Mucking magic

It's important to keep an eye on the details when you're doing barn chores in exchange for riding time, just like any other job. So here's a tip for mucking that will save some money for whoever buys the stall shavings or pellets.

Before:

You can see the rubber mats.

Look how high the shavings are piled up in the corner by the green Jolly Ball!

After:

So beautiful...

Moral: The good stuff is stuck in the corners, people! You don't need to open another bag of pellets!

For me (probably for you too) mucking is like meditation--a kind of large-scale version of this:

Photo from http://growabrain.typepad.com/growabrain/zen/

Mucking was the first real interaction I had with horses as a middle-schooler--I dragged my parents to Day's End Horse Farm Rescue to supervise me while I mucked and groomed. Then it was just about wearing down their patience enough so that they would buy me lessons. But today, I take such satisfaction in being able to fling poo through the air with the greatest of ease--really. I don't have to think about it. The repetitive motion is soothing. I just slide the muck rake through my fingers quickly to extend my reach. There's no part of the stall I can't fling poo from and still make a slam dunk in the wheelbarrow. The other horses are munching away at their hay, and I'm warm and focused in the chilly winter air.

Other moral: Be one with your muck rake.