There’s nothing worse than dark, cold winter nights and having to spend far too long at the stables when you could be at home round the fire. In this issue EquestrianClearance.com offer some time saving tips to get you through the winter months.
Time Saving Tips from EquestrianClearance.com
As the nights get darker earlier, it becomes nearly impossible to fit in enough time with your horse before the last rays of daylight fade. Also the bitter weather makes it all the harder to spend hours at the yard when the warmth of home calls.
With this in mind the team at EquestrianClearance.com have come up with some top tips to maximise your time this winter.
Save time when feeding your horse – Buy several haynets and fill them all at once. Also make up all your weekly feeds on one day and store them individually in clean, rodent-proof containers with lids to save time in the morning and evening.
Reduce the amount of time you spend sweeping the yard – When bringing your horse in from the field, pick his feet out into a rubber skip to stop the mud from spreading round the yard. When mucking out cover the wheelbarrow with a sheet or a blanket to prevent the muck from spilling out over the yard.
Save time mucking out - During the week deep litter your horse’s stable to reduce the amount of time you spend mucking out. When you have more time at the weekend remove all the wet, disinfect and leave to dry. To maximise the time you spend riding on an evening, muck out in the morning and turn your horse out for the day, if the weather permits, leaving a clean stable for when you come in from riding.
Keep essentials in your car – Keep a headcollar, lead rope and torch in your car so you can go straight to the field to bring your horse in. The torch comes in useful when trying to find your horse in the dark and to check for any lumps or cuts that may need treating. Also keep overalls and outdoor boots in your car so you can protect your clothes when around your horse. This means you do not need to go home to change before or after tending to your horse during the week.
Save grooming time – Invest in a turnout rug with a neck cover for when your horse is in the field. This will prevent your horse from getting dirty resulting in more time riding and less time brushing. When your horse is in the stable, put a summer sheet under his stable rug. A summer sheet is much easier to clean than a large rug so your horse will stay cleaner for longer.
Keep variety in your horse’s work - A horse needs to be kept active throughout the winter to keep him fit and healthy and to prevent boredom. However, if time is tight try lunging your horse instead. A 20 minute lunging session is equivalent to one hour’s ridden work, this allows your horse to get the correct amount of exercise whilst saving you time in the evening.
Lastly - try sharing jobs with other horse owners on your yard. For example, take it in turn to bring horses in and out the field, feed up and so on. These are small, time consuming jobs that do not need several individuals doing them, so work out a rota to save everyone time.
When trying to save time, also think about trying to save money.
EquestrianClearance.com offer top brands at affordable prices. They have a massive range of turnout rugs, with and without neck covers, at great prices. EquestrianClearance.com is your one stop shop for all your horsey items to save you time this winter including overalls, haynets, buckets and tubs.
