Winter Routine??

[ohdearme]

Miss Many-Questions, back again

Was wondering about everyone's winter horse routine, especially people that work? I work 3/4 days a week, plus the occasional Saturday...weekday shifts are 8am-4pm or 2pm-8pm and Saturday is 9am-1pm, but have to allow 30mins commuting time each way (grrrr).

SO, fingers crossed, I will be full loaning a horse soon! Does this routine sound feasible?

8-4 shifts: 7am Feed, rug, turnout with a haynet. 5pm Poo pick stable & field, put in night haynet and water. Bring in, groom, possibly ride, then feed, rug and stable.
2-8 shifts: AM Feed, full muckout, do a couple of haynets. Groom & ride, rug and turnout with a haynet. Will probably have to pay YO the assisted fee to bring in, as I think all the other horses will be brought in by the time I'd get to the yard (8.30pm)...but would it be okay to pick hooves, quick groom, feed & change rug then? Or should I pay the YO to do this?

On weekend (not working): AM: Feed, full muckout, do haynets, poo pick field etc. Groom & ride. Rug & turnout. PM: Bring in, groom, feed, rug & stable.

Saturdays (9-1 shifts): 8am Feed & water, rug, turnout. 2pm: Muckout stable, poo pick field, bring in, groom & ride. Feed & water, rug, stable.

I'm assuming most horses have a morning & evening feed in winter? Also, how long to leave before feeding & riding, or feeding & turning out?

Thanks!!

 

[dogatemysalad]

Much depends on the yard and the grazing. On my current yard, most people bring in at 3pm and when it's very wet/snowy, the horse's might not get turnout, so all jobs need to be done first thing in the morning, including riding or just stretching their legs.
Riding after feeding depends on what the feed is, you wouldn't need to wait for a token handful of chaff, but if it's a bucket of mix, you'd need to wait an hour, or ride before feeding. I give a token breakfast once winter really kicks in and a bigger tea. It depends on each individual horse and the level of work they're in, but it's better to give the total day's feed split into two meals generally.
If you have assisted livery services available, find out how flexible the YO is, as if your horse needs box rest or dressings changed daily etc, you may need the back up.

 

[california dreaming]

Well, for what its worth, here is my routine: My dear horse is stabled at night. I arrive at yard at around 9am. Turn him out in small menage for roll/stretch while I muck out and do all stable jobs. Then I groom and ride. Then he is fed. Then he is either turned out in field or if too wet he stays in his stable. Then I go home. Later a friend will either bring him in or turn him out in small menage for roll/stretch. Give hay net for the night, feed, check water etc.

 

[Redders]

Worth seeing of you can make friends with someone on the yard and share AM PM duties to benefit both of you. I work 5 day weeks with stables horse at night and we manage just fine. Token breakfast, rug turn out. Evenings do stable, bring in, groom etc, most likely ride, re groom (sweat and bonding) feed and put to bed. If you have someone who can share shifts though it's easier, and yes it's fine to pay YO to bring in and you do feet, feed, etc when you are able to get there, I do it that way sometimes if I know I will be late.

 

[NellRosk]

...but would it be okay to pick hooves, quick groom, feed & change rug then? Or should I pay the YO to do this?

If I were you I would get the stable all ready after you've turned out and leave the feed in, then just pay for YO to bring horse in. My horses don't get their feet picked out every night if someone is bringing them in and live in their turnout rugs, so don't need rug changes and are happy and healthy!

eta and by doing this it means you get a night off. I share turnout/ bring in duties with a friend which means I get the occasional evening off and it is actually a nice treat not having to go to the yard when it's peeing it down and blowing a gale, after a full day at work. You seem really full of enthusiasm atm but you don't want to burn yourself out

 

[mrswad]

Don't forget to factor in time to get cleaned up / de-odourised & travel to work.

 

[NellRosk]

Don't forget to factor in time to get cleaned up / de-odourised & travel to work.

What's that? I had someone pick a bit of straw out my hair yesterday at work

 

[AmieeT]

I usually get to the yard for 6, then feed, hauberk and water while he eats. Turnout, muckout, go home.

Quick shower and get ready for work at 9

I'm generally a morning person, and like to do thing in the evening- so it's nice to just have to bring him straight in in the PMs

Ax

 

[KateandWillow]

My routine is as follows:

Am: Nets are put in for me and water topped up for my gelding if needed (mare has an automatic drinker)

Pm: Finish work at 5, at the yard for 5.10 - either turn them out in the ménage or tie them on the yard. Fill four nets, muck out the straw bed, put the bed down fetch his two nets from my the haylage and fill his water whilst I'm tying them, do his feed and put it in his stable ready. Then do the shavings bed same as above but with no water to do. They are both put in at pretty much the same time (well they take themselves off to bed!).

I'm back home for half 6.

They get limited turnout on our yard so I try and turn out weekends for a good few hours whilst I'm on the yard.

 

[Penny Less]

Hauberk ? definition needed please ! Only one I know is something to do with armour !

 

[xgemmax]

Sounds fine to me, although i doubt you'll be poo picking the fields at that time (will be dark!!) we tend to just do an occasional barrow at weekends in the winter, obv more in summer but they don;t poo as much at this time of year!

 

[AngieandBen]

Sounds fine to me, although i doubt you'll be poo picking the fields at that time (will be dark!!) we tend to just do an occasional barrow at weekends in the winter, obv more in summer but they don;t poo as much at this time of year!

Mine poo more as they are on more acreage and more grass

Get yourself a good head torch, I often poo pick in the pitch black, takes longer though.

I only work part time, mine live out so they don't have a standard routing as I find they hover at the gates and fence walk, as someone else has said, no need to change rugs these days unless you have plenty of time, and try and do most of the jobs in the morning, its always harder to do when you've been at work all day!

 

[agmp]

Think the best thing is to plan to be flexible. My days change depending on the traffic, how quickly I get out of work, the weather etc.

My days are something like:

7am walk dogs, get work clothes ready but head to yard in horsey stuff (or if running late work stuff with excess coats and semi-protective attire)
get to yard about 7.45ish, turn out both boys, do nets and water and if I can skip out
get to work for around 8.30 deodorise, shove horse stuff in car where it can fester and make my car smell like a stable
if I get some time during the day I'll nip back and skip out
if not get to the yard anytime between 5.30-7 depending on how soon I get out of work, not a shift pattern so I'm there until I've done what I need to do
bring in via head torch, muck out whilst they munch hay tied up outside
if raining and grim, in, bed, feed
if reasonable quick ride, lucky to have floodlights
somewhere in that I'll pooh pick, also via head torch

I work monday-friday, have a half day on thursdays. On weekends I'm bit more flexible and usually hide out with the horses all day.

Things always take longer than you think and whilst your plan seems okay it seems hard going for a new horse. Good luck!

 

[AmieeT]

Hauberk ? definition needed please ! Only one I know is something to do with armour !

Sorry, have only just seen this!! I have a ridiculous autocorrect problem with my phone, and it changes haynet to hauberk (had to change it back then too!).

Ax

 

[trottingon]

I think your plan sounds fine (you may or may not need hay in the field depending on grass/field companion situation).
Some people prefer to do their stable jobs before work, some prefer after work, that's down to the individual person (on weekdays I pay for morning turnout, so I only go to stables after work which is when I bring in, groom, ride, feed, muck out etc I only poo pick at weekends in winter, obviously if needed I can go to stables before work) we tend to help each other with regards to bringing in at night, and it's a big yard so there's always someone to do a favour with if you need a night off.