Why are mucking out tools so ridiculously small

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seriously festive equine

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As above really. I always muck out with a poop scoop (Gorilla Tidee or similar) why on earth are they so blimmin small???? i'm 5'9 and my back is so bad from all the tiny mucking out equiptment. If people are going to talk to us about how important good posture is when riding, then I will be telling them mucking out is the reason why. Also ive tried shavings forks and they dont work for me.

Anyone found any super tall versions of a poop scoop?
 
seriously festive equine said:
As above really. I always muck out with a poop scoop (Gorilla Tidee or similar) why on earth are they so blimmin small???? i'm 5'9 and my back is so bad from all the tiny mucking out equiptment. If people are going to talk to us about how important good posture is when riding, then I will be telling them mucking out is the reason why. Also ive tried shavings forks and they dont work for me.

Anyone found any super tall versions of a poop scoop?
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I've had the same snow shovel since 1998 but with two new stales! Same plastic base, you can see how it's worn down.

I like the weight of it and the angle of the scoop. I've never been able to muck out with a shavings fork, they really frustrate me.

I watched someone muck out a shavings bed the other day and couldn't believe how much clean shavings they were taking out with the poo. I bounce the poo on the shovel and the shavings fall off the side, I've perfected this art over the last 20 years! 😅

If your tools are too short just buy a longer stale! I took couldn't muck out with a poop scoop!
 

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I have to admit, I muck out with gloved hands and a bucket.

We semi-deep litter, so I remove the surface level poos by hand every day (I don't go digging), and then just add fresh straw to the top.

I used to use poop scoops and forks etc but hand picking hurts my back less and gets more of the poop out.
 
Problem with the poop scoops is that making them taller and using longer rakes (you can actually buy longer rakes) then increases the weight and strain on wrists when scraping & emptying. I have no idea how you manage/prefer to do a full muck out with those scoops!

You can get long forks supposedly designed to help with posture, think they are called Swedish forks.

Interestingly my physio suggested, after I was complaining of RSI type back pain from mucking out, to alternate sides, so you even out the twisting. Ie use both right handed and left handed. Obviously feels very weird and cumbersome to start with, but I got used to it pretty quick and it evened out the load on my back
 
Also 5'9 and I could never use a scoop, my back couldn't cope with it, or how much bedding I would end up taking.

I use a shavings fork or gloves to pick out droppings. I don't lose much bedding at all with the poo, but then Cobbus is quite wet so a lot goes then.
ihatework said:
Interestingly my physio suggested, after I was complaining of RSI type back pain from mucking out, to alternate sides, so you even out the twisting. Ie use both right handed and left handed. Obviously feels very weird and cumbersome to start with, but I got used to it pretty quick and it evened out the load on my back
Click to expand...
I had the same - took a while for me to be able to do it as well both sides!
 
I know im funny re mucking out only with a poop scoop, but its just so quick, reliable, and the only thing that doesn't get 'borrowed' by my family (they will use shovels and forks etc. for garden jobs!)
I will try the alternate sides thing. I use barely any shavings as my horses are trained not to wee in their stables and they have lovely thick rubber mats all over (shavings only used as their is a drippy leak in the corner of the stable!) so the poop scoop really is quick. I have been just using the side of my wellie at the moment tbh! Thanks everyone!
 
Surbie said:
How????? What's the secret? The first thing mine does is have a long, luxurious wee the minute he comes in. Even though we'll just have walked half a mile from his field to the yard along deep grassy verges...
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I've had mine since young, they lived out 24/7 for a year or two and I would keep track of when they wee. Around 6 am normally! I started going out to them and when they weed I would say the word 'toilet' continously whilst clicking and then they would get a treat (clicker trained ponies) they got it so quickly. I walk them in from the field, command them to wee on the verge, and then they go in their stables.
Helps that because of little to no shavings the wee splashes up at them which they don't seem to like!
 
ihatework said:
Problem with the poop scoops is that making them taller and using longer rakes (you can actually buy longer rakes) then increases the weight and strain on wrists when scraping & emptying. I have no idea how you manage/prefer to do a full muck out with those scoops!

