yard, stable ‘n’ paddock
Practical advice for autumn
maintenance
Your stables, yard and paddocks are always in need of some attention right? The problem for most horseowners, especially when you have a job, family and other commitments to juggle, is a lack of time and expertise to ‘keep on top of it all’ and whilst hiring in the professionals can make life easier and ensure the job gets done, it isn’t always the ideal solution. So like most people, you need to prioritise what needs your attention now, before the days shorten and the wetter weather returns. Use our autumn checklist to see which things are most important for you to focus on.
1. Paddock Maintenance - tidy up your grazing, assess fertiliser needs, weed control, re-seeding if required; drainage if required; fencing if required; poo- picking and winter rest/rotation planning. This might be a short list, but it can be a lot of work, but your grazing is the cheapest feed you’ll ever have and being able to turnout all year round is acknowledged to be very beneficial to your horse’s health and wellbeing. 2. Maintenance of stables, hay barns, feed stores and other buildings - do you need to clean and repair any parts of your stables and buildings; check everything from roofs and gutters to woodwork and drains. Leaks and damaged roof coverings can seriously damage buildings and it’s cheaper to spend a bit on maintenance than have to replace a rotting stable building. Blocked drains aren’t funny at any time, but on a dark evening with a howling gail and a horizontal deluge......... definitely best sorted out at this time of year. Then there’s lighting and flooring - install it and/or fix it before it gets dark and you need to have the horses stabled. Don’t forget the water supply either - if it froze last winter, get it insulated.
3. Machinery and equipment for the efficient stable yard; from tractors to horsewalkers, stable tools to storage ideas, there’s now a myriad of well-designed and practical products on the market and to help you find some new ideas to make life easier, our team of testers has been reviewing yard tools and stable equipment, so read their reports on pages 20-22. 4. Security - Theft is an unpleasant reality in rural areas and it’s worth looking at every aspect of improving/ increasing your security to help protect your tack, feed, rugs, horsebox, and stores of forage and bedding. You’ll find plenty of security advice online and a lot of options are relatively easy to fit yourself. 5. Arena maintenance - maintain, upgrade or replace. Whilst it’s undoubtedly easier to build or refurbish an arena in the drier months, if you know you have a problem, getting some advice ahead of the winter may just make the difference between being able to keep your horses properly in work or not. Asking for solutions and quotes will be time well spent if you are planning a major project.
When it comes to maintaining your arena, advice on the right equipment is essential to keep your surface in the best condition and safe for your horses to work on, so if you need a new piece of kit, it’s worth researching the right one.
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