HOW TO MUCK OUT
Everyone has their own ideas and hacks but this is how I do it, after many years of mucking out several stables every day and it applies to shavings, straw and paper.
A FULL MUCK OUT
The Tools
Shavings Fork
Fork
Broom
Spade
Wheelbarrow
Remove the horse or tie him up in a safe area. If he has to stay in the stable muck out one side then move him across to do the other side. I park the wheelbarrow so the handles are pointing out of the stable, this stops your horse getting caught in the handles. Make sure you leave a big enough gap so you can get out of the stable quickly, or someone can enter easily, if needed.
Remove the water bucket and hay net
Remove all the loose hay to stop it getting mixed up in the bedding.
Remove all the top poo using a fork, or shaving fork if using shavings
TIP – when stacking a wheelbarrow, put one fork full of muck in the middle then one on each of the corners in turn, so the wheelbarrow is balanced and less falls off when you move it.
Throw the loose bedding up from the middle of the bed to the side. In doing this many missed balls of poo roll down, making it easy to spot and remove.
Remove all the remaining poo and wet bedding from the middle of the bed.
Pull the sides down to make the base of the new bed, being careful to remove any dirty bits.
Dig around the sides to loosen the bedding.
Flatten the bed, pushing more up at the sides to make slight banks.
Put clean bedding on top thick enough so that if you drop your fork in it does not touch the floor.
TIP– use the fork to hold the clean straw on the wheelbarrow to stop it falling off.
If using wood pellets, the instructions generally say to dampen the pellets before use but I do not. I just sprinkle them around where my horse normally pees and some on top. Providing there is enough clean old bedding I find the moisture in the air generally puffs up the pellets nicely on top and makes the urine quickly absorbed (mind you I do live in Britain, this may not work in warmer climates). The bed should be thick enough that, if you drop your fork down in the bed, it does not hit the flooring.
Sweep up the front of the stable. I like to keep the front strip clear, so the hay, feed and water are on the stable floor and not on the bedding. If you do not do this any spilt feed, hay and water will mix in the bedding and encourage vermin and bacteria.
Replace clean water and hay as necessary.
Deep Litter
I love deep litter, I think it provides a warm, clean, soft bed, limits waste and reduces the time needed for mucking out. This may not suit some horses, for example box walkers, but I have not found any horse yet that it does not suit.
I do steps 1-4 as above then-
Throw up all the clean bedding on to the side.
Take out the top layer of muck and wet out using a fork or shavings fork (if using shavings) until you are left with a flat layer of wet bed – no poo should remain.
Fork the top of the sides into the middle of the bed, making sure all manure is removed.
Flatten the bed
Put new bedding on the banks (sides) of the bed and a little on the middle so it is lovely and thick with a good covering over the deep litter.
The bed should be fully cleared occasionally but in truth I may only do this twice a year.
Step 11 and 12 are as above
Setting Fair
This is a skip out of the manure, tidy and flatten the bed, sweep up, check and change the water and hay
if necessary.
Skip Out
This a quick removal of the droppings.
Final Thoughts
It is very important that whatever bedding or mucking out practice you use, the horse is not standing on poo or urine for great lengths of time.
This could lead to many health issues including thrush of the hooves and infections.
The horse should have a full muck out at least once a day and be cleaned first thing in the morning and last thing at night, checking they have sufficient clean bedding to stand on.
During the day, it is good practice to poo pick every few hours the horse is in.