How deep do you bed stalls?

[luvmyhackney]

Seriously, how deep do you bed stalls? How much harder do you find it to clean out a deeply bedded stall of a very neat horse or one barely bedded nasty stall?

As a BO would you be irritated if a boarder purchased their own shavings to use instead of having the barn provide and never asked for discounts of any kind? I only purchase because they use a small sprinkling in the middle of the stall and its borderline barely enough to absorb his pee. Makes his blankets stink and why should he lay in his own pee?

I’ve worked at barns forever and managed them, this was never an issue. Current BO is irritated because I keep the stall 4-5 inches deep in middle and bank the side approx. 12". I add (1) bag of shavings a week, max. They add (0) bags since they think I put in too much. Which is no problem. He pees in the middle, and poops only on the right side in one big pile. He never walks through it or spreads it. Super neat stall keeper. I think the BO doesn’t want other boarders to think I’m getting a special service is the only reasoning I can come up with.

Before I push the issue, am I right or should I just consider it a non issue?

[Simkie]

I bed deep enough to deal with the pee but not much else. Having extra bedding is a GIANT time sink. Huge pita, imo.

But it really doesn’t matter what answers you get here. If your barn owner doesn’t want the bedding, you saying “the internet says it’s okay” doesn’t really fly. Make peace with less bedding, go somewhere else, or (maybe) pay extra for the additional service of cleaning the deeper bed. Or I guess you could just clean your own stall daily, with the barn owners okay?

[luvmyhackney]

@Simkie

I bed deep enough to deal with the pee but not much else. Having extra bedding is a GIANT time sink. Huge pita, imo.

But it really doesn’t matter what answers you get here. If your barn owner doesn’t want the bedding, you saying “the internet says it’s okay” doesn’t really fly. Make peace with less bedding, go somewhere else, or (maybe) pay extra for the additional service of cleaning the deeper bed. Or I guess you could just clean your own stall daily, with the barn owners okay?

I’m more or less venting. My normal friends don’t get it. Can’t always be there to clean stall as I travel for work. I’ll move before I pay extra. Its a ok place, but I can add an extra 100.00 and board at a farm with an indoor that beds deep, just has better maintained lush VA pastures that I don’t want. .

[Scribbler]

Yes, these are two separate questions.

How deep do other people bed their stalls or think ideal?

Versus,

How can I get the BM to agree to me doing my stall differently than her general practice?

As with the winter paddock poop picking thread, the answer is probably: your BM won’t change and if you don’t like it you need to move.

[allons-y]

Bedding is one of the cons of boarding. Everyone has an opinion on what’s best for their Dobbin, and that’s OK. And at a BO/BM situation, it’s their call. I’ve shared before my dissatisfaction with one FB barn’s idea of ‘enough’. Fortunately I was usually able to do self care at different places. My stall, my choice and my $.

Scribbler is correct that there are 2 different questions here. When mine had to stay in overnight I bedded deep, paid for it, toted it, and cleaned my own stall. When they could be out 24/7 except for meals, they needed less.

Now at home, each beast has a different set up. They are all out 24/7 except meals, unless cold and rainy for extended time. Then the OTTB gets deep fluffy shavings, the Pone a thinner layer over the mats, with bare sand in the back for toileting. The Paint Ranch Beast gets fluffy on one side, bare mat where he poops on the other side. But I’m at home so I can do this. I like to leave them in overnight if it’s been really wet sometimes so their coats and hooves can dry out some. Only the TB likes this, the others are offended at this ‘imprisionment’.

This is a difficult issue, time and $ constraints usually dictate what your BM chooses. It can be tough to find the right fit.

[Simkie]

@luvmyhackney

I’m more or less venting. My normal friends don’t get it. Can’t always be there to clean stall as I travel for work. I’ll move before I pay extra. Its a ok place, but I can add an extra 100.00 and board at a farm with an indoor that beds deep, just has better maintained lush VA pastures that I don’t want. .

Split the difference. Tell the barn owner you know it’s a pita to clean with the extra bedding and ask if an extra 50$ a month would cover the inconvenience.

​​​​​​​You don’t pay the premium at the barn that has the lush fields you don’t want and the barn owner feels that you’re acknowledging the extra time cleaning the stall. Win win.

[ladyj79]

For me, this is a big issue. It’s why I’ve done self-care primarily. I couldn’t handle it.

But I acknowledge and accept that that’s how some barns keep stalls.

If I loved the facility I would try for self care or field board if possible. If i could do self care i would pay someone else to clean my stalls when I was gone.

otherwise I would have to move.

We all have deal breakers. Muddy paddocks isn’t mine, no bedding is.

[OneTwoMany]

@Simkie

But it really doesn’t matter what answers you get here. If your barn owner doesn’t want the bedding, you saying “the internet says it’s okay” doesn’t really fly. Make peace with less bedding, go somewhere else, or (maybe) pay extra for the additional service of cleaning the deeper bed. Or I guess you could just clean your own stall daily, with the barn owners okay?

Agree

[OneTwoMany]

@Scribbler

These are two separate questions.

How deep do other people bed their stalls or think ideal?

Versus,

How can I get the BM to agree to me doing my stall differently than her general practice?

As with the winter paddock poop picking thread, the answer is probably: your BM won’t change and if you don’t like it you need to move.

Agree with the above, but I would be curious why the issue is coming up now? Was it somehow not obvious how the stalls were bedded before you moved to the barn? Or has the barn changed their bedding practices?

