Mucking out with a bad back - best bedding/tools?

tankgirl1

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As above really. my back really doesn't cope well at the moment with mucking out. Any suggestions of bedding or tools that might help would be appreciated. Last winter I deep littered on straw with no rubber mats, and had to pay someone to dig it out for me come spring. I'd like to avoid that this winter if possible. I am lucky to have decent rubber matting this winter. Would putting 2-3 flakes of straw down a night and removing all of it each morning be bad of me? 2 ponies sharing so gets pretty messy each night. They get ad lib hay
 

tankgirl1

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I always seem to end up avoiding the wet bit as my back hurts though until I'm suddenly deep littering again! Hence wondering if a very small bed on rubber matting removed daily might be the way to go?
 

4faults

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I have arthritis in my back, hips and hands and found mucking out 5 straw beds in the winter an absolute killer. Last year I switched to swish which is a chopped straw bedding and found the difference amazing. I also use wood pellets under my wettest beds and invested in a 400l self tipping wheelbarrow which helps enormously
 

4faults

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Straw is such a heavy bedding that it won’t really make a difference how much you use it’s still going to be hard going. Try some wood pellets or megazorb underneath to help soak up the worst of the wet
 

tankgirl1

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I have arthritis in my back, hips and hands and found mucking out 5 straw beds in the winter an absolute killer. Last year I switched to swish which is a chopped straw bedding and found the difference amazing. I also use wood pellets under my wettest beds and invested in a 400l self tipping wheelbarrow which helps enormously

How much is the price difference from straw beds?
 

tankgirl1

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Our muck heap is a small trailer so regardless of what you use who have to shovel it twice as you have to throw it up onto the trailer from the barrow which doesn't help!
 

4faults

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Our muck heap is a small trailer so regardless of what you use who have to shovel it twice as you have to throw it up onto the trailer from the barrow which doesn't help!
No that definitely doesn’t help, so lucky in the yard I’m on now as the yard owner moves the muck heap back with the jcb. Shovelling it up really doesn’t go well with a bad back.
 

tankgirl1

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Probably works out more expensive per week but for me it was worth it to not be absolutely crippled with pain and end up not being able to ride 😂

A woodchip type bedding sounds ideal, but I just don't know if I will be able to afford it... I'm hoping to have a little bit more money coming in before winter hits so that it might be a viable option, but I just don't know yet...
 

4faults

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I used 2 bags of wood pellets a week under my filthy 17.2s straw bed. Only took the worst of the pellets out a couple of times a week and topped them up. That helped before I made the switch. The best ones I found were the snowflake ones and they are about £5.50 a bag
 

tankgirl1

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No that definitely doesn’t help, so lucky in the yard I’m on now as the yard owner moves the muck heap back with the jcb. Shovelling it up really doesn’t go well with a bad back.

I've kinda figured out the least painful way to do it now (going into our 3rd winter on this yard), but no it really doesn't help. The less I have to double shovel without deep littering the better!
 

tankgirl1

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With having 2 sharing, they just mulch everything into a mess overnight as they move around a lot more than one alone would. I must admit I like them to move about overnight and hang their nets all round the stable to encourage it for their wellbeing... Arghhh!
 

Boulty

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I'd say try straw pellets or wood pellets for maximum absorbance & minimal waste & so less for you to take out. Shavings if not as you'll still be taking less out than straw. You may need a fair amount to start your bed with (& someone to do that bit for you so that you still function the next day) but then should just need little top ups. Would then say snow shovels are way lighter than old style metal ones & that plastic shavings forks are again a million times lighter than metal ones & so (to me) easier to use. I've yet to find a lightweight straw fork that works (although play about with handle length as I prefer a not too overly long handle with a T grip & decently long prongs whereas some people prefer them with the longer handle) & straw is quite a heavy bedding anyway especially when wet.

