How to Clean Equine Stalls

Every horse owner has to contend with keeping his animal's stall clean, or "mucked out," as it is commonly referred to. Stall cleaning twice a day is suggested, and guards against harmful bacteria, wards off flies and promotes a happier, healthier horse. However, a thorough stall cleaning once per day can also produce a clean and safe equine environment.

Things You'll Need

  • Bailing pan
  • Gallon bucket
  • Pitch or muck fork
  • Wheel barrow
  • Fresh bedding
  • Hay
  • Scrub brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove your horse from the stall and tie him up or pasture him. If you have a large water bucket or container in the stall, use a pan to bail enough water from it so you can remove the water bucket from the stall. Take a pitch fork that has fine tines or a muck fork and remove the largest pieces of manure. Start at the entrance to the stall and work your way across to the other end. Sift each load, picking up as much manure as possible and deposit it in a wheelbarrow.

    • 2

      Place any wet hay or bedding that has obviously soaked down to the floor in the wheelbarrow. If you have a mat or grid, remove all the wettest bedding, whether hay, chips or shavings. For bedding that has become slightly wet, use the fork to redistribute it to the sides of the stall where it will eventually dry out.

    • 3

      Walk around the stall and look for any other stray items such as leftover apple cores, corn cobs or anything that does not belong there. Spread the hay back and then retrieve some new bedding. Distribute the bedding from the middle of the stall outward. Replace any hay that you have removed. Double-check for protruding nails, loose boards or wire in the stall walls.

    • 4

      Clean out your horse's water bucket with fresh water and a good scrub brush. Scrub the bottom and sides of the bucket, removing any traces of algae. Place the water bucket back in the stall and refill it with fresh water. Retrieve your horse and place him in the stall. Secure the gate or door.