How long does it take you?

[historyrocks]

This is out of curiosity as DD tells me I’m really slow at mucking out etc. So how long would it take you to do all of the following?

• tack up
• ride (30-40 mins)
• groom
• muck out (shavings, Dhorse is messy!)
• fill 3 hay nets
• prepare feeds

@ImFree2doasiwant

You can carry the tack all together surely? Or hat on head, rest in a barrow. Should take a couple of minutes to tack up.

You take 4 barrow loads out every time you muck out or have I read that wrong?? I'd be asking the owner to demonstrate.

I think its nice if you have the time but I'm sure you could sgave an hour off at least! If riding for 40 minutes, I'd get the rest done in 30.

Not really as locker with my hat etc is in another part of the yard from the tack room.

I have to make 4 trips to the muck heap with an overflowing wheelbarrow. It could be less if I used one of the bigger barrows, but that’s too much for me to move (joint problems, muck heap is in the opposite part of the yard).

I am going to time myself tacking up today and filling hay nets. I think they’re the two areas where I might be able to be more efficient.

It sounds like a real nuisance!

@ImFree2doasiwant

It sounds like a real nuisance!

It is a bit. Seems like someone decided to put each facility (feed, hay, muck heap, tap, tack, lockers) in different parts of the yard. My stable is on the far edge of the yard so I have further to walk than those placed more centrally.

You are slow by industry standards but if you're only doing your own horse it doesn't really matter. By the standards of the liveries on a yard I used to work at you're grease lightening 😂 but then a lot of their "tacking up" time was actually prosecco time...their horses were saints 😂

I have about 2 hours once I arrive.
If I’ve 1 horse it takes me 2 hours.
If I’ve 2 horses it takes me 2 hours.
If I’ve 2 horses plus doing a friends horse, it takes me 2 hours.

It it’s the weekend, it’s twice as long !

I am hopeless at mucking out, takes me at least half an hour inc hay and water.
Very dirty pony tho, that's why she lives out unless she's lame!

God I have never been so grateful to have 24/7 turnout all year round as I am when I read these boards!!

Oh that length of time to do everything makes me anxious, but each to their own and it's your time so you use it how you like. This is my morning routine 6 days a week, horses have 1 day off a week.

3 riding horses come into their stables.

Put all my tack 3 saddles on the wash box saddle stand.

Grab first horses bridle put on it, less than a minute lead to the was box check girth area for dirt and do feet, saddle straight on hat on gloves on schooling whip. Tighten girth, lead to the menage and then final tighten and hop on rode for 50 minutes ish.

All tack off and hose off, I hose them off everyday as they're usually sweaty. I'm lucky they all stand with out anything on while I do this so makes it quicker. Scrape off unless a boiling hot day. Sun cream on, fly cream on. Pop back in their stable and feed if not too warm still.

Repeat for all 3. And turn out. Clean tack but just a wipe over with horsemans. I also get the saddle ready for the next day so I can pick it up in the morning and everything is all there. So saddle, then a fresh numnah, any extra pad they need , then their girth and bridle. It saves me so much time faffing around first thing.

Someone will then skip out refill the hay bars ready for tomorrow morning.

I’m bored so thought I’d update this. I’ve found some time-saving tricks, esp cutting back on the time walking around. However, the owner of the stables mentioned that the horse I’ve got as a share is a mucky pup and that it takes her forever to muck out. It’s a bit of a relief to know that it’s not just me being super-slow.

@historyrocks

I’m bored so thought I’d update this. I’ve found some time-saving tricks, esp cutting back on the time walking around. However, the owner of the stables mentioned that the horse I’ve got as a share is a mucky pup and that it takes her forever to muck out. It’s a bit of a relief to know that it’s not just me being super-slow.

If it takes the owner forever to muck out too and you take most of the bed out every day could you suggest changing to wood pellets. I have a haflinger who box walked t her old yard and was in exactly the same situation. I took all of the nasty stuff out lobbed in 8 or 10 bags of pellets and watered them as directed. From then on her box took ten minutes tops and bedding cost me about £5 to £10 a week. I'd never go back.