If you really do need to use straw as your main bedding for cost reasons (I've been there, although horse in question was pretty clean on straw to be fair) then sprinkling some shavings or pellets down under the wee spots may still be worth doing as I found doing this it at least made the straw less absolutely sopping wet & heavy, meant I was going through less straw & also made the bed smell less. Probably only need to change the shavings every few days / when they look like they won't absorb any more
 

Sandstone1

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I use wood pellets. I've tried straw and shavings but find wood pellets by far the easist.
I put down about 8 bags which makes a good bed. Then daily just remove the poo. Twice a week I take out the wet patch. I use a plastic tub which I stand in the wheelbarrow then empty it on to the muck trailer.
As long as you don't over fill it you can lift it which saves shovelling it up on to the trailer. Wood pellets can be heavy when wet so it might mean more trips to trailer but less hard on your back.
I use a poo scoop to pick up poo. A snow shovel to pick up the wet and then just rake over the bed.
I add one or two bags of pellets to the bed.
One of mine is very wet and I find this much easier and more economic than any other way I've tried.
I use white horse pellets. I've tried others but find white horse the best. I used sorbeo last year but didn't find them as good.
I've a discount code for 5% off if its any help. macchr21736.
A full pallet would last one horse most of the winter and if you buy soon They are on summer prices.
 

Trouper

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Definitely pellets are the answer - wood or straw - personal preference really so you need to research the market to find the best value. For a really wet horse then Miscanthus pellets are an even more effective option and agree with Sandstone1 on the regime for managing a pelleted bed. Straw may be lovely when it is fresh and clean but have always found it heavy going (fellow arthritis sufferer!) and not that effective in keeping the stable dry.
 

Red-1

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OH usually does it for me now, after the time I bent down to pick a poo and could not stand up again. Sadly, the big barrow was in the doorway and I couldn't shove it out of the way, so I was trapped whilst bent double. Happily, I had a phone so could call him!

If I have to do it, I use a back support. Mine is a ProLite but they seem to have stopped doing them, although similar ones are available.

I also swapped to chopped straw. I am very fussy about bed, but even I manage with 2 bales a week (used to use 4 shavings). I do a semi muck out, so poos off every day, and at the weekend a muck out, but TBH the 'big' muck but is no worse than a bad straw day muck out. The bed is white.

I muck out into a trug in a wheelbarrow, so barrow to the muck heap and carry the trug to where it is tipped. No bending down for shovelling there. On a bog muck out day that means a lot of trips, but many trips is better than bending down and getting stuck.

On the stable I use a shavings fork, again no need to bend forwards.
 

poiuytrewq

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Soft flake shavings are the lightest bedding I’ve found. I no longer use them as a bit hit and miss dust wise. However not a problem if your horse is ok on straw. I think a tiny straw bed would be very smelly.
 

TotalMadgeness

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Due to my bad back I use flax bedding which is highly absorbent as well as light. I also use a snow shovel because these are very light too! I find forks are too heavy and although you can get the plastic ones these don't seem to be robust. Because the horses are currently in during the day I take out the poo using my hands (in waterproof work gloves I hasten to add). Its only the pee soaked bedding I need to scoop out in the evening. Both stables have sealed rubber mats. A pallet of bedding (36 bales) lasts several months with 2 horses (one is very wet) and works out at just over £7 a bale for me (I have to pay high haulage costs as I live in Scotland).
 

Myloubylou

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I use any type of chopped bedding, currently pay £5 for chopped rape from local farmer. I use 1 a week and for 6 days a week only need to take poos and 1 day a week to take wet out is a barrow. Sometimes bigger bed is less dirty. For tool I have a future fork which is going strong after 10 years. Much lighter that normal metal fork. On the weekly trip could you trade the job for say filling haynet or turning out?
 

Jellymoon

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Lightweight tools - I have a brilliant indestructible plastic shavings fork and a snow shovel, and corn broom for sweeping.
I use shavings but pellets are also good. Much out daily so not too much.
Can you get a ramp to push barrow up onto your trailer? Or muck out into plastic skips (not too much in any one or you’ll make it heavy) and throw it over side of trailer?
Also, didn’t work for me, but we are all different - a horsey osteopath once told me to try rubber gloves and a skip and do it by hand, but kneeling down so you are not bent over!
 
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