# So, what are YOUR favourite things to do at the barn?



## EquineCookies (Mar 22, 2012)

I've been a bit stuck on things to do at the barn, with and without a horse.

I help out, take lessons, and board my horse at a barn with 26 horses, 22 of which are owned by the farm owner. We do lessons in the morning and/or evening every day except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Most of our horses are outside, and one of the four stallions here would be out in the arena for turnout (we put one stallion out front, and one in the arena, and switch them out later), so I wouldn't be able to ride. I am, however, able to put my horse in one of the empty stalls and groom her. That's mostly the only idea I have, though.

You guys got any ideas for things to do at the barn, with and without your horses? 

Also when I do ride, I find I do the same thing over and over. Any ideas for fun things to do while riding? Me and my horse do hunter, we have no trails to ride on, and I'm not allowed riding bareback or bridless.

Share your ideas, maybe you'll pick up some new ideas from other people and help someone else out!


----------



## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

I love doing stalls before I ride. It's very relaxing and the smell of fresh shavings is heavenly. It gives me a chance to clear my head and de-stress. I have a list of things to accomplish over the summer and it includes using a broom and clearing away all the cob webs in the barn, washing down and repainting stall doors, hanging new hooks, and putting up a display board for all the boarders to hang up pictures of their shows or horses. I am only a boarder but I love helping out my barn owner and it gives me karma points  

When I ride, I set up cones to go around and move frontwards and backwards around them. I also set up planks in the arena and walk Sonny through and back him up out of. We do trotting and walking over them too. I also do figure eights where we trot one section, stop in the middle, and pick up the canter for the second section, stop in the middle, backup, pick up a canter for the first section again, stop in the middle, back up, and trot off and repeat.


----------



## mnl764 (Apr 8, 2012)

Well, if its the right time of year (like now) I will bathe anything. I love washing horses!

And if I happen to be there at night or if its too cold, I will do french braids on everyone and anyone, plus I get better and better at it. 

Or I clean the tack, that is relaxing and it smells all leathery and yummy...plus the leather looks great afterwards. 

Lately I have been having a lot of fun lunging over poles and conditioning a particular horse that is kind of lazy in collection and also has kind of a ****y mood....so for me, seeing him come along feels good. 

And if the arenas are occupied I sometimes take a horse and work on the lead line practicing ground manners and being polite, backing up, etc. And if they are good I take them out to the lush backfield and let them munch a bit.


----------



## mnl764 (Apr 8, 2012)

woops, forgot to talk about what to do with your horse....and I do love to talk so I am not sure how I blanked on that.

I enjoy laying poles on the ground and going over them, again it helps that particular horse become more thoughtful of his collection. I also made some poles for pole bending by using old coffee cans filled with cement and a pvc pipe stuck in the center, super cheap and they work great. I also lay out cones and I have small jumps that I can do. Desensitizing is also kind of fun, laying out a tarp or having your horse cross a plywood platform? Anything you can think of 

Also, I dont know if you have access to one but if you get a few people together it can be fun to play a game of soccer on the horses with those big balls. We keep our games LOW key, no crazy polo pony stuff, just fun.


----------



## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

I love cleaning tack ^.^ Idk why  Just making it look nice again! I'm sure your BO would really appreciate you cleaning the lesson tack, but I'd veer away from cleaning other boarder's tack .. in fact, just don't do it. If you clean something light and it spots ... BIG trouble!! But I would see if the BO would like you to clean tack - she might pay you, too  Don't make it a requirement though ...

I also like to clean stalls. Like said, it's actually kinda relaxing. 
Hmm, let's see ....

Groundwork is fun!! Lunge over poles, or even play with your horse following you over jumps and whatnot  It is SO rewarding!! Don't go in there with a loose horse if someone is riding though, and always ask if you can come in if you are on foot, regardless. Just polite  I ask undersaddle though, but that's more of me not wanting to step on anyone's toes


----------



## EquineCookies (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone, the cleaning stalls is a really good idea and so is cleaning the lesson tack! Clearing the cobwebs away would be really useful since the farm is over 30 years old and lots of cobwebs have built up over the years. I'll definitely put some of these to use!


----------



## mnl764 (Apr 8, 2012)

xJumperx said:


> I love cleaning tack ^.^ Idk why  Just making it look nice again! I'm sure your BO would really appreciate you cleaning the lesson tack, but I'd veer away from cleaning other boarder's tack .. in fact, just don't do it. If you clean something light and it spots ... BIG trouble!! But I would see if the BO would like you to clean tack - she might pay you, too  Don't make it a requirement though ...
> 
> I also like to clean stalls. Like said, it's actually kinda relaxing.
> Hmm, let's see ....
> ...


Good idea to point out the bit about not cleaning boarders tack! I cleaned my sisters tack....my SISTER....and she had a fit, talking about how it was her saddle and she was looking forward to doing it this spring and having that saddle "bonding time?" I thought I was doing her a favor, even bought the **** supplies lol. I couldn't even begin to imagine the issues that could arise from doing the tack of someone you only kind of knew.


----------



## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Just cause I'm curious how come your not allowed to ride bareback? my old trainer encouraged it to help build your seat and it does!


----------



## RunJumpRide (Sep 29, 2011)

IMO, you can never have enough groundwork.
Whenever I'm bored at the barn, I just do groundwork. If you don't have your own horse, get permission from a friend or barn owner to practice your handling (like quarter method and other handling techniques at halter) On their horse, anywhere really! In a pasture or whatever ; all you need is a halter and leadrope! It helps! :lol:


----------



## EquineCookies (Mar 22, 2012)

shaggy said:


> Just cause I'm curious how come your not allowed to ride bareback? my old trainer encouraged it to help build your seat and it does!


My mom thinks its unsafe and I don't even know about my trainer. But I definitely would do it if I could.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

RunJumpRide said:


> IMO, you can never have enough groundwork.


True! And it's so much fun 

OP you could set up an obstacle course with barrels, poles, little jumps, cones.. upside down buckets.. etc. Then ride your horse through it in different ways  Also any gymkhana games are fun.

Shame you can't do bareback. I love a groundwork day and then a nice bareback ride afterwords.. especially solidifying what we've learned.


----------



## EquineCookies (Mar 22, 2012)

Alright, new circumstances -

As a result of Rose's dust allergy and the arena her stall is in that is rather dusty at the moment (we hose down the footing to keep it under control), her breathing was pretty heavy, so my coach/BO/mentor/Rose's breeder and previous owner decided that it would be better for her to keep her loose in the arena, but with a side door opened to a fenced area (and she's right, she's been in the horse business over 30 years and knows what's best for my horse as she is only my first horse) so she can go outside whenever she likes. To make sure she gets lots of fresh air when she has the option (this is only in evenings, this time of year we turn the horses out all day until afternoon chores), I do as much as I can with her outside. 

The thing is, this is a fairly long area where she's out, but not very wide. It's wide enough that she can turn around comfortably but that's it. It's located between the arena and another two smaller paddocks. So I can't do any free lunging or anything without going back into the arena, which I would prefer not to do, unless the weather was bad.

Any groundwork exercises I can do in a smaller space?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------

