Your Winter Daily routine?

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VixieTrix

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Hi can I ask everyones daily routine in winter?? Would just like to see how much you do everyday :) Mine will be the following:

I do 3-4 mornings a week + both weekend mornings and every evening. I have one pony called Blue but also turnout / bring in Mum's two horses if needed when i am there:
Up 5.30-5.45am and cycle to yard with dog
Feed all three and change rugs if needed (as long as totally dry and not too muddy we often leave turnout rugs on to save time in morning) Either pass out hay or let all 3 out.
Muck out Blue and try to leave bed up, sweep and put hay in, start others stables if time.
Take all 3 to field with bag of hay. (Home by 6.30-6.45am)
Evening: Up at 5.45pm
Bring all 3 horses in if Mum has not all ready done + settle other two if needed.
Lay Blue's bed, get things ready for morning and poo pick by torchlight few times a week!
Give Blue a good groom/fuss + wash legs few times a week
Feed all and lock up (Home by about 7-7.30pm)
Have to save all riding etc for weekends!!
 
Well, I am lucky that my two are on Part Livery so they get fed, mucked out etc in the week by the yard staff. I also work at the Livery Yard and our routine is something like this:
8 am - Start work, all horses are fed hard feed as necessary and given hay/haylage
8.30 - Rugs are all changed and horses are turned out
9.00 - Start mucking out
10.30 - Mucking out finished, time for a break for us!
10.45 - Tack up any horses which need exercising and exercise them
12.00 - Skip out/hay any horses which have been in during the morning
12.30 - Lunch
1.30 - Bring in all horses, pick out feet and change rugs
2.30 - Groom the horses on Full Livery
3.30 - Do any other jobs which need doing, e.g. cleaning tack, pulling manes, plaiting manes over, washing tails, etc.
4.30 - Skip out and hay up
5.00/5.30 ish - Finish

The horses are then topped up with more hay/haylage at 8pm. :)
 
Well I don't work due to illness do it does make it easier.
But one horse on diy, stabled at night and out in the day.
8am, go down and feed, turn out if weather ok. Do stables.
10am turnout
3 pm bring in if horrid weather, and other horses if the owners are at work.
5 pm bring in
7 pm friend gives a net and checks
 
DIY Livery

Get down to the yard for 8am

Breakfast then turn out (no rug)

Skip out and sweep, fill haynet & hang up

6.30pm bring in and give him his tea.

Home by 7.30pm (only because I chat too much to others down there the same time)

Luckily for me, my sister is on half livery and is down in the evenings so quite often will bring in for me :)
At the weekends I lift his bed and add new (miscanthus)
 
20 plus horses. Mainly living out. All have round bales except for some ponies and some single horses.

No set routine, I am the Boss/Staff, I do what I like, when I like. Horses and animals get fed and turned out, stalls are cleaned by the time they come back in, that's good enough for me.

6.30 - 7am. Retrieve snow shovel from beside back door. Dig my way out of the house across the yard to the barn. Haul/dig doors open - stand back whilst snow falls off the door!

Feed 'starving' nags inside, chuck hay at goats in barn.
Fall over assorted cats and chase out any raccoons or possums that are skulking in the barn. Haul open other set of doors, re-dig path to turnout paddock and turf out stalled horses. Wave at frantic (because they are starving) ponies boinging about in the small paddock.

7.30. Make sure child has gone to school. Defrost because it is probably about -18C
Coffee.

Coffee in hand buzz round on the quad clearing tracks to paddocks and checking water, hay and whatever horses are outside. Throw hay to the bouncing ponies and Zeus who has been screeching like a harpy because he wants food - liar! Inside, de-frost again. More coffee.

Clamber back into Michelin man gear, wander back to barn, skip out, do hay etc for night...it all depends on the day, what the weather is like, and how I feel.

I love not having to do anything to please anyone else:)
 
mines no different really from summer as baby comes in at nigts in summer due to weight and grass - this is week day routine as im away at weekends so my lovely stable fairy does her on sat and sun but same routine in many ways

Up at 6 coffee cig shower dress for work - at yard at half 6
feed turn out - fly rug in summer no rugs winter. throw bed up - off to work by 7.

finish work at 4 at yard by half 4 bed down water and feeds done. hay on floor.

stand around nattering laughing - baby brought in between half 5 and 6 brush off fed last check then home - very relaxing he he he he :)
 
