Know your stock before the next order.

Count usable stock in consistent units

Choose units that match your records: bales, bags or kilograms. Keep different bale sizes separate. Record the count date, recent deliveries and unusable stock. If supplies are reserved, subtract them once from the on-hand quantity to find what is available.

Measure your own usage

Use several recent days or weeks. Divide the total quantity used by the number of days. Review again when horse numbers, weather or management routines change. This is a stock-planning calculation, not a feeding recommendation.

Calculate days of cover

Days of cover = available stock ÷ average daily usage. In a fictional example, 60 available bedding bales at 4 per day give 15 days of cover.

Set a reorder point

Reorder quantity threshold = daily usage × (delivery lead time + buffer days). At 4 bales per day, a 5-day delivery lead time and a 3-day buffer give a 32-bale threshold. Choose the buffer for your supplier and storage constraints; it is not a guarantee against disruption.

Check the physical count

Compare recorded stock with a regular physical count. Investigate differences before changing records. Avoid comparing unlike bale sizes or assuming a yard request has already been issued.

Compare supplier costs · See Pocket Yard stock records