Frequency of changing stall bedding

Just curious how often people are changing their stall bedding. I realize it depends on a number of factors. Our horses are basically out of their stalls during the day and sometimes have access to them during the day but in the stalls at night. The stalls are picked at least once daily and we do use Sweet PDZ to help with odors. We used equine pellets that are now about a month old. They are broken down now (a lot dustier than I like). Again, just curious how often other folks are changing bedding.

Thanks!

I do self care so I am the one cleaning my horse's stalls whenever I can. The horses are turned out in the day but at night they are let in. During the summer they will be out 24/7 so I won't need to clean (yay!).

It all depends for me if I skipped a day of cleaning which I hate. So eventually if I did clean my stall every other day I strip the stall by the end of the week.

If I get around to cleaning it every day the stall could be good up to a couple more weeks even a month (all depending on how messy my gelding is hehe).

I keep two wheel barrows of shavings in the stall and try to go no more then that. I like two loads because my horse loves to lay down in his stall, and I want him to feel comfortable. If I leave only one load in I will notice he will not lay down as often.

Thanks for the reply, RedRoan......


Can anybody else tell me what they are doing with changing stall bedding?

We do bags of shavings, about 5 bags per stall. We put down new shavings about once a month. Seems to work well. :]

We use bags, but we only use one per stall. I get paid to clean stalls at the barn we board at, but I only clean on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Dublin, Lee, and Bailey all get stripped and a new bag on Monday. Bailey's a huge wetter so she gets a new bag on Thursdays also. Dublin and Lee always seem to get a half bag on Thursdays. I clean 17 other stalls too and they just get a half bag once a week or so and stripped probably every other week (some once a month). As far as my own horse...Cope usually only gets a new bag once a month and a half or two months, but his stall is opened to a small pasture and he rarely goes in it. Usually I change his because it gets very dusty...and I can't stand that.

Fortunately for me the horses are able to come in and out of the stall into the paddock as they please. Unfortunately, they like to pee in the stall, no splatter I guess!

Pick out every day, very little to pick, and scoop up the urine soaked shavings. They always pee in the same spot so that's easy. I haven't had to strip the stall ever, but I do rotate the shavings, by pushing the old shavings to the urine area and put down new shavings in the other spot. I go through about one bag of shavings every week to week and a half.

I have a barrier between the dirt floor and the shavings so that helps too. I use a vinegar and water mix to spray on the urine areas to help with the odor, have used lime in the past though.

I have only one very large stall for both horses, I believe its 12 x 16 and there's room for both to lay down, which they do.

The way I work it is to put down lime as needed, and just to remove the dirty or wet bedding. I won't strip a stall that has lots of good, clean, dry shavings. It's a waste of money. It goes: Pick out the manure, remove the wet spots, lime the wet areas, and toss in new bedding, usually moving the older stuff over the areas they like to urinate at.

I don't have a horse, but a friend of mine cleans hers every day with 1 wheel barrel of shavings. Every morning, its her routine. Lol

Yeah, we would like to get to that point too where the horses can come and go as they please. Right now, we have them off the one pasture that is adjacent to the barn that allows them to come and go into their stalls as they please. Because we are working on that one pasture, we have them in another small pasture which ends up meaning more stall time at night or in bad weather and consequently, the bedding quality seems to degrade quicker. Our one horse behaves like the stall or trailer for that matter is an instant laxative and we just love how he seeks out the stall when he has to go. But that same horse is so much neater in his stall than the other guy who loves to trample his.

Thinking about using shavings next time too as the equine pellets have turned REALLY dusty.

Thanks for the post!

I have rubber mats in my stalls (concrete underneath) and I have to clean every day. I usually just add shavings when needed. I have found for us, putting super fine shavings (almost sawdust) as the first layer and then the bigger flakes on top helps soak up the urine like dirt would.

I usually take everything out once a month spray the mats and put down lime.