Really helpful.....I had neveer thought that dry bedding in the aisles and cobwebs can be big fire hazards. This artical really helps!
For some unknown reason, All of your articles are allowing me to PRINT THE FIRST PAGE ONLY. THERE IS A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE.....
I would like to add some valuable tips that will tweak the techniques of "Mucking 101". First I would like address the digging out the urine spot. In my years of being in horse experience,I have been to many barns and have always seen stalls that develop a depressed center. This usually occurs in dirt and clay floor barns. This is obviously caused by the removal of dirt from each stall mucking. I know how easy it is to just go in,dig out the spot and then replace the removed dirt with fresh new dirt. Simple right? Not necessarily. First you have to determine the source where the replacement dirt is being excavated from. You may think you can just go outside the barn and pick a spot and start filling up your wheel barrow,then bring it back in,dump it and that's that. Well, it is a nice convenient cost effective way to do it. However, unless you know for sure that nothing has been growing in that soil,such as mold spores and other organisms then surely go ahead and use it. Just remember,just because you can't see them does not mean they aren't there. Bacteria and spores can and will contaminate your horses stall's base substrate,especially a urine drenched stall which contains high levels of ammonia. The ammonia acts as a growth enhancer to some molds and funguses. This little oversight can be a main source of bacteria growth that thrives right under your horses feet such as thrush. I urge you to not be lead into believing that lime alone will control the source of odor and further contamination. Lime will act only as an odor inhibitor because of its PH that neutralizes the acidity in the urine. Before you replace the removed soil from the stall,I emphatically suggest that you have a few bags of fresh clean top soil on hand.The bags usually cost no more than $2.00 per bag and you can pick them up at any lawn a garden store. Be sure to not use potting soil.Make sure there are no fertilizers or growth enhancer in it. Read the label and it will tell you of its contents. Also bare in mind that top soil is natural and contains its own nutrients and ecosystem. This you cannot avoid but it is safe to use as back fill. The main idea is to minimize the health risks to you,your horse and others! Stall soil contamination can transfer bacteria and spores to your horses digestion and respiratory systems. Also remember that horses usually eat off the ground because that is the way they are anatomically designed. It is conducive for a horses digestion for them to forage off the ground due to the way their jaw and teeth function with one another. If a food source such as hay or other tidbits are incorporated with microbes or other organisms from the transplanted soil, then your horses feed will become contaminated also. For example,I had been boarding at this one barn for quite some time. There was never a problem with health issues there. The stall substrate was clay and as . Some of the boarders were complaining about having to replace the clay with new. They were repeatedly experiencing deep depressions that caused sloped flooring. This a bad thing for tendons and skeletal muscle stress etc.An even,well leveled stall floor can make a significant difference in your horses over all performance. So anyway, the boarders at the barn were very experienced horse people in their own right. Little did they realize they had been installing the clay wrong.The trick to applying a clay floor is to make sure that you grate it smoothly and then tamp it well. All done right? Wrong! Let it set for a few hours? Wrong again! Some clay may be more moist than other so if the clay that use is dry,then you have to moisten it with a hose set on a very fine mist. This will ensure that the clay will properly compact and cure. If the clay seems too moist,then you have allow for a longer duration to allow to dry and harden. Either way,use your discretion on to determine the proper consistency. When you are using clay,you have to remember it has its own natural hardening agent in it. It requires a minimum of 36 hours for curing before putting your horse back in the stall that you just patched. Yeah patched. When you use clay it is like using concrete. You have to allow it to cure. You will find that if you do this it will be way less absorbant. The curing time of course will depend on the climate and weather conditions. This is where many people make the mistake by putting their horse back into the stall after turn out. At that point the clay is very susceptible to the absorption of ammonia and bacteria.Clay will absorb the ammonia and bacteria,then dry and lock in the odor. So,no matter how many times that you clean your stall per day,you will never remove the entire source of the odor if you don't follow the steps to replacing the dirt or clay properly. If you dont have an alternate stall available to put your horse in while the clay sets, then I suggest that you leave them in the field where there is adequate shelter such as lean too or a run in shed if wether permits. I know that many people hate the thought of leaving their horses out in case there is a thunder storm etc. Believe me they will be fine. Some horses actually prefer it. If you cannot do either of the two,then go to the farm manager or owner and explain the situation. I am sure if you present the problem to them with the right approach then you will receive a good response. Try not to make it sound so accusatory like it is their fault. That will only make them keep you waiting for a solution to the problem. Remember to be tactful! The important thing is to get the problem solved as soon as possible. With that being said. The people in my barn was replacing the clay with dirt because it was just easier and more readily available.All they had to do was step out back and take it from the dirt pile that was left by a boarder which was a landscaper by trade. It was beautiful fill,but that's all it was. It would have been great stuff if you were planting a garden. One thing for sure,it definitely was not for horses stalls. Two weeks later the stalls and the feed rooms were infested with ants,mold and beetles. Yeah it was pretty nasty. What the boarders didn't realize,they had opened a Pandora box. As I said "The soil looked great on the surface"! They didn't know what was lurking beneath the top five or so inches. Horse were getting sick,they were being bitten by several different species of ants. The mold had spread from one stall to the next at ground level under the straw and shavings. It had infiltrated the dirt through the clay. Soil samples were taken to determine this. There were over 40 stalls and 38 were affected. All 40 horses had to be kept outside for a week while the problem was being treated. It was a very expensive process for the owner. Thank God it was in the summer and not in the harsh of winter. So all I am trying to covey to you is to just be selective where you get your dirt from to back fill the hole in your stall. No matter what you use,dirt or clay,be sure to tamp it well and allow it to set during turn out. Let me add this while I am at it. Shavings are a perfect source for mold to grow when it is established. Straw was no better. As far as matting? It is worse than the two! This is why it is not just muck and go! You have to be even more aware of what goes on in your horses bedroom than you do in the field where they play.Although you may wash your stall mats everyday,rubber is very susceptible to mold because of its porous structure. Washing your stall mats with a baking soda solution and allowing them to dry in full sun for 5-6 hours is optimal for killing mold spores and bacteria. The baking soda is environmentally safe,safe for you and your horse,and it is an effective way to neutralize acidity. I do realize that there are stall mat washing products,but if you ask me, I suggest to use baking soda. The solution is as follows; One pound of baking soda to a five gallon bucket of water,scrub,dont rinse,then let dry thoroughly before replacing back in the stall. This should be repeated at least three to four times per week. I just thought that I would pass this on to horse owners and I do realize that there are many of us out here that believe we have all the answers and solutions to proper horse care. On the contrary,we are all students in equine care. I have been in the horse industry for over 30 years and I am still learning new things. I even learn from people who have less experience. It is an ongoing learning adventure. I suggest that horse owners to be more open minded to all suggestions and tips. To keep your horses stalls clean and safe will result in a healthier happier companion. God Bless! TJ Cruise
I love and value the advice given on how to keep a clean barn, but I must point out the fact that some of it is unnecessary. Horses have been evolving for millions of years, and never in those millions of years did they have shelter, soft bedding, or clean water sources. That is, of course, until humans came into the picture. I could go on for pages on the subject of natural horse care and boarding, but instead I will recommend a book that was recommended to me called "A Lifetime of Soundness" by Dr. vet. med. Hiltrud Strasser. If anyone is interested, they may have to buy it online.
the article is very useful for the first time horse owner(which is hopefully me soon!)i would have never thought of cob webs as fire hazards.thank you for informing me
Very good mucking 101 for barn stalls. But...you did not address those who have pipestalls and dirt flooring.