STALL MAINTENANCE

One of the unspoken issues I see most horse owners have, is the issue of stall maintenance. No one really talks about it, but everyone seems to struggle with it in their own ways. You may ask Jenny up the breezeway what she does, or Tom across the street. . but. . .is there really a science to any of it? There are a few fundamental truths to stall maintenance, and again, depending on who you ask, you'll get a different opinion. I'm offering up one more, with options that is.

I've consulted with Sallie Reed, manager of Peacock Hill Equestrian Center in Orange, CA.

Sallie currently manages a facility that stables about 200 horses. She has been a horse owner for over 50 years and has managed multiple facilities during this time. I'd say she is about as close to a non-biased expert as they come. Here is what Sallie had to offer.

First and foremost, the basics. Work with the natural slope of the land. Maintain a steady down-hill angle for waste drainage. Options for drainage will follow.

If you have a sandy substrate, you'll have better drainage and you can have the freedom to use mats or no mats.

If you have clay substrate, the poor drainage will make for a challenge, but you can add drain aids and mats for a cleaner, dryer stall floor.

If you clean your own stall, you'll probably find that sifting through pure and plenty of DG (decomposed granite) is the easiest way to go. It drains well and is the least labor intensive.

If you have someone else clean your stall, you'll probably want to have all the cushy shavings that you're sure your horse will love and enjoy. But sifting through the wood shavings is much more labor intensive and the moisture content that is held in gets heavy and difficult to work with, ask your ranch hand about that fact, he'll tell you straight up.

Here are some variables and exceptions:

Mats: mainly for clay substrates or enclosed box stalls. Make sure the foundation is gradually sloped for drainage, flat for even footing, and compact. Three options Sallie recommends;

Stall skin. It's actually a fabric that's about 1/4 inch thick and can be cut to the entire size of the stall. Proper fit should be all the way to the edges, leaving about 1/8 inch from the edges of the stall. Mat stakes should be used to tack down the corners of the mats. They are 36-inch-long, stainless steel stakes that keep the edges of the mats from lifting.



Photo shows stakes holding down corners of mats

Rubber mats. There are multiple manufacturers out there, most of them range in cost between $80 and $180 for a mat. Since this is a blog site, I encourage anyone reading this to add recommendations to the comment section. There are so many options out there, that having a community that supports each other is a great way to go.


Perforated rubber mats. These drain well but not many people use them. We don't know why, any comments?

Here are some images of stalls that were not prepared well from the beginning. Making it a huge waste of money on mats and a tremendous mess and maintenance nightmare.

Here is an example of a stall that has been properly prepared and has a good slope, encouraging good drainage for a dry environment.

Wood shavings come in a variety of shapes, weights and sizes. It really does come to personal preference.

Larger size shavings

Pros: They don't blow away as easily.

Cons: Easily carted away by the barrel loads because of the inability to sift through during cleaning.

Fine shavings

Pros: Great way to go because they last longer.

Cons: Blow away easier.

Pellets

Pros: Good for soaking up urine holes, although it is recommended that you wet them down after laying them out.

Cons: I've heard a few tales of horses eating them and not faring well.. . yes, the dreaded C word. But I have no direct proof of this being the case. I've had several testimonials that give positive raves about the product.

Cedar shavings

Pros: A fine shaving which sifts well, it smells great and it absorbs moisture well. If you lay down a good 3 or 4 inch base of Cedar rest, you can go for many months without having to add new shavings. The wet shavings can be saved by simply turning them over and letting them dry out.

Cons: A bit more pricey and some horses have allergies to cedar, showing up in skin bumps.

I've included Cedar shavings in my graphic for the ideal stall preparation below.

For another source on stall maintenance, check out the link below:

http://www.wikihow.com/Muck-Out-a-Stall