Easy labour

Carl Hester had the chance to build a yard to his own specifications

Want to keep your yard and paddocks in maximum condition but spend the minimum of time doing it? Horse Deals has the answers

Maintaining yards and paddocks costs time and money. The two considerations often come down to the same thing, whether you’re running a top competition yard or stud or keep a couple of ponies at home, so labour-saving ideas that free up you or your staff can be worth far more than their initial cost.

Anything that takes the strain of everyday jobs or even helps you keep your yard tidy will make life easier — and it’s the attention to detail that makes a difference, as well as the big buys. That’s one of the reasons dressage rider Carl Hester’s yard runs so efficiently.

When Carl built it, he was able to create a bespoke yard and he brought in ideas from places he’s visited over the years, here and abroad.

“I was able to learn from other people’s ideas — the things that worked and a few that didn’t,” he says.

An efficient layout makes all the difference, but while few owners can start from scratch as Carl did, it’s worth taking a new look at your facilities to see where cost-effective changes could be made.

For instance, there is a rug rail and headcollar hook outside every stable on Carl’s yard. This means no one has to hunt for a headcollar or lead rope every time a horse is brought out or carry rugs to a separate storage area.

Preferred grazing areas in fields become “lawns”

Rug racks aren’t expensive and single ones start at less than £10. If you want to keep several rugs ready for use, look at plastic-coated tubular hanging racks; these save space and one widely available design retails for less than £15. Designs with hinged arms that fold flat when not in use save space in tackrooms and rug stores and for the ultimate in efficiency, you could have a heated rug rail installed — the perfect answer for drying wet turnout rugs.

A tidy tackroom saves time and hassle. Accessories such as hat holders, originally designed for shop display but useful on any yard, and magnetic whip holders mean you won’t be wondering where you left your schooling whip or cursing because your hat’s been trodden on. If you’ve got an arena or indoor school, borrow another tip from Carl and keep a hoofpick hanging on a board-mounted hook to avoid trailing the surface across the yard. It’s also worth keeping a plastic tub and a rake and container, such as a Stable Mate or Equine Speedskip, by the school gate. That way, it’s quicker to pick up droppings and protect your school surface.

Mucking out is always time-consuming, but ensuring you’ve the right tools for the job makes it easier. At the home of France’s national riding school, the Cadre Noir, stables are mucked out onto a conveyor belt that takes soiled bedding to a central disposal point. Few can match that for efficiency, but on a more realistic scale, new mucking out tools could make a difference.

There is now a huge variety of bedding materials and what works for one may not be suitable for another. Stable tools specialist Fyna-Lite has the answer, especially for the many owners who use shavings or fibre bedding on top of rubber matting. Its fork with rounded tines allows you to pick up manure and bedding without damaging the rubber.

Other clever ideas from this range include an extra light fork with a “shaker cage” that allows you to sift clean bedding from droppings. There is also a shavings fork specially scaled down for five- to eight-year-olds, so that your kids can help muck out under supervision.

Keep equipment such as Stable Mate next to the arena for easy removal of droppings

Looking after horses inevitably means lifting and carrying

Looking after horses inevitably means lifting and carrying, which is one reason why so many owners have back problems. While some of the blame must be attached to poor lifting technique and weak core muscles — and a session of Pilates will reap dividends — it could also be worthwhile updating your wheelbarrow, especially if you’ve been trundling the same one around for years. Modern materials add strength but mean that the finished product is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. If possible, try handling a barrow at your local stockist before you buy because if it’s easy to manoeuvre when it contains a bag or two of horse feed, it should be easy to handle for its main job.

You can also buy lightweight wheeled frames that take plastic tubs and are useful for carrying forage, water or muck. One example is Westgate’s Rhino Runner, which takes a 42-litre skip or tub and folds flat when not in use.

In many parts of the country, dry weather means that vital field maintenance tasks have centred on protecting sparser than usual grass coverage and fighting the weeds that thrive when grass doesn’t. In this situation, anything that helps ensure even growth and avoid preferential grazing patterns can help.

Geoff Fairfoull, equine advisor for agricultural advisory service ADAS, says that horses preferentially graze areas that become “lawns” while other parts of the field become rough and overgrown. He recommends topping grass to around 5cm in summer and 2cm in winter, so a grass cutter will earn its keep all-year round, whether you operate a full-size tractor or need machinery to go behind a compact tractor, ATV or 4wd vehicle.

Barrows like the Stubby carry a high-peaked load to help you make fewer trips to the muckheap

If you’re making the most of a small field, electric fencing makes strip grazing simple. If you don’t want to buy items separately, companies such as Electric Fencing Direct offer starter kits especially for horse paddocks.

Unless you have a large acreage, smaller vehicles are more cost effective and can also be used to tow arena levellers. There is a huge range of implements and accessories, from harrows and rollers to water carts.

Watch out for the yellow peril. Ragwort thrives when grass doesn’t, so walking your fields with a special ragwort fork will pay dividends. These forks make digging up the complete plant much easier, though the ragwort should still be removed and burnt.

Keeping fields free from droppings is an essential but time-consuming task. If you have to clear a small field by hand, using a rake and container speeds things up. With larger areas, paddock cleaners are essential — harrowing is good for pulling out dead grass and moss, but it’s always better to remove droppings than to spread them. New ideas for include the Terra-Vac compact sweeper, a smaller version of the company’s established model. This has a floating power brush that follows ground contours and can be towed with a tractor, ride-on mower or ATV.

The TaskA-Vak can be tailored to your budget. This is an adaptable vacuum system that the manufacturers say can be fitted to most machinery or supplied as a complete collection system.

Spending money to save time can turn out into an investment. There are lots of new ideas out there, so don’t get stuck in a rut.

Terra-Vac has introduced a compact paddock sweeper

Top tips

“We’ve got a Stubby barrow, which is well-balanced and easy to manoeuvre. Because you can carry a high-peaked load, it saves time in the morning through fewer trips to the muckheap.”

“When you’re sweeping a big yard, a broom with a wide head and soft bristles makes it easier and quicker. It’s obvious, really — but a lot of yards don’t replace their equipment often enough and you find yourself trying to sweep up using a broom with worn bristles.”

“I’ve got a lightweight rake with flexible prongs designed for raking up leaves, but is great for scooping up droppings from a gravel drive or in the field.”

“Don’t get carried away and buy too big a wheelbarrow. It might seem light when it’s empty, but by the time you’ve got three stables’ worth of dirty bedding in it, you’ll be straining your back when you push it.”

“We bought an Avant multi-purpose machine about a year ago and it’s made light work of all sorts of jobs, from shifting pallets and bales to putting up new fencing with a post puncher attachment.”