already been fed. Fish out buckets and rinse. Change rug and take him out, on way back grab tools and sweep any mess back that he made on way out of stable! Return headcollar to hook, then take feed buckets to feed room and empty haynets up to barn, fill nets and bring back in empty barrow. Hang nets, then muck out (absolute pigsty, on pellets and mats but have to lift everyday as simply tooooooo much poo not to!
 
Arrive.
Unlock if I'm the only one there.
Shout Hello to horses in field.
Go collect tools.
Take haynet down.
Empty water, usually several trips with bucket to empty it enough to carry to drain. Stupid big heavy trug.
Take out obvious poo's
Chuck out anything else obviously dirty.
Push all the Good stuff to the back and sides.
Pull out rubber matting and sweep it and disinfect it.
Remove the poo's that have gotten underneath the matting.
Sweep till floor is clear (very OCD about that)
Lean matting against wall to dry.
Chuck Muck onto heap.
Currently sliding wheelchair under wire/plastic fencing and then scrambling under.
Poo Pick and give horses quick check.
Sink to knees/loose boot in mud by gate/trough.
Rescue Boot.
Haul myself out.
Empty poo barrow.
Collect headcollar, commando-roll back under fencing.
Catch Idiotpony.
Use him as crutch to get out of quickmud.
Rescue boot again.
Put radio on.
Clean hooves.
Groom.
Pick hooves.
Tack up.
Turn radio off.
Ride.
Clean hooves (I hate holding muddy hooves)
pick out
Quick Groom
Turn out, using pony as crutch to get across Bog.
Rescue boot.
Say goodbye to pony and shoo him away.
Roll back under wire.
Lay bed.
Use buckets to refill water trug.
make vague attempt to refill haynet.
Place in box with his evening food.
Make Hot chocolate.
Write in his Diary to let his owner know what we did - Hacking or Schooling and what I did/how he went.
Write on sheet that I've poo-picked.
Drink hot chocolate.
*if time clean tack*
If not enough time rinse mug.
Lock up.
Go home.
 
Oops meant to say then return tools on top of full barrow, empty barrow and replace and then leave. Whole thing takes 45 mins but the field is quite a walk away!
 
At the moment...... And this is only two mornings a week as just help friends out.

Arrive at yard
Soak feeds (all on either fast fibre or calm and condition)
Feed two boys out in field (fast fibre ready first)
Put foals feed in and rug and take old girl out - feed her outside
Take all equipment into foals stable and muck out around him, top up his water and hay
Muck out old girls stable, she's very wet so take nearly all bed out and then leave rest of it up to dry
Top up her water and put some readigrass in there ready
Sweep corridor
Make up feeds for later
If time/energy then poo pick!
 
Most days I do this...

Morning
Arrive at yard
Tie pony up outside stable, quick brush and pick out feet, change rugs
Turn pony out
Grab wheelbarrow and tools
Muck out and sweep outside stable
Muck to muck heap
Collect hay and put in stable
Put tools and barrow away
Leave yard

Evening
Arrive at yard
Bring pony in, wash & pick out feet, tie up outside stable, remove rug
Quick groom and tack up to ride/lunge
Untack, quick groom, leave pony tied up outside stable
Bed down, clean and refill water bucket, remove feed bucket from stable
Rug up pony and put in to bed
Make up feed with second feed bucket and feed pony
Clean first feed bucket and soak feed for next day
Give pony a kiss and hug, bolt door and leave yard

I think that's it, anyway!
 
Don't do mornings, YO turns out as I'm at work for 6.

PM I turn up, chat for 10 minutes.
Walk past wheelbarrow - turn around and go back for barrow.
Dump barrow at stable door, grimace at mess.
Go back up the yard and get fork etc and turn radio on if not already on.
Chat for another 10 mins.
Start mucking out, stop and check phone i.e ebay, HHO.
Finish mucking out, on mats so doesn't take to long.
Fill nets.
Chat for 10 mins then compare items on ebay with YO that we're both watching.
Top up water then stand there looking pathetic as have to use a large tug trug. She kicks plastic buckets til they break or picks up the smaller trugs.
YO helps move it to stable - normally moaning :)
Get phone out again to see if any shows coming up or check lesson times.
Moan at YO as she hasn't made me a cup of tea yet.
Empty barrow and then chat for 10 minutes.

