My trainer has an interesting take on this problem. He, or his help, just throw the manure out into the aisle. Then on to the next stall and the next stall. Then someone drives the tractor through the barn and picks up the manure. It’s then dumped in the manure pile outside.
Some days they drive the tractor in & just fill the front bucket. Trainer is older and in lousy shape physically. He and his help are masters at finding the least physical solution for anything.
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8799039]
This sounds like what I’m looking for! Do you have a link?[/QUOTE]
I got it from northern tool, in store. I believe it is this one, but it is hard to tell from photos: http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200641818_200641818?hotline=false
They have a few different styles on their site. It could also be this one, so hard to tell! http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200640140_200640140?hotline=false
I think they come bigger too, but this size I found it was equivalent to a wheelbarrow load when fully loaded. Remember you can heap it on there without the worry of it spilling all over you :lol:
[QUOTE=goodhors;8798810]
I use a cart for my muck tub to clean stalls in the one barn. Cart is easy to move, carries a good load, delivers the tub to the tractor for dumping into the FEL. I have this model from TSC, with the air filled, bigger wheels to bump over the curb of barn, without dumping the tub.
Certainly there are other models of carts for moving the muck tubs, but this one does a good job for me. Fairly solid wheels and metal, so it is not flimsy under wet manure in the tub. It also can be folded flat if hauled to shows. I like that it can be handled with one hand, while light wheelbarrows usually take 2 hands to keep from dumping it in transit.[/QUOTE]
Yup, this is what I do. Muck bucket in cart, wheel it to the RTV with dump bed, lift and dump it in. If the contents of the muck bucket are particularly heavy, such as super wet manure in the paddock after a rain storm, I just don’t fill the bucket as much so I can still lift it without spilling everywhere.
I like this one best, is easy to pull along anywhere, even over snow drifts, tires don’t need to be kept inflated and it is very light and little for a horse to get into if it knocks it over:
http://www.statelinetack.com/item/muck-bucket-cart/SLT310279/
Other carts are sturdier, but these have lasted for years and are still like new.
We like the other models also, except the one that has that metal foot that flips up and you have to flip down to rest the cart.
That one no one likes too well.
The trick with manure buckets is not to get greedy and fill them too full, then you really end up struggling.
If you have heavy stuff, only half fill them and make two trips.
I guess it depends on how many horses and how much snow you get. I don’t think this would work in real snow. And sometimes you do have to empty stalls through 6-8" of snow before you can stall horses and get the plow into the barnyard.
OP, I’d say it sounds like the best option is a gator with a dump bed if you could afford it. They fit down the aisle of most barns and can drive through real snow to the manure pile, even a long way away.
If not, the dump carts might be the best, but I totally hear what you are saying about difficult maneuvering if you have to backup. Not worth the hassle most of the time.
[QUOTE=S1969;8799964]
OP, I’d say it sounds like the best option is a gator with a dump bed if you could afford it. They fit down the aisle of most barns and can drive through real snow to the manure pile, even a long way away.[/QUOTE]
Yes! I know a barn that uses this technique. It works out great for them.
SNOW manure moving is a BREEZE if you use a sled to transport!
I use the Jet Sled XL here: http://www.shappell.com/sleds.html
I just drag it around and because its made to go on ice and snow, it pulls so easy, right on top of the snow. I didn’t use my wheelbarrow ONE time last winter.
[QUOTE=red mares;8799487]
My trainer has an interesting take on this problem. He, or his help, just throw the manure out into the aisle. Then on to the next stall and the next stall. Then someone drives the tractor through the barn and picks up the manure. It’s then dumped in the manure pile outside.
Some days they drive the tractor in & just fill the front bucket. Trainer is older and in lousy shape physically. He and his help are masters at finding the least physical solution for anything.[/QUOTE]
And does this method work reasonably well? Downfalls?
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8799970]
SNOW manure moving is a BREEZE if you use a sled to transport!
I use the Jet Sled XL here: http://www.shappell.com/sleds.html
I just drag it around and because its made to go on ice and snow, it pulls so easy, right on top of the snow. I didn’t use my wheelbarrow ONE time last winter.[/QUOTE]
I have the problem that the sled tips on the various bumps in the snow and the buckets fall out and make a mess.
And here I thought this thread was going to be about picking stalls. It’s more about manure moving. 
I was going to recommend the muck bucket cart but see others already have. I’ve had one for a few years, and recently its wheels kept goign flat on me. Couldn’t get them repaired, so bought no-flat tires. Feels like a whole new cart again, I love it.
THANKS for the tip on the Ursa wagon … I think that will be my first purchase when I get my own place!
How many stalls/how much manure are you talking about? My favorite way to do stalls (30 stall barn, all 12x12) back in the day was to just throw it in the front end loader. If you’re doing stalls with corrals, how about parking the tractor at the end of the row, and using the wheelbarrow to fill the front? That will help in the snow. In the summer…just use the wheelbarrow 
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8800025]
I have the problem that the sled tips on the various bumps in the snow and the buckets fall out and make a mess.[/QUOTE]
I don’t use buckets - the poop goes right in the sled!
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8800280]
I don’t use buckets - the poop goes right in the sled![/QUOTE]
Oh, I might have to try that. Thanks for the idea.
