Stable Management -
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Let's start by taking at our top tips for Bedding Materials.
There are lots of different materials widely available for bedding and we will cover these in more detail later on.
The most important things to remember regarding your choice of bedding is that it should be:-
- dust-free
- mould-free
- and ammonia free.
Ammonia is a strong smelling chemical produced in the urine and faeces and can reduce a horse's ability to fight infection if it is allowed to build up in unchanged bedding.
Bedding should be sufficiently deep to prevent your horse slipping on the floor or scraping his legs.
Mucking Out -
The Backbone of Good Stable Management
Regular mucking out is a vital part of stable management - known as "daily chores".
Depending on the type of bedding you use at a minimum you should remove all faeces and wet patches daily from your horse stables to prevent infection and fly infestation.
Horses are reluctant to urinate on concrete as it splashes back onto their legs so your bedding should encourage the horse to urinate when necessary without him feeling afraid to lie down because his bed is like a swamp.
After all, how would you like to sleep in a toilet? Remember the mantra of good stable management - "a clean bed means a clean horse!" and less time spent scrubbing off stubborn stable stains. Allow time in your stable management timetable at least once a week to take out ALL the bedding and ventilate the floor thoroughly.
Always muck out while your horse is out of the stable. Ammonia, mentioned above is much more concentrated when the wet bedding is exposed.
Mucking out creates high levels of dust and mould spores which can penetrate deep into the horse's lungs so the bed should always be allowed to settle and the dust clear before the horse is allowed back inside. For this reason, you should always wear a dust mask when mucking out.
Either move your horse to an alternative box while you are mucking out or if it is not possible for him to be turned out, tie him up safely outside the stable well away from your tools and wheelbarrow (and of course the dust!)
Replacement bedding should then be added to the stable, taking care to "bank up" the bedding slightly higher than the main bed (about 12inches or 30cm) against the walls and corners to protect your horse when he lays down. Bankings should be created by forking the bedding against the wall at an angle so the horse will hit the banking rather than the wall if he lays down or rolls over.
Sweep the bed back from the door so it doesn't blow out onto the yard as soon as you enter the stable.
Stable Management - Constant Clean Water Supply
Horses should always have a supply of fresh, clean water.When stabled, a horse cannot get out to source their own water supply so you should check the water levels twice a day (or ask someone else to do it for you). Horses often drop food particles or hay into their buckets and these will need to be removed to avoid souring the water.
If you have an automatic drinking system in your horse stables test it regularly to make sure there are no blockages or leaks.
Stable Management - A Constant Supply of Forage
Having a constant supply of good quality forage (hay or haylage) will simulate the natural grazing conditions. Horses typically pick at their food little and often in the wild so these feeding conditions must be mirrored in a stabled environment. This will help to prevent many common stable "vices" or bad behaviour patterns caused by the horse's boredom - more about that in a moment.Many owners give "ad lib" (or more than sufficient) forage so the horse can eat it as and when he wants to just as he would in a field.
Make sure your forage is of a high quality and does not contain mould or dust spores. How do you know if a bale is of poor quality? Reach your hand inside and pull out some strands from the middle - if it is sweet-smelling and dry this will be ideal.
Discard any bales that show signs of black or grey mouldy patches or are soaked through and stale. This is vital to prevent respiratory problems in horses.
Some owners feed their forage directly off the floor to replicate natural grazing behaviour and allow mucus to naturally drain through the nostrils.
Others prefer to put the hay higher up off the floor to reduce waste. This can be done in a manger or hay rack, or the modern equivalent "the haynet". Haynets should always be tied up securely out of reach of the horse's feet so there is no risk of entanglement.
Remember that once the net is empty it will hang lower down the wall so take this into consideration when hanging it up.
If you have a horse that is highly sensitive to dust particles, we would advise that forage is soaked for 10-15 minutes in a large water-filled container to allow the water to soak right to the centre and dampen down the dust.
This will make it easier for the horse to eat without constant coughing because of the dust.
If you have a horse that tends to over-eat, restrict the forage accordingly but feed smaller amounts regularly (perhaps in a haynet with small holes to increase the feeding time) so the horse does not go for long periods with nothing to eat.
Preventing Boredom By Using Horse Toys
Horse Toys or "Boredom Busters" are a great way to reduce boredom and keep your horse interested in his surroundings. What type of horse toys are available?Our favourites are the Horse Ball - a big rubber ball with a handle on that the horse can toss up in the air with his teeth or kick around on the floor. If you've ever seen a horse with one of these you will laugh your socks off! They are brilliant fun and that's just from the spectator's point of view!
Another hit with our horses is the Suspended Treat Ball. This is a plastic ball suspended from the roof with a treat inside - the horse must roll the ball around to get to the treat. A bit like dangling the carrot this takes ages to release the treat so the horse must keep persevering!
A mineral lick is also a useful addition to your horse stables. These are tasty treats in the form of a solid mineral block that give your horse all the vitamins and minerals and trace elements essential for healthy living.
These come in fixed holders that can attach to the wall of your horse stables. We would recommend the wall holders in preference to the tubs that rest on the floor as these are easily soiled by horses and the contents wasted. Keep an eye on your horse's consumption of any mineral licks - some can get quite addicted and the lick is not designed to be consumed all in one go.
For more Horse Toy ideas why not pay a visit to our
Equestrian Store
If you would like to find out more about
groom your stabled horse
click on this link to find out why grooming forms just another part of effective Stable Management.
Coming Soon - More on Bedding
We will be looking in more detail at the different types of bedding available and their respective benefits/disadvantages in a special "Bedding" topic, so pop back again soon!
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Find out more about why Natural Light and a Good View are important for your horse's wellbeing and should be considered when identifying the best stables for your horse.
Now you have the lowdown on Stable Management why not find out more about stable sizes and types?
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