Messy stable and smelly horse

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cobstar

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Please can somebody help me!? I have a 7 year old cob and I currently bed him on a chopped straw bedding. Last year I had him on straw and I have previously had him on mixed shavings (chopped straw and wood shavings). He has rubber mats in his stable and I like to put some form of bedding down as this looks more comfortable.

My problem is whatever I do I cannot keep him clean. He lays in his droppings and wet patches. He also acts like a blender and mixes the droppings etc. into the bedding. I am having to wash his rugs almost weekly and that is not regularly enough! It is also taking me over half an hour to muck out. Has anyone had the same problem which they have managed to resolve? I am now at my wits end!
 
You'll probably hate me for saying this but over the years Ive looked after some seriously messy devils and have found that nine times out of ten putting loads MORE bedding in seems to keep them cleaner.

Now yours is going to prove me wrong isnt he....you'll spend a fortune on bed, it will last one night and be a sh*thole the day after and you will hate me for ever.
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coming from another owner of a messy horse I agree entirely with Spaniel. Pidge has rubber matting and a very deep shavings bed, but by being deep it prevents him mushing his poo up as he just moves it round the shavings so it stays in ball shapes. does that make sense?
I got fed up of a wet messy goo that was once poo and shavings and have a deep bed but can muck out using one full barrow as opposed to 2 when using a shallower bed.
good luck
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I have this exact same problem with my thoroughbred, drives me insane! I will also be trying spaniel's suggestion. Fingers crossed!
 
I am not alone!!!
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I ended up giving the messiest a bed in one corner of his stable so that the areas he stood to eat were on Rubber mats and the droppings all went to the side of the bedding..... seems to work. I also lift the bed everyday and leave a sprinking down which reduces the waste when they have to stay in
 
On the rug front I've given up with stable rugs and my stinky horse. They could stand up and walk away on their own!!!

So he stays in his breathable turnout all the time as it doesn't soak up the wee.

Stinky stinky horses- luv em!
 
Just been looking at some other posts and flax bedding seems popular, now I just have to find out who sells it in the Norfolk area!

Ditto here, Henry's rugs could walk away of their own accord. Feel sorry for him having to stand in that stink all day long!
 
I agree with Spaniel. I do full muck outs each day (dont deep litter etc) and keep a nice deep shavings bed. I tend to mix flakey-type shavings and Easi-bed together so the flakes soak up and if you have a deep Easi-bed it doesn't tend to move around as much, it stays put - or at least I find that.

Hope this helps

LB x
 
my cob is the same (and 7 - must be the age!), huge stable, 17 x 11foot, all to himself, and lays in the mess. i bed up very very deep to keep him cleaner (we show) and it works. i semi deep litter on a week to week basis and add a layer of straw on ever few days. time saving and economical and one big clean every 2 - 3 weeks depending on time in stable. good luck.
 
Would have to agree with the above on more bedding - my boy is exactly the same - rubber matting and shavings - with a small bed it is a total mess and you can completely clear out the middle every day. With a deeper bed he is not so messy - I actually have whole poos to pick up instead of mash and take out less bedding in waste each day.
 
We do exactly the same with one of ours who is a right messy monster by putting lots more bedding in. Keeps him cleaner but more importantly healthier not breathing in wee and poo smells all through the long winter nights! We do a full muck out every day.
 
I agree with Panie. We have one very dirty mare and the only thing that keeps her clean is a very deep bed of shavings.

We found that she would tip over her water, and then walk it round and do a bit of box walking until the stable was a sty.

A water bucket hung from a hook helped, a big lick it to keep her amused and we tied a haynet outside her stable door so she could not kick her hay around (obviously tied the net safely).

A complete muck out each day, shavings and she is now a lot better.
 
this is George down to a tee! Especially when it comes to the 'blender' part, yet I've never seen him box walking or fidgeting in his stable? I find the thicker the straw bed the better.
 
Try megazorb two of our really dirty horses are on it and it works.No smell of urine because it absorbs the wee and you take out the wet patches once a week.My horse is filthy and he never has a stain on his coat now.Half our yard use it they are all coverting so one half of the block doesnt smell and the other does.The best thing is I dont have to wash my hair everytime I muck out.Its a bit expensive to set up but once it bedded down you use about one bag a week .£4.45 a bag our area.I needed 8 bags to start with but my daughters cob has not had a new bag for 6 weeks she is so clean on it.
 
i have one very clean gelding and one very smelly, wet mare! we have found the easiest thing is just taking poo out during the week then on a weekend do a 'wet' muckout and leaving the bed up. keeping on top of the wet during the week and mixing the bottom of the bed up with the top just seems to make it even more smelly every day
 
I have a very clean mare but an awfully stinky gelding! (Incidently he is also 7 y.o!) He is currently on straw with a couple of mats where he lies but I'm looking for an alternative bed that might not be so messy? Megazorb sounds good, not sure there'll be a stockist though as I've never seen it before. I dread bringing my gelding in as I just know that the next day there will be a huge 'crop circle' and I will have to get the lot out! Tried everything with my hair too, but nothing works, it always ends up stinking and my clothes too!
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