Credit: Thinkstock

It was a long, cold winter for many parts of the country. Now that spring has arrived stable owners and barn managers are eager to clean-up from winter and resume summer training schedules. 

These five time savers at can help you get through your daily checklist more efficiently.

1. Get help

Finding help may not necessarily mean hiring employees. This could mean the purchase of an appropriately sized work horse (tractor, utility vehicle, etc.) to more efficiently move manure, hay and water. Think ahead about attachments such as a plow that might be helpful later in the year.

2. Learn to say no

Providing good customer service is essential for any stable, but it doesn’t mean you have to regularly reschedule your day to accommodate a client. Ask clients to provide one, two or three days’ notice when requesting training sessions or a change to the horse’s routine.

3. Twice as nice

When you have a string of lesson horses to exercise prior to lessons, work two horses at once. Ride one and pony the other.

4. Invest in automation

Automatic waterers are expensive. However, the time you’ll save in dragging, moving, hanging and replacing garden hoses (not to mention dealing with ice-laden water in the winter) will be work the investment.

5. Schedule a group vaccination day

Clients can’t always attend vet visits. Each time you have to hold a horse, it takes time away from other chores. For routine calls like spring vaccinations, schedule a specific barn-wide wellness day. Horse owners can plan in advance to attend. If you still need to hold client horses, it will be finished in one day rather than several.

There will never be 25 hours in a day. These five time savers can help you discover a little extra space to accomplish tasks on the to-do list and perhaps even provide a little down time for yourself.