Stable Equipment

Horse owners know that you never just buy the horse, you also have to buy everything that comes with the responsibility of a horse. And we aren’t just talking about saddles, bridles and rugs – there are all kinds of equipment you’ll need for the yard and stable. If you’re about to bring home your first horse or want a list of things you’ll need to keep on your stable yard, here are the basics.

Stable Equipment

Mucking out stalls and cleaning your stable or farm is one of the biggest responsibilities and hardest work that goes with horse ownership Here are some items you may wish to stock up on at your farm:

• Water buckets for your horse to drink from. Two is better than one!
• Feed buckets – corner buckets, feed pans, hanging buckets just to name a few and there are many types
• Hay nets – many options but a often necessary to control feed waste and allow longer eating times.
• Rubber mats for your stable floor (which are optional, but save time and mean you use less shavings or straw)
• Manure Fork or pitch form for mucking out stall or stable areas
• Wheel barrows or other transportation buggies for moving for dirty shavings and manure. Using a wheelbarrow makes it far easier to move dirty bedding over to the manure pile
• A rake can be useful for making sure you haven’t missed any droppings in shavings, as well as for making the bedding flat and even.

Barn Yard Equipment

It isn’t always only your stable that needs cleaning, but the yard in general. Here are some extra pieces of equipment you’ll need to ensure that the aisleways, paddocks, crossties and other areas are always looking good:

• Broom for sweeping floors
• Scooper or spade for poo picking
• Vacuum (again, this is optional but is quicker than sweeping and means dust gets swallowed up rather than moved along!)
• Hoses – to wash your horse, fill up water tubs, etc.
• Scissors for yard jobs
• Organize your tools with tool hangers

Feed Room Equipment

Keep your feed room neat and tidy to keep out unwelcomed visitors like mice, rats, racoons, and possums.  Keep your feed room organized and clean to help keep things hygienic and to reduce the chances of unwanted visitors:

• Feed bins. Keep your various feed items in a closed bin, if possible
• Feed scoops are great for ensuring you always dish your horse up an even amount of food
• Scales for measuring supplements, feed and anything else
• Periodically wash all feed bins and containers