 A Winters Tale!
Banish those
winter blues!
Fiona Harrison enjoys a
cold winter morning or
two - lagging water taps
against frost and floating tennis
balls in troughs!
As we all know only too well, caring for
horses is hard work, especially in the
winter. Chores can take all day if you
allow them to. In addition, many of us work
to pay for our horses, and we all have home
responsibilities and busy social lives. No
wonder we are short of time!
Follow these
tips to free up time to ride your horse -
which is after all, what you bought him for!
Save time in the yard
Preparation before winter starts is the
key. Consider the following if you haven't
already done so:
• Lag the water tap against frost;
• Ensure that sand or salt are available to
treat wet patches;
• Clear gutters and drains;
• Mend or maintain anything that could
delay you later if ignored now!
Other ideas include:
• Floating tennis balls in water troughs to
stop water freezing;
• Hang everyday equipment together so
that it is easily accessible;
• Using a yard broom with a wide head to
sweep a greater area with
fewer strokes.
* TIP - installing an easily-removable
grate and internal bucket (available from
builders' merchants) in the drain, to prevent blockages.
Spend less time in
the stable
Mucking out is probably the most energysapping,
time-consuming task, especially
in the winter, when your horse probably
spends more time stabled. To reduce
mucking out time:
• Turn out and ride as much as possible,
weather permitting!
• Use a large wheelbarrow for fewer trips to
the muck heap;
• Buy a skip bucket to remove droppings
regularly when the horse is stabled (avoids
soiled bedding, so reduces mucking out);
• If no time to muck out, removing droppings
and adding new bedding can suffice for 1-2
days (but follow swiftly with a thorough
muck-out!);
• Install automatic drinkers in stables;
• Transport water effortlessly with a
wheeled bucket carrier;
• Make up feeds for several days (keep in a
rodent-proof bin and don't add water until
just before feeding);
• Fill hay nets for several days (but don’t
soak until the day of use).
* Tip - put down rubber matting. In my
experience, this reduces the bedding
required by approximately 25 per cent, so
there is less to muck out.
This is just an extract of the published article. To read the entire article purchase Horse Buyer Issue 4 January 08.
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