Poo picking - most efficient way of doing it?

[Pleasedontdothat]

DD’s horse is on part livery- at the moment he’s out all day and in at night. She has to poo pick 13 wheelbarrows of poo from the fields per month (half of the grass livery requirement). At the moment she’s only able to get to the yard when it’s already getting dark apart from at weekends so I’ve been helping her. Everyone at the yard uses a fork to scoop up the poo but it just seems so inefficient (and is knackering my back). Surely there’s a better way of doing it??

I use big yellow gloves and pick it up with my hands, I find much more efficient than a fork/scoop - plenty of people say it's ick but really horse manure is just digested grass and of course I wash my hands afterwards as I would anyway if using a fork. You do need to make sure you bend at the knees rather than at the back or you'll still knacker yourself but at least you'll do it quicker!

Meant to say the other technique if your back is really bad is use a scoop (like this www.sportsdirect.com/shires-manure-scoop-767020 ) and kick the poo into the scoop using the side of your boot, whilst keeping a straight back and neck - not as quick as the other methods and you get poo on your boots but if someone helps you lift and empty the scoop into the barrow once full you hardly have to bend or twist your back at all!

One of these
www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Red-Gorilla-Tubtrug-Tidee-Manure-Scoop---Rake/Productinfo/TUBTIDEE/PURPLE/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1ZDiBRAXEiwAIWyNC_3C5O401UxiYwwtYqlUOAKEpWLUQxTW2muCTssp1t7pUNigEjMJiBoCl0UQAvD_BwE

Thanks - I may well try the gloves method (although dd willl no doubt be horrified as that will be embarrassing ).

Has anyone tried one of these ? We have one of the small scoops already but that’s kept in the trailer as dhorse always, always poos as he gets to the top of the ramp ... and it’s quite small so great for the odd poo but not for a whole field..

I can't use those small scoop buckets - they hurt my back, whereas my OH can use them really well!
I have to use a future fork and either kick it on with my foot, or just hook it up. Normal metal shavings forks are too heavy for my back and the handle off the future fork means I can go quickly!

I use the scoop bucket and rake similar to delirious penguin

I would find that easier than your version OP because you can use the flat side of the rake to scoop as well ( rather than using your boot) which you wouldn't be able to do with your shavings fork thingy.
My horse always tends to shit in long grass - which would make using the rake more difficult.

I wouldn't recommend poo picking by hand - really will end up with a bad back if you're doing 13 wheellbarrow loads!

We used the long handled scoops as linked above with the specially designed fork thing (unless you can get the bladed version which are rare but lots better). Seemed the easiest way and easier on the back. We were working on a livery yard so had to clear every feild every day

Rubber gloves and wheelbarrow. Can't she do a bit every day?

I used a shovel for ages and finally bought a scoop and rake, amazed how much easier it was on my back. YO has a one like the QuickPick though and says its even better than the normal rake ones.

If the grass is short a debris shovel skimming along the turf lifts everything off. If the grass is long there is no easy way and gloves are possibly the best of a bad lot.

Future fork and barrow for me

The scoops do my back in whereas gloves and a wheelbarrow are fine for me. It's also easier to grab all the little bits of poo and I'm quite fussy . The thermal builders gloves they sometimes do in Aldi for a few pounds (knitted with rubberised palms and fingertips) are brilliant for this time of year and last for ages.

I use a metal shavings fork. Can't use the little scoops, really hurts my wrists. Shaving fork is so much quicker if the grass is short

Head torch in the dark works well. I like the large red gorilla scoop and alternate between long handled rake and a short one. Those long mini ones with the long straight tines you linked to above, well I don't links them, the only thing I've e we found it any good for is foal poo... of course the best way too poo pick is every day, its souls destroying when there's a large backlog to clear