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Days in Horse Country – Stall Mucking, Anyone?
It’s every horse owner’s least favourite activity but one
of the most frequently necessary. Who
could possibly enjoy removing manure from a stall or paddock?
By cleaning your horse’s stall each day, you provide him with a more aesthetically pleasing environment, and also a healthier one. Horses who live in dirty stalls are prone to hoof disease, especially thrush, which is a nasty infection that can rot a horse’s hoof from the inside out. Removing soiled bedding and manure from the stall also reduced the number of stable flies in the horse’s world. Stable flies bite your horse until it bleeds, and they are carriers of disease.
A clean stall is also good for your horse’s lungs. Horses that inhale ammonia vapours that accumulate from lingering urine can have compromised airways.
To help make your mucking job easier, apply the following tips:
- Invest in a good manure fork. A variety of different style forks are at your local feed store, including ones that are ergonomically designed.
- Provide your horse with bedding that is absorbent without being dusty, especially if you or your horse has allergies.
- Have manure hauled off your property often to cut down on the odor and flies. If you decide to spread or compost your manure, check with your local officials. Depending on where you live, and whether you live in a horse community, environmental agencies may be strict about keeping waterways free of bacteria from animal waste. Spreading and composting of manure is no longer allowed in many areas.
Stay on top of your stall cleaning, and you job will be easier. Nothing is worse than tackling a stall that hasn’t been cleaned for several days.
Michael