A horse spends most of its day in the stable, the paddock or the field. What it needs there comes down to four tasks: giving forage, giving water, keeping the ground clean and making sure your horse has something to do. This collection brings together the equipment for all those tasks, from feeder and hay rack to manure fork, lick holder and grazing muzzle.
How this collection is organised
- Feeders and buckets: feeders for the stable door, corner feeders, rubber feed troughs and buckets with handle.
- Horse drinkers: automatic drinkers with paddle or float and large troughs you fill yourself.
- Haynets and hay racks: nets in small and large sizes and racks from OK Plast.
- Stable toys: balls, lick and nibble blocks and snuffle mats.
Looking for something specific? You will get there faster via slow feeders with small meshes or feed buckets and flexible tubs.
Fitting out a stable or paddock: where do you start?
Water first: if there is a pipe, an automatic drinker is possible; if not, you need a large trough that you check daily. Then forage: on the ground, in a net or in a rack. Then hard feed, in a feeder that you hang on the door or put in a corner. Give minerals with a lick in a holder; there are holders to fix to a post, to slide into and to lay in, for 2 or 10 kilo licks.
For mucking out there are manure forks with and without handle (115 cm handle), shovels, brooms and the Mestboy Quick Pick, a rake with collecting scoop for picking up droppings from the paddock without constantly bending. For the feed room there are 40 to 80 litre feed bins, some with a twist lock, feed scoops and a feed stirrer. For the stable aisle there are saddle racks, headcollar holders and a rug holder for three rugs.
In the field and paddock
If your horse needs to eat less grass, there is The Ultimate Muzzle grazing muzzle in sizes Pony, Cob and Full. For round bales there are OK Plast ring feeders and a slow feeder net that fits over the whole bale. With a hay and grass rake, you keep the paddock tidy.
Points to note
Check a grazing muzzle every day for rub marks and make sure your horse can drink through it. Plastic containers outdoors can freeze and crack in frost; keep a closer eye on the water in winter. For stable hygiene, there is a disinfection mat, a boot cleaner and a stable cleaner. For rugs and headcollars, see headcollars, rugs and fly masks; the full overview is in everything for your horse.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum I need for a new stable?
A water supply, a feeder, a way to give hay, a lick with holder and tools for mucking out. Add toys and storage after that.
Which grazing muzzle size fits my horse?
The Ultimate Muzzle comes in Pony, Cob and Full, plus a shorter Cob version. Measure your horse and compare with the manufacturer's size chart.
Why a feed bin with a twist lock?
A tight lid keeps hard feed dry and out of reach of mice, and a horse loose in the stable aisle cannot easily open the bin.
What is handy for keeping a sand paddock clean?
A rake with collecting scoop, such as the Mestboy pick-up rake and scoop or the Quick Pick. You rake the droppings into the scoop without picking them up by hand.