Time Saving Tips Around the Barn

As equestrians, we understand that every moment we can spend in the barn is special. However, have you ever wished that you could spend more time in the saddle and less time on barn chores? In this blog, we explore some of our favorite time-saving tips and ways to let you make the most of your time in the barn and with your horse, especially if you keep your horse at home, have a rough board situation, or perform chores as part of your co-op board. Equestrians who board their horses will also find creative ways to gain more time to groom and ride their beloved mount.

Barn Upkeep

Keeping the barn neat and tidy is a priority for the dedicated equestrian, but it can also be extremely time-consuming. Test out a few of these tips to make quicker work of the necessary jobs!

More Turnout

Woman leading a horse to turnout
More turnout means less time cleaning stalls

One of the easiest and most surefire ways to limit the amount of time you spend cleaning stalls is to increase the amount of time your horses spend turned out. The more time your horse spends outside, the less manure you will have to remove from their stall (this will also decrease the amount of bedding that you use, making it a money-saving tip as well!).

Stall Mats

Utilizing rubber mats in your barn means that you can use less bedding in the stalls, while still keeping your horse comfortable and clean. Reducing the amount of bedding that you use makes it easier to clean the stall, and it also lessens the amount of bedding that you need to dispose of each day (and this also means fewer trips to the manure pile).

Cleaning Routine

Develop a stall cleaning routine to shave minutes off of your timeline. Whether you clean stalls from back to front, in a counterclockwise direction, or your own pattern of choice, always cleaning your stalls in the same way and with the same method will ensure that you do not need to retrace your steps to ensure that the stall is completely clean.

Proper Tools

Woman with hay in a wheelbarrow
An efficient wheelbarrow can make quick work of tough tasks

Save time by ensuring that you have the right tools for the job. A large, maneuverable, heavy-duty wheelbarrow makes trips to the manure pile easy and less frequent. Additionally, a durable pitchfork or stable fork effectively sorts through bedding and manure. If your fork has broken tines, replace the head of the fork as soon as you can, especially if you are trying to minimize the time spent cleaning stalls.

Bank Shavings

When you bed your horse’s stall, store clean bedding by piling it up in the corners of their stall. This allows you to easily pull clean bedding down into the center of the stall when your horse needs it, without needing to add more bedding each time.

Try a Leaf Blower

Consider using a leaf blower to quickly and efficiently remove shavings, dust, and manure from the barn aisle, you will find that this is much faster than sweeping. However, if you choose to go with this time-saver, please make sure that your horses are not in the barn when you use it. Leaf blowers can kick up quite a bit of dust which can exacerbate respiratory conditions.

Daily Chores Calendar

In addition to stall cleaning, bucket scrubbing, and daily sweeping, develop a routine where you perform one “extra” chore each day. While this may seem counterintuitive at first, keeping up with the cobweb removal, feed room cleaning, and tack room organization will cut down on the number of “big” cleaning tasks that need to be done.

Clean Frequently

Woman cleaning an English bridle with a small sponge
Regular cleaning makes maintaining your tack a breeze

After each ride, quickly clean your tack with a tack wipe, like Fiebing’s Leather Cleaner Wipes, or a wipe-on tack cleaner, such as Leovet Leather Foam. This will keep your bridle, saddle, and girth generally clean and will make the task of deep cleaning easier. Quickly rinsing your bit after each use will help to keep the bit clean and prevent saliva, foodstuffs, etc. from getting caked onto the bit.

Laundry Tips

Whenever you launder your polo wraps or stable wraps, place them in a laundry bag or safety pin the ends together. This will prevent them from becoming tangled in the washer and dryer and you spending extra time separating them to roll for later use. 

Pick Those Feet

Hands picking out a horse's hoof
Clean feet means less time spent sweeping

To cut down on the number of times you need to sweep, pick your horse’s hooves before  you are moving to a different location in the barn. For example, pick your horse’s feet prior to removing them from the stall to keep the bedding out of the aisle and pick your horse’s hooves before you leave the arena to prevent them from tracking footing with them. By leaving a hoof pick near these highly trafficked areas, you can make this an easy habit for everyone at the barn.

Stay Up on Paddock Cleaning

If you routinely remove manure from your paddocks or dry lot, it is best if you stay up on the daily cleanings. This is one chore that becomes much more time-consuming if you put it off.

An Ounce of Prevention

When it comes to farm maintenance, the best time-saving tip is to stay vigilant and perform repairs as quickly as possible. By making repairs a priority, they will not snowball and become worse. For example, fixing weak fencing will prevent more of the fence line from coming down and will facilitate a much faster repair.

Feeding and Watering

Providing your horses with quality nutrition and proper hydration is essential for their well-being, however, it can also take time to fill grain buckets, feed grain, add supplements, and give your horses water. Follow these tips to make dinner time (and breakfast and lunch!) as stress-free as possible.

