Getting my barn ready to move my horse home

[ERG]

Hello,
I’m trying to get my barn ready to move my horse home. My parents have always had horses on their property, so I’m relatively familiar with the pros and cons of having horses at home although I know there will be issues that arise. My issue is that I bought a farm which has an older barn in the northeast on the property The barn itself smells musty to me. The barn has stall matts in it and there was straw bedding when I moved in. There has not been horses on the property for at least 10 years. There will only be two horses on the property, and the barn opens up into about an acre of pasture. I’m planning on installing more fencing next spring so I can rotate pastures.
Can I just power wash the existing stall matts?
Should I put something down on the matts before I lay shavings?
What are your favorite barn accessories? ex: cross ties, pitch forks, anything that makes taking care of your horses easier/more enjoyable.
I’m also thinking about installing a drinking post waterer for the pasture? Has anyone installed one of these?
Also, my horse tends to scarf down hay, so I’ve also been thinking about investing in slow feeding options.

Thanks in advance

[mmeqcenter]

I’d pull the mats out, sanitize the stall and mats, out put them back in.
But if you don’t want to do that much work, yes, power wash the mats and follow up with something like Stable Fresh
http://www.doversaddlery.com/stable-fresh/p/W1-C27248A/#ProductTabs

Also a pitch fork with a basket for me. Can’t stand the regular flat ones.
Cross ties are a must.
Good broom.
Large trash can.
First aid kid (human).
Shovel
Lots of hooks for hanging storage

If you want something more than just slow feed hay nets, I’ve always thought these are cool, but cover the top
https://horseideology.blog/2011/01/16/new-hay-feederfor-the-stalls/

Or in the corner
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/bf/1f/2f/bf1f2fae21d78c7cfcfaf3665bd189f2--horse-feeder-hay-feeder.jpg

[js]

You could try just getting a scrub type broom and a bucket with cleaner and scrub the mats. I don’t know if you want to get a lot of water in/under the mats with power washing them in place. Pulling them out would be best but that can be a pita to get them out and back in.

Get a two wheeled wheel barrow so much easier to push around and not worry about it tipping over. Manure fork, snow shovel (used it for really soaked wet spots in the stallsometimes), first aid kits for horses and humans. Keep a small supply of things for cuts, etc. vet wrap, betadine, etc., also liniment, polo wraps and standing wraps. I could go on but you will accumulate what you need as you go.

If you can pull the mats up or at least roll them back, you could put some Sweet PDZ down under them (Tractor Supply carries it). You could also sprinkle a light amount put it on top of them mats before putting bedding down. Keep some handy for wet spots in the stalls once your horses have moved in.

[cutter99]

Lime or Sweet PDZ will help greatly in freshening up the stalls. If you pull the mats, sprinkle it on the bare floors. You can also sprinkle it on the mats themselves.

[AKB]

I have portagrazer corner feeders for my stalls and am happy with them. If your horses can go in and out of the stalls at will, you will save yourself a lot of work. Mine come in, eat some hay, and then leave. If the barn is well ventilated and the old straw is gone, the musty odor should diminish. I have a Lil Spring waterer in my field and am happy with it. My cross ties are the kind with Velcro. I am happy with them. If you have to lift the mats, I would get a mat lifter that grips the corner and makes it easier to lift them. I hate moving mats.

Good luck, and have fun. It is nice to have your own barn.

[stb]

If it were me (and it was, not so long ago) I would take everything out of the barn except the mats and then spray with the hose to remove dust and cobwebs. Pick a dry and windy day, if you can. If the mats smell bad you can spray them with an odor neutralizer - Odoban is good. I would let that sit and not rinse it off. Let that dry, then I would probably sprinkle Sweet PDZ over the mats for good measure. Fresh shavings on top should help the smell as well. Also, when I sweep my barn aisle I often sprinkle water with a bit of Pin-Sol before I sweep. This helps with the dust and makes the barn smell good.

The following things are essential in my barn:
Cross ties
Equi-Tee manure forks
Porta-Grazers for hay (I have the regular round ones but they fit well in a corner). I use these either inside or out.

Good luck with your new place. Having your own barn is so exciting. I got mine two years ago and I’m still not over it:)