Up at 5.10 dressed and down yard at 5.20, unlock gates. Feed, pick out feet, change rug, muck out, hay, water, sweep and then turn out. Home just after 6, get ready for work. Pm down yard for half 5, bring in, add straw to bed, groom and ride or poo pick depending on what i feel like, change rug, feed and home by half 7 at latest!by thursday im shattered!!
 
well today I'm home early but didn't ride

up at 4.45 out by 5.45 I need at least an hour for pain medication to work (rheumatoid arthritis)
at yard by 6.20

feed, change rugs, turn out by 7.10

muck out, water takes me an hour because of RA

work by 8.30 - 9.30 (depends where I am)

back at yard anything from 4.30 to 8pm

bring in mine and friends horse, feed, haylage, change rugs for both etc

So home anything from 6.30 to 10pm

Thank god I only work 3 to 5 days a week but some are weekends :(

Sometimes when I get home I have to go straight to bed even if its only 7pm as I get the shivers and shakes from doing too much. I end up in bed with PJ's dressing gown, electric blanket and winter quilt, and it can be the middle of summer :(:(:(:(:(
 
I go to the yard for 630, I need to put my pony out first otherwise he'll try to climb out his stable if someone else's horse leaves first! I feed full yard, defrost pipes have a cuppa then turn out. mucking out can take me hours because I like to chat and either about :-( I can ride or lunge during the day then get them back in around 5 or 6 depending on weather.
 
Get up at 6.30am at yard by 7am feed, turn out friends horse, muck out, water, soak hay, make feeds. Groom tack up and be riding by 8am. Back on yard by 9am turn out home by 9.30 shower etc in work by 10.30. Friend brings in. If I'm on early shift I do the opposite as friend turns out so I muck out etc after work and bring in.
 
Horses are at home so in am- 5.30 get up, pull on dressing gown/coat depending on weather!! Feed dogs, let them out, make cuppa, have cig, feed horses, rug, turnout. Run dogs over field. 6.15. - pop back in house. Partners normally up by now, 1yo daughters normally stirring. Get her up, dressed, nappy changed, breakfasted and bottled! Give her some time crawling about, so she doesn't get frustrated sat in buggy while we're out!! 9am approx- out we go to muck out, nets etc! Dogs come out with us. General sweep up, entertaining daughter etc! Clean rabbit out, back in by 10.30 ish!
Work from home, so sat on laptop in day, although got daughter at home too.

4pm ish horses in (depths of winter), wash legs, pick feet,
change rugs etc. Leave with hay. Walk dogs around field again! 5pm- back in house, give daughter hot tea (norm made something earlier, or used slow cooker!!). 5.30pm DVD time with daughter for half an hour and chasing around lounge floor to tire her! 6pm run out and chuck
horses feeds in, bring dogs in and feed. 6.15- bath daughter, pjs etc! 6.45- read bedtime story, 7pm- begin bottling daughter, 7.30- pop her in bed! Make bottles, check tea! Let dogs out, have bath, partner gets home between 8 and 10 normally! Check on horses 10 pm and skip out, hay them. Watch tv and bed 11pm-12!!!
 
Times vary as I run my own business so i can be pretty flexible!

Drive to yard with dog (5 mins)

AM

Feed
Change rugs & out barrier cream on
turn Pixie out
turn Rhys & Tippy out
clean feed buckets
make pm and am feeds
muck out all 3
hay & water
clean rabbits out, feed and let out to have run of stable (their hutch is in Pixies stable)
Sweep yard and fork muck trailer

(this takes approx 1.5hrs)

PM

Bring in all 3 from field
put rabbits back in hutch
wash legs and take off turnout rugs
groom & exercise if time?
put stable rugs on if needed
feed
 
our yard is pretty much the same all year, feed, hay, water(if automatics have frozen) then muck out stabled horses in main yard, then bring ponies in, turn out etc. Then at night bring horses in/put out. Feed, hay, water, rugs. If its snowing we all get 2 big buckets on sledges and much out in to that as wheelbarrows in snow is not fun:(
 
Enfys said:
20 plus horses. Mainly living out. All have round bales except for some ponies and some single horses.

No set routine, I am the Boss/Staff, I do what I like, when I like. Horses and animals get fed and turned out, stalls are cleaned by the time they come back in, that's good enough for me.

6.30 - 7am. Retrieve snow shovel from beside back door. Dig my way out of the house across the yard to the barn. Haul/dig doors open - stand back whilst snow falls off the door!

Feed 'starving' nags inside, chuck hay at goats in barn.
Fall over assorted cats and chase out any raccoons or possums that are skulking in the barn. Haul open other set of doors, re-dig path to turnout paddock and turf out stalled horses. Wave at frantic (because they are starving) ponies boinging about in the small paddock.

