Yeah, a year is too long, and cleaning it out by hand is insane. If you can’t get a loader tractor or skidsteer in to do the 2 or 3 x year cleaning, modified deep litter is much, much easier.
Back in the very beginning i used to clean out that 36x72 deeeeep thatch all by myself, by hand.
Wearing a N95 mask too (because of mold/ammonia if it turned warm too quickly/before i was done with that big project.) Took me about 2 weeks to do it all by hand. Finally i was so tired of that annual horrid project that i learned how to maneuver my large tractor around in there well enough. Now, i have a new tractor, a bigger one even~! and am SO GOOD with that front loader that cleaning the whole barn is no problem…takes about 8 hrs total.
…Now i know it sounds like a nasty mess…but it’s not. Each new roundbale provides a nice fresh top layer. About the time it all starts getting poopy-looking is about the same time a new roundbale is needed. In some barns i have two or three round bales, so there is always a fresh one for them to feast upon. (‘them’ being horses or sheep…cows are on their own in the cedars and ravines)
Sheds are pretty easy with the front loader too. BUT…the two common largish areas in the old barn (built 1840s and weirdly structured) i have to still do by hand…tractor cannot get into those spaces. I can shove roundbales in, but tractor can’t get past the framing
1 Like
It might not have been a full year, but suffice to say it was a backbreaking task and while it was probably appreciated by the livestock, she never did it again.
OP - is this horse in a boarding barn or kept at home? I’m not sure what bedding options a boarding barn might allow, but I imagine they would at least entertain some different options even if they won’t do a full deep litter.
Pellets plus straw, or pellets plus shavings might be ok although I would expect an extra charge.
If on “pointy bits” like hips and hocks, try putting a small dab of antibiotic ointment on and covering with a generous cross of duct tape or Elasticon, if you are being fancy.
(The other thing I liked was a reel of white papery tape about 3" wide, with good glue, and perforations like toilet paper. No idea what it was or where it came from–probably the vet! but it could have been for a human wound at some point…)
Leave until it drops off and then replace it, until the fur grows back. It ain’t pretty, but it works.
1 Like
At 18h a 12x12 is probably too small, which is why he is hurting himself getting up and down. Can you make his stall a double stall? Or maybe he could do field board?
Also, I’d try straw. It is more cushy than even deeply bedded shavings
3 Likes
It’s probably bigger than a 12 x 12 maybe even like a 13 x 13 I don’t have the option of doing outside board nor do I want to. I am going to definitely try straw
Perhaps I’m a jerk, but here goes -
A horse who is having such difficulty standing as to give himself whole-body sores is in pain every minute of his life, whether he openly shows it or not. Eventually, he will not be able to get himself off the ground, and then what?
Please consider the horse here. This is bigger than the sores.
6 Likes
He is NOT in pain all the time like you state. This horse has a better life than most humans and is given the best of the best when it comes to care
Well, I’m sure you are well-intentioned. But it is possible a different environment might be better at the very least.
How much time is he stalled, versus how much time in turnout? What kind of turnout is available (individual v. shared, pasture/paddock v. run)?
At his size I would think he would need a much bigger stall than a typical horse in a 12x12, and if you have mobility issues he might even need more space to adequately get up and down. If he does need to take several attempts to get up from lying down, I would definitely consider whether it is the small space that makes it difficult for him or whether he physically can’t get up and down comfortably. Obviously once the answer is that he can’t get up and down at will, that’s when something has to change - but it might be the environment.
3 Likes
The stall is actually bigger than a 12 x 12 it’s more like a 13 x 14. He doesn’t take several attempts to get up and down. Obviously if it was that bad I would consider other options. He goes out from 730 until 5 o’clock every single day. And it’s stalled overnight.
1 Like
If he doesn’t take multiple tries, then where are the rubs coming from?
Allergic reaction to the bedding?
A chronic stifle injury requiring retirement would lend itself to constant pain…
2 Likes
What do the rubs look like? Are they only on one side? Is the skin broken? I had a 35 year old pony whose stifle was trashed. As a last ditch effort I injected both stifles. It really didn’t help. Sad because he was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Fat sassy but he was old and broken. In his final months it became evident getting up was becoming increasingly difficult. He was out on soft sandy deep pasture at night but started getting rubs I think from his back legs/hooves tucked against his elbows. When it took me my SO and a tow strap around his hind end to help him get up I put him down.
