11 Tips For Spring Cleaning Your Stable

Now that spring has fully sprung, we are thankful for warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours. And you know what that means, don't you? It means that it must be time to spring clean your stable. We all dread it, but it has to be done. Remember your stable is the place that your horse calls home. By giving it a good clean, you’ll be creating a comfortable space for him to live in, making him happier and healthy at the same time. Here are some tips and helpful pointers from EQUUS to consider before you start…

1) First of all, tie those locks back or cover your hair. Shower caps are a great way to cover your hair, even if they do look a bit ridiculous. Get yourself a pair of goggles and some old scruffs, the ones you don’t mind throwing away afterwards…

2) Get your tools ready. Here are some ideas of the kind of things you’ll need: ladders, barrows, good brooms, buckets, disinfectant, hose or pressure washer (pressure washers are a god-send! Perhaps try to borrow one if you can!).

3) Before you actually begin cleaning, take everything out of the stable. Take the rubber matting out too. Don’t be tempted to leave your bedding in the stable, otherwise you’ll only be worried about dust, dirt or cobwebs getting in it.

4) Give roof areas and trusses a good sweep, or even a vacuum, to remove dust and cobwebs. Sweep the floor thoroughly and make sure you get into all the corners - use a dustpan and brush for those fiddly areas. If you use a hoover, don’t forget to empty the bag afterwards!

5) Disinfect the floor and hose it down. This can be done with a dedicated disinfectant or simply a mixture of water and bleach. Allow plenty of time for your stable to dry after you’ve hosed it down and make sure it’s thoroughly rinsed.

6) Clean and check all light fittings and windows. White vinegar is great for cleaning windows. This means less chemicals for the horse, makes it much cheaper for you, and it leaves your windows spotless!

7) Scrub buckets and/or water feeder thoroughly. “Milton" is a good chemical to clean things your horse will eat/drink out of, as it’s used for infants and is less smelly and harmful than bleach.

8) Are you ready for the grimmest part of all? Put a peg on your nose, then scrub the rubber matting clean and hose it down whilst it’s outside of the stable. Yuk! (Or pay your little brother or sister £5 to do it for you!).

9) Allow EVERYTHING to dry thoroughly - and we mean really thoroughly!

10) Put everything back, only if you’re sure it’s truly clean, i.e. that there’s no smell of ammonia.

11) Finally have a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate and dream about the months of great summer riding ahead!

Do you have the tools for the job? Shop our great selection of stable cleaning products or check out my other blog about the best products for cleaning your horse's stable, and give your horse a safe, clean home to live in!