Had to rewrite the question. I originally asked about saving time as regards barn chores because I wrongly thought that going to the barn was another of saying that you are visiting your horse(s). (Please forgive me. I am Australian.)
What do you all do to save time in the care of your horses?
More pasture time, less stall time = less time to pick stalls
Barn enclosed in perimeter fencing so no/less time leading horses into/out of pastures
Mine are out 24/7 with unlimited grass, auto waterers and a run-in or stall access. Virtually chore-free horsekeeping.
I use the big grey Rubber Maid wheelbarrow to muck/bed stalls It holds a lot so that means fewer trips back and forth.
For most of the private barn owners here, mowing is what eats up time. So get the biggest, fastest mower you can afford.
Ride now, chores later 
But on a serious note:
They are turned out 24/7 even in the winter - this means no cleaning stalls, making trips to the manure pile, or hauling individual buckets of water. They have 1 big tub that gets filled once a day in the winter, and in the summer it runs on an automatic float so it fills when the level gets down to a certain height.
Horses that are turned out really does cut down on “chore time”
I don’t have grass (just a wooded lot) so I have a round bale out in a hay net and a feeder. This cuts waste/mess down to about zero, and I only have to worry about putting hay out once every two weeks or so. Horses are out all the time, so their run in shed doesn’t get too dirty.
I board, so for me having my horse in a stall saves times because I don’t have to bring him in to ride! I’m not particularly expedient, I usually try to give myself at least 20 minutes to get ready (groom, tack up, boots on horse and myself) but it helps to stay organized and always put everything back in the same place so you don’t have to search for it.
Leave horse’s out feed grain once a day. If on dry lot put out enough hay for a week at a time. Ride before doing chores then you get ride time. I don’t board so I have to do mowing of pasture.
My horse’s have no set time for being fed. So if I ride before feeding they don’t care…even if they did I’d still ride them.
For me having things organized and set up efficiently makes a big difference in the amount of time it takes to do chores. If you have a long walk to the pastures or to your hay/food storage it will obviously take longer to get everything done. I like to have all my cleaning tools stored in one place - wheelbarrow, manure fork, broom, rake, etc. For me, when I’m cleaning, the easiest way is to muck a stall and empty the water buckets while I’m doing that stall. After all the stalls are mucked I add shavings to any/all that need them. Then I toss hay. The last thing I do is fill water buckets. People having different ways of doing things but I think the biggest thing is to develop a routine and do it the same way every time. You will naturally get faster when things come second nature to you.
Ha! Would love more time with the horses instead of being their slave! Most of my time is spent on mowing during this wet year.
I do leave them out 24/7, actually have cobwebs in stalls -rats, another chore to clean!
Sometimes when the Pone can’t be on so much grass, they are in separate pastures. Then I feed outside, with fence feeders. Takes 5 minutes to feed before work.
At night I choose to bring them in, feed and turn out after I spend more time grooming, petting, etc
The Pone reverts to feral if I don’t handle him daily, and the OTTB looses weight if alone in the pasture (5 feet away from the in full view Pone]. So separate pastures doesn’t really work for long, even though its convenient to me.
This is a simple thing, but I was spending a lot of time looking for simple things. I found a good storage solution for the things I need most often, like wire cutters, scissors, a pocket knife, etc. With them stored conveniently on hooks, I don’t loose time looking for them. I have hooks on the wall for manure forks and tools like rakes and shovels. I’d much rather spend my time grooming my horse than searching for wire cutters to get the hay out.
i feed grain daily, but at home I don’t close my horses in their stalls. I should clean the pasture more than I do, but they are healthy and happy and oftentimes, there is nothing at at all to clean from the stalls. I wish I had a larger barn aisle to make cleaning, especially after heavy rains when I may have to haul a lot of wet shavings and hay from the stalls!
i also use hay bags in the stalls, which has helped keep the stalls cleaner since they’re not filled with shavings and uneaten hay that is heavy and hard to get out. Or at least it lessens the amount of hay on the floor.
It is definitely a learn as you go and adapt to your situation to make things as streamlined as they can be.
Horses are on night turn out (3 PM to 9 or 10 AM) about 9 months of the year.
I muck directly into the spreader, and add fertilizer and lime after each stall. I can safely spread directly onto my pastures. No manure pile to deal with.
I have big slow feed hay nets so I only have to fill them every other day. Like Casey says, keep your frequently used tools handy. I have multiple pairs of scissors stationed around the barn so I never have to look for them. I have mine on a brightly colored lanyard so you can spot them quickly if you drop them or put them down somewhere. Multiple trashcans too - you don’t have to walk far to throw something away.
Paddock gates are close to the barn, and water troughs large enough that they only need to be filled once a week.
Me too! Ugg! It’s been a non-stop pasture + lawn mowing summer.
But to answer OP’s question:
My horses are mostly out 24/7 which keeps things pretty easy as others have said – but the horses I ride come into the barn/stalls for the day in case I DO find time to get on someone. So…
… my real time saver is that I absolutely clean the stalls at night so they are ready for the next day. Having nice fresh stalls in the morning means less work = more day time energy to devote to horses.
I also keep my riding clothes/boots in the tack room = quick switch from chore mode to riding mode.
And I have a centrally located hay/feed storage shed – a satelite ‘hub’ of sorts – that is a short walk to each horse area for feeding.
My guys are out 24/7 and eat in the field together (the one that has to eat separate has a small area in the field fenced for her to eat in undisturbed). In the winter round bales are a life saver- I put out 2 every two weeks, takes about 90 minutes total from picking them up at my hay guy to having them out in the field. Also my guys have all have very good ground manners instilled in them- meaning no haltering for fly spray or blanketing or de-worming, etc.
24/7 Turn out; enclosed barn area to minimize leading to bring into the barn at least; round bales and hay huts for winter hay. Also agree that good ground manners are a huge plus. I can fly spray mine and also slather vaseline on chests and bellies to keep the gnats away from the more tender areas. Also makes putting on fly masks, if they wear them, easier.
Not anything I can change to save time. Horses are out but come to the barn/ dry lot at night. I put hay out in the morning, clean up the manure, fill trough. It doesn’t take me very long as I don’t put bedding in the run in ( they poop in it and lay in the dirt).
I add hay in the evening if they have eaten at the pile during the day.
I leave the barn open so they can come and go. Usually, they walk outside when they defecate, so stall cleaning is minimal. Automatic waters are great. They are heated, so don’t freeze in the winter. I use portagrazer slow feeders so hay is not wasted.
I board and like having a clean horse. Having a small ShopVac with a grooming attachment saves time and keeps my pads clean.
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