As summer approaches, days become longer and warmer, making it the perfect time for more riding. With winter now an afterthought, the mud and grime that has accumulated over this period still remains. That’s why so many people use spring to seize the opportunity to clean – whether that’s at home or in your equine yard. A cleaner stable means a healthier and happier horse.
Now the weather is drier, you can get on with all the necessary maintenance jobs that you’ve been postponing since the winter. Make sure you’ve got everything you need, this will make it a lot easier for yourself in the long run.
Everything you need:
- A strong wheelbarrow
- Pitchfork
- Shavings fork
- Shovel
- Buckets
- Hose or pressure washer
- Gloves
- Wellies
- Work boots
- Replacement bedding
- Disinfectant
- Rubber matting
- Protective eyewear
Before you start your big spring clean, make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the task in hand. That means the correct footwear – work boots, not your riding footwear as urine can affect the stitching on them. Protective eyewear is essential when using disinfectant, and gloves protect your hands from any blisters after a lot of shovelling.
It’s very important to make sure you uphold the highest of standards to maintain equine health, and to do so you must be thorough when cleaning. The first job is to completely remove everything from your stable – this includes bedding, rubber mattings, feed buckets, and anything else you have in there. This is a good chance to inspect everything as you go, making sure it’s still in good condition. For example, feed buckets may be cracked or your rubber mattings may well be worn down, replacing these now will prevent a possible injury to you or your horse in the future.
Deep cleaning your stables
Start from the top and work your way down, you’ll be surprised at the amount of dust and cobwebs that build up over time. All of the loose dirt from the rafters and walls will fall onto the floor so you can brush everything, including bedding, hay and loose dirt out of the stable. Don’t forget those tricky corners – use a dustpan and brush for these to make sure you catch all the dirt. Use a shovel or scrape up any old remnants, sweeping away everything so it’s completely bare.
Next, a pressure washer is perfect for getting into every nook and cranny with a deep clean. These will make your job so much easier, leave no dirt behind and places the perfect foundation for disinfecting your stable afterwards. Boxfresh by Stablemate is ideal for pressure washers and helps boost your daily equine cleaning processes, strengthening your yard’s biosecurity. Or if you don’t have access to a pressure washer, you can opt for Cleanse by Stablemate – an efficient multipurpose detergent cleaner, which contains no harsh or abrasive chemicals. These are both best used before any disinfectant to help promote your yard’s biosecurity.
Cleaning down all feeders and water buckets comes next. Giving them a good scrub to remove any residual food or germs. You can use the Cleanse spray for this, rinsing them down afterwards and leaving to dry.
Now’s the smelliest job of all, cleaning the rubber matting you removed earlier. If this is damaged or looking a bit worse for wear, you can always get a new one. Hose down, removing any loose dirt as you go, making sure it’s all rinsed down, clean and smelling fresh before you leave it to dry off.
Dis-in-fect by Stablemate adds that final level of protection from harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi by keeping spaces disinfected. Once you’ve used this disinfectant, allow it to fully dry, before you put everything back into your stable. If any of your disinfected equipment is going to come into contact with your horse, rinse before use.
Now you can put everything back in. This includes fresh bedding, and filling your hay nets with fresh hay. Finish off with Equaroma™ by Stablemate, banishing any leftover smells, leaving your stable with a calming lavender and eucalyptus scent to promote your horse’s wellbeing.
The right products are essential to ensure your stable is kept clean and fresh. Stablemate by AGMA is designed to meet your various needs to help you provide horses with a healthier environment.
