THE longer days now means there is an extra few hours in the evening to get jobs done around the yard that may have been put off over the dark winter months.

A clean and tidy yard means there is less of a chance of injury to horse or human as well as making the day-to-day running of the yard quicker and easier.

Tack room

Taking stock of what you have in your tack room is a good place to start.

Throw out any products that are out of date and take note of what is nearly empty and will need replacing soon.

Organise your products in a way that will work for you – make sure the products you use on a daily basis can be reached quickly and easily. Products that are used less frequently can be stored away.

With leather, prevention of damage is key. It is good to get into the habit of cleaning and oiling your tack on a regular basis to prolong the life of your equipment. This will also give you a chance to spot any damage or stitches that need re-doing.

Make sure all tack fits your horse correctly. If you have any doubts, get a professional saddle fitter out to check.

If you are planning on storing away some tack that you don’t use regularly is important to clean, condition and oil it to prevent damage from dirt, sweat, mildew or dryness. This should be done every few months to prevent your tack from drying out or cracking.

After conditioning, leather should be covered with a fabric cover so that it can breathe and stored in dry, cool environment. The storage area should also be free of insects and rodents which often chew on leather.

There are many different saddle covers on the market which zip up to cover all of the leather, these are ideal as most saddle covers only cover the top of the saddle.

If you don’t have one of these covers an old, clean towel or sheet will work perfectly, but make sure to cover the underside as well.

Bridles, martingales, reins, girths and whatever other leather you have can be stored in small storage containers. If leather is going to be stored for a long time, it should be periodically checked and reconditioned. Leather strapping such as stirrup leathers, bridles and reins should be unassembled and stored flat if possible. Saddles should be stored on a saddle rack so that they maintain their original shape.

Rugs

A clean and well-maintained rug plays an important role in the health of your horses, with the proper care they will last several years

Dirty rugs harbour bacteria and fungus, both of which can lead to skin irritation and potential infections in the horse.

Not only is having your rugs cleaned important for the well-being and comfort of your horse, it will help save you money in the long run because keeping your rug clean and in good condition helps maintain the features of the blanket, such as waterproof covering and durable layering, working to a high level of performance.

There are many rug repair and cleaning services around the country which offer competitive rates. Ideally, your horse’s turnout rugs should be cleaned after each season.

If a blanket needs some minor touch-ups midway through the season, spot cleaning with a stiff brush will often suffice.

Lightweight rugs can be washed in your home washing machine. Coolers and sheets aren’t as bulky as heavier blankets and have enough room to get properly cleaned in a washing machine. However, the hair, mud and manure can potentially damage the washing machine and drainage system.

Brush and hose down these blankets before attempting to clean them in your home washing machine. Be certain the blanket is fully rinsed - soap residue can irritate a horse’s skin. Remember, your horse will sweat underneath those rugs and even small amounts of soap and detergent may lead to skin problems. Once clean, hang the rug over a fence or line to allow them to air dry.

Make sure the blanket is fully dry before storing it. Moisture can cause the fabric to become mouldy or rot. Once the blanket is dry, use sealable boxes for storing your blankets. This keeps them out of harm’s way until the next time you use them.

Clippers

Before you put your clippers away for summer, clean the machine and the blades thoroughly. If the blades need sharpening, send them away to be sharpened now – you will thank yourself for doing this when you take them out again next autumn.

Grooming equipment

Grooming brushes and equipment can harbour all sorts of bacteria and dirt. Take the time to clean and disinfect all grooming brushes and equipment. This is especially important if you have been using your equipment on a number of different horses over the winter. Filling a large bucket with warm water and disinfectant and leaving the brushes to soak for a few hours can make the cleaning process easier.

Health care

Take stock of what health care supplies you have and replenish where necessary. Repurchase any summer veterinary essentials such as fly spray, electrolytes and sun cream. Check that your worming and vaccination programmes are up-to-date.

Feed room

Make sure all feed is stored in a safe, dry area. If any feed supplies have become damp or damaged, dispose of them. Go through all storage areas and check that there is no evidence of rodents. If you do happen to find that rodents have made themselves at home put a programme in place to get rid of them, and if they persist it is worth considering getting a professional in to deal with the issue.

There are a range of different storage options available, especially for storing feed. If you are dealing with large amounts of feed, heavy duty plastic containers work very well. For smaller amounts of feed, clean metal dust bins are a good option. These are all generally rodent-proof.

Fencing

Check all fencing and gates, repair/replace if necessary.

If you are in the market for new fencing, Declan Landy of Declan Landy Fencing has 30 years’ experience in delivering quality fencing and associated services to the Irish equine industry.

Declan Landy Fencing will design, cost, supply and/or install all your fencing needs.

Declan has a wide selection of three- and four-rail treated post and rail fencing, v-mesh wire fencing and stable mesh wire fencing.

Good drainage is essential in Ireland. Getting the most out of your land can be difficult without adequate drainage. Declan also provides a paddock draining service using gravel tunnelling which provides instant and long lasting drainage. For more information call Declan on 087 2591718.

Stables

Apart from daily mucking out and regularly stripping and disinfecting your horse’s stable, a full, thorough clean of your horse’s stable should be done several times a year for your horse’s health.

Firstly, remove all bedding and buckets. Once your stable is empty, if you have rubber matting, remove this too. Make sure you remember which piece goes where. It is a good idea to use duct tape to remember where each mat goes.

Start from the top left and stick one piece of duct tape in the top left corner, then two pieces on the next mat and so on. Wash the mats thoroughly with a hard brush, warm water and disinfectant. Do this on the front and back of each mat. This will help kill off any unwanted bacteria.

Leave your mats to dry outside and get to work on the inside of your stable. Work from the ceiling down. Look up – are there any cobwebs or a large build-up of dust you should clean first? It is important to wear a mask when doing this, especially if your stable is particularly dusty.

Next are the walls. If you have access to a power hose this is a quick way of washing your stable walls. If you don’t have a power washer, warm water, washing liquid and a hard scrubbing brush will do a good job of cleaning the walls, although this is very labour intensive.

Then do the same on the floor. Wash it either with a power washer or a stiff brush and disinfectant. Once your stable has dried out you can now give it a fresh lick of paint before putting your rubber mats back in. Don’t forget your stable door too, wash and disinfect the door and apply a fresh coat of paint or oil. Lastly, make sure to also clean out the feeder and drinker.

Machinery

You should be diligent about getting all yard/farm machinery serviced every year. Most machinery will have a mileage counter on it and a sticker indicating when it is due to be serviced.

As a rule, you should always get your machinery serviced once a year by a reputable mechanic that is familiar with the type of machinery you have.

A service is quite straightforward and will usually just involve greasing all of the pivot points and wear points and changing the oil and filters.

It is also important to make sure you keep on top of changing the hydraulics filters. Keep an eye out for anything strange or broken parts that will need to be replaced.

Most machines now have electrics in them, so it is important to keep them dry and stored away in the shed when they are not in use to avoid water damage.

It is a good idea to keep a maintenance record of all work that has been done to the vehicle. This way it will be easy to remember when it is due a service.

The easiest way you can help keep your machinery in good running order is keeping it dry.

Storing machinery in a shed a shed and keeping it covered from the rain when it is not being used will really extend its lifespan.