There are lots of things about owning and riding horses which bring great joy. Unfortunately, there are other tasks that do not. Here are H&H’s 10 least favourite horse jobs...
1. Sheath cleaning
While some owners think it’s better to leave nature to manage their horse’s intimate hygiene requirements, others find their geldings need regular assistance in this area. If you are in the latter group, it’s time to don your rubber gloves and have a bucket of warm water at the ready. A hard hat and a healthy dose of caution may be advised — your horse may dislike having it done as much as you dislike doing it! If you really don’t fancy it, you could call the Bean Queen or another professional sheath cleaner instead!
2. Poo picking, particularly in the pouring rain
Everyone knows that poo picking is important; it prevents sour patches in your grazing and helps control internal parasites in your horse. However, until some kind soul develops a fool-proof way of training horses to use a “poo corner”, what gets dropped must be picked up again — even if it rains, Biblical-style, for 40 days and 40 nights. Cagoules might not be cool, but they’re essential kit for this job.
3. Dealing with filthy, wet rugs
One of the very best things about the change in seasons must be saying goodbye to filth-caked, sodden turnout rugs. Who needs the gym when you’ve dragged off a rug weighing twice what it did that morning, before wrestling it onto an overhead rail in a vain attempt to dry it overnight? To be honest, if the horse is dry and cosy underneath said rug, we’d be inclined to leave it on and let the horse’s body temperature help it dry naturally.
4. Filling haynets
Ah, they look so innocent, those little mesh creations. Odd, then, that they somehow develop a life of their own when you’re trying to pack hay in — twisting up and cleverly hiding the drawstring beneath a tangled mass of hay. Internet forums are full of advice on ways to make this job quicker and easier, but filling haynets remains on the “I’d really rather not” list for many.
5. Mucking out
Although for some it’s an daily opportunity to allow your mind to wander and work out how to resolve a problem that’s been troubling you, for others mucking out is an obvious contender when it comes to least favourite jobs. Whether it’s mucky mares, box-walkers who stir things into an unholy poo porridge or bed trashers who wreck banks with reckless abandon, even if the time and repetition serves to gives your brain some peace, mucking out can always be trusted to leave you smelling like you slept on the muck heap.
6. Sweeping up
While we’re on the subject of mucking out, sweeping up is another chore which rates low on the enjoyment scale (even if you love the look of immaculately-swept concrete). Particularly when a gale is blowing and all types of bedding take on a life of their own, sweeping up is no fun at all.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
7. Tack cleaning
This one is a bit of a Marmite job — while some take real pride in keeping their leatherwork gleaming and supple, for others tack cleaning is only rendered bearable by copious cups of coffee (other beverages are available…) and one eye on the TV. Just don’t forget to cover the kitchen table and floor in newspaper to avoid complaints about saddle soap patches from non-horsey members of the family.
8. Treating thrush
If there’s one thing you really don’t want to get on your hands, it’s the pungent and long-lasting stink of thrush from your horse’s hooves. Ideally it wouldn’t get to that stage, but if you have been caught out, once the farrier has pared back the horn to healthy tissue, it’s down to you to treat the problem — which can mean iodine washes and hands that look like you smoke at least 40 a day. Probably the only thing worse is having to deal with pus in the foot – poultice and vet wrap here we come!
9. Lifting stinking rubber mats
If your hands hadn’t already suffered enough dealing with most of the above, pulling out stinking rubber mats will render them beyond the help of all but the most skilled manicurist. Heavy and unwieldy, rubber mats are the devil’s work in bedding form — the only upside is you usually need two of you to drag them out, so at least you’re not the only one who’s going to smell like a blocked drain! We recommend donning a thick pair of waterproof gloves before you begin.
10. Doing studs
We all have the best of intentions when it comes to stud holes, popping in those neat little foam plugs the moment the farrier has finished. Which is why it is all the more mysterious that, once at the show and dealing with a horse hopping about with excitement, the stud holes appear to have filled themselves with a concrete-like material that no amount of digging will shift. Top tip, make sure you clean them out the night before when you’re at home and not up against a deadline.
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoythe magazine deliveredto your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access ouronline servicethat brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Liz Falkingham is a journalist and media consultant based in East Yorkshire. Former editor of the Farmers Guardian and communications director for NFU, Liz specialises in agricultural, rural and equestrian issues and writes across the spectrum from technical content to news analysis and general features. Liz writes for Horse & Hound, Country Living and Countryside, as well as the farming and general regional press, as well as handling PR and consultancy work for a small number of clients.
