Numpty Q of the Day - Mucking out shavings!

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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Drum roll please for Numpty Question of the Day......

How do you muck out shavings????:o

Mine are always on straw but I'm going to camp in a fortnight and they have to be on shavings there.
OK, I could probably have a good crack at it, but it's a good 10 years since I faffed with shavings, so would appreciate some tips.

Also any tips on getting shavings out of Hairy Mclarey's feather would be appreciated too!:rolleyes:

Porridge (made with water:eek:) for anyone kind enough to answer! Yes yes the diet is back on, big time!:D
 
Not a numpty question, but I probably won't be very good at explaining it, so bear with me! This is my method.

Starting at one side of the bed, bank up the shavings round the walls.
Lift poo as you come across it.
With wet patches, lift the dry bedding from on top of them (if there is any) and add it to the bankings, and lift the wet bedding.
Once all poo/dirty bedding has been removed, sweep the floor - clean shavings into the bankings, dirty shavings out the door - then toss the bankings well to make sure there's no poo left in them, and to air the shavings.
Bring shavings back down, level off bankings and smooth bed.

Hope that helps!
 
What I do is remove the poo first with the shavings fork then turn the bed (literally flip it over) and remove the wet. Then throw the clean thats left up against the wall so any loose nuggets of poo drop down and you can pick them up easily. Flip through the banks and then after you have removed any stray bits of poo or wet sweep to remove any shavings that have broken down. Pop the bed back down. Set the bed check the thickness and set the banks. Add new to the bottoms of the banks as required.

Simples takes about 5 minutes and you can keep your beds white and fresh.

Shavings out of feather? I would use a small travel hairbrush and keep them sprayed with a detangler so most drop out then a quick flick through with the brush.
 
Only thing I would add is that having the right tools makes such a difference to how well and how easily you can do a shavings bed.

We have one of these: http://futureshavingsfork.co.uk/

Anything else and it takes me forever and I struggle to get out all the small droppings (but I am completely obsessive about perfect beds!)
 
I second the Future Fork... miraculous - I take the droppings out by hand and deep litter the wet weekly as my girl is a sod for bed churning and doesnt do it if it is more solid :D
 
Indiapony said:
I second the Future Fork... miraculous - I take the droppings out by hand and deep litter the wet weekly as my girl is a sod for bed churning and doesnt do it if it is more solid :D
Click to expand...

Future Fork is wonderful I bought mine in the UK last holiday and brought it back with me and I now have orders for when I am next over!

Another vote here for deep littering (I take poo out daily with my trusted marigolds and a bucket) once a week attack the wet spots and top up with Fresh shavings.
 
I do pretty much the same as every one else but i also tend to at the end of each week put the shavings that were in the banks into the middle and put new shavings in the banks. That way it keeps it nice and fresh.
 
Feather and shavings - put a little Survivor detangler (from tailgator.co.uk) on them the night before, put a little in your hand, spread in on your fingers and palm and run through the hair. Then the next day use the detangler comb from Avon to gently comb out any shavings without pulling out any precious hair.
 
I asked that question when I first went to work at the local racing stables as when we did horses in the 60's it was all straw so I hadn't a clue.
I tend to go round the edge throwing up the shavings (Having moved all the obvious stuff first into the barrow)
Horses usually do their droppings etc in a favourote place so you'll soon work it out.When you come to their wet patch just lightly scrape off the shavings from the top and then shovel the rest into the barrow.when you've gone round the whole bed you'll have banks round the edge and if you have flicked the fork right anything that hits the wall will role down and collect at the bottom.Whiz round the inside flicking the stuff against the wall also and then collect up the muck.Shoot round with the fork scraping the top of the banks flat to the height you feel comfortable with and then pull the banks down lightly as a base to the bed and wave your fork over the whole bed to level and sweep the path along the front where you put the hay buckets etc
Takes me about 7mins per bed and I've just done 25 this morning :)
 
You all make it sound so easy! I'm not entirely convinced and sure it'll take me more than 7 mins but I'll try.

And how many bales do you usually use?
It says we may need more shavings to "top-up" the beds, so presume there will be some in the stables but was going to take some with me. I'm only there for 3 days/2nights, although she will be in all the time when not being ridden, so will taking 2 bales with me be enough?
 
I have rubber mats and half beds with no banks, this only takes about 2 and half bales. If however the stables didn't have mats I'd be putting in 5 or 6 to provide a good think bed
 
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