# packed shavings in stalls?



## arabgirl247 (Feb 13, 2012)

The current barn I work in has this weird concept I haven't heard about when it comes to stalls. She has mats in her stalls, and then she keeps a base of wet shavings underneath her dry shavings. The "base" as she calls it is very wet and full of urine. However, she doesn't want me to dig into the base and ruin it. I find the whole concept of her "base" as weird and counterproductive. I always thought the mats were suppose to be the cushioning "base." Her stalls are always very wet because of her wet base and it makes cleaning stalls a pain. I have never spent so much time cleaning stalls before! A lot of her horses have tendon and ligament issues and I am wondering if this wet base is making these issues more pronounced. I am curious about what other people think about this situation.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I think she's going to have a barn full of horses with thrush, if she doesn't already.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

That sounds absolutely unsanitary.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Or a barnfull of horses with breathing problems. When we'd bed with straw, the wettest areas were removed with the remainder fluffed up against the stall boards to allow it to dry. What had been wet was put in the area where the horse usually peed or dumped. The previously dry straw was then spread to become the base and a few fresh flakes were fluffed on top. This method does not work with shavings. She's trying to save money but horses can quickly develop sores if laying in this.


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## arabgirl247 (Feb 13, 2012)

That is how I feel about it too. I have worked at a couple of barns and was taught to always get the wet stuff up! I think her way to would give horses feet problems and it's disgusting. I don't know if I should bring it up to her though. I feel like I should, but I doubt she would change. She's been doing this for awhile. I can't believe people board at her place. Thanks guys! I was thinking I was going crazy!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Saddlebag said:


> Or a barn full of horses with breathing problems.


Yes, that too. The ammonia created by urine would definitely create breathing problems for horses stalled longer than a couple of hours.

I've always discarded wet bedding, and every barn I've ever been to does the same. I can't imagine what this woman is thinking.


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## AllegroAdante (Sep 28, 2008)

That sounds disgusting, and is not healthy for the horses. I can't imagine how bad her barn smells with all that ammonia.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

arabgirl247 said:


> I don't know if I should bring it up to her though.


If you never ask a question, you will never know the answer.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Absolutely incorrect way to manage stalls and horrible for the horse's health. Sounds like she is justifying her attempt to save money on putting fresh shavings in a stall. YUCK!!


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

That sounds disgusting. Whenever I clean a stall, I try to remove as much of the wet material as I can, shaking the shavings through the fork and sifting them as much as possible. At one barn, they didn't have stall mats in the stalls and the horses stood on packed dirt. We sprinkled lime on the wet spots and tried to give the stall floor as much time to dry as possible before we re-bedded. On any given day, we would turn horses out, clean stalls and pile the shavings up along the sides of the stalls. Just before we brought horses in at the end of the day, we would throw in fresh shavings. The dirt floor had a chance to dry and the barn never smelled of ammonia like some barns have a tendency to. 

Keeping a layer of wet shavings in a stall is just asking for thrush and breathing problems. I bet there are no barefoot horses in that barn either, because they are ouchy due to the wet bedding.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Allison Finch said:


> Absolutely incorrect way to manage stalls and horrible for the horse's health. Sounds like she is justifying her attempt to save money on putting fresh shavings in a stall. YUCK!!


Plus, the wet shavings dampen any dry shavings you put on top of them, so you use MORE shavings that way.


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## arabgirl247 (Feb 13, 2012)

I completely agree with all of you! I have had all of these thoughts myself. I have sent her an email about this and I was very polite, but pointed out the problems. I hope she is receptive. Somebody has got to say something and help the horses!


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Move barns or talk to your owner and have the bedding changed... Keeping horses in that is NOT exceptable, and I know some states have laws about things such as this!


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

That is just NASTY! How in the heck can anyone justify letting them stand in their own urine after throwing dry shavings on top of it......

I would hazard a guess that the flies LOVE this barn!


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## hoopla (Jan 29, 2012)

Oh dear!

Very poor management practice and for all the reasons stated.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

caseymyhorserocks said:


> Move barns or talk to your owner and have the bedding changed... Keeping horses in that is NOT exceptable, and I know *some states have laws about things such as this*!


Can you give us links to those states?

Curious as our neighbor cleans his barn once a week. Yep - once a week.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

NASTY!! I pick stalls out every other day (most often I can get there, and they get turned out daily). Most everything gets taken out, mats heavily limed, and a new bag goes in.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

My stalls are cleaned twice a day, and the horses have free access to the pasture! I couldn't imagine going a week not cleaning.

Sounds very unsanitary, like she's trying to justify saving money at the horses' expense. The wet stuff may be under the dry, but it's still going to cause breathing problems for the horses.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I've known a couple of Saddlebred barns that do that. The shavings were not only packed on the floor but on the sides too to make a bank to prevent casting (so they said). The horses stood in a kind of bowl & the manure would roll into the bottom of the bowl. To clean they took out maybe 2 pitchforks full, never wet spots unless by chance, just kept adding shavings to the middle only. It took them about 30 seconds to clean a stall. I can only imagine what it looked like under the top inch or so. 
Besides the bedding I always felt sorry for the horses as they never stood level & were in those stalls all day unless ridden.
People paid a lot of money for that too.


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