Time is the one resource that always seems to be in short supply. It may seem like you spend more time at horsekeeping than horseplay. Between caring for your horse and riding them, the hours seem to disappear way too quickly. Unfortunately, some tasks like pushing brooms, filling buckets and cleaning stalls cannot be ignored and that often means skipping your ride or spending less “fun” time at the barn.
If you are like most horse owners, you devote every minute you can spare with or around your horse. There are timesaving techniques and tools out there that can help you complete your barn chores faster without sacrificing safety and cleanliness.
Try these quick tips to lighten your barn chore load.
Stall Cleaning
One of the most time-consuming activities of the day, stall cleaning is a necessary part of barn management. If your horse spends time inside, then be prepared to scoop manure on a daily basis. These tips and tricks will save you time though.
- Turn your horse out as much as you can. The less time they spend inside, the less manure and urine buildup. Most are actually happier outside!
- Invest in rubber mats! Not only do they make stall cleaning easier, but you can use less bedding too. Especially the seamless systems that do not allow any debris to accumulate under the mats. In the long-term, they also reduce time spent leveling the ground and filling in holes.
- Invest in the right tools for the job. A heavyweight pitchfork and a too-small wheelbarrow make for inefficient stall cleaning. Shop for multi-tined, lightweight forks that will allow clean shavings to fall through, along with oversized wheelbarrows that can reduce the number of trips you must make to the manure pile.
- Establish a cleaning system. Clean stalls from front to back, back to front or side to side–it does not matter what your pattern is; just stick with one method for more efficiency.
- Simplify waste removal by placing a tarp outside the stall door and tossing everything into the center. When the tarp is full, pick it up by the corners and place it in the wheelbarrow or carry it to the manure heap.
Watering
Horses must have access to ample amounts of clean water 24 hours a day. Still, there are some changes you can make to reduce the amount of time you spend delivering liquid refreshment to your horses.
- Add more water containers. Simply adding a second bucket to each stall can cut time spent watering. In the morning, clean the buckets and fill them to the brim. In the afternoon, you may find that the second bucket is still filled with water, which means you might be able to skip the afternoon water refill. Instead, the second water bucket can allow you to give your horses water in the morning and a quick top-off at night.
- Extend pipes to stalls. You will likely need a plumber’s help with this one. Run pipes from the main water line to the barn. For quick and easy watering, install an on/off valve at each stall, and run short hoses from the valves to just above each water bucket.
- Go fully automatic. If it is in your budget, automatic waterers are the way to go. With safety features to prevent shock, insulation to guard against freezing and gauges to measure a horse’s water intake, automatic waterers are perhaps the most common and effective time-savers available to horsekeepers. They offer the added benefit of ensuring that your horses always have access to water and are available for both stalls and pastures.
Feeding
If your horse had his way, he’d be eating all the time. Grazing on pasture is his natural feeding pattern, after all, and even when it comes to concentrates, experts agree that giving small amounts at intervals during the day is the optimal schedule for your horse’s digestive well-being. Most horses eat grain twice daily and hay throughout the day. You do not want to compromise your horse’s health by skipping a meal, but there are ways to shave some minutes off your daily routine.
- Use slow feeding nets in stalls and the field. They come in different sizes- from holding a few flakes of hay to encasing a round bale. These nets cut down on waste and slow down the quick eater. You shouldn’t have to refill them nearly as much!
- Drop your hay from above. Stack hay bales in well-ventilated lofts with strategically located “drops” over each stall or hayrack. With this arrangement, you can toss flakes to their destination with minimal time or effort.
- Install automatic feeders. If you want to spend the money, you can automate your feeding routine. Automatic feeders on the market can hold several days’ worth of concentrates, and some even hold hay. Just fill them up once and let the timer do the rest of the work.
- Invest in a cart. This can cut down on back-and-forth trips to the feed room. Prepare the meals ahead of time and set them in the cart. When it’s time to feed, just roll down the aisle and drop the grain in the feed bins.
- Feed grain outside. You can create individual tie stations to keep bullies at bay!
- Streamline delivery. Instead of running back and forth from stall to feed bin, put all feeds and supplements into a large, wheeled cart with several compartments. With this system, you can roll down the aisle way, stopping at each stall to dole out rations. The process is made even more efficient by adding small, swing-out doors or other openings over the feed buckets.
Grooming and Tacking
While grooming horses can be therapeutic, it can take an obnoxious amount of time. A few basic changes can whittle your pre-ride routine down to 10 minutes or less:
- Move everything at once. Wheeled carts with saddle racks and baskets can bring everything you need for grooming and tacking right to the horse, eliminating extra trips to the tack room.
- Vacuum instead of brushing. Not only will grooming go faster with a vacuum, but your horse will be cleaner. It may take a few days to accustom him to the sound and sensation of the machine, but eventually your grooming routine will be pared down to a quick curry and a five-minute vacuum treatment.
- Use both hands. It may sound obvious, but put a tool in each hand and you will cut your grooming time in half.
- Record Keeping
It is no secret that keeping accurate horse records can easily consume your hours. However, if you want to have an organized barn, then this is a job that must be diligently completed. Below is are simple tips that will help you reduce the time spent organizing your records:
- Start a binder system for your records. Stay productive and well organized by purchasing an inexpensive three-ring binder for each horse. Arrange the binder into individual sections such as show records, farrier schedule, vet reports and official documents (health certificates, up-to-date Coggins, etc.)
- Let technology work for you. Consider one of the many software programs designed to organize horsekeeping data. Some are intended for large operations, others are better suited for smaller farms, so shop around with your specific needs and computer capabilities in mind. A computer program does require you to enter information on a regular basis, but it also means that records and data are easily and instantly retrievable.
The Castlebrook Difference
Castlebrook’s barns have a warm, inviting look which adds to the beauty and value of your property. All Castlebrook round pens and round pen covers and designed and manufactured on site at Castlebrook’s facility. That is why we can provide you almost limitless choice of sizes and styles. Castlebrook can manufacture a round pen and cover to suit your exact needs.
Castlebrook never misses a ship date. We are so confident in our on-time guarantee that we are willing to guarantee it — in writing! Castlebrook understands how important it is for your project to go as smoothly as possible. This begins with your structure shipping on the date we’ve promised. Castlebrook knows of absolutely no other barn company offering this guarantee. Where other companies disappoint, Castlebrook guarantees to be on time, every time!
Please contact our professional team today at 1-800-52-BARNS. We gladly accommodate Saturday appointments!