Machine for mucking out

[Eleanor]

Hi everyone,

I’m doing a bit of market research for an equine product manufacturer. It would be a great help to us if you could take a minute or so to read the following and give us your views.

The machine concerned is electrically-powered and is designed to aid mucking out a shavings bed. There's no need to just skip out, within a maximum of 10 minutes, though often less, you can give your stable a full muck-out and provide your horse with a clean bed everyday. For those currently using straw, our product makes a shavings bed more affordable, allowing you to switch from a high-waste style of bedding.

For protection purposes, I cannot reveal the exact design. However, it is being marketed on the basis of:

1.It saves you time – Reduces mucking-out time by more than 50%.
2.It saves you money – We estimate that, through the machine’s effective separation of dirty bed from clean bed, you could save at least a bag of shavings per horse per week.
3.It saves you effort – The machine does all the work, which helps protect your back and makes the job much more preferable due to its lack of physical demand.
4.It is simple to use.
5.The separation system is thorough, much more so than if you were to do the work with a shavings fork.

The machine will retail at around £500. Due to the savings made on shavings, the product pays for itself but more importantly, you are relieved of a time-consuming task.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Eleanor

[gem]

Personally I wouldn't buy one purely because of the price. I actually quite enjoy mucking out and it's excellent exercise. Also, £500 would pay for around 4 months livery. I'd imagine anyone on even a vague budget would prefer just to take the time (half an hour max?) to muck out themselves and save the money. I'd think people with more to spend are maybe more likely to put their horses on full livery so they wouldn't have to do anything themselves.

I could see it being a good investment though if someone had a couple of horses and didn't have the time to muck out. Full livery would get expensive with more than one horse so then the £500 wouldn't seem like too much of an expense in comparison.

[Spockky boy]

Very agree with Gem on this one. I don't have the money to pay for a mucking out peice of equipement, when the money could go towards livery or vet bill for example.

It doesn't take me very long to muck out, but I've been mucking out last 10 years so Im used to it.

Personally as much as it claims to save money and time etc I think people will continue to stick with the "good old fasion way" of shavings forks and brooms, and spend a little loger mucking out.

[Bay Chaos]

I wouldn't buy one, as my gee's are all on rubber mats with a thin layer of megazorb. A full muck out takes 5 minutes.

[Thingamyjig]

well i'd be quite interested in something like that if it really did what it says it does...2 of my horses stay out almost all year but there are times when all come in during really bad weather so having 6 to muck out, anything that saves me some time would be a bonus and give me more time to spend with the horses, the initial layout is quite expensive but like you say, it would pay for itself after a while... interesting concept.

[black crow]

Hmmm

Personally i would just stick to normal mucking out. Afterall its supposed to be an everyday part of horsecare. Id feel quite guilty if i was getting some machine to do it

[Eleanor]

well i'd be quite interested in something like that if it really did what it says it does...2 of my horses stay out almost all year but there are times when all come in during really bad weather so having 6 to muck out, anything that saves me some time would be a bonus and give me more time to spend with the horses, the initial layout is quite expensive but like you say, it would pay for itself after a while... interesting concept.

Thank you, that's great to hear. We're currently developing a DVD demo so I'll let you know as soon as it's available for viewing.

[black crow]

Hmmm. Obviously theres two posts on this.


I personally wouldnt. I could easily afford it, but i would hate to have some weird contraption stuffed in my storage area as a replacement for mucking out. I enjoy it, and its a vital part of looking after horses

Maybe im just too traditional, but i really dont think that we should keep building more and more robots to do work for us. We're a lazy species

[Spockky boy]

Hmmm. Obviously theres two posts on this.

Maybe im just too traditional, but i really dont think that we should keep building more and more robots to do work for us. We're a lazy species

Reminds me of the film IRobot with Will Smith in it BC!

Another though it if broke down, where would be send it? Manafacturers or local mechanic place? umm There any other bits and bobs that go with this item (Im visualing it in a similar way to a hoover?) that either comes with it, or anythig we have to purchase seperately?

After a certain period of time would we need to replace parts of this product?

How does it sort through and differentiate between clean and dirty shavings?