[Palm_Beach]

I just keep a couple inches of bedding, but my horses are only in 5-7 hours a day and I have good rubber mats. I have an issue with the bedding getting old, dry and dusty simply because I don’t need to remove much on a daily basis. My stalls are big, and the horses will still lay down in their manure. Geldings pee in the middle of the stall, and horses normally lay down in the middle, so even if you have a lot of bedding, they will lay in it. But I agree that it should be deep enough to absorb the urine instead of having it puddle.

[clanter]

use unwetted pellet bedding in the wet spots, does not add labor in cleaning the stall as the unwetted pellets easily sort out… the wet urine bedding stays clumped together… I been doing this for a while, reduced my overall bedding needs by at least 40%

the bags of pellets are easy to transport

also would not give the other boards the appearance that your stall was getting more bedding

[FraggleRock]

A sprinkle in the middle and not absorbing urine is definitely not enough, however 4-5" with 12" banked on the outside sounds like way too much bedding.
Deeply bedded stalls take forever to clean especially if the horse is messy.
Your barn is likely using so little bedding to cut costs on bedding and time on cleaning stalls. You bedding the stall so deep means that it likely takes a lot longer to clean your horses stall. Perhaps there is a middle ground, maybe stop banking the bedding and only add a bag as truly needed?

[luvmyhackney]

@OneTwoMany

Agree with the above, but I be curious why the issue is coming up now? Was it somehow not obvious how the stalls were bedded before you moved to the barn? Or has the barn changed their bedding practices?

Issue is coming up now due to the bad weather he is actually using his stall (our first winter here). I pay for stall board year round and this is the first time he is actually staying in it for a longer period. During the spring, summer, fall they just fed him outside even though he had a stall. It was easier and he literally never came in. No big deal, on my end as I like for him to be out. So they didn’t keep shavings in the stalls or provide hay as he was on moderate grass 24/7.

With the cold weather they are now keeping them in from 5pm - 8/9 am and split one bag of shavings between 10 stalls as per the chore list. Which they have to shovel out everything and add shavings daily. As per our boarding contract she calculates 8 bags of shavings per stall per month. I assumed 8 bags of shavings a month would mean a heavily bedded stall in the winter, which it should in a 12X10 stall. The way I explained it to her was as he is staying in more he needs more shavings to absorb his pee. His stall in starting to smell in the mornings and his blankets are getting filthy. I am happy to pay for my own shavings and bed his stall, will this be an issue? She said no problem, and showed me where to keep my shavings and to put my name on them. All the barn workers had no issues cleaning his stall ( I tip monthly) and asked. So everything was good since beginning of Dec.

Then I get a text last night asking me to no longer add my 1 bag a week, its too much shavings. So I called her and asked why the change, she said it wasn’t fair that she allows me to buy my own shavings and keep the stall the way I want it. I should be like every one else. I said ok, your barn your rules. So I don’t plan on adding any shavings, her barn her rules.

I’ll most likely be moving as this is a deal breaker for me.

[fordtraktor]

One bag among 10 stalls is crazy. I have 10 by 12s and three bags is about right for a full strip. I add more as needed. That gives you 3 inches more or less.

no bedding is a deal breaker for me too and I don’t even use my stalls that often.

[LSMarnell]

No doubt someone else asked for the same arrangement and she saw how this could get out of hand. She realized she made a mistake telling you, “yes.” If you let one person do it you have to let them all.

I agree that this is not ideal, but I also see it from the BO’s side. She has to make it fair, plus keep things on budget labor-wise. Personally I would probably stay if this arrangement is only for a short period of time due to extreme weather. I would MUCH prefer to have my horse with all that 24-7 “out” time for the majority of the year.

[mkevent]

I would see if she would let you use pelleted bedding for the pee spots to soak up the urine. I agree with the others that this is probably opening a can of worms with the other boarders.

It does truly take a lot longer to clean a deeply bedded stall if you are “fluffing up” the entire stall as you clean it, which is how I used to clean my stalls.

I boarded at a place that used minimal bedding and it drove me crazy. Personally, I would board at the farm with an indoor and use a muzzle on him when on pasture.

[Guyot]

Haha the struggle is REAL! I’m a barn owner and I struggle to have the help keep the stalls deep enough. I mean really how hard is it to have to beg your staff to add shavings… yup they have to work harder to muck but I HATE seeing pee spots!! Add back what you took out is my motto.

I ask them to add shavings every day to every stall… I want a minimum of 4 inches… what did I have to do yesterday… add shavings to six stalls because she “thought” they were fine. Not sure why shavings every day, every stall is hard to understand, but it is!!

Anytime dealing with another person things are lost in translation! Find a barn that shares your beliefs and then hope things run smoothly! Thankfully my clients roll their eyes right along with me and if I can’t get to the stalls needing extra they all know they can add themselves!

[SnicklefritzG]

In my opinion, boarding is all about identifying one’s top priorities in terms of stable and horse management and finding a barn that matches ~75-80% of that. There is always going to be a sticking point when it comes to opinions on things like turnout, feed, pasture management, etc.

[MCF1991]

I think you are going to just have to ask if you can put up with no bedding. If not move. You have already have the convo with the barn owner and I think that not allowing you to add your own bedding is kind of dumb. It doesn’t sound like you are going overboard at all so I would just let the owner know it’s a deal breaker for you and you will need to relocate if she can’t allow more bedding. (but say it in a nice way)

[SWatson]

In all the years I either worked off board cleaning stalls, done self-care, or worked as an assistant manager at a barn, NEVER has it been policy or ok to have less than 6 inches of bedding in the middle. When did it become normalized to just “sprinkle” some bedding in the middle? Do the horses in these particular barns never pee?

I’ve been without a horse for a while, and I realize things may have changed a bit, but have they really changed THAT much?!