A Day In The Life Of A Stable Hand
Rain or shine, every bright and early morning, each horse is my responsibility.
I start my mornings off by getting every horse ready for a day outside. It may be putting specific boots on or a blanket, Or just a halter to send out the door.
Once the entire barn is turned outside, i begin my day with the usual barn tasks of cleaning stalls, adding fresh bedding, dumping, scrubbing and filling water pails. I will then go along and give every horse their desired amount of hay for the afternoon for when they come inside. Some have individual hay nets, others just have it given on the ground. I finish off by sweeping the alleys of each barn, so it looks fresh and clean for the clients in the evening!
After my morning chores are done I have an endless amount of cleaning tasks. From cleaning Cobb webs to cleaning the barn yard! Clients enjoy coming to see their horse after a long day of work so I always try my best to keep the cleanliness of the environment at its best.. I mean who wants to have a messy, untidy barn?!
This is not just a regular job for me, its my entire life! I love each horse as if they are my own. You learn so much about every horse as an individual, because you literally spend every single day with them. You see the sweet affectionate side of them to the little aggressive ‘I’m gunna push my luck today’ side! It’s the most interesting thing to witness how EVERY horse is SO different.
If it wasn’t for these horses my days wouldn’t be the same, a huge part of me would be missing. A stable hand plays such a huge roll in the world of horses. All you stable hands out there deserve to be recognized and appreciated for the work that you do.
I LOVE being a stable hand, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Tanya Riddell,
