# How to clean a stall :::rant & question:::



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Stall cleaning is like so many other things in life. No two people can agree on what is the right way to do it.


If it annoys you to have others not cleaning their stall right do not allow them to clean them. If you are not able to say no, just clean them again yourself, the way you want them done.


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## leonalee (Jul 1, 2010)

Haha - well, my hubby and I agree! That is exactly what we do: I brought this up because someone else has a post (not related really at all, but that made me think of this). 

We don't mind when people clean their own stalls from time to time; we only mind when the people we ask specifically (and tell specifically what we expect) don't do it, lol. I just posted this because I KNOWKNOWKNOW there have to be other people out there who experience the same thing, and really, unless you are willing to offend people about something most people consider mundane, all you can do is laugh. And, I'm curious how else there is to clean stalls other than the way WE do it (no, I don't think our way is the only way, but it is what works for us). There are SOOOOO many variables: type of bedding, type of footing, drains v no drains, stall size... and the list goes on. Efficient and effective is our goal, lol. 

This certainly isn't a convo non-horsey people will care about, so where else can you discuss it?


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I have two horses, two stalls, both done totally differently.

Mare who is a pig and likes to have pawing fits when she is not getting her grain fast enough has a stall that has mats from edge to edge. She is also the type that if her hay hits the floor it becomes bedding. She gets minimal bedding because the more bedding she gets the more I have to sift through and toss out 2x per day. Morning and evening all manure and wet saw dust are removed. More is added as needed.

Gelding is neat but urinates (and drinks) a lot. The base in his stall is crushed stone (same base as the whole barn). He is bedded with a very thick layer of sawdust with straw on top. Manure is removed 2x per day. 1x per day straw is removed from the middle and some pee spot is removed, dust and straw put back on. Once every two weeks the whole wet portion of the stall is removed and the thick base is replaced.

So, I am not sure either of my ways matches yours, both work well for their horses.


I used to clean stalls in exchange for board when I boarded. The one girl never ever removed hay. By the end of the week, the stalls she cleaned had a huge pile of yucky stinky hay in the corner (some horses are fussy and messy). The one horse always had one corner of his stall that was several feet higher than the rest of his stall, because of the rotting hay pile. But she cleaned out the wet spot.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Well, as a boarder who has also owned a barn herself, I am really picky (no pun intended ) too. I have boarded in a variety of situations, but always, when I clean my stall (or others to help out) I get the pee by sort of taking off what is salvageable on top of it or around it, and then scraping up the wet stuff with the fork. Some places use lime, some not, but the pee spots is where that goes, I pick up the manure, then redistribute the shavings, adding as needed. then sweep the stall, so that the shavings are away from the door-which saves on sweeping the aisle. 
Now, if I was working off board, I would consider that like employment. I would think that if someone is working off their board you have every right to corrrect them if you don't like it. However, those who are not working it off, and are just being helpful, I would just be glad they helped at all.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

If you have only one way that you consider 'correct', then don't let anyone else clean stalls to help defray board costs. There are plenty of other onerous, back breaking tasks that need to be done.

I have my own anal retentive routine when I clean stalls. You might not like it, but then, I might not like your way.

Essentially what it comes down to is your barn, your rules. If people can't play by your rules, then they don't play. It really is that simple.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> If you have only one way that you consider 'correct', then don't let anyone else clean stalls to help defray board costs. There are plenty of other onerous, back breaking tasks that need to be done.
> 
> I have my own anal retentive routine when I clean stalls. You might not like it, but then, I might not like your way.
> 
> Essentially what it comes down to is your barn, your rules. If people can't play by your rules, then they don't play. It really is that simple.


Exactly!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

This whole thread made me laugh, and brought back memories, some good, some not.

To the OP, apparently you haven't run into the diligent and helpful individual who picks up the clay flooring in an attempt to get all of the wet spot. :-(

You really have described two scenarios - 1.) the helpful boarder and 2.) the boarder trying to work off board - which require two separate responses. 

To the helpful boarder, tell them that you appreciate it, and that the best thing they can do to help you is to pick their horse's stall (manure only, from the top) before putting their horse away. Most fastiduous horsepeople are going to do this anyway. Say you prefer that they not muck to the bottom or rebed because you have you own system and schedule for that. 

To the boarder working off expenses; you have every right to hold them to the same standard as an employee, but you probably want to be a even more diplomatic than with the helpful boarder. Explain that you're particular about the stalls, and that they need to learn your preferred method before you'll allow them to do it for credit. Have them show up a couple of times to help you/work with you before entering into a barter for board arrangement. Say something self deprecatory like "I know it sounds silly, but we spend more on bedding than we do on hay (or hay and feed combined, whichever is true in your case) so you need to be very careful about how you sift and remove bedding; it really impacts our costs." 

"Shoveling manure" or mucking stalls are metaphors for the lowest sort of unskilled labor; you have to be tactful about explaining that it *is* a skill that takes a little practice to master and is difficult to do well. 

You'll also have to assume that any new stall mucker, and anyone not paying the bills, is going to waste more bedding than you would, and adjust the barter accordingly so it still works out to be a benefit for you.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Cleaning stalls is personal preference I think. When I worked at Quantico Stables, before it became a "club", back when it was a working facility we cleaned stalls every morning, picked the poop out and raked the sawdust back and forth to ensure we got all the poop balls. We picked the stalls again in the afternoon, we left the pee spots. The floors were clay and you would end up with a huge sink hole in the middle if you cleaned the pee spots daily. Once a week we would clean the pee spot out and once a month we would strip the stall and lime/lay fresh clay.

