- For a horse stable owner, every day is a workday--even weekends and holidays. Each morning the stable owner must check on the horses to make sure they all appear healthy. During routine checking, the stable owner can feed each horse its grain and hay rations for the morning. When the horses have finished morning rations, the stable owner will turn them out into their individual paddocks or pasture. Which one depends on the owner's preference and the horse's attitude. Once the horses are turned outside, the owner will clean manure out of the stalls and add fresh bedding if necessary. Automatic waterers are cleaned at this time, and afternoon feed rations are placed in the stalls. Once manure is removed from every stall, it is piled or placed in a manure spreader to be spread onto fields. The stable owner will also administer first aid or medicine if necessary or call a veterinarian when needed. Depending on what services the stable offers, the owner may groom horses as well.
- Once a week or so, the horse stable owner spreads manure over hayfields and pastures to get rid of it. This also fertilizes the soil. Farriers usually come to the stable about once a week. The owner assists the farrier by calming the horse so the farrier can trim the hooves. The owner might worm the horses weekly to prevent the spread of worms and disease at the stable. Some stable owners provide weekly horseback riding lessons at the facility. Owners can improve their horsemanship skills and participate in horse shows.
- During the spring, veterinarians arrive at the stable to immunize the horses and test them for travel and show. Routine veterinarian care may also include floating the horse's teeth (smoothing or contouring them) and giving a health exam. The horse stable owner will help the veterinarian calm the horses during exams and injections. Some mares at the stable may be bred and ready to foal during spring and summer months. Constant monitoring day and night may be necessary for the safety of the mare and foal. Some stable owners install cameras so the horses can be observed from the house; others set their alarms and check every few hours. Summer months usually involve hay baling, or purchasing and storing enough hay to feed all of the horses for another year. For income tax time, the owner must keep track of purchases, sales and mileage related to running the stable.