Then wonder why I run out of time :rolleyes:
 
Arrive at yard, check that Fatty still has her muzzle on, fill haynet, soak in trug, gather tools and wheelbarrow, sigh at amount of poo, come back out of stable to chat complete rubbish to others and to ask endless questions about their lovely horses, watch someone do some amazing dressage or super high jumping, finish stable, make feed, chat more rubbish, get stinky in, groom it, kiss it, tell it I love it but hate her for shi*ting down her tail again, put her to bed, watch her stuffing her face, poo pick, sit in barn opposite stable surfing HHO and watching fatty (I love watching her when she doesn't know I am there), chat some more rubbish to yard friends, reluctantly go home :(
 
Morning...
Get to yard and feed
Haynets and waters whilst eating.
Turnout are on so pick out feet and fling out!
Muck out sweep and tidy.

Evening
Bring in, hose legs, do feet. Each horse gets rug taken off and a groom and a fuss!
Feeds in and goodnight kisses!

I have one retired and two that get ridden so try to exercise 3 x a week thru winter :)
 
When they were in it was:
Arrive at yard and turn out.
gather up feed buckets.
Empty water buckets.
Muck out.
Scrub water buckets and feed buckets.
Refill water buckets.
Make evening and following morning feeds.
Put hay in the haybars.
Put evening feed in stable.
Put morning feed outside stable with cover on.
Sweep walkway outside stables.
Empty barrow.
Put everything away.
Collapse in tackroom with a coffee....
 
Morning I turn up open stable door and let horse out. Then at lunch time I arrive take down empty haynet. Grab barrow and tools pile clean straw up into banks remove poo then pull down banks to make nice big fluffy bed and sweep. Empty barrow and put away fill haynet and water bucket then go back to work. In the evening I open stable door put up haynet make miniuture token feed and put in stable close door behind said horse and groom and ride if light enough. Job done
 
Arrive at yard, feed all horses and tie up all their haynet (owners leave them soaked and ready for whoever is up first).
Put 2 haynets into soak ( 1 for that evening and one for the following morning).
Skip out stable round pony whilst she is eating. Do waters and make up feeds. Groom her.
Change rugs on my friends mare and turn her out.
Get my pony out of her stable, tie her up and sweep up stable and outside.
Take haynet out of soak.
Tack up and ride.
Return from ride untack, rug up, hang haynet and turn out pony.
Go home breakfast, shower and work :/
 
If I am first on the yard I run round chucking buckets over doors as quickly as possible as they all go mad and starting banging doors and yelling and the farmer will come out and bellow if they make too much noise!

If someone else has got there first I grab my girl out and tie her up before she starts doing the wall of death around her box, then go and get her mate and walk them to the field. I have to referee the whole way there as they squabble, but if you take one and go back for the other they both go mental either in the field or in their stables (spoiled ponies!).

Then I skip out quickly, put straw in if needed (and if there is any) and see what the bale of hay currently in the barn is like - if it's good I will fill her hay bucket up, if its rubbish I leave it and hope the day people will take all that one, and there will be a different one by the time I get home from work. Change her water and off I go - takes about 20 mins if I don't have to feed round, more like 30 if I do.
 
Everyday:

I only do PM...

1 bring in Toucan (other liveries pony out at day)
2 turn out ben
3 skip out poo, then wet into tub trug and empty
4 fluff up bed and pull down some clean shavings from bank
5 sweep stable (clean swept to bed, dirty out the door)
6 Add hay to stable
7 pop water to fill up
8 soak feed
9 give handful of hay to Toucan (once he has stopped kicking door:rolleyes:)
10 pop water and feed in stable
11 sweep up outside stable and pop in tub trug
12 Give hay to ben in field

Exit stage right, get in car, roll cigarette whack up music and drive home:p (if not riding)

Takes 10 mins if Im in a rush, but can be up their gassing for ages! :D
 
Brontie said:
Honestly? My routine's dreadful haha. I only do it occasionally so it's okay :P

Get tools,
Approach stable and recoil at the state of it,
Realise i've forgotten half the tools I need,
Stand and chat to passing friend, about the state of said stable,
Approach stable and faff about putting music on,
Decide which corner to tackle first,
Scrape all muck to the front of the box.
Pause, taking jacket off to cool down and admire ones handy work, express ones admire with passing friend
Load wheelbarrow up
Empty water, re-sweep then drag to tap,
Watch it fill up whilst discussing how slow the tap is with a friend,
Drag water to the stables.
Finished.
Click to expand...