Wow! So many ideas! It sounds like I’m stuck with my muck tub routine for the time being, but I think I will get one of the muck tub cart/dolly things so I’m at least not dragging the tubs all over the stalls/paddocks. It seems like that’s what causes them to break, the handle rips out then the sides crack. I cleaned with the wheelbarrow yesterday (I have the 2 wheeled Rubbermaid one) and it’s just a long, long way to the pile with a heavy load. Not fun. If my pile were closer it’d be a no brainer!
A gator with a dump bed would be great! Maybe one day…
Can’t decide if a spreader would be worth it or not. My manure pile composts pretty well and stays a very manageable size.
Maybe for winter, I’ll have someone pour a concrete manure bin right by my barn, and just move the pile with the FEL when it gets big?
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8800351]
move the pile with the FEL when it gets big?[/QUOTE]
most front end loaders never grow up they just stay the size you bought
as for the four wheeled wagon, that is what we use but just stack the muck baskets in the bed as the dumping the cart isn’t easy nor will all the material dump out
[QUOTE=clanter;8800514]
most front end loaders never grow up they just stay the size you bought
…[/QUOTE]
:lol: Well done!
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8800288]
Oh, I might have to try that. Thanks for the idea.[/QUOTE]
I see from my link that the sled comes in even one size bigger - the wider ones work best, less likely to tip over. I’ve had no troubles with the one I have tipping on the way to the manure pile and I’m in Vermont - we get “real” snow :lol:
I think I found a solution!!! I used a little redneck rigging to do it, but it worked! I tied a loop of rope around the back of the tractor with a metal carabiner attached and made a rope handle attached to my Rubbermaid wheelbarrow. Once the wheelbarrow was full, I hooked the rope on the wheelbarrow to the carabiner on the tractor which was high enough up for the wheelbarrow to be tilted off the ground, then I could pull the full wheelbarrow to the manure pile with the tractor! Once I got to the pile, all I had to do was unsnap the carabiner, dump the barrow, and hook it back to the tractor!
I think this is much better than using the dump cart, which would get hung up on the hitch, was hard to back up or turn around to empty, and was heavy and hard to empty completely. With the wheelbarrow, I can get it close to the pile and easily unhook it to dump it where I want!
Just call me McGuyver :lol:
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8800832]
I think I found a solution!!! I used a little redneck rigging to do it, but it worked! I tied a loop of rope around the back of the tractor with a metal carabiner attached and made a rope handle attached to my Rubbermaid wheelbarrow. Once the wheelbarrow was full, I hooked the rope on the wheelbarrow to the carabiner on the tractor which was high enough up for the wheelbarrow to be tilted off the ground, then I could pull the full wheelbarrow to the manure pile with the tractor! Once I got to the pile, all I had to do was unsnap the carabiner, dump the barrow, and hook it back to the tractor!
I think this is much better than using the dump cart, which would get hung up on the hitch, was hard to back up or turn around to empty, and was heavy and hard to empty completely. With the wheelbarrow, I can get it close to the pile and easily unhook it to dump it where I want!
Just call me McGuyver :lol:[/QUOTE]
Great, if it works for you, why not?
You must not have a FEL bucket on your tractor, or you could dump the wheelbarrow into it, several of them and make a few less trips to dump?
I much directly into a Newer Spreader ($1300 ish), which is light enough I can drag it around the barn. After each stall, I put 1/2 cup 21-0-0 on top of the dirty bedding and about 1/3 quart pelleted lime. I spread about every 3-4 days depending on how many horses I have, and I spread directly into my fields with an ATV ($3000 used). Unless there is a big snowfall, I don’t have a manure pile. What small amount does accumulate due to snow sits for a year then goes into the garden.
I know people are going to say, “Don’t spread directly into your fields” but I am doing this per recommendations from Ohio State.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AGF-212
Why Does Horse Manure Stunt Crops?
Actually it doesn’t; but sawdust or wood shavings do. These wood products are the most common bedding used for horses. When horse manure and sawdust (or shavings) are put on soil the microorganisms in the soil start to break them down. Unfortunately, these wood products have a lot of carbon that the microorganisms use for energy but not enough nitrogen to build protein. In other words, the microorganisms have an unbalanced diet and they need nitrogen. They find that nitrogen in the soil and they collect it more efficiently than plants do. In fact, they do it so well that the plants growing in the soil can’t find enough nitrogen to grow properly. That’s called an “induced nitrogen deficiency” and it stunts crops.
The Nitrogen Enhancement System
The horse owner or the farmer can add nitrogen fertilizer to the manure/sawdust mix or to the soil. The added nitrogen can be used by the soil microorganisms to break down the manure/sawdust mixture. Therefore, they won’t need to steal soil nitrogen from the growing crops. The fertilizer should be added to the manure prior to spreading it on the soil. Another option is to work the fertilizer into the soil after the manure has been applied.
What Kind of Fertilizer and How Much?
Use only ammonium nitrate fertilizer with an analysis of 34-0-0 or ammonium sulfate with an analysis of 21-0-0. Other types of fertilizers (especially urea) can be lost into the air in a manure pile and do no good. Add about 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate per ton of horse manure/sawdust mix. This is about 1/3 pound (about 1/2 cup) of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate per 1,000-pound horse per day.
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