Cleaning stalls

[Warped]

I'm wondering what everyone uses in their stalls as far as bedding goes.

We currently have straw in ours and it was great for the first week.

We have a commercial size fan blowing on the stall thats help keep it cool and keep the bugs away.

But my problem is that my pony has decided she wants to only urinate in the stall and nowhere else.
The donkeys urinate in one spot out by our woods but the pony comes into the stall to urinate and its been a stinky mess.
She doesn't poop in it,just urinates.

We are getting ready to tackle getting all the straw out and cleaning the stall up tonight. Just wondering if straw is not a good idea or is their something better that soaks up urine?

 

[valmom]

I grew up with straw stalls and I will never willingly do them (except for a minimal amount of time in a foaling stall). I have used shavings mostly since moving to New England. You can get bagged shavings (expensive), Woody Pet type pelleted shavings (more expensive) or a bulk load of shavings from a local mill (just be SURE that it doesn't have any black walnut or cherry in the shavings).

What is the base of your stall? My current barn the builder put something down called "pond sand" or "pond silt" (I asked for stone dust). It actually works pretty well as a sort of bedding in itself. It drains pretty well, and I can sift it with my home made stall sifter if the stall gets really dirty. You can add lime to it to reduce smell, too. It isn't angular like regular sand, but I worried about sand colic- for the first 2 years or so. I haven't had any problems with it, but the horses don't eat hay inside.

Actually the easiest solution to horses coming inside to pee is to lock them out!

 

[Countrymom]

The best thing to help with odor control and to add to ease of continuous cleaning is the pine pelleted bedding. Woody pet is just one name brand- there are several. Your start up cost is a bit higher than just shavings, but you would not need to replace it every time. In fact, I usually put down several - 6 to 8 bags in a 10 X 12 stall to start with. Then I do top with shavings - cuz I have one that likes to eat the pellets. Then we just stir as they use and pick out the solid waste.

I also use the pine pellet bedding as the base in my chicken coops. And I use it in our Guinea Pig cages as well. It really works wonderful.

 

[freemotion]

When I've used straw in a foaling stall, I always used sawdust under the straw, otherwise the urine puddles and makes a stinky mess.

A few years ago, I discovered the pelleted bedding. If you can afford it, it works great for soaking up urine. To save money, I would put a big coffee can or two under the other bedding, whether pine shavings or straw, just in the area where they pee. It really absorbs and contains the pee and makes it very easy to spot clean.

You might try it with the straw on top, if you are getting the straw fairly inexpensively and like it as bedding.

 

[Bronco Hollow]

I don't bed my stalls, as mine only are in for feeding or during very bad weather- if they want in that is.

A suggestion to get your pony to move her pee spot.... Take the soiled bedding and place it outside the stall to where you would like her to go... it may take a few days but she will start peeing on the soiled material.

We HAD a piggy gelding, he would just stir pee and poop inside his stall - it was a mess... there was nothing to pick, you had to rake the entire stall up. We started taking the soiled material outside to a corner of the paddock... took him a few weeks but he started doing his business outside and leaving it in one spot. Today he waits to be let out to pee, and only poops in one corner of his stall.

 

[Warped]

Great advice guys.Thanks a million.

We currently have a 20x24 Morton building that we used to just store mowers,ATV's and junk in.We made a 12x12 stall on one side of it.
So the floor is concrete, then we put 2 bales of straw down as bedding. But its a stinky mess.

I will go to our Supply store and see what they carry as far as bedding goes. Right now we get our hay and straw for free from a family friend that my husband does work for.So thats why we used the straw.It was free.

thanks again guys.

 

[lupinfarm]

Pine Pellets... they'll soak up the urine and make it easier to remove it.

 

[currycomb]

if your floor is concrete, shavings or pellets are better, a little padding if the pony chooses to lay down, also eaisier on her legs. yes, making an area for elimination outside stall a good idea. we would take the wettest bedding, make our area where we wanted. horses do not like to have the urine splatter on legs. do not put bedding down for awhile if she has access to outside, pretty soon she will go outside, then you can rebed when new habit established.

 

[cherokeerainbow]

Pellets...
I use a product called Woody Pet. It's from Canada, and I've used it for 10 years. I started using it in the stable I managed in MA, because we had such a fly issue. Worked wonders!
Woody pet is a pellet, it contains a deodorant that flies hate...no flies in your stall, and no amonia odor either. It lasts longer than shavings...and once its in a sawdust form its much much easier to clean.
My mini gelding Maverick urinates more than my 16 hand QH mare! I use this in his stall and its so very absorbant! Almost like a cat litter, it contains in one spot (not spread under all the bedding) and still stays dry (like a peat moss, you could kneel on it and not get wet)
Hope that helps....regular pellets work great too, but don't work as well with flies or odor ...but cheaper they are.
p.s. my stallion, Mr. D. is heevy (26 yrs) dust really bothers him, but this stuff works ok too for him (sawdust too)

 

[ducks4you]

If you have cement you MUST have rubber mats. You can get the 3/4", or the 1/2" interlocking, or double 1/2" cow mats. There is a great deal of fatigue your horse will have to endure from standing on cement. PLUS, a slip on cement could mean a fracture.

That being said, I prefer shavings, but often mix them with straw when it's reall cold. Right now my stalls have been empty since April--everybody's outside.

Isn't is interesting that each horse "keeps" his stall differently? Kind of like each kid keeps their room up differently.