7.30. Make sure child has gone to school. Defrost because it is probably about -18C
Coffee.

Coffee in hand buzz round on the quad clearing tracks to paddocks and checking water, hay and whatever horses are outside. Throw hay to the bouncing ponies and Zeus who has been screeching like a harpy because he wants food - liar! Inside, de-frost again. More coffee.

Clamber back into Michelin man gear, wander back to barn, skip out, do hay etc for night...it all depends on the day, what the weather is like, and how I feel.

I love not having to do anything to please anyone else:)
Click to expand...

^ This made my evening :')
 
my parents do 3 and a half days and OH and I do the rest but the routine is the same more or less...

7am breakfast and turnout by 7.30 (unless going hunting) and then skip out.
8pm bring in, do feet, check warm and dry under rugs, re-adjust and quick groom. Feed
10pm check on hay and water

on a hunting morning Ron is fed as normal, but Tom only gets a handful of chaff (as he's bribed to stay in the field by his breakfast! :eek:).
then I put up Ron's tail, change his rug for a fleece and cotton sheet, and Tom's for an ancient turnout.
On arrival home, Ron is washed off, unplaited, stable bandages and stable rug on, and given 1/2 bale of haylage. Then Tom comes in, is groomed, rugs changed and given haylage. then they are fed as normal later on.
 
I have the same routine all year as my lad is in at night to keep his weight down and off the grass for a while. Morning starts at 5am when he has his chaff breakfast and is turned out for the day. I then muck out, do water, check and pick up acorns (autumn), put his fly mask on and go.
Evening consists of him walking into his mobile stable of his own accord when he sees me coming, having his chaff tea in his stable and being shut in. Then I move the fence if strip grazing (winter only), poo pick, acorn check (autumn), water and put his hay in for the night. Give him a pat and tell him to be a good boy for the night and that is it.
All in all I spend an hour either side of the day in the week and then more at the weekend as I ride then in winter...too dark in week to ride on the roads.
 
Normally out in the yard by 6.45 a.m, mucked out and tacked up ready to go by 7 a.m. Exercise for an hour, come home, turn out with breakfast and leave out all day.

Get in on return from work (6 p.m), groom, feed, bed.

Hunt every Sat and every other Tuesday so Sundays off and every other Weds off.

Summer, get up early and get in from field, ride, turn out.

Things will be a bit different this year as we are having a baby in 4 weeks. Plan is to stick to normal winter routine which means OH can have baby whilst I am out exercising and then I will have it for the rest of the day!! As long as I'm home by 8.15 a.m then it will all be fine.

Interesting to see whether routine works or not!!
 
Currently my routine is as follows:
(Up and down every few hours in the night to check on ebony)
Arrive at yard at 7.30

Turn out ebony,
Turn out ben
Put feeds in fields for them
Currently no hay needed as bags of grazing

Leave Yard at 7.45


Arrive back at yard at 5.30
Muck out both stables, sweep yard
Water and hay and mix feeds
Take my time over this because I chat so much and want them to be out as long as possible, usually sneak a coffee in somewhere too!

6.30 Bring in both and feed....
6.30 till 7 stand there like a prat with friend chatting drinking coffee and watching ebony's sides, having cuddles and what not.

7 make up morning feed and cover.

Although will be sneaking in an extra 15 mins for ben in sand school 3 days a week with walks in hand at the weekend for both because I have neglected him a bit this last week
 
School -
7:00am: Feed breakfast and change heavy rug to turnout rug (dad has 5 minutes at lunch to turn them out). Then give Dusty hay (Shannon has one feed at night) and top up both water buckets, pick feet. Skip out Dusty if possible.
5:30pm: Get home from school, either bring them in and give small hay net while mucking out.
6:00pm: Quarter Dusty, tack-up and free lunge/hack down lane and back or ride if home earlier.
6:30pm:Untack, groom, fill Haynets and make feeds. Rug up Dusty give feed and hay and top up water.

Weekend/Holidays-
7:00am:Feed, fill morning net. Tie up outside, muck out quarter Dusty, put on turnout rug and give more hay in paddock.
12:00pm Feed more hay outside. Prepare to ride (move jumps, put up jumps, get out tack etc.)
12:30pmBring in, brush down legs and face and pick out feet, tack up, ride.
1:30pmGroom, rug up turnout with more hay. Muck out Shannon, make feeds and fill Haynets. Poo-pick. Do any other jobs.
5:00pmBring in, clean legs give hay net and rug up for night.
5:30pmGive both feed and another hay net.
5:45pmCheck feed has been eaten, is comfortable and top up water. Lock up for the night (very lucky to have horses at home).
 
