Most new horse owners have no idea how much time and effort taking care of a horse requires. By simplifying the way you do things and taking advantage of what others have learned over the years, you can manage horse care in a practical and time saving manner.

Feeding: 

Horses would prefer to be eating all the time since grazing in a pasture is the natural feeding pattern.  To make feeding more efficient, streamline delivery by using a wheeled cart with several compartments containing supplements, feeds, and hay that can be rolled up to the stall or out to the feeding station to dole out rations.

Make up several horse meals at a time and place in canvas bags that can be hung outside the stall.  When mealtime arrives, simply dump the contents of the bag into the feed bucket. 

PVC pipe (six inches in diameter) can be installed so that grain can be poured down the pipe and directly into the feed bucket. 

Programmable automatic feeders that automatically feed horses several times a day can be purchased for ease in feeding horses on a timely schedule without having to be physically present for each feeding. 

Keep a bale-opening tool handy and make gravity work for you by stacking hay bales in such a way that they can readily be dropped into place and opened for ease in separating flakes with minimal time and effort.

Watering: 

Make sure you have adequate containers in each stall or area where your horses spend time.  Extend pipes to stalls and develop a system or short hoses with valves or install automatic waterers for use by each horse. 

Automatic waterers with safety features to prevent shock, insulation to guard against freezing and gauges to measure a horse's water intake will insure that your horse has access to water at all times and will save you valuable time.

Grooming: 

If your horse is located a distance from the tack room, keep your grooming utensils in a bucket or on a wheeled cart to save time and effort. 

Consider using a vacuum for grooming instead of brushing.  Once your horse gets used to the sound and sensation of the vacuum brush, not only will grooming be accomplished quickly, but your horse will also be cleaner. Special vacuums made with horses in mind are available. 

Use both hands when grooming your horse, you will cover more territory in half the time.  When picking your horse's hooves, teach your horse to lift both feet from the same side.  This is standard procedure at race tracks and works well with most horses once they get used to it.

Exercising: 

Depending on your horse's age, exercise tolerance, and competitive level, work out an exercise schedule that will keep your horse's mind and body in good working order, then commit yourself to making sure it happens on a daily basis or as often as possible. 

Horses need a minimum or 30 minutes of exercise a day to release pent-up energy and keep their physical condition in good shape.  This requirement does not change during cold weather.

Although riding is considered the most effective exercise, exercising your horse on a rope or lunging it occasionally will vary the routine and help keep those limbs and body working properly.

By making the streamlining of your care-taking process a priority, you can have more leisure time with your horse and also make your duties more cost-effective and productive.