How to Clean a Horse's Stall

Your brother is going on vacation and he asked you if you would take care of his horse while he's gone. The horse is kept at a boarding stable, so the only thing you'd have to do is clean out the stall once a day. Simple! The problem is, you've never cleaned out a stall before and you aren't sure what exactly is involved... Well then, let us enlighten you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Pitchfork or stall pick
• Wheelbarrow
• Clean bedding

1. Put a halter and a lead rope on the horse and either put him in another stall, turn him out or put him in the cross ties. If you are new at this and you have the option, it might be best to turn him out - it could take a while.
2. Get a pitchfork or stall pick (preferably one with all the tines intact) and a wheelbarrow, and trundle on over to your horse's stall.
3. If your horse is hayed on the floor, first separate the clean hay from the bedding. If you use straw, this could be a challenge. If it is shavings, pellets or something smaller, it will be much easier. Don't be afraid to toss out wet or soiled hay.
4. Depending on how messy your horse is and the consistency of her droppings, it is usually a fairly simple task to pick out the manure. Remove all obvious apples, along with any bedding that surrounds them. Empty your wheelbarrow as necessary.
5. Now comes the treasure hunt. If your horse is female, use your pick or pitchfork to dig out the bedding from along the sides and corners of the stall to check for urine spots. Any wet bedding should be removed. If your horse is male, check more around the center of the stall.
6. Remove any wet bedding from underneath the water buckets. This area can get really saturated.
7. Empty your wheelbarrow and fill it with clean bedding. The goal is to replace whatever you took out of the stall, so that may require you to make a couple trips.
8. Spread out the new bedding over the old, banking it along the sides and corners of the stall.
9. Collect your horse and return him or her to the stall. Many horses will immediately roll when presented with fresh bedding, so be aware and avoid getting trapped in a compromising location.

Tips & Warnings

• As you are cleaning, check the bedding for any signs of unusual dampness or mold. Either one may be a sign of poor ventilation or a leak in the roof.
• Every few months, the floor of your horse's stall should be washed and all the bedding should be completely replaced.
• Be sure to remove any moldy bedding or hay. Mold can make horses sick.