Four steps for cleaning out a horse stall

You wouldn’t want to sleep on a bed that was filthy would you? Your horse doesn’t want to sleep in a stall that’s filthy either. Cleaning out your horse’s stall is important for his health and well-being. Here are the four steps you should take to clean out the stall:

1) Have the right tools
A pitchfork, shovel, broom, gloves and wheelbarrow are all required for this job so have them when you go in there to clean.

2) Get on in there
With the horse out of the stall and your wheelbarrow close by, take your pitchfork, remove the manure and put in on the wheelbarrow. For the urine that has accumulated, the best way to clear it out might be a shovel. If you can’t easily fit all of the excrement on to the wheelbarrow, make a few trips to your manure pile. That’s better than tipping your wheelbarrow over because you put too much in.

3) Re-laying the bedding
After you’ve cleaned out the soiled bedding, double check what you perceive to be clean and make sure there’s nothing you missed. If the remaining clean bedding is fine, redistribute it evenly throughout the stall. After that, add new bedding on top to create a layer your horse will be comfortable with. The thickness should depend on a few things such as the temperature and bottom surface of the stall. For instance, a concrete stall in the winter should have a decent amount of bedding to keep your horse from getting cold.

4) Continuing maintenance
While some of the bedding was clean, you should clear out everything at least once a week. Whether it has been soiled on or not, it could still have a tendency to get stale.