How to Properly Clean Equine Stables

If you own horses, then you have to make sure that the stalls are kept clean.  An unkempt stall can be a breeding place for diseases and other infectious organisms that could compromise your horse’s health and potentially shorten its life.

• Clean out the stall at least twice a day.  By cleaning up the stall, you are removing the horse’s waste and keeping the area sanitary.  Start by grabbing your manure fork and removing any manure as well as urine spots.  Doing this will help to reduce odors as well as flies.  Set a bucket in the corner to collect all of the horse’s wastes.  You'll eventually want to dump this manure into a pile away from the stalls, which you can use to fertilize soil and other plants.  If you need to get rid of excess manure, consider running an advertisement to sell it to gardeners are gardening clubs.


• Clean the stall thoroughly every four weeks.  Take out any bedding and disinfect any rubber mats inside of the stalls.  With the betting and the mats removed, wash the stall walls and floors with hot soapy water.  Consider following that up with a disinfectant wash to help control mold, bacteria and flies.


• Replenish your horse’s water supply.  Horses need plenty of fresh water to maintain healthy hydration levels.  Take the horse’s old bucket of water and dump it out far enough away from your barn such that no mud puddles can develop near it.  Scrub out the bucket, rinse it out and refill it with fresh water.