Time-saving winter life hacks

Saving time on your yard routine is vital so that you can still enjoy time with your horse. Cutting corners shouldn’t mean your horse is any less well cared-for, so follow our guide to keep your horse in tip-top condition in the least amount of time.

• Never walk anywhere empty-handed to avoid making more trips than necessary.
• Keep a spare headcollar in your car so you can collect your horse from the field without first having to go to your stable.
• Wear a head torch in the field to check your horse over without having to bring him to the yard.
• Buy decent overalls so you can wear your work clothes underneath. You can then head straight to the yard from work, or vice versa.
• Although it’s not very sociable, time spent chatting at the yard eats into time with your horse, so use headphones to deter people from stopping you to chat.
• Consider deep littering so that you only remove the poo daily and the wet when you have more time.
• Trial different types of bedding to find what works best for your horse. There’s an array of wood pellets, shavings and straw-based varieties to choose from, so find what suits him, and you, best.
• Buy an efficient broom. Even if you’re only sweeping out your stable, doing it quickly could shave a couple of minutes off your chores.