3 Stable Hacks To Make Stall Cleaning So Much Easier
We get it. While you probably love your horse like family and riding is your therapy, it’s unlikely that you share the same passions for cleaning your stalls. At Greg Grant Saddlery , we’ve shared our top stall cleaning tips to have you back doing what you love fast - with no compromise on the comfort and hygiene of your horse.
Proper cleaning and maintenance of your horse stalls is super important in making sure your horse is comfortable and safe. While you shouldn’t go cutting corners with your cleaning routine, there are some handy ways to be more efficient in the process. They’ll save you time cleaning, and give you more time riding!
1. Choose the best bedding material
If you’re torn between using straw and wood shavings as a bedding material, bear in mind the easy-clean aspect of the latter. Both may bear a tolerable scent, but straw is considerably tougher to clean than wood shavings. Save yourself some time by investing in wood bedding as it’s far more absorbent. Make sure you provide a thick enough layer to provide the correct level of comfort to your horse.
2. Dress appropriately
Did you know horse urine could erode the soles of your leather riding boots? Opt for rubber work boots to avoid any undue damage to the leather of your boots. As for your clothes, choose something comfortable and something that you don’t mind getting dirty. You’ll save yourself time if you’re not worrying about keeping yourself clean!
3. Have a process
When giving yourself that kick up the butt to get cleaning, it’s sometimes tempting to leave the worst jobs until last. Having a systematic process of cleaning your stall will make the process faster and far more efficient. Here’s what we recommend.
- Clear out the area. Water buckets, toys, and of course, your horse.
- Remove manure. Our handy manure scoop can make this process much easier! This can vary in time consumption depending on your horse’s habits, but getting it out of the way gives you a clean workspace to continue on with. Be careful not to waste good bedding when you are cleaning manure.
- Identify and remove the wettest areas.
- Check the overall appearance of the bedding. Are some areas too thin? If you think you’ve had to remove too much in the cleaning process, Try raking some in from the corners using a long handled stable fork, as this is often the driest. Finally add in some fresh bedding as required to create a hygienic and comfortable environment for your horse.
We hope our stall cleaning hacks will make the task as easy for you as possible. Stay tuned for more horse maintenance tips and tricks!