You have just described me to a T!! :D :D
But I have to muck out everyday, honestly I don't know how I get anything done. I also ride 6 days a week and moan I'm never home at a reasonable hour, you have just enlightened me as to why, so thank you lol :)
 
Weekday am

1/ Walk from car to stable bringing tack, hi-viz and hat from car with me and leave at stable
2/ Collect ready made up haynets from barn and put in soaking buckets (already filled the night before)
3/ Get a different small net (already made up) and tie up outside stable, tie Molly up to eat it so I can muck out
4/ Empty remains of water bucket into last nights feed bucket and scrub, put water bucket under tap to fill
5/ Take empty nets out of stable and empty treat ball and take to barn and leave on my pallet, collect barrow and tools
6/ Full muck out of shavings bed - take out all poo and wet, sweep floor and relay bed. Add shavings twice a week.
7/ Empty barrow and sweep up, return tools, clean feed bucket and barrow to barn
8/ Put water in and small haynet (already made up) for when she comes in at 4pm (she gets brought in with her field mate at the moment)
9/ Very quick groom of Molly, pick out feet
10/ Tack up, with lights and hi-viz
11/ Hack for 1 hour (she is in rehab work)
12/ Untack and turnout in muzzle
13/ Sweep up remains of hay and inevitable poo on yard and take tack back to car

This all takes 2.5 hours :( plus 30 mins travelling so getting up at stupid o'clock

After work

1/Drain hay that has been soaking all day, refill the soaking buckets for the next morning with the hose
2/Get made up feed and fill treat ball with high fibre nuggets and give to Molly
3/ Take barrow to collect the drained nets, hang in stable while she is busy with feed
4/ Refill empty nets for the next day
5/ Pick put feet, top up water and skip out stable (there is always 1 poo lol)

This takes about 20 mins, plus 15 mins drive home.

No wonder I'm knackered!! Can't wait until we can ditch the hacking every day!
 
My horse is turned out every morning for me so on an evening I:
1) Get the horse in, hose feet down tie her up outside my stable and fill her waterbucket while i have hose in my hand.
2) go to muck heap to collect wheelbarrow and tools.
3) Muck out stable, grab empty haynet and take it around to muck heap.
4) Empty wheelbarrow and go to haybarn to fill haynet (Muck heap is en route to haybarn).
5) On way back get feed ready for later on.
6) Tie haynet up.

Done.

It takes about 15 mins if that. I bring her in and tie her up first because she has mud fever, gives her legs time to dry before I attack them with cream!!! :D
 
Brontie said:
Honestly? My routine's dreadful haha. I only do it occasionally so it's okay :P

Get tools,
Approach stable and recoil at the state of it,
Realise i've forgotten half the tools I need,
Stand and chat to passing friend, about the state of said stable,
Approach stable and faff about putting music on,
Decide which corner to tackle first,
Scrape all muck to the front of the box.
Pause, taking jacket off to cool down and admire ones handy work, express ones admire with passing friend
Load wheelbarrow up
Empty water, re-sweep then drag to tap,
Watch it fill up whilst discussing how slow the tap is with a friend,
Drag water to the stables.
Finished.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, a kindred spirit::cool:
 
Apart from my days off I only go up in the late afternoon after I pick my son up from school (am on assisted DIY). I skip out (do full muck out on Monday's as is my additional day off), make up and wet haynets leave them to drain, empty then refill water bucket, make up feed, hang up haynets. Go fetch my boy in, quick groom and pick out feet, put on fleece and put him in stable. Sweep yard outside my stable (I have to do this even when running late bit of OCD I think!), empty wheelbarrow, give pony kiss, go home :)

2 afternoons I ride before I muck out to make the most of the light so I go get him in, groom, ride then muck out after. At weekends I tend to ride before I muck out so my boy gets as much turnout time as possible. I also poo pick his paddock on one weekend day and on Monday's.
 
Oh I forgot to mention all the 'socialising' I do. Most of the time it takes me up to an hour and a half with various breaks to chat but when there is no one else there I can easily do in 30 minutes and that includes 10 minutes walking to and from his field :D
 
Morning:
Arrive at yard, say hello to both ponies and give carrot :).
Feed Wizzy, rug up and turn out.
Tack up Charlie, lunge for 20 mins, feed, rug up and turn out.
Collect wheelbarrow, tools.
Full muck out, Charlies stable first as he is a messy pig. Empty wheelbarrow.
Muck Wizzy out, empty wheelbarrow. Put wheelbarrow and tools back.
Collect haynets, fill them, back in respective stables.
Drag water buckets to tap, empty, refill and back in stables.
Shut doors, sweep yard, leave :)

Evening:
Bring horses in.
Brush Charlie, tack up, lunge again or ride.
In summer will try to take Wizzy for a short hack too.
Feed, stable rugs. Sweep yard, carrots and good night kisses :)

'Brontie' your reply made me giggle - this is me at the weekend :D
 
Open back door,
Dig way to barn (because I only have horses in if it snows and if they are paying)
Feed horse/s
Evict horse/s from barn
Position quad and trailer outside stall door/s
Don latex gloves, grab muck bucket
Flick pooh into bucket, lob into trailer
Pick out wet
Rake sides into middle
Reverse out of stall, shut door.
Throw evening hay over wall into stall.
Drive out and dump muck on pile.
Job done.
 
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