Keep ‘On Top’
this Christmas
3
7
K
eeping a routine
with your horse over
Christmas is never easy.
With a jam packed
agenda throughout the festive
period, it’s bound to throw even
the most avid horse owner off
their routine.
Here are our top 10 tips for
keeping on top of things over the
Christmas period.
1
. It doesn’t have to be
you!
Horses are creatures of habit, they
won’t be bothered if it’s not you
feeding them, as long as they get
their feed on time. Gather your
trusted yard buddies together
and work out a rota. Set times for
morning and evening feeding as
well as topping up haylage, water
and skipping out.
2
. Be Prepared
There’s nothing
worse than trying to throw your
hay or haylage net together last
minute in your heels and while
wearing your best gloves! Buy
haynets in bulk and prepare them
all on a Sunday and store them
on top of a pallet. Have a different
colour for each horse you own
if someone else is covering your
shift.
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Everything Horse UK • Issue 27• December 2015
. Christmas?
Horses don’t know its
Christmas so try to carry on as
if it isn’t, for them at least. At
this time of year, all horses are
aware of is a heightened spirit
surrounding their human and
an abundance of tinsel, and the
colder weather of course.
4
. Stock up
Stock up on feed and hay/
haylage in bulk, especially over
December and into January, the
last thing you need to be doing
is running to the feed store on
the 22nd December trying to
grab a bag of feed to do you over
Christmas.
5
.Rota it out
Write down a rota, even if
you are only sharing yard duties
between a few friends and the
tasks seem simple enough. The
small white boards, available from
most retailers and supermarkets
are great for writing information
such as your contact number, feed
routine and vets numbers in case
of an emergency.
6
. Rugs and spares
If someone is covering your
shift make sure you leave a spare
dry rug in an accessible place
should it need to be used.
December 2015 • Issue 27 • Everything Horse UK
. Mucking Out
Skip out twice daily and
remove the wet once a week, not
only will this help keep a good
solid base and a warm bed but
this will reduce time spent with a
fork in your hand and may have
a positive impact on your bank
balance. Try a pellet base, with a
loose shavings top for maximum
efficiency and a solid base.
8
. Tools
Make sure all tools are
stored in an accessible place and
are in good working order.
9
. Farrier Visits
Make sure you book the
farrier during early December,
he (or she) will no doubt get
inundated closer to Christmas
so it’s best to get feet trimmed in
plenty of time.
10
. Spend time with
your horse
With all these great time saving
tips you should now have plenty
of time to spend with your horse.
If you can fit in a join up session
in the arena or an extra good
groom you’re horse will definitely
thank you for it!
Merry Christmas !!
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