At my house... (My horses go in at night in the winter unless the weather is bad and stay out all summer) I started out by cleaning my pee spots daily. I never liked leaving them. I ended up with the huge craters in the center of 2 of my geldings stalls so I went to the every third day routine on the pee unless it was bad. I have one stall that is rubber matted so I don't have the problem there, but because drainage isn't great, it gets cleaned daily.

I add pineshavings liberally because they are $5 per bag. If the stall is cleaned properlly it will stay nice for a long time. My mom is bad, she'll pick the poop and then dump pineshavings over top to make it look really clean. I hate it when she cleans stalls but I hate it more when she doesn't (she only feeds when I go out of town so I can deal). I have a rider that comes in and always thinks they need new shavings so I'll have the stall just about stripped...and then... shavings... Or... I'll have the perfect amount of shavings... and she'll add more.... (I don't strip it in a day, I do it slowly over a week when it's time to strip - I just keep pulling out and never put back in till it's a quick strip)...

sheesh!


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## charlicata (Jan 12, 2010)

When I clean the stalls, My first thing is to remove all the poo. Then I scratch the surface a little bit to find the pee spot. After it's removed (down to the clay), I usually sprinkle a little lime on and around it, and even the shavings out in the stall. Very rarely do I do a complete strip. I had to frequently this past winter in my mare's stall. She's very messy and likes to walk it around. She also tries to dig to China when it's feed time. I haven't had to do it at all since winter. My two only come in to eat. And they only do that because it's easier on me; instead of standing between the two of them and playing referree to keep them from stealing food from each other.


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## leonalee (Jul 1, 2010)

FranknBeans: That is essentially what we do on a daily basis, then refloor the removed clay as needed. 

Maura: Your response differentiated between "helpers" much better than I did! You are so right: there are the "helpful boarders", whose help we greatly appreciate when they step in and scoop some poo here and there. More power to 'em! 

TheeEEEEeeen there are the "boarders working off expenses"... I think that is where we start going "Well, how do we discuss this diplomatically with them in a manner that isn't going to hurt their feelings or make them feel stupid?", because, after all, who wants to be told that they don't know how to clean a STALL, of all things? Too, you get the ones you've shown, who do it correctly for a time, then just start to slack off and take forgranted that you are giving them a deal. Haha... ah well... so we trudge on, doing it ourselves!


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## wildberryxX3 (Jun 28, 2010)

Oh, its okay. I was leasing a horse at "Full Service" barn whose idea of cleaning stalls was mixing things around or throwing a bag of shavings on top of everything maybe once a month if we were lucky. I tried to be a "helpful" boarder, but you know... Cleaning stalls is a waste of money and shavings. Lets let our horses suffer and get terrible nasty thrushy feet instead! :x

I completely agree with you about being picky. Those who want to work off their board need to be held to employee standards. It cost you more when they are lazy about picking stalls and bedding is used up excessively. 

When I clean a stall, I get all the poo out first, then rake what I can save away from the wet spot and get it out. We put lime down on the mats and let it dry out a bit before covering it back up, raking everything over a few more times to make sure we got everything out and bed back as needed. I absolutely can not stand grungy looking stalls! Especially just from lack of upkeep or lazy stall cleaners!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Oh, and btw, I was incredibly picky as as a BO and BM well. 

All stalls cleaned to the bottom every day, with wet spots well limed and left pulled back to air dry until it was time for the horses to come back in whenever possible. 

Stalls picked a couple of times a day during the summer to reduce flies and odor. 

There was a technique I learned when bedding on shavings where when the stall was pulled back; you could quickly run the shavings fork up through the piled bedding in such a way that the dirty bedding dribbled back down the piled shavings and could be picked up and removed. Also, when you pulled the old, usable bedding back over the stall, you could use a metal spring tine rake and lightly rake the top of the bedding and get the rest of the small bits and old hay debris picked up off the top before adding bedding. 

The perfect shavings depth on clay is 3" - 4"; slightly less on mats. 

Not that I was anal or OCD about it or anything....

Only my best friend and one student I had (a graduate "A" Pony Clubber) was ever as fussy about stalls as I was. I don't think I ever had an employee who was quite as conscientious. The employee who dug up half the clay floors trying to be conscientious had her heart was in the right place, but....

Don't get me started about the art of bedding on straw.

Not that I'm anal or OCD or anything....


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## leonalee (Jul 1, 2010)

Haha - I'm good without the straw, thank you very much, lol. Not that I wouldn't love to hear more stories. ;-) 

Anybody have experience with chopped straw? I've heard it is like pine shavings to work with... considered borrowing a wood chipper and experimenting, but it seems way too time consuming for our already busybusybusy days. More economical though?


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

We are picky about our stalls, whether at home or when we have to board horses. The worst thing, from a boarder's view is boarding your horse somewhere where the BO/BM does not keep an eye on how the stalls are cleaned by the stall cleaner. We would clean stalls every day when we went out to work our horses becuase she did such a lousy job. Our horses were in their stalls 24/7 unless we turned them out ourselves while were on site. The BO/BM noticed we cleaned our stalls nicely and offered us the job, but we were too bogged down with school and work to take on the extra job, but she did get a new stall cleaner who did a much better job! We may be more picky since we have always had our horses at home and cleaned their stalls ourselves.


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