Isn't it always the small things that make all the difference, with barn chores? When we are working in our barns or with our horses, the simplest of conveyances can make life so much easier.
I was thinking about this and wanted to give you a short list of tips and products that will make the upcoming summer months more convenient. It is a busy month, so the list is not long, but it’s a good one.
1. Do You Tend to ‘Misplace’ Your Small Crops or Lounge Whips?
There are several styles of whip holders that you can easily mount right by the door or entrance of an indoor. If you practice at an indoor, you can mount the whip holders on a ledge leading into the riding area so they can easily be reached and replaced, even when you’re done riding. I have found this to be a great tip. As I get my horse ready, put on my helmet and gloves, and get ready to ride or lounge, it’s so convenient to be able to ‘grab’ a crop or lunge whip as I walk to my schooling area. Nice and easy!
2. Blanket Bars on Each Stall Door
When you use fly masks or sheets with more than a couple of horses in your barns, it’s so nice to be able to hang them close at hand for turnout. Do you have masks or sheets that are the same sizes and same colors but belong to multiple horses? If you have straps adjusted and want to save time finding out which blanket goes to which horse, this will help you. RAMM carries blanket bars and can be customized upon request. I also like to have a blanket bar wall in my barn where I can hang many other blankets that ‘may’ be used or extra coolers. This way I’m not looking through boxes or ‘piles’ to find ‘just the right one’. Saves on time!
3. Mounting Blocks
Yes, I was one of those people that would use anything that looked halfway suitable to stand on to mount my horses (I don’t think I should go into that here!). But there is nothing like having a solid block to get onto a horse. You can make one – I have seen them made from wood or Styrofoam (these are larger but easy to move) and you do need to make sure you will have a wide enough bottom surface so you’re not wiggling around when it’s time to ‘go’. Place your blocks at the area where you most often mount your horse: by your barn door, in your indoor, or in your riding area. Several blocks in these locations make it so easy to just get on and ride. It’s just a matter of taking the little bit of time needed to make or order them.
4. Automatic Waterers for Pasture or Stall Use
These products are my favorites! When we got our first outdoor and indoor waterers, I was in heaven – and still am! I always check to be sure the horses are drinking and the water within the full range. But without these conveniences, our barn chores would be so much harder for us. I hope you try one of these if you don’t have them already. They even keep the drinking water at 50°F year-round.
5. Hay Cart
One of the best anniversary gifts I’ve received from my husband was a hay cart! I have used that cart (maybe I should not say how long or brag about my beloved gift 🙂 for over 35 years! It’s very simple but can hold 4 bales of hay [stacked] and the grain when I feed. I have used that hay cart to haul around saddles and harnesses, tack to the trailer, and buckets of water – you name it. The hay cart has been extremely useful and something I would truly miss if we did not have it!
Here at RAMM, we do carry blanket bars, heated water buckets, and insulated buckets. If you have any good ideas or tips that you would like to share, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to email me directly at debbie@rammfence.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
