Your horsey money/time saving and making life easier tips

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gill84

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After commenting on someones post earlier about wormers I got to thinking. Anyone got any general horsey tips? I'll start with a few and feel to join in.

If like my horse yours won't tollerate a syringe in it's mouth to worm it, then as long as the wormer is a gel as apposed to paste, (ie equimax, equest) then mix it in a small cup of warm (not hot) water and it desolves as it would in the horses mouth. Then pour it over feed. No more tantrums!!

To get mud fever scabs off, cover the legs in olive or cooking oil, wrap the legs in clingfilm then bandage and leave over night. This softens the scabs and they rub off.

Sudocrem!!! Best thing ever!!! Fly bites, sores, cuts, and grazes!! Far cheaper than horse wound cream and lasts longer

We had a Shetland who had to have bute daily (was malisously poisoned at 3 days old and it caused him to age quicker and his back to be stiffen up). He hated the stuff and the only way he would take it was mixed up in apple sauce!! He used to lick it off a spoon lol

For muddy, greasy coats dilute washing up liquid in an old shampoo bottle. Wash the coat in the solution first, rinse, then wash in their usual shampoo. Works wonders on smelly dogs too

Anyone care to add??
 
Theres a fantastic stickie up in stable yard called money saving tips, worth a look!

My fave tips:

Homemade fly spray - saves a fourtune
Furniture polish as a mane and tail spray- so effective
Sudocreme
Pottys - can use them as pole raisers and can stack.
Pound land- have found loads of useful things for my tack room, also good for baby wipes, oil etc
Human products - human shampoo, baby oil etc
Deep litter - Saves time mucking out, stops Horse eating her bedding and saves bedding to.
Nizerol shampoo- great to use to treat mudfever, cheap and effective.
 
Hay and haylage can take an age to feed, so dump the hay nets and fit haybars or hay racks instead. Avoid the large round bales too as they are a pain to unravel.

Treat thrush with human athletes foot cream.

Change rugs whilst horses are eating to save time (unless you have a food aggressive horse).

Leave wet rugs on horses over night to dry so that you are not putting cold, wet or even frozen rugs on in the morning.

Muck out the field with the wheelbarrow you have just taken down the field with the hay in to save a separate trip.

Carry rugs on top of the hay or haylage in the wheelbarrow if you need to put them on over night.

If you buy a new washing machine and the old one still works, plumb it into the tack room so that you can wash horsey things separately in future.

If you can afford it, get automatic drinkers for the stables.

Make sure all the pipe are lagged adequately BEFORE winter arrives.
 
After the past few days, my advice would be:
a) get staff,
b) sell up, and
c) stop doing livery ;)

Seriously, there are a bundle of things you can do, I think there is/was a sticky on this very subject somewhere.

I do second the sudocrem and plastic wrap thing for mud fever - Henryhorn got me doing that years ago.

My main time savers

* Round bales, carting small bales for 20+ horses to several paddocks is not fun, energy, or time efficient.
* Heated hosepipes and troughs, couldn't manage without mine.
* ATV plus trailer, and a snow plough ;) I LOVE my quad.
* Everyone needs a sled for winter if it snows, carry feed and water on it etc, etc.
* Don't bother to change rugs unless you have to.

Money saving: (apart from keeping something until it disintegrates)

Ask yourself, honestly now...

* How many blankets/boots/bridles/halters does one horse really need?
* Does a horse really need shoes?
* Does it need all the feed you use?
* Does it need to live in if you have the facilities (and inclination) to do otherwise?
(Give them a shelter in a paddock, a good blanket and free choice to come and go, saves time, money, energy and frees you from clockwatching)
 
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The not changing rugs thing?! I was gonna mention that but thought I would slated for being cruel and letting my horses sleep in their out door rugs! Glad I'm not the only one who does this. Seems silly taking a warm rug off they've had on all day to put a cold stable one on. And vice versa the next morning
 
Get a sharer! :)

Don't wash feet/legs from September to March - saves time and helps prevent mud fever.

If we get a winter like the last one: before leaving the yard in the evening, fill a kettle, switch it on as soon as you get to the yard in the morning, even if it's frozen it will defrost and eventually boil, and you can then use it to defrost taps (not forgetting to refill the kettle before you leave again!).
 
gill84 said:
The not changing rugs thing?! I was gonna mention that but thought I would slated for being cruel and letting my horses sleep in their out door rugs! Glad I'm not the only one who does this. Seems silly taking a warm rug off they've had on all day to put a cold stable one on. And vice versa the next morning
Click to expand...

I was outraged when someone suggested it to me - now I don't even own a stable rug. LOL what a waste of time. Also counter productive in terms of heat loss.
 
My horses are cheap and easy to manage.
They live out.
They don't wear rugs.
They don't wear shoes.
They don't need hard feed(although I do give them a bit:))
I put money aside to cover vets bills,so don't insure.
I do poo pick daily,but thats a 10 minute job,leaving me more time to ride.
 
We have feeds ready for morning and night so after school/work it saves time - and if I'll and someone else has to do it,it's done

We have 4 haynets ready at a time which saves time as can tie up quickly and we fill loads on a day where we have spare time ie Weekends :D
 
When visiting tack shops & specially sales at Tack Shops, only buy what you need. Don't buy something because it's been reduced & it's a big saving.......remember it's only a bargain if you need it!

There are many things you may need that can be sourced from outlets other than a tack shop. Remember, as soon as something is labelled 'Equine' or 'Equestrian' the price rockets. You can save a fortune buying from supermarkets (Asda for feed skips), poundshops for Sudocrem, wipes, disinfectant etc, ebay for cohesive bandages (vetrap type stuff) & various other things.

Do you really need to muck out in expensive breeches, Caldene, Toggi, Ariat & Joules etc coats & tops?.....Regatta are far cheaper & keep you just as dry. Slazenger, Umbro polo shirts are far cheaper & available from Sports Direct. I'm not saying don't have some nice clothes but don't waste them getting them filthy at the yard.

Your horse doesn't care what you look like & you will have much more money in your purse. :)
 
Instead of having heavy weight winter rugs use med weight with insulator underneath on really cold nights , then if the temp goes up through the day just undo the surcingles of top and underrug and the front buckles of just under rug and slide out from behind - saves taking the top rug off. ( bit like the tablecloth trick ) Also means you can still fit the rugs in your home washing machine!

Also , for those who use a quad , bungie strap a bakers bread basket to the front to carry out haylege / buckets etc , much cheeper than the proper baskets.
 
Leave turnout rugs on in the stable. They dry much quicker(unless rug so wet it's gone through).
Pair up with another livery and do alternate ends of the day. Saves petrol and time.
Deep litter if possible.
Also at my yard me and a friend take it in turns once a week to trot around the block while ride and leading. Means your horse gets exercised once a week for you
 
Oh also use lard instead of expensive hoof moisturisers. It works just the same and only costs 20p. Was told that by an old hunting groom and have used it ever since. Ponios feet have never looked so good
 
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