The Importance Of Horse Stall Cleaning

By Maryanne Goff


Horses are beautiful majestic creatures that can be ridden and used in a variety of different ways. They graze on grass and eat hay, vegetables such as carrots, oats and grains. The deposits of a horse are pretty much everywhere they roam and of course where they are housed. They are usually domesticated and live on farms and ranches and are usually housed in stalls or paddocks; thus leading to horse stall cleaning which is all part of ownership and care.

The general daily cleaning of a stall is commonly referred to as mucking. It is important to keep the stalls clean not just for the horse but the people that may visit or work in the barns and paddocks. It is not healthy for the animals to reside in dirty accommodations, it can cause problems with their lungs and hoofs.

Animals do not like to reside in filthy conditions just like humans do not like dirt and filth. When an environment is dirty there is more concern about health issues. The ammonia odor from urine and feces can cause breathing problems and standing in this filth can also cause problems with the hooves of the animal.

Certain tools will be needed in order to clean the stalls and it is usually helpful to have all your tools gathered prior to beginning the task. The tools most commonly used are a wheelbarrow, shovel, a five prong pitch fork and a stable broom. Many find it helpful to wear gloves when doing this job in order to protect their hands from blistering and direct contact with the soiled bedding. There are preconceived notions that you can catch diseases and parasites from the manure; however, horse manure is less likely to care these things than human, cat or dog feces. So do not worry of you do come in contact, just be sure to wash the area thoroughly.

When replacing bedding be sure to allow enough so the animal is comfortable. The pitch fork should be used to fluff shavings or straw. Depending on the type of flooring and the season, bedding may need to be used in thicker quantities. When stripping be sure the floor is dry before replacing the bedding. Once this has been completed the water and feed can be replaced along with any toys or other accessories. The cleaned environment will be appreciated by both the animal and anyone that gets near the barn or paddock.

The droppings can be used for fertilizer and as a heating source. Manure is a more environmentally safe fuel source and in many cases is greater heating source than hard wood. You would not think of this byproduct being used to heat, fertilize yes but heat is just a usage bonus.

In general most people consider manure to be disgusting and full of disease. This is not the case though. Horse manure is less likely to care disease and parasites making it highly unlikely for someone to catch something by coming in contact. Human feces, dog feces and cat feces are more likely to care disease and parasites making them more dangerous to come in contact with.

Horse stall cleaning is not the most vial thing you could be doing. In the end the horse will be happier and so will the owner and other people that are around. It is not necessarily a hard job and takes less than one hour to complete. Think about this when you are performing this task, it is better to spend the time cleaning the horse stall often instead of battling with the bugs, mold, mildew and worst of all the smell.




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