[meredithbarlow]

Just curious what you all do about stalls on Christmas Day. And please no fighting, let this be a "everyone has the right to do their own thing" thread! I'm just curious!

[shakeytails]

Yes, twice, just like always. (Well, almost always- occasionally we'll skip a cleaning for assorted reasons.) I'm home and not in a hurry to go anywhere or do anything, so it's just a normal day for the critters.

[county]

No, but then I don't keep horses in stalls.

[JoZ]

Yes, and I'm looking forward to it. Any day off when I don't have to be in a hurry is a good day for barn chores. I'm by myself for the holidays, partly unavoidable (my family is on the opposite coast, and it's my year to stay and care for the animals while my friend/fellow horse boarder visits HER family) and partly by choice (I've gotten several local invitations but would rather spend the time with MY animals rather than someone else's family!).

[ryansgirl]

Yes I clean mine just like it's any other day - my horses don't know it's a holiday and they don't need to sleep in dirty stalls (though they are out 14+ hours a day). There are no days off from horses and I'm totally fine w/ that - I enjoy my daily barn time every morning and night .

[Annetta]

I do clean stalls on Christmas day, though for me the "stalls" are actually loose housing sheds. I normally clean them once a day, and Christmas day is no exception.

All regular chores get done on Christmas. I don't, however, do any extra work, such as hoof trimming.

[War Admiral]

Working at the barn all day. All stalls will be cleaned, sick horses mollycoddled, well horses kissed and cookied, and everyone will get nice warm alfalfa cube soup for Christmas! Probably some peppermints too!

[CanadianGolden]

Of course! Why should horses stand in dirty stalls just because it's a holiday?

[saddleup]

The difference is I give my stall cleaners the day off and I do the stalls.

[pintopiaffe]

No, because mine aren't in...

But I always used to. Often I did chores so regular staff could have the day off, since I can't get home to family in the winter.

These days I work my main job for the same reason.

[Bluehorsesjp]

I will not only clean stalls for my 2 horses who are at home, but walk the stall rest horse and go to the indoor where my other horse is boarded for a quick christmas ride.

It might be a holiday, but I love getting in a ride and spending time with the other boys.

My family gets me in the morning and for Christmas dinner

[ljc]

I boarded at many "top" barns (A rated hunter facilites) where stalls were NOT cleaned on Xmas). It became my tradition to go out and clean my horse's stall that day and then go for a lovely stroll down the roads. At least they were lovely until we ran into horses wearing holiday bells who were pulling carriages (carts? Not sure of terminology). I quickly learned that Benjamin believed anything being pulled by a horse was really a demon in disguise. My Xmas tradition then became grazing him while enjoying having the property to myself!

I couldn't argue with barn help getting Xmas off, but it used to really frustrate me that barn managers were ok with dirty stalls that day.

[Kementari]

I'm cleaning stalls for BO (of a barn where I train a horse) who is out of town for the holidays - and, yep, they'll get done on Christmas, too!

[_downpour_]

The difference is I give my stall cleaners the day off and I do the stalls.

Aww that's nice of you

[LockeMeadows]

We have two girls that do our stalls, but they will be off Christmas eve and Christmas. My husband will be helping me with the barn work; it gives us some "together" time with the horses. I actually look forward to the holidays- there is nothing better than putting the kids in their stalls, giving them a few extra treats, and spending some quality time with the husband.

[Sithly]

Nope. The barn crew has the day off, and the BO's family feeds and waters.

[IslandGirl]

Yes, but I'll have stall cleaners come in.

Merry Christmas to everyone and their ponies...

[Bluey]

Never heard of a barn that was not kept with the same feeding and cleaning routine every day of the year.
We always took turns, so those that wanted to celebrate one day would be covered by someone else.

One good way to have help in the holidays is to pay double time.
There were many holidays that not one worker was missing, all rather work a short day for double pay.

[Claddagh]

Absolutely! My stalls are always cleaned twice a day...even if we say "let's just *pick* or *skip* a cleaning - it NEVER happens - just don't have the conscience to leave the horses in anything but perfectly clean stalls .

I'm sure they couldn't care less - they're much more interested in what treats are in their Christmas stockings .

[Avra]

We do them. My brother and sister are always put to work, too, so it goes much quicker with 5 people than 3. I've worked at places that just picked them, or didn't do them at all--it just makes the next day twice as miserable.