Mucking out the stables

In addition to training and daily grooming, you must also spend time mucking out stables and keeping them and the paddock clean.

For the comfort of your horse, the air of the stables must be clean and fresh. This is one reason for why it is important to muck out the stalls and keeping the bedding clean.

There are different kinds of beds and bedding materials. If you employ complete muck-out, the bedding is laid with a thick layer of bedding that is cleaned from droppings and urine on a daily basis and replenished as needed.

If you instead opt for a deep litter, the bedding is often composed of a lime layer at the bottom, followed by a thick layer of compact bedding, usually straw, with a layer of loose straw on top. In this bed waste is allowed to sink to the bottom, and it is kept clean by adding new straw as you go. This bedding system is common in open stables, as it requires minimal maintenance. The bed is often changed completely after a year.

The most common bedding materials are straw, wood shavings, peat, wood pellets and straw pellets.  The most important aspect of choosing a bedding material is that it is of a good hygienic quality – it should smell good and be free from dust.