Winter and summer are pretty much identical here. For winter..

Wake up around 9 (I work til 1am), if its pouring with rain (as it usually is), I'm not it too big of a hurry. Make horses breakfast, drive 5 minutes to grazing, shove a couple slices of hay in a bag, then battle my way across mud/puddles/frost to paddock. Feed horse and change rug (usually take under rug off from the night and leave top rug on). Depending on what i'm doing i might ride before feeding out in the morning. Might poo pick if weather is cooperating or I've got time. Then around 3/4 (depending on if i rode in the morning), I go back down, ride and poo pick if I didn't in the morning, give feed and hay, move fence out for more grass and rug accordingly to weather.
 
I keep my two at home. I don't have any facilities and work full time so they spend the winter turned out and roughed off. They aren't rugged or shod and I have plenty of grazing so no need to feed hay or poo pick.

So my daily routine at the moment is a quick check in the morning, and then a more hands-on check in the evening plus a check of the field. Sometimes I give them a feed in the evening, but not at the moment as they are both overweight.

They were in the barn during Storm Barbara so for a couple of days I did have to do haynets, mucking out etc., just like the (many) previous years on DIY, I may sometimes miss the menage and hacking company but I don't miss that stuff. It was a bit more hands-on last winter as a lot of my grazing flooded, I had to put them in the hay fields and was muzzling and restricting grazing in Feb as they were piling on weight.
 
Fed and turned out by yard at 7am

I go up at 7.45 muck out, fill water, tye Haynes.

Brought in by yard at 4 pm

Go up 2 evenings a week to groom spend some time with her.

Weekends are the same except I do all turn out/bring in etc. Make all hay bets and a week worth of feeds at the weekends so this is when I will clean my my buckets etc as well.

Out 24/7 in the summer. Checked twice daily by YO am/pm and I go up at some point as well.
 
VixieTrix said:
Hi can I ask everyones daily routine in winter?? Would just like to see how much you do everyday :) Mine will be the following:

I do 3-4 mornings a week + both weekend mornings and every evening. I have one pony called Blue but also turnout / bring in Mum's two horses if needed when i am there:
Up 5.30-5.45am and cycle to yard with dog
Feed all three and change rugs if needed (as long as totally dry and not too muddy we often leave turnout rugs on to save time in morning) Either pass out hay or let all 3 out.
Muck out Blue and try to leave bed up, sweep and put hay in, start others stables if time.
Take all 3 to field with bag of hay. (Home by 6.30-6.45am)
Evening: Up at 5.45pm
Bring all 3 horses in if Mum has not all ready done + settle other two if needed.
Lay Blue's bed, get things ready for morning and poo pick by torchlight few times a week!
Give Blue a good groom/fuss + wash legs few times a week
Feed all and lock up (Home by about 7-7.30pm)
Have to save all riding etc for weekends!!
Click to expand...



My own livery yard I am a sole worker no staff, I do it all



6-45 am start

Mon
Tues
(wed my day off)
Thurs
Frid
Sat start 8am as hubby helps me same + riding or driving
Sun same + riding or driving




Start 6 45 am


feed all the part livery and the DIY



remake all the am feeds up for next day while horses eating
change any rugs(those who wear stable rugs at night)

Horses turned out by 7 15 am




Then in order - Muckout - hay - evening feed - water each stable in turn (I have 9 to muck out daily) remake next day pm feeds as I go finish around 10.15 am



middle of the day 11am-3.30pm other jobs or errands
pm


3.30 pm catch horses in
dee poo fields
brush off change rugs livery's feet pick liveries

sadly no time to brush mine off they go to bed muddy

evening hay 5pm finish around 5.30-6pm


I work 6 days a week including bank holidays and festival days

sounds a lot when written down as I have no staff 4 of my own - 5 part livery 3 diy no wonder I am knackered by the end of the day 6 days a week. Every week regardless of xmas and New Year
 
Last edited:
7.30am - brekkie, rugged, turned out and all work done- hay bars filled, beds done, waters done and feed buckets washed.

Back after work-
4.15pm- bring in and have some hay while I poo pick field.
Then it's groom, ride (whoever is being ridden or both), skip beds, rug, make feeds, feed, remove buckets, give treat balls and tidy up for the night.

I usually leave about 7pm.
 
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