April is my favourite month of the year! Not only is my birthday, but the nights are lighter, the weather is better, the horses are spending more time out and we head to Badminton horse trials to start the pre-event biosecurity protocols!
Did you know that all of the stables for the event are pressure washed and then we disinfect them using our high-pressure vapour machines, knapsack sprayers and fogging machine and EndoSan disinfectant, three times over three weeks in the run up to the event!
So, I thought this month we’d talk about the best way to spring clean your stables!
How to Deep Clean Your Horse’s Stable
Here’s our step-by-step guide for deep cleaning your horse’s stable;
What You’ll Need:
- Wheelbarrow & pitchfork
- Hard-bristled broom
- Shovel or poopa scooper
- Pressure washer or hose with a spray nozzle
- Equine detergent
- EndoSan Disinfectant (equine-safe)
- Scrubbing brushes
- Rubber gloves
- Bedding (fresh straw, shavings, or your preference)
- PPE (dust mask and goggles are recommended for de-cobwebbing)
Step-by-Step Deep Clean:
- Remove Your Horse
Obvious but crucial. Pop your horse into the paddock, field, or another secure area while you clean.
- Strip Out All Bedding;
Shovel out all old bedding into your wheelbarrow and dispose of it in the muck heap. Make sure you get right into the corners.
- Before you start your cleaning, we recommend that you disinfect the whole stable, ceiling to floor with EndoSan disinfectant first! Because pressure washing spreads pathogens into the environment. Unless your pressure washer is under 120 psi as per the FEI guidelines.
- Cleaning;
- Start at the top; remove all the cobwebs from the stable roof and dust from ledges then sweep the floor with a stiff broom.
- Remove any rubber matting that is not sealed down, if the mats have lifted in any areas, you may need to sweep out the debris that has collected under them.
- Using warm water and equine-safe detergent, start with scrubbing the ceiling and work your way down the walls, kickboards, door handles, and floors. This removes all the organic matter and grease from your stable’s surfaces.
- Or if you have a pressure washer start at the ceiling and work your way down, using a detergent through your pressure washer to clean the organic matter off the surfaces, you may still need to scrub certain areas to remove the dried-on poo stains!
If your ceiling is too high for you to reach, then consider calling in a professional company to do it for you – contact use for details of our trusted partners.
- Rinse the detergent and organic matter off the surfaces and floor. Then use EndoSan disinfectant as a final rinse, either through your pressure washer, or by using a knapsack sprayer or by calling us in to use our professional high pressure vapour machines to disinfect your stables for you.
- Mats, clean and disinfect both sides of your stable mats outside your stable, make sure that they and the stable floor are dry before you replace them.
- Tackle Feeders, Water Buckets & Mucking Out Tools
Soak, scrub, and disinfect your horse’s feed and water containers. Refill only once the stable is dry. Clean, scrub and disinfect your mucking out tools and wheelbarrows!
- Check for Repairs
Look for loose nails, splinters, broken hinges, or gaps in flooring that could cause injury. Spring cleaning is the perfect time for a quick safety check. Don’t forget to check your gutters and paint or use wood preservative on the outside of your stables. It’s also the perfect time to make any improvements, such as improving your stable ventilation.
- Replace Bedding
Once everything’s dry, add in your new bedding of choice.
Final Thought;
Most of us can only manage a full deep clean once or twice a, year, but if you can do it more often, then you will significantly reduce the pathogens in your horse’s environment, which will improve their health and reduce the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. A clean stable is a happy stable. It helps prevent disease, keeps your horse comfortable, and improves the overall atmosphere of your yard. Make it a team event at your livery or yard and share the load — maybe even finish up with a cuppa in the tack room!