Often when I start helping a new family, they want to move too fast. They want to dive in and complicate everything before they have the basics down.

If you want to master something, you can’t skip steps.

You need to put real effort into building your foundation before you try to build anything on top of it or it won’t hold. Most of these basics are simple. Once you hear them, they make perfect sense. But I’ve seen far too many people skip right over them.

A lot of the time, it’s not their fault, you don’t know something until you know it.

If you’re just getting started and feeling overwhelmed, this will help.

Keep It Consistent:

Everything that can be consistent should be.

Feeding times. Feed amounts. Type of feed. Water changes. Turnout. Routine.

Consistency removes variables and that makes your animal easier to read and manage.

That’s why a calendar and a scale are two of the most valuable tools in your barn. (I use my phone calendar so I get reminders.)

Build a routine, and stick to it.

Weigh Your Feed:

I can’t stress this enough, weigh your feed.

This is probably the most overlooked step by beginners.

A scoop is not a consistent measurement. Especially when multiple people are feeding. One person’s scoop might be heaping, another’s might be level.

On top of that, feed density changes. Toward the bottom of a bag, feed is often drier and lighter, which means you need more volume to get the same weight.

A $20 scale and two extra minutes gives you a consistent, trackable system and that can completely change your results.

Practice Early and Often:

Every year, I see families panic in the last 30 days before a show.

They wait to start practicing. They make erratic feed changes. They try to learn fitting all at once.

That’s not fun for anyone especially the animal, who suddenly becomes a rushed science project.

Instead, follow what I call the “once-a-week rule.”

Even the busiest families can do something once a week.

Start early. Set aside 15 minutes maybe on Sunday evenings and work with your animal. Focus on one thing at a time.

Those small, consistent efforts will teach your animal far more than a 30-day crash course ever will.

Use that time to really look at your animal, too. Evaluate condition. Take pictures. Send them to a mentor if you have one. Small weekly adjustments make a huge difference over time.

As for fitting, don’t expect to learn it overnight.

Watch people who are good at it. Go to shows just to observe. Ask questions. Then go home and practice.

Watching helps. Doing is what makes you better.

Keep It Clean:

A clean pen and a clean animal make everything easier.

Dirty bedding doesn’t do any good. If you want a healthy animal that’s thriving, cleanliness is non-negotiable.

I understand bedding is expensive but if you have a messy animal, use less and change it more often.

I’ve walked into barns where the ammonia is just overwhelming. Think about that for a second, you’re breathing it for a few minutes. That animal is breathing it all day.

The same goes for dust. Dirt floors are fine if managed properly. Lightly watering alleys to control dust is a simple fix.

What you see in the air and in the water buckets, is what your animal is breathing.

Keep it as clean as possible.

The Soap Matters:

I see way too many bottles of dish soap at wash racks.

It’s cheap and easy to find but it strips everything out of the hair and skin. There’s a reason it’s made for dishes.

I guarantee you no one would use it on their own hair. There's a reason for that.

Don’t put yourself behind when human shampoo and conditioner from Walmart are just as affordable and far better for your animals.

That’s what I use every week in my barn.

One note: don’t use shampoo every day.

Rinsing daily is great as long as you dry them properly but shampoo should be used about once a week or when they’re truly dirty.

Pigs are the exception. They often need to be washed more frequently, and I’d recommend something like a dog shampoo with charcoal for their skin. It works well and keeps the hair in good shape.

Takeaway:

Those are my top five things for beginners. You’ll be surprised how much easier your project becomes when you add these to your routine.

Before you make any decision, ask yourself:

“Is this common sense, or am I overlooking something simple?”

That question will take you a long way.

Good luck building your routine.

What did you struggle with the most when you started? I'd love to hear what you did to improve it. Reply to this newsletter or leave a comment below.