You can get long forks supposedly designed to help with posture, think they are called Swedish forks.

Interestingly my physio suggested, after I was complaining of RSI type back pain from mucking out, to alternate sides, so you even out the twisting. Ie use both right handed and left handed. Obviously feels very weird and cumbersome to start with, but I got used to it pretty quick and it evened out the load
Click to expand...

ihatework said:
Problem with the poop scoops is that making them taller and using longer rakes (you can actually buy longer rakes) then increases the weight and strain on wrists when scraping & emptying. I have no idea how you manage/prefer to do a full muck out with those scoops!

You can get long forks supposedly designed to help with posture, think they are called Swedish forks.

Interestingly my physio suggested, after I was complaining of RSI type back pain from mucking out, to alternate sides, so you even out the twisting. Ie use both right handed and left handed. Obviously feels very weird and cumbersome to start with, but I got used to it pretty quick and it evened out the load on my back
Click to expand...
I have a swedish fork and I love it.
 
If you don’t really have bedding something like this might work for scraping all your poo into a pile (although you’d still need to use the tool to get it into the scoop I think). Don’t think it would have any gardening uses so should be safe from theft?

22" Traditional Farm Floor Squeegee Scraper Metal Head with Durable Rubber Blade and Strong 4ft Wooden Handle : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

Great prices on your favourite Home brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
 
Swedish forks look like a great job!

I'm only 5'2" and I can't poo pick with a scoop, it's murderous. The yard owner "suggested" we use them for doing fields to do the least damage to the grass and it's the one time I have deliberately not followed the rules 😂

I have a Falsterbo fork and it is frequently borrowed, and will be immediately replaced with another one when it dies. I can't use a metal fork as it's too much for my wrists and my back but the falsterbo is lightweight enough that I can bounce and wiggle the shavings through. Also doesn't pull up too much grass in the field! If I am doing stables with little to no shavings I use a shovel like Birker. Doing one perfect, swift jab and getting to lift everything at once feels fabulous, like the opposite of whipping a table cloth out from under crockery 😂
 
Surbie said:
How????? What's the secret? The first thing mine does is have a long, luxurious wee the minute he comes in. Even though we'll just have walked half a mile from his field to the yard along deep grassy verges...
Click to expand...
I have only one that saves it up to use his stable. The rest pee outside and mostly poo outside as well. The secret for overnight is to give them somewhere to go outside. Mine have small yards attached to their stables and doors left open so by the morning their stables are always dry and the vast majority of poo is outside. Saves a lot on bedding which at my local supplier now seems to be £10.60 a bale. . I didn't train them just gave them an option. I have a tiny sandy area (8 x 8) that I lead some of them past for a pee when they come in from the field and hiss at them. They get so keen they pull me towards it if I forget. One totally trained himself I have no idea why. If I call him in he will gallop off in the opposite direction to find what he considers the best place in his field to have a pee and I have to stand and wait.
I have found over the years that the vast majority are trainable. Just one or two who refuse to use anything except their own personal stable.

seriously festive equine said:
I know im funny re mucking out only with a poop scoop, but its just so quick, reliable, and the only thing that doesn't get 'borrowed' by my family (they will use shovels and forks etc. for garden jobs!)
I will try the alternate sides thing. I use barely any shavings as my horses are trained not to wee in their stables and they have lovely thick rubber mats all over (shavings only used as their is a drippy leak in the corner of the stable!) so the poop scoop really is quick. I have been just using the side of my wellie at the moment tbh! Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
I have a similar bedding system and I use the gorilla tidee or similar. You won't like the next bit :rolleyes: but I don't like the forks that come with them for mucking out on the mats or concrete or sandy/gravel areas so I use a small coal shovel. I don't get back problems as I bend at the knees and I find a small shovel much more efficient than the long fork. If I was on grass I would use the scoop plus the fork.
 
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