Where are you wishing to sell your product? Internet? tack shops? Or through company website?

How big it this product? would it fit nicely in a fairly small space like a shavings fork/broom?

The more I think about it, the more I am thinking it isn't as good idea as it first sounded. Sorry for the 101 questions btw :lol:

[Thingamyjig]

Em, i agree with you about enjoying mucking out, i do like doing it too and i like the thought of everything being traditional but i do have really busy days sometimes and it would be nice to have that little extra help if and when i needed it, i think its a very personal choice, im not saying i WOULD go with something like that but i'd definitely be interested to see how it worked

just one thought though, if livery yards used them i wonder if the livery charges would go down as they would be saving time.. i doubt it lol

xx

[Thingamyjig]

good questions Celina

[black crow]

But shouldnt that be where the old fashioned things come back in to play?

Manage time better, dont muck out, muck out and be late for work, get someone else to do it?

Sure, they arent all 'convenient' things to do, but thousands of people used to manage perfectly well. People are just busier now, and so many people now have horses when they dont have the time or money, so is making gadgets like this the answer so even more people can 'muck out' quickly and spend less time with their horses as theyre so 'busy'? A machine to muck out might be the handy thing to do, but it then makes us lazy, as we will be living with robots one day!


Not aimed at anyone either, i can see both sides of it, just a mind ramble at the demise of our humanity :D :D

[Eleanor]

Reminds me of the film IRobot with Will Smith in it BC!

Another though it if broke down, where would be send it? Manafacturers or local mechanic place? umm There any other bits and bobs that go with this item (Im visualing it in a similar way to a hoover?) that either comes with it, or anythig we have to purchase seperately?

After a certain period of time would we need to replace parts of this product?

How does it sort through and differentiate between clean and dirty shavings?

Where are you wishing to sell your product? Internet? tack shops? Or through company website?

How big it this product? would it fit nicely in a fairly small space like a shavings fork/broom?

The more I think about it, the more I am thinking it isn't as good idea as it first sounded. Sorry for the 101 questions btw :lol:



It is a simple design with only 2 elements that could possibly break down, though due to their nature, this is highly unlikely. Should the event arise, the manufacturer would repair on site.
There would be no need to purchase anything seperately, the machine would arrive complete.
No parts would need replacing, though infrequent cleaning of one part would be recommended. I'm sorry to be a bit vague, the machine is patent pending.
As far as advertising is concerned, we would be pursuing all avenues.
The product is 60cm wide (24") and 89cm long (35").

Thanks for the questions, all are welcome and much appreciated.

[Spockky boy]

So Im presuming you will have manafacture repair people dotted around the country? If not what kind of call out charge would be made?

Are you selling to UK only? or England (plus isle of wight/man etc)/Scotland (Including shetlands isle)/wales and Ireland (all of it?)

I understand it is going through testing, however I am findin it hard to understand how exactly this product will work, or having trouble visualising the product working.

For the price, it seems I could easily buy myself more than enough shavings forks, wheelbarrows and brooms to last me a life time and still that wouldn't come to £500.

[Eleanor]

So Im presuming you will have manafacture repair people dotted around the country? If not what kind of call out charge would be made?

Are you selling to UK only? or England (plus isle of wight/man etc)/Scotland (Including shetlands isle)/wales and Ireland (all of it?)

I understand it is going through testing, however I am findin it hard to understand how exactly this product will work, or having trouble visualising the product working.

For the price, it seems I could easily buy myself more than enough shavings forks, wheelbarrows and brooms to last me a life time and still that wouldn't come to £500.

The solutions to all of your above queries are being finalised at the moment. With regards to seeing the product in action, we are currently developing a DVD demo.

