VERY VERY MESSY HORSE IN STABLE, should i??

Harlequin32

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Feb 20, 2008
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If i give my horse a new shavings bed by the morning the stuff everyone else is chucking out looks cleaner than the good stuff i have to leave in (otherwise would have to chuck whole bed:eek:)
My horse has a slightly small stable but this is because he is a lot more settled in it- It does however mean he's walking around in his bed and poo's for britain.
He's on shavings as i muck out before work and smell less this way:eek:

should i change to something else? - straw is free at my yard and i am on a tight budget.

I'm not sure if best to give a tiny bed, get smelly rugs but maybe throw away less and be a quicker job
or
Huge bed and deep litter for the week- in the hope it will sort of pack down and not get so mixed around?

At the moment it takes me ages to seperate the really dirty from the dirty and the biggest bit of poo is about half a golfball its so mashed:rolleyes:
 
why are you still on shavings if straw is free and your horse is messy :confused:

I would never have a messy bugger on shavings, been there, done that, far too much trouble ! Nice deep straw bed is much better for a messy horse :)

ETA - sorry, that sounded like i was being funny but i wasn't at all, just giving my opinion ;):p
 
Put shavings underneath and straw on top, leave the shavings down as semi-deep litter and clean the straw out daily.

That's what I do - much cheaper than just shavings and quicker than a full straw bed. I have a big stable (10x16) for a 14.2hh but bed is only 10x10.

Not sure if you will smell less than with a full straw bed - I muck out before work but go home to shower and change.
 
i use to to have a small stable and found my boy was very messy in it even on straw, now he has a bigger stable all is good
 
Toffee monster- thats fine, i am asking myself the very same- straw although free is a bit dusty and i just take soo bloody long to muck it out! Also i worry a bit about the long term effect on my horse having had my last horse 18 yrs and him having a dust allergy for 15 of them.

I already have rubber matting- cant see it makes a whole lot of difference except i can leave his bed up when he's in all day.

ace- i did wonder that aswell- wish i could shower! i live quite a way from stables which is 100yds from work and my daughters school so timing and driving dont allow it ( i do change completely:eek:)

Thanks xx
 
I have rubber matting too, I'd try the straw and shavings mix - I'm sure you could go to work and be fine, I have once or twice when needed to get in early and don't think anyone noticed :eek:

I'm leaving the shavings down for a week untouched- taking the wet shavings out entirely at the weekend and leaving it to dry. I only put shavings where Molly wees, which is in back 1/3 of stable roughly. I'm using approx 1/3 bale shavings per week and a massive barrow of straw daily (straw is £18/month ad lib).

It is a bit slower than just shavings - I rug, turnout, muck out & add new straw, sweep, water and new haynet in 1 hour (although usually stop and chat and take longer :rolleyes:) and I'm only on my 3rd week of DIY so a bit rusty!
 
We had a horse on the yard who was the messiest horse in the world! We deep littered him on straw, giving him a huge bed, and he was in a big stable. He had the 'sh*t and spin' method of filling his stable with poo!!!

We used to muck out the 'visible poos', flick through the bed and get the 'hidden bits' then lay it flat, and cover with a huge deep layer of straw.

The bed didn't get soggy or smelly and was completely changed once a week. This particular horse used more straw in a week than the other 8 horses put together!

It was the ONLY way we found of keeping him 'clean' in his stable without it stinking too! :rolleyes:

I recommend overalls, a scarf (to stop the smell wandering inside your clothes!) and a hat to cover your hair! It's difficult!! I used to do the same as you in the UK - muck out then go to work!! Body-spray applied liberally I found worked too!! :cool:
 
Hehe the things we do- Its funny the office i work in is fixed to someones house and they smoke so much they'd never smell it anyway- in fact i change back into horse clothes to go back so people at the yard cant smell the smoke:rolleyes::eek:
My washing machine is very busy!!
I must buy some overalls- harry hall do some shower proof ones which might be worth a try.

Thanks for suggestions everyone xx
 
You can get this dry shampoo that is brilliant for that - I get it in boots. You just spray it on and brush it through - gets all smells out. I can't remember its name though.....I used to use it after a night out on the booze with no time to wash hair before work. That was in the pre-Molly days lol when bars smelt of smoke :eek:

I change too Harly and I still find the smell sticks to your hair...:eek:
 
another vote for a straw/shavings mix. dyl is messy but it works and i just skip out in the week, works really well for him.
 
Straw and shavings vote and leave him out as much as poss! Used to muck out in the half hour slot available every morning between yard opening time and having to get to work and everyone whinged about the smell! Now he's living out, I've done one skip out in 2 and a half weeks! Stunning. No more ridiculous early mornings-phew! I went up this morning and for a change, he hadn't laid down to sleep and was pristine-stunning! He'd hardly done any poo, either-bit weird, but he was eating OK, so is fine. I did a massive deep straw bed on top of rubber matting.:)
 
You can get this dry shampoo that is brilliant for that - I get it in boots. You just spray it on and brush it through - gets all smells out. I can't remember its name though.....I used to use it after a night out on the booze with no time to wash hair before work. That was in the pre-Molly days lol when bars smelt of smoke :eek:

batiste dry shampoo thats wat it is called more than likely lol, i kno this as i work in a pharmacy and they stock it hehe :D x
 
If possible I'd go for rubber matting too. Mare is dreadfully messy! Thick, good quality rubber matting was the best investment I've made!

Deep littered shavings with straw on top sounds a good alternative.
 
I would either go for rubber and a sprinkling of shavings or go for the free straw and deep litter - clean out every couple of weeks. Deep litter is quicker and easier too and cheaper than buying rubber. :)
 
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