How to Clean out a Stable

According to myth, Hercules cleaned out the Augean Stables by diverting the course of a river. Us mere mortals have to do it the hard way, however. You need to keep your stable clean in order to ensure the health of your horses. It's rarely a pleasant job, but it's part of the price of keeping a stable.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Work gloves
• Rubber boots
• Wheelbarrow
• Pitchfork
• Shaving fork
• Shovel
• Washing scrub
• Broom

1. Wear proper clothes. Horses can leave fairly big messes, so don't wear anything you intend to wear anywhere else. Solid work gloves are a necessity, as are rubber boots that can resist the corrosive effects of urine.
2. Remove the horse from the stall you intend to clean. If you have a paddock or grazing field, you can let the horse out for a supervised run. Otherwise, you can place him in an empty stall until you are done cleaning out his stable. You should also remove the feeding and watering troughs and any other accoutrements such as salt licks.
3. Shovel the manure, used bedding and wood shavings into a wheelbarrow. The type of tool you use depends on the manner of the waste. A pitchfork works well for manure mixed in straw, while shaving shovels can help get rid of wood shavings. Shovels work best for raw piles of manure.
4. Roll the wheelbarrow out to your designated manure pile and dump it.
5. Continue to remove the waste from the area until all of it has been removed from the stall.
6. Move on to the next stall, repeating the same process as necessary.
7. Scrub down the stalls to clean up any lingering detritus. Use a strong brush that can get at any material that may be dug in and remove any water you use once you're done.
8. Rinse the stall out with a water hose and allow the area to dry.
9. Sweep the stable clean and remove any remaining waste to the manure pile.
10. Return the food and water troughs to the stalls, fill them with fresh food and water and line each stall with fresh bedding to suit your needs.
11. Return the horses to their stalls.

Tips & Warnings

• Thoroughness is important when you clean out a stable. Make sure you get every nook and cranny, and be sure to check for cobwebs in the rafters and other places.