Prepare Feed in Batches

Whenever possible, try to prepare a few meals for your horse at a time. It may make sense to dish out their morning and evening meals at the same time, storing the next meal in your grain bin until feeding time. To cut down on the time spent doing chores during the week, try pre-portioning all of the meals and supplements on the weekend or when you have more time. The Equi-Essentials Bucket Covers make it easy to identify which meal is which, while keeping flies and moisture out of your horses’ grain.

Combination Supplements

It can take time to accurately dish out several different supplements for your horse. To simplify their feeding routine, some equestrians transition their horses over to complete supplements, which are balanced supplements that promote whole-horse health. Some of them even contain hoof, joint, and digestive support in a single scoop! Speak with your veterinarian or a member of our knowledgeable sales staff to determine if your horse is a candidate for a complete supplement.

Forage Feeding

Hay Chix Free Up Feeder Hay Net
Hay nets keep hay contained, making stall cleaning easier and faster

Instead of feeding your horse their hay rations directly on the ground, a hay net, hay bag, or a hay feeder, such as the Hay Chix Free Up Feeder, is a popular choice. This keeps their hay neatly contained, which can make stall cleaning an easier task. Additionally, you can pre-fill hay nets, making feeding time a simpler process. Some equestrians use a large trash can to help fill their hay nets (this also provides mess-free storage after the bag has been filled).

Use Clips

Instead of knotting your hay nets to the wall, consider using heavy-duty clips to hang them. This saves time and also ensures that they are hung securely every time. Some hay feeders, like the NibbleNet, have snaps integrated into their design to make hanging fast and simple.

Tie Down the Scissors

Trying to locate your scissors or hay knife can make feeding forage more time-consuming than it needs to be. Keep your scissors where they belong by tying them to a long piece of baling twine and hanging them (or physically attaching them) to the barn wall wherever you store your hay.

Pre-Soak Feed

Hands holding Triple Crown Stress-Free Forage
Chopped hay like Triple Crown Stress-Free help get feeding time done in a snap

If your horse needs their grain or forage soaked for any amount of time, think about when you soak their feed. Depending on your routine, you can pre-soak the feed in your kitchen and transport it to the barn, or plan to soak the feed as soon as you get to the barn. If you feed your horse beet pulp, you can also consider using Emerald Valley Speedi-Beet, which can be soaked in under 10 minutes. If you soak your horse’s hay, chopped hay options, like Triple Crown Stress-Free Forage and Lucerne Hi-Fiber Gold Dengie, do not have the same levels of sugar and are virtually dust-free — therefore eliminating the need to soak the hay.

Feed Delivery

If possible, work with your local feed store to schedule a delivery of grain, hay, and shavings. This saves a lot of time as well as fuel costs. At The Cheshire Horse, we offer delivery to our local customers. You can learn more about the delivery options available here.

Think Out Your Storage

When organizing your feed and forage storage, it is important to think about your daily routines and how you can simplify them. It may make sense to throw down a week’s worth of hay from the hayloft and store it in another convenient location, this saves the time of trekking into the hayloft on a daily basis. If you feed hay cubes, try to find a storage solution that makes them easy to serve on a daily basis. By putting thought into your storage, you can minimize the amount of time you spend moving these products.

Multiple Water Buckets

Two bay horses drinking water from bucket in paddock
Two buckets are better than one! Consider adding extra water sources so your horse always has easy access

Try adding another water bucket or two to your horse’s stall or pasture. This may allow you to water your horse once a day, only needing to do an afternoon top-off, when necessary. Be sure to check the buckets frequently to make sure that they are clean and have an adequate amount of water.

Automatic Waterers

If you have a large barn with many horses, automatic waterers, such as the Push-Paddle Automatic Stock Waterer, can be a huge time saver. These waterers provide your horses with fresh water on demand. However, it is still important to clean the waterers frequently and monitor your horses to confirm that they are drinking an ample amount of water and are well-hydrated.

Additional Hydrants

Speak with your plumber about the possibility of adding a frost-free water hydrant outside near your pastures, this makes it much easier to fill up the exterior water troughs. You may also want to consider installing a hydrant on each end of the barn to make filling water buckets an easy chore.

Prepare for Freezing Weather

Horse drinking from a heated water source in winter
Heat your horse’s water supply in the winter to reduce time spent removing ice

If you live in an area that freezes during the winter months, it is important to plan how you will handle the weather. Have a procedure in place for how you will drain the hose to prevent it from freezing. Additionally, you may want to invest in heated water buckets and tank de-icers to prevent the water from freezing. Not only will this keep your horse’s water running freely, but it will also cut down on the amount of time spent removing ice from the buckets. If electricity is not available at your barn or if you would prefer not to utilize it, insulated buckets are another option.

Grooming

Have you ever rushed out to the barn, hoping to sneak in a quick ride, only to find your horse covered in mud from head to toe? Check out these grooming tips to quickly clean your horse.

