Horse urine smell

[tinkerbelle1]

I have recently moved my horse to a rented stable block and his stable honks! I am removing his wet and chucking his straw bed up every day to let it dry out but this isn't working. I am having to cover up all my clothes and even resorted to wearing a shower cap to muck out so I don't go home smelling of horse wee! Not a good look! I don't recall it ever smelling this bad before.
I've been told I should use Jeyes fluid to remove the ammonia smell. Does anyone have any tips or advice they can give me?

 

[BigRed]

You need to pull out all the bedding and jet wash the box, or at the very minimum pull all the bedding out, hose the floor until it is really clean and sprinkle something like fullers earth on the floor. there are loads of products you can buy, I googled deodorising stables and found:
http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Stable-Disinfectants-Odour-Control/products/49/

http://www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk/products/viewhorsefeed.asp?id=30&name=Seabed

 

[Spyda]

A strong ammonia smell can be an indiactor of excess protein being excreted. Probably not relevant in your case, but if the grazing is better or your changed his feed or forage - maybe a cause? Just a thought?

 

[tinkerbelle1]

Yeh I've heard that, could be due to the change of grass plus he's having haylage now too...

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

You need to pull out all the bedding and jet wash the box, or at the very minimum pull all the bedding out, hose the floor until it is really clean and sprinkle something like fullers earth on the floor. there are loads of products you can buy, I googled deodorising stables and found:
http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Stable-Disinfectants-Odour-Control/products/49/

http://www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk/products/viewhorsefeed.asp?id=30&name=Seabed

I second this

Buy some Jeyes Fluid you can buy this most tack shops- homebase b&q etc this kills anything wash the floor mats and part of the walls we do this every summer . Ready for the winter. I have done my boys but cant do his mums as she on box rest.

* Jet wash everything first then open Jeyes Fluid shake some on the floor and walls, use a broom to scrub floor getting Jeyes spread about. Once you have done every bit of floor mats and walls . Jet hose it out. Guarantee smell will be gone. *

 

[Birker2020]

My friends horse's urine smells very strongly and I guess some horses smell more strongly than others.

 

[Sophstar]

I always fully disinfect my stable every couple of months. My cob must have a bladder the size of a barrel as his bed and flooring are always soaked everyday and he only stays in during the day. I always bank up the bedding and let the floor dry thoroughly every night. I use a couple of drops of citronella, eucalyptus or peppermint oil with a splash of water, scrub the urine soaked floor quickly with a broom and by the time i come back in the morning the stable smells fresh!

 

[tinkerbelle1]

Great! thanks!!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

To add, that once you have scrubbed out with Jeyes fluid & the floor is dry, then sprinkle Jeyes powder (designed for bins etc) on the floor before replacing rubber matting.

In the winter my biggest Fuzzy lives on semi-deep litter on shavings - skipped out all week, wet removed at weekends.

I keep a 1.5 pint small water sprayer (like you'd use for ironing or misting pot plants etc) - mixed with 25% Jeyes fluid & 75% water. This lives outside the stables. Pick them up in £1 shops usually.
Then when bed is up, if box honks at all or not, I squirt a good spray round the damp floor & leave bed up till coming in time later in the day. Just need to shake the sprayer 1st to mix it well up.
Don't get it in eyes etc - and only spray when horse is out of the stable.

Have done this for umpteen yrs and does work well - even being used in horsebox after lengthy trips etc.

 

[Tnavas]

First your box needs a good clean out - if there are rubber mats lift those and wash them and also the floor underneath them.

When the floor is dry sprinkle a good layer of Garden lime on the floor - this neutralises the urine.

Then you need to look at what you are feeding him. Excess protein in the diet will be excreted in the urine and will smell strong.

An adult horse in light/medium work only needs 8 - 10% protein. Any more is a waste unless the horse is growing still.

Each time you muck out, sweep the wet area clean and sprinkle some lime on it. If you are deep littering then avoid moving the damp bedding to allow air to it. The amonia develops when it is exposed to the air.