Messy stalls

[ayrabz]

just a couple things : Did you ever stall her (or her previous owners if she’s new to you) off and on while growing up? (to age 4 I meant) teaching a stall is a ‘good place’ is all part of it and easier to make a treat out of it early on!
Second: what area are you in? why go to ‘days in’ during December?
Third: when in barn, does she have companions left/right/across aisle-----or could she even be with new different companions in this stall? may be some anxiety of just wanting her friends and that she CAN learn in time, but not the being alone part so much at this age.
How did you handle the switch over? Can you bring her in for her feedings…get her happy about it first?

anyway. a pig in a stall I agree you really can’t fix. A youngster just being introduced, you can work with to lessen the pace thru it all, and the more settling in a stall. And sure, a run connected would be nice if its just ‘wanna be outside’.

[Red_Barn]

@Pally

You can try using MORE shavings. It may sound counterintuitive, but for SOME messy horses it improves the situation.

I do this with an 18h super-slob, and it actually does work. I use fine shavings and pile 'em deep, and both wet and solid waste seems to stay more contained that way.

Before it got so ridiculously expensive, I also added straw, just because it’s so much faster to remove with that classic pitchfork.

Other than that, I don’t know what to suggest. A slob is a slob forever, I think.

[wildlifer]

Yeah, I have never seen a pig horse reformed. This is one of the many, many reasons I don’t stall my horses. My pig-boy recently had to spend 4 months on confined rest & it reminded me how much I hate stalls, LOL. If you absolutely must stall a horse for some reason, more shavings does help a little if you can afford it. Part of the reason mine makes a mess is that he is super-smart & interested in everything in the world, so he moves around more if he can’t see out of all sides of wherever he is so he can keep tabs on everything. He’s not anxious, just curious & the world is his personal television. If he can see out of all four sides just by turning his head, stall cleaning life is better. Unfortunately, he was staying at my neighbour’s farm, so she wouldn’t have looked too kindly on me cutting holes in her barn walls, LOL.

[sascha]

@wildlifer

Part of the reason mine makes a mess is that he is super-smart & interested in everything in the world, so he moves around more if he can’t see out of all sides of wherever he is so he can keep tabs on everything. He

Haha, you also own a Hall Monitor! My mare improved her poo habits by leaps and bounds when I moved her to a facility with bars between stalls. She can keep track of everything in the barn aisle and her friends’ stalls, ready to report any violations of etiquette or manners to the principal.

I also second more bedding. To make it a bit easier, I pick out manure every day and dig out wet spots and turn over the whole bed once a week. 2 bags of shavings per week is average during regular 12 hour turnout. That goes up when turnout is reduced or for stall rest, but once the initial bed is laid down 6-8" deep, it takes not much more than the way other people bed and keeps my horse cleaner and more comfortable.

[wildlifer]

@sascha

Haha, you also own a Hall Monitor! My mare improved her poo habits by leaps and bounds when I moved her to a facility with bars between stalls. She can keep track of everything in the barn aisle and her friends’ stalls, ready to report any violations of etiquette or manners to the principal.

ROFL, yes, except mine monitors to see if anyone might have some frolicking they need assistance with!

[Mulligan314]

Ugh. My guy is a slob too. He grabs a bite to eat and circles the stall…dragging his feet along the way. Blending everything into a beautiful stew. It. drives. Me. Nuts. He’s not anxious…he just wants to wander. Poops where ever he stops his feet. Tried moving his hay net to the door so he could eat and then look out the door without moving…nope…still a blendy mess. As I’ve said with all his other oddities…maybe he’ll grow out of it. haha.

[licketysplit]

No I have to go to work to pay for this godforsaken hobby I do extra picking on the weekends though and it certainly helps!

[licketysplit]

She is 100% a hall monitor. If turned out she alerts me if anyone pulls down the driveway, there is a deer in the yard, etc. she is not anxious whatsoever just thinks it is her job to know the goings on. Soooo nosy. I am going to try the extra shavings. Thanks!

[licketysplit]

I bred her so I’ve owned her her whole life. My babies always come in twice a day to be fed and only stay in for inclement weather. I am in FL so all my horses are on the days in schedule. It allows for the longest amount of turnout. She is across from her dam so she can see her. She is not an anxious horse whatsoever. Just a pig. She is happy to come in, stands at the gate and yells if I’m taking too long to come and get her. Even when I take her dam out to ride and she can’t see any other horses from her stall she doesn’t scream or get worked up. I’m going to try the other suggestions of more bedding and see if that works. Maybe in time she will get a tad neater.

[Simkie]

Is this your barn? Any possibility at all to give her a run, even if small?

I have one horse who is AWFUL in a stall. Totally shreds everything, it looks like a tornado has gone through if he’s locked in. But with a run–even if it’s just an extra 12x12 “porch” outside–he always poops outside and won’t even walk through the piles. He’s SO tidy with just a bit of outdoor space.

[SusanO]

I bought both mares as young horses ( 2 and 3yrs old) from their breeders. Both grew up out 24X7 and were in a stall for vet visits but mostly outside living as far as I know. One is very neat and the other is a pig. I do not know the particulars but I gather they lived the same.

The neat mare is neat even in her pasture - she does not just poop everywhere, she poops on the outer edges of the pasture. Messy one goes where ever she feels like going. Messy one is more claustrophobic than the neat one. Messy one LOVES her stall in the summer. As soon as the sun comes up she is in the stall standing under the fan and she doesn’t leave until it gets dark and the bugs are not out. Her door is open 24/7 so this is her choice. Neat one is out at night in the summer and gets really pissy if I don’t bring her in when the bugs are out. In the winter the flies die down so the horses go out in the AM and again messy horse has her door open 24/7 unless it drops down into the 20’s. Messy one has a large pasture and will walk all the way across the pasture to poop in her stall. I give up on her!

I am in Alabama and we don’t get really cold weather here. I still have a few flies here during warmer days. I was still running the fly system in November. NOBODY likes to be out when the flies are out so I do turnout accordingly and I have to change things up when we have rain. I am working from home so I can accommodate the horse’s preferences.

I only have 3 horses and 3 stalls. The mares ( BFF’s) are next to each other, the pony across the aisle. Both mares are grown-ups now so no young horses. Messy one works a few hours a week or less, the rest of the time she is grazing or eating hay, in or out, as she prefers. Not much stress there! I only shut her stall door and lock her in on really cold nights which only occurs a few nights a year and when that happens the other horses are in with her and she can see her BFF over the wall.

[licketysplit]

It is my barn. It is concrete block so would be a major renovation to add a door and a run.