Mucking out/poo picking problem

[FFAQ]

This a tricky one! In a nutshell I'm after some genius idea to relieve the strain on my hands, wrists and elbows from mucking out and poo picking.
I've been suffering from tendonitis and pins and needles in my hands for a long time and have ignored it and now it's pretty bad. Poo picking and mucking out really aggravate it. I'm on a sole use yard and really can't afford to pay anyone to do it for me. I have 3 horses who produce 3 wheelbarrow loads a day - more if they're in and there's bedding to remove too. When they're out I do a combination of track and strip graze as 2 are prone to laminitis. I thought about dividing the field into 4 maybe and rotating each month then just harrow it all in the spring and go back to track and strip grazing, but given how much they produce I think the field will be covered by March and it probably won't be dry enough to harrow until at least April (if we're lucky).
Does anyone have any suggestions? I generally use a scoop and rake.

 

[Spottyappy]

I can’t use the scoop and rake as it really hurts my wrists.
So, I literally use a plastic shovel, and scoop it on, by bending over and using my hands, wearing a thick glove. OH has a chronically bad back, and if he is ever fit to help, he has a really good knack of using his feet to knock it onto the shovel, but I can’t seem to master that, and thus save bending. But, bending is less painful for me than the scoop and rake.
On the plus side, my recent bone density scan had improved, and the doctor was fairly sure it was down to the chores like muck picking, and barrow pushing.

 

[paddy555]

I don't have an answer for you but I completely understand your problem as I had the same serious problem years ago, especially with using the rake and scoop for field cleaning. I solved the field cleaning by getting a paddock cleaner. For the stables I sweep the floor (mats with little bedding) and push and scoop into the wall with my foot. That scoops up larger amounts of dung and just use the rake for clearing odd bits up. I had 13 horses at the time so it was a terrible problem. I looked at everything I did and tried to find another tool rather than the rake. eg a fork, shavings fork or whatever could work, . Possibly change the bedding to deep litter and using gloves pick up the dung by hand, leave the dung on the field and sort it in April.

I can almost feel the pain even after all these years from just reading your post. It took several months for it to heal with me. Since I changed my ways and it has healed I can do some cleaning with the rake and scoop.

 

[Myloubylou]

I used to poo pick with a future fork. Only stopped as rake and scoop in the field. Depends on your field as not so good in long grass. Failing that rubber gloves into tubtrug?

 

[Myloubylou]

Not sure how easy this would be to use https://totallyhorseandpony.co.uk/new-scoop-takes-the-strain-out-of-poo-picking/

 

[Carrottom]

In the field I use a trug type bucket which I can flatten one side to the ground and flick the poo in with a small plastic trowel. It does involve lots of bending but I try to do this in a mindful way, engaging muscles I want to exercise.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

When I had this sort of problem I resorted to rubber gloves and hand sorting. Admittedly only poo picking, no stables to deal with.

 

[BOWS28]

I do everything with my future fork. Easier on my dodgy back and the fork is so light i never feel any pressure on my wrists like i do when using a scoop!

 

[FFAQ]

Thanks everyone! Some really useful ideas there.?

 

[9tails]

Are you using the rake with a long handle and solid square rake at the end or the shorter rake that's like a bendy grass rake?

 

[Darbs]

I had a back/arm issue that meant I struggled with both bending over and scraping poo causing pain in my arm. I bought one of these https://quickpickequine.co.uk/shop/quick-pick-rake/ and its elimited all of the problems I had, I can stand upright and there is no twisting load on my wrist. (I use it with a normal Tubtrugs scoop)

 

[Widgeon]

As a possible quick fix, could you try adding a wrapper of pipe lagging (secured with duck tape) to the handle of your scoop and rake? I get pains in my hands from gripping the rake - I think having a chunkier handle would help.

 

[dorsetladette]

a lady at my old yard had trouble with a poo scoop rake so used a wooden handled childrens toy rake instead.

Depending on how big your field is you could rotate and harrow in the spring. I'm tempted to do this and just keep on top of the stuff I can see and round the hay feeders over the winter.

 

[FFAQ]

Ah! More great ideas thanks! I have one of those scoops with a square type rake, and my shavings fork is the basic square type with a wooden handle. I think from now until I next get to the feed store I'm going to rubber glove it, and keep an eye out for some of the tools suggested.

 

[9tails]

It's worth trying one of the small grass rakes, you don't need half the effort to flick poo into the scoop as you do with the square rake.

 

[FFAQ]

Thanks 9tails. It makes it worse that I have a shire and 2 big cobs so it's like mucking out 3 elephants! I need to train them to go in the wheelbarrow!

 

[Kat]

Those square rakes are ridiculous, absolutely not fit for purpose, I don't understand how anyone can use them.

The garden rake type are better, but for anything more than clearing the area or tie up area I'd use a shovel or shavings fork.

 

[Leandy]

On poo picking, I think it depends on how much land your horses are on. If it is more than tiny paddocks and if you rotate to some extent I would really consider giving up poo picking and just rotate, harrow and top to the extent the ground conditions allow. If you are able to graze once or twice a year also with sheep or other animals, that will help also. Make sure you worm count and worm accordingly also on a regular basis. I think it will not be as bad as you fear. In damp weather the worms work droppings into the ground and in dryish weather crows and other birds will scatter the droppings even when you cannot harrow. I have been on several yards where there was no poo picking, with enough grazing and otherwise good land management it really isn't the problem some seem to believe. All horses were well and I wasn't aware of any significant worm burden issues. You do realise farmers think horsey people are mad for all the poo picking we do?

For mucking out, would it help to deep litter?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Do you use one arm when raking into the scoop? I had tennis elbow from doing it last year. Then one day a friends child wanted to help me poo-pick and they placed the scoop in front of their feet and used two hands / arms to scoop in. It really is much less strain than using one arm.

I also find wood pellets really easy to fork out droppings and a small patch of wet but I’ve an ergonomic fork with a bend in it which was imported from the USA, I’ve not seen them here.

 

[Kat]

On poo picking, I think it depends on how much land your horses are on. If it is more than tiny paddocks and if you rotate to some extent I would really consider giving up poo picking and just rotate, harrow and top to the extent the ground conditions allow. If you are able to graze once or twice a year also with sheep or other animals, that will help also. Make sure you worm count and worm accordingly also on a regular basis. I think it will not be as bad as you fear. In damp weather the worms work droppings into the ground and in dryish weather crows and other birds will scatter the droppings even when you cannot harrow. I have been on several yards where there was no poo picking, with enough grazing and otherwise good land management it really isn't the problem some seem to believe. All horses were well and I wasn't aware of any significant worm burden issues. You do realise farmers think horsey people are mad for all the poo picking we do?

For mucking out, would it help to deep litter?

Our yard don't poo pick at all. We also worm count and the counts are normally clear so we only have to worm for tapeworm and encysted red worm that don't show on the count.

 

[Summit]

Our yard don't poo pick at all. We also worm count and the counts are normally clear so we only have to worm for tapeworm and encysted red worm that don't show on the count.

donot the fields get mucky with lots of poo everywhere?

 

[Frano]

Birds, dung beetles, worms and rain help distribute the poo. Unless you are turning out on a very small area you should be ok. I poo pick the shelter and around haying areas that is all. Over a period of time you may end up with roughs and lawns ,as they used to be known. I always Harrow at least once a year.

 

[MrsMozart]

I've just given up poo picking the field.

We have a lot of land for 3 neds although they don't get the run of it (I wouldn't find them in bad weather!), they're in an electric paddock which was being poo picked, but as the grass is going over now the paddock is much bigger. It'll be harrowed etc. come Spring.