Turnout Sheets

In muddy conditions, it may make sense to turn your horse out wearing a turnout sheet. These durable, waterproof sheets will protect your horse from inclement weather, while also keeping their shoulders, back, barrel, and hindquarters clean (even if they roll!). When properly fitted, a turnout sheet can drastically cut down on the amount of grooming time needed. You can learn more about correct sheet and blanket sizing and fit in our blog post, Understanding Horse Blankets.

Vacuums

Horse vacuums can quickly remove dirt, dander, and excess horse hair from your horse’s body when used as a part of your grooming routine. First, curry your horse thoroughly to loosen the mud, then run the vacuum over your horse’s body prior to brushing. You will be amazed by how quickly you can properly groom your horse.

Waterless Shampoos

Make quick work of manure stains, grain stains, muddy patches, and more, by integrating a waterless shampoo or spot removing product into your routine. These products are designed to be sprayed on and then wiped off, taking the dirt with them! Whether you are preparing for a lesson, clinic, or simply a leisurely hack, waterless shampoo can drastically cut down on the amount of elbow grease needed to make your horse ready to ride.

Coolers/Fleece Blankets

Rear view of a woman walking a horse wearing a cooler
Coolers and fleece sheets reduce the amount of time needed to cool down your horse after a chilly ride

After your ride, it is important to cool your horse down properly. However, in the late fall, winter, and early spring, it may take longer to cool and dry your horse because of their winter coats. A cooler or a fleece sheet helps to wick the moisture away from your horse’s skin while keeping them warm and toasty. It cuts down drastically on the time it takes your horse to dry off, and they can wear their fleece sheet in the stall so that you can be working on other things.

Utilize Fans

After you have bathed your horse, it may take a while for your horse to dry. A fan (preferably an industrial fan) will help your horse to dry faster. As an added benefit, it will also discourage biting insects from entering your barn and landing on your horse.

Quality Grooming Tools

Woman brushing a horse's tail
Using a tail bag means less time brushing out tangles

Having the proper tools for the job will make grooming your horse easier and faster. Curry combs, brushes, and shedding blades can all become worn out with continued use. Additionally, there are a number of efficient grooming tools that can make mud removal, hair removal, and dust removal easier.

Wrap Your Horse’s Tail

Utilizing a tail bag can help to keep your horse’s tail clean and knot-free. This cuts down on the amount of time spent brushing your horse’s tail, it also allows it to grow. If you choose to use a tail bag during the spring and summer months, make sure that you provide your horse with additional protection from the flies, such as a fly sheet, fly spray, and feed-through fly repellents.

Finding Time for the Barn

Sometimes, it can be a struggle to make it out to the barn at all, especially if you board your horses or keep them off of your property. Check out these tips to take the pressure off the rest of your daily routines and integrate your barn time into your lifestyle more easily.

Keep Spare Clothes in the Car

Whenever possible, try to keep a spare pair of riding clothes and a pair of casual clothes in your car. This will be that you are able to run to the barn without having to go home first, it also means that you can go directly to the office after your barn time if needed.

Slow-Cooker Meals

Plan ahead and place a meal in your slow-cooker before you leave your house for the day. This will let you spend a bit more time in the barn (and less in the kitchen!), it will also ensure that you have a hot, delicious meal waiting for you upon your return to your home.

Dry Shampoo

Person applying dry shampoo to a horse body brush
Equiderma Dry Shampoo works great for both you and your horse

The dreaded helmet hair can discourage you from a quick ride before work or before you meet up with your friends. However, dry shampoo allows you to style your hair and remove the sweat and oil from your scalp without needing to jump back in the shower. Equiderma Daily Defense Dry Shampoo is a versatile product that can be used on both you and your horse and is designed to be used in a completely waterless manner (it also makes a great helmet deodorizer!).

Plan Your Ride

Speak with your barn manager or barn mate about your scheduled rides. If you are in touch with other equestrians on the property, you can make a plan to have your horse in their stalls (and not in turnout), when you arrive at the barn. This saves so much time if you do not need to go get them out of the paddock. Additionally, you can try to schedule your rides when you know your horse will be inside the barn, such as before and after feedings.

While time-saving tips for the barn can be helpful, it is important to remember that simply being around our horses is one of the greatest gifts in life. It makes sense to save time whenever possible, after all, we all lead busy lives and work hard to make horses a part of them. However, it is never okay to cut corners in our horse’s day-to-day care. With the right routines and attention to detail, you can give your horse top-notch care in a time-efficient way.

What is your favorite time-saving tip around the barn? We would love to hear about it! Share your ideas in the comments below.

1 thought on “Time Saving Tips Around the Barn”

  1. I absolutely love these time-saving tips for the barn! As an equestrian, I’m always looking for ways to spend more quality time with my horse. Increasing turnout and utilizing stall mats are fantastic ideas to reduce cleaning time. Having the right tools, like a sturdy wheelbarrow and pitchfork, makes a huge difference. And the idea of storing clean bedding in the corners of the stall is brilliant! These tips will definitely help me streamline my barn chores and have more time in the saddle.

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