# When is the right time??



## scwrl (Jan 4, 2012)

i have a question about cleaning my horses stall. well my horse can go in and out of her stall whenever she wants. we have fences up in the barn so she can get from outside into her stall. she eats in her stall most of the time. i want to know how often i should clean out that part of the barn and stall?


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

For starters, you should clean any poo out on a daily basis at the least. If your horse is like mine and doesn't poo in the stall part, and only outside, then it all depends on what bedding you use. If you use shavings, I would strip and re-bed once a week or in the summer more often if you notice the ammonia from pee getting bad.

If you use something like the "Best Cob" or other peleted, you may be able to go a little longer as long as you "stir" it on a daily basis. I use the "Best Cob" on Cinny and he goes in there so rarely that I only ever have to add a bag or two (he has a 12X14 box stall with an attached outdoor run) every couple of weeks without stripping it so long as it is stirred on a daily basis to keep it fluffy.

The main things are that 1 the bedding isn't damp or wet and 2 it doesn't stink or have an ammonia problem. If you don't have an issue with either, you are probably good to go.


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## scwrl (Jan 4, 2012)

the stall Milkshake (my horse) goes into doesn't really have bedding except for dirt. and i never change that out the whole barn is filled with dirt so i don't worry about changing it out. she doesnt poop much in the stall but she does right outside of the stall which is still in the barn


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

I would just always make sure all poop is gone on a daily basis. I have been known to let Cin's run go for a day, but never more than that. Inside the barn is another story intirely, especially in the summer as it can get pretty bad smelling and it draws flies into the barn. You may not be bothered by it so much, but it can be a very annoying nuisance for other people/horses to have to deal with smell and flies.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

First, consider the purpose of a horse's stall. It is for shelter from the weather and for comfort. People built stalls for their horses to rest after being worked all day. THIS is why many people here talk about keeping their horses outside most of the time with JUST a shelter bc they aren't worked very hard. 
That being said, _the best stall keeping_ is too remove the poo so that any parasite eggs are not injested from any hay your horse eats on the floor of his stall, and to remove anything WET. Wet urine produces ammonia, which is bad for your horse's lungs. Spilled water wets bedding, and your horse's feet are the healthiest when they are dry--no hoof, no horse.
I would suggest that you clean 2x/day or 1x/day if twice is not possible. Every horse keeps his stall differently. I can tell which of my horses was in which stall just by cleaning it bc they have different habits. My mare, for instance, ONLY soils (urinates and defecates) in a 3 x 3' spot in her stall when I keep up with it, and she picks another spot to urinate only in, if I leave it for a day. My 16"3hh gelding drinks/urinates a lot more than she does, so his stall can get a lot wetter. I have 2 stall seasons: SUMMER--all 3 wander 4 acres and go in the shelter when they wish--no stalls; and WINTER: stalled every night, and sometimes all day. Your horse will want to lie down at night. You can tell bc he will have bedding on his side in the morning. You wouldn't want to lie in your own mess, and some horses lose rest bc the stall is dirty and he/she isn't lying down. (They only lie prone for about 15 minutes, and they are only in "Nativity Position" for aobut another 30 minutes, but it is necesary rest.)
Horses are pretty tough. If you get sick or weather gets foul and you have to miss a few days of cleaning your horse will survive. I just sleep better when all of my animals--I have dogs, cats and chickens, too--are tucked in, clean housing, every night. =D


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

To simply it, poop attracts insects and parasites. The cleaner the stall, the healthier the horse can be. I did it daily, sometimes more than once.


You SHOULD clean stalls more often during the day if your horse is on stall rest, I might add, especially with an open wound.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If your horse doesn't poop or pee in the stall, then it sounds like it stays clean. Poop is a parasite haven and needs to be removed daily. I wish my horses were house trained (stall trained.... ).


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I never clean the stall or the corral, and maybe drag the field once a year. I dont keep my horse locked inside so he goes out side. I feed a small amount of textured feed so the chickens take care of the manure.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Joe, all play and no work?
Sounds like fun.
I usually keep my horses out as well. I only stable a horse if I have some kind of issue with them such as a sick animal or something like that. When they are confined, you obviously have to do a lot of cleaning. 
I have a large acreage so there is not a problem with accumulated crap. It is only when they are confined or on small acreage that there is so much work to do.


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

My mare is kept outside year round and the barn owner takes care of the field. When I used to work at the racing stable, we would give the stalls a good mucking in the morning and spot check throughout the day to remove new manure or wet spots. We would fluff bedding and add my shavings as needed throughout the week, but we would do a complete strip/re-bed every Monday. We took Sundays off (aside from feeding and watering), so it just made sense to strip the stalls the day after.


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