[Thingamyjig]

Em, yes i can see both sides of it to, but for me it wouldnt be something that enabled me to be quicker and thus spend less time with my horses, it would enable me (possibly) to spend MORE time with them... if i saved say, an hour a day then ok, thats not a huge amount of saved time but its still some saved time... i can get other people to help out sometimes but then surely thats the same as having a machine to help, the end result is the same... and theres also the times when theres no one available to help out... i still think its a very personal choice .. it could be said that people who have their horses on full livery are lazy and dont have the whole "hands on" thing with their horses but then again its down to personal choice...

btw.. im NOT knocking anyone who has full livery, im just using it as an example...

yes, lives are different these days and people are a lot busier but sometimes a little extra help is nice, i have a hoover and dont sweep my floor by hand so maybe its a similar thing..

not being flippant, its just my opinion.
xx

[black crow]

It is in a way. Some convenience things are handy, i.e washing machines instead of rails, but i think its when they are then abused. I,e i wouldnt want to see every single horse owner with one of these things, as where does it stop? Automatic groomers, automatic lunging machines? automatic riders?

I think with full liveries, its someone else doing the work - if everything is replaced by robots and machines, really there would only need to be one or two people and no grooms, as the machines could just do all the work!

Im not really debating it here, just having a ponder;

Please note im NOT digging at anyone! no one on full livery, part livery, horses at home, people with full time jobs or no job at all!! Im just wanting people to love their work, when they can do it! :D


Although its a shame H&S gets in the way now, as they used to get kids in to do the hard work to 'toughen them up' and teach them some manners, i should have really been born in the early 1900's and joined the ILPH campaign

:evilgrin:

[Spockky boy]

Thingy- Your my way aren't you roughly?... I'd happily come help muck out! Just a shame I don't have a car atm! lol

I do see where you are comming from though, any time saved could essentially be used somewhere else like as you say more time with horses or riding which could make someone life easier/happier.

[Spockky boy]

Good point there would be less job available.. and people who like working with horses wouldn't get the expeiance. Although I know a lot of many racing yards are still quite traditional with methods when it comes to mucking out/care.

[Thingamyjig]

yep i see where yr coming from but i still would be interested to see how it worked...

in an ideal world we would all work less hours, have less stresses and spend more time with our kids and animals and yes, some people could utilise their time better but some days i really do run out of time.. take yesterday for example, i got trodden on, hurt my hand, got eaten by ants, my farrier was late so i was back and forth with the horses and had to take a goose to the vet, go to my daughters collage induction, take the car in for some repairs, unload 100 bales of hay and straw plus all the other things i usually do and none of them things could have been done any other day this week due to hay man and farrier being busy so yes, yesterday a little help would have been great lol :cheekywink:

whereas today, im sat on my bum yakking on here ...

xx

[Thingamyjig]

Celina... get a car lol

[black crow]

Well i think you'd be entitled to a robot on some days, although i think an investment in a young child would be handy :lol:

I'll set up my traditional army, war against the machines :D


Although you'd have to feed and clothe the child...

Maybe a robot would be better :worship:

[CDR]

If it was more like £100 I might consider it but for that price I'd rather do it myself. Sorry!

[Thingamyjig]

I have a young child but unfortunately shes growing up and wont allow me to shove her up the chimney any more.. darn kids ... :cheekywink:

[black crow]

Lol!!!

:D

[Spockky boy]

I would but .... umm.... I got to re-take my test cos of some stupid person who said I was driving dangerously when they were the ones wrote my car off!!

[Thingamyjig]

oh bum.. get a bike then...

xx

[Spockky boy]

I best get pedalling then, this could take a while to get to near Essex from London ;)

[CityLights]

Takes me less than ten minuets to muck out most horses anyway so it wouldnt save any time

[Thingamyjig]

yr lucky then arnt you... Ziggy, Lulu and Star completely trash their stables, id like to see you much them out in ten minutes lol

[My Crazy Clan]

I love mucking out, its part of owning a horse.

Although I would LOVE one of thoughs hoover type quad-bikes that suck up the poo in the field.

[Teej]

I would rather spend time with my horses than muck out in all honesty. Mucking out takes me ages as I am too much of a perfectionist:rolleyes:

The problem is, I love chocolate and HAVE to eat it... when I feel like :D! So if I 'employed' a machine to muck out for me, I would have to stop eating chocolate as the machine would take over a big part of my fitness regime ! :lol:

[torgrosset]

I can't understand how it'd work.
I can see how it'd know there is a poo, but how would it know the difference between wet/soiled/dirty shavings and clean??????