Disinfecting horse trailer

[4horses]

What is the best way to disinfect the horse trailer? My friend borrowed my trailer to rescue a sick calf. Apparently the calf was covered in maggots and is quite poorly. Not sure how to go about cleaning my trailer. Don’t want my horses getting lice. Apparently the calf was abandoned by its mother twice. They had to borrow my trailer to take their horse out there to hunt down the missing calf and then put the calf in my trailer so the vet could come look at it.

Not sure maggots would be infectious in healthy animals? Hopefully not. Apparently the calf was covered in them. Vet isn’t optimistic the calf will make it.

[cutter99]

Maggots and lice are not the same thing. Both affect animals that are in poor condition. Maggots actually eat decomposing flesh. Lice feed on blood.

Unless you were hauling a horse with some sort of infectious disease, I would probably just pressure wash your trailer as normal, possible use a soap like Dawn in it or you can get a disinfectant cleaner like Simple Green at TSC.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/simple-green-clean-finish-disinfectant-cleaner-128-oz-2810000401128?cm_vc=-10005

[cayuse]

When my husband hauled our neighbors sick goats we took an old broom and a bucket of water and bleach and scrubbed everything, then rinsed with the power wash. Took about 45 minutes. I left it open to dry in the sun for the day.

[Foxglove]

I use @cayuse method --or I did before I stopped loaning my trailer (long, long rant on COTH at some point) --however . . .

My rant about loaning my trailer led to some changes in thinking on my part --my big question right now --and the one I was asked --Why are YOU washing/disinfecting the trailer? That task should fall to the person who borrowed it. At the very least, he/she should assist in the job.

And briefly --I started out all nice-nice and loaned my trailer, hauled for those who needed it, and their kids. But no more. I ONLY haul my horses --or for my shooting buddy who reciprocates by hauling for me (we trade off hauling to venues).

Too many dings and dents from “someone’s horse” --who promised to fix it, but never had time . . .too often being told to take the horse’s child owner with me to the venue and the parents would follow --somehow leaving me with kid and horse at the show until they showed up . . .I could rant on . …

[WildGooseChase]

We strip it out, power wash and spray down the inside with a bleach solution and yard sprayer. Top to bottom, everything inside.

[4horses]

I’m disinfecting the trailer because they have been very helpful around here- if I need help with something like installing fencing, or help with manual labor- mucking or moving hay- they are just a phone call away. Having someone that can take care of your animals that you can trust is worth the extra hassle.

[Tucker5]

Honestly, I wouldn’t stress too much about disinfecting your trailer. Lice tend to be species specific and highly unlikely to transfer to your horses. Maggots won’t survive long enough to transfer. Poor calfie sounds like it may have had very little colostrum within that 24 hr critical window and therefore vulnerable to every bug out there. Usually, in young calves it’s a GI bug that gets them, again, tending to be species specific or pathogenic when the host is compromised.

[Mosey_2003]

If you’re worried about the lice I would hit it with permethrin first.

General recommendation is to use a detergent first and then a sanitizer, so I’d probably pressure wash it with soap, rinse, and then use bleach or your sanitizer of choice.

[S1969]

@4horses

Apparently the calf was covered in maggots and is quite poorly. Not sure how to go about cleaning my trailer. Don’t want my horses getting lice.

I wouldn’t worry about lice if your evidence is maggots. It’s not the same thing.

Still…maggots are gross.

So, I would sweep, pull out mats if you have them, hose it out and follow with a bleach/water solution and let it air dry.

[4horses]

Despite everything the calf died. His skin just peeled off and the vet euthanized him… They are testing samples to see if this is similar to HERDA in horses as the vet had never seen anything like that.

[jvanrens]

That sounds awful. Poor thing. Hopefully they can find out what caused it.

[Cocorona]

We had a strangles outbreak and I hauled a horse out to quarantine safety- to disinfect I got a gallon pump from the hardware store you use for weed killer and made a 10% bleach water solution snd sprayed liberally. Reminder bleach is a carcinoid so wear a mask and try not to breathe it it!

Then I took the trailer to one of those DIY car wash places and gave it a good cleaning and left the mats out in the sun for a few days after for the Uv rays to do what they do.

Btw- 1:9 bleach to water is what labs use to disinfect so that was the ratio I used!

Very kind of you to help the calf out, I’m sorry it didn’t make it