It’s cold. It’s gloomy. Going to the yard feels a lot more of a chore than it does over the Summer. So I try to reduce the amount of time I spend at the yard throughout the week. Not only does this keep me warmer but it helps free up time for the extra social events people try to squeeze in on the run up to Christmas. These are my time saving tips.
1. Buddy Up
Is there anyone at the yard you can buddy up with? Scottie & JoJo do everything together. So me & Sarah buddy up quite a bit. Whoever gets there first in the morning turns them both out and whoever is there first in the evening gets them both in.
2. Do Jobs in Bulk
Try doing your jobs in bulk. For example, if you need to make haynets for when they come in at lunch and for overnight, make them at the same time. If you need to poo pick or take hay out to the field, can you do this in one trip to the field?
3. Book The School
If there are several of you on the yard who use te school, if you don’t already have a booking system, think about creating one. This could be as casual as you like, such as a group chat letting each other know when you plan to ride. This can prevent you hanging around getting cold while you wait for the school to be free.
4. Keep Turnout Rugs On
Does your horse really need a stable rug overnight? Wet, muddy rugs dry quicker on the horse than off. So if you aren’t riding your horse that day, you might be better off leaving the wet rug on overnight than swapping to a stable rug. This can save you a few minutes each day, especially if you layer your rugs. This adds up over a week.
5. Do you need to hose legs off?
Lots of people hose their horses legs off when they come in from the field. But if you aren’t hosing all the mud off and drying their legs off properly afterwards, you are increasing their risk of developing mud fever. Hosing thoroughly and drying off is time consuming. Leaving muddy legs to dry naturally then brushing off the next day can reduce the risk of mudfever and saves time as you aren’t removing the mud every day, just a few times a week.
Last Updated on 30/11/2021
