Save Money At The Yard

Check out these five handy horse-care tips that will help you economise and be more efficient on the yard

Post-Christmas, your bank account may be looking worringly empty, and there always seem to be more bills and expenses around the corner. The good news is that where your horses are concerned, there are some easy ways to be economical on the yard, which can help save money, and time, too.

It’s a really good idea to take a step back on a regular basis and look at where your money is going, and consider if any savings can be made. Obviously, there are essentials your horse needs but it’s easy to spend more than you need to. By watching the pennies, you could even save up to buy yourself – or your horse – a New Year treat!

1 Start deep littering

It may not suit every horse and every owner, but you can reap rewards by switching to a deep-litter system if your horse is stabled. There are two key benefits – it saves money and time.

Essentially, the system involves only removing droppings and any obvious wet bedding each day. A thick base layer is built up, with most of the urine sinking down into it. Although it sounds straightforward, it does take some effort and dedication to get it exactly right.

Any type of bedding will do, such as shavings, and the key to being successful is building up a good base layer. To do this, set up an initial bed with five or six bales, then add half a bale a day to this for about two weeks, depending on the horse and how mucky he is.