Over the last few months, I've picked up a couple of shifts doing stalls at the barn, just as a fill in. I haven't done stalls regularly since 2014, after doing them every Sunday for over three years. Back then, at the old barn, doing stalls was an ordeal that started with a 50 minute drive at 6:30am, doing 17 stalls over three barns spread out over a quarter mile, finishing around 2:00pm, riding, and getting home around dinner time.
Now? It's a 7 minute drive to clean seven stalls that all have auto-waterers. (and the paddocks have auto-waterers too). The facility was purpose-built for maximum organization and optimally efficient workflows by virtue of being built as the BO's kid's high school senior project 14 years ago.
As a result, it feels soooooooooo much easier than the old facility did.
 |
| I mean yeah of course it'll feel harder in winter, but it still won't ever be lugging buckets difficult. |
Stalls taking an hour instead of four hours feels heavenly. And I dunno, I'm starting to feel more of a sense of ownership for the facility now that there's no program here, plus I'm not exhausted with work travel thanks to the pandemic (silver linings?) so all that considered, I volunteered for a couple Saturdays a month of doing stalls regularly.
If my job ever goes back to traveling I'll have to re-evaluate, but I told the BO, two days a month is a good amount that won't make me feel like I'm permanently tied to the barn. So far, so good: on a normal day, it takes me 2 hours to do the one where I have to clean stalls (PM right now, since they're on night turnout) and about 30 minutes to do the one where I just bring in. It's nice to feel like I'm a contributing part of the facility!
Cleaning stalls is the best thinking time! So many epiphanies to be had while scooping poop.
ReplyDeleteFor real though, I love it for that. I don't even need to listen to music or a podcast most of the time.
Deleteyou had me at auto watereres. I'll do stalls and feed and turnout but I hate doing water and scrubbing buckets.... maybe when I'm farm hunting I'll only look at properties that have streams on them??
ReplyDeleteRIGHT they are such gamechangers. I honestly wouldn't consider a farm without them after having them here, the amount of time and effort and probably back strains you save yourself is enormous. Plus you don't have to mess with bucket heaters in the winter either (although you do then have to have a backup generator). It's just the absolute best. I wish ours had the counters to see how much they drank, that's my only minor complaint.
DeleteI’m back to working two early mornings a week at a local barn too - at least for as long as I can continue to work from home. 6 horses, takes about two hours to turn out, muck out, and set up feeds for the day. With my “real” job and own horses to care for too it makes for long days, but I like the extra barn time.
ReplyDeleteI only have Dante's paddock to clean but its nice just kinda hanging out with him while I do it.
ReplyDelete