by Sam E. Jones

Created on: July 16, 2010

Winter can wreak havoc on even the cleanest stable. Things can get dirty, stinky and unhealthy. This is why it’s so important to give your horse stable a really good spring cleaning.

The first thing you need to do is get the horse or horses out of the stable and into the fresh air. If need be, board them somewhere else for while. You need the stable empty of anyone and anyting in order to get it really and truly clean,

Once the way is clear, the first thing you need to do is clean with a pitchfork or shovel or whatever you’ve got. Get every scrap of manure, hay or straw out of that stable. Clean the manger if that’s what you use. Clean things with your tools as well as you can, being sure to scrap anything that doesn’t come off when you first try.

Next, you need to wash that stable with pure clean water; preferably, water under great pressure. If you have to, rent a pressure cleaner. Use the pressurized water to clean the ceilings, walls, floors, gates, barriers and/or borders, eating areas and anything else that is in there. In short, spray every square inch of the place, then let it sit for while, but not long enough to dry, then do the whole thing over again after everything has had some time to soak. And, if need be wait again, and then do the whole thing all over again. In fact, do it as many times as it takes. You need to keep at it until the place doesn’t stink any more. Also, while you’re spraying, keep a scrub brush in hand for those bits of icky stuff that won’t come lose, then spray it again once you get it to come off.

And then, if you can get yourself a pair of goggles and some clothes you don’t care about, because you need to spray the entire stable, top to bottom, back to front, left to right and everywhere in-between, with a water and bleach mixture. This is of course to kill and viruses, bacteria or any other living thing in there. Be careful to not breathe too much while you’re doing this because you can make yourself sick. Keep the windows open too of course and try not to spray yourself with it.

Let the bleach do its thing for a couple of hours, then get back in there with the pressurized water again. This time, when you’re spraying, make sure you get in all the cracks and crevices because sometimes some nasty stuff can get in there as well.

Then, let the whole place dry. If it smells clean, you’re set to go. If not, you probably missed some place that was hard to see. Go look till you find it, and then clean it out with your pressure sprayer.

And then, let the place air out for as long as you possibly can before letting any animals back in there; or at least until the smell of the bleach dissipates.

Learn more about this author, Sam E. Jones.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.