1 Like
I’m also going to be that jerk. Horses should lay down on average no more than 2-3 hours a day to sleep. Anything more than that is an indication of pain, inability to get up or a horse that lays down an excessive amount. You may want to have your vet out to assess his pain management plan.
Honestly I had a horse with a meniscus injury who I allowed to be a pasture pet until I could not control his pain anymore. While he never developed pressure sores from laying down, he slowly but surely stopped cantering, than trotting and finally was showing signs he was having trouble getting up from laying down. That was when I decided his quality of life was deteriorating and it was time to say goodbye.
I’m sorry you are going through this and I hope you are able to find a solution that keeps your guy comfortable for as long as possible.
5 Likes
Interesting…
I am the Anti-Martha Stewart of stall cleaning 
Over my 17yrs of horses at home, my two 12X12 stalls have both built up along one wall with a mound of packed bedding (shavings, then pellets, now back to shavings) .
Coincidentally this wall is where I’ve seen them urinate most often when in the stalls - aligns with them facing the doors at the back, so they can see any predator 
?
I pick manure from stalls at least twice a day, but only occasionally dig out the wet spots - most always in the mounded area.
So, I guess I am using the Deep Litter method & no, stalls never have any urine odor.
That may be helped by the fact thet stalls are open to outdoors at the back 24/7/365.
I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve closed horses in overnight.
I pick my pee spots twice a week, no more. If I did it every day, I’d be eating up bedding like mad.
I also segregate shavings into “clean” and “iffy” piles while I clean. Iffy goes onto the pee spot, then clean over that to give a buffer zone the pee can sit in and get absorbed.
My gelding is a neat freak, my mare is a slob.
3 Likes
I’m imagining this horse is a pretty solid bodied horse being a quarter horse, so I’m thinking even at a 13x14’ stall, that’s still tight. If you can switch him to a 14x16 or so to see if it’s easier for him to get up that should help some. As for the rubbing on one side versus another, have your vet out to give him a glance over to see what his pain levels are. They may recommend something else. Deep bedding may help, but it also is harder to keep clean. If no other options (bigger stall) or results (vets says he’s fine) come up, maybe try seeing if you can switch him to 24/7 turnout.
Also, could he potentially be having an allergic reaction to whatever he’s laying down on? Wounds possibly coming from irritation of his skin when he does lay down?
2 Likes
I asked the same - the only thing that makes me say “maybe not” is that he’s still getting them blanketed.
1 Like
Could still be having contact in some form or fashion?? Blankets don’t always cover every single inch of the horse
My vet has been out many many times. I have had injections, he’s on Cosaquin ASU, equioxx. And yes when I cannot control the pain anymore yes decisions will have to be made I understand. I’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to make his life comfortable. The owner who had him before me ruined his stifle by jumping him over and over High jumps he had no business going over without proper dressage training. I got maybe a year out of him and then now I am the hospice caretaker. It is quite frustrating especially that he’s only 13
I am sure you’re doing your level best here! But if he’s not in pain, is it because he’s had injections, Cosaquin ASU, and is on equioxx? I mean, he would be in pain if he wasn’t on a lot of meds? Does the fact that he’s having a hard time getting up or down not indicate he IS in pain?
A lot of people are surprised to hear that the AAEP states:
"A horse should not have to endure the following:
Continuous or unmanageable pain from a condition that is chronic and incurable.
A medical condition or surgical procedure that has a poor prognosis for a good quality of life.
Continuous analgesic medication and/or box stall confinement for the relief of pain for the rest of its life.
An unmanageable medical or behavioral condition that renders it a hazard to itself or its handlers."
https://aaep.org/guidelines/euthanasia-guidelines
Only about 50% of horses with a meniscus tear get back to full work. Has your vet stated that they think he has a good chance? You say you’re providing hospice care, which usually means palliative care for a terminally ill patient. Has your vet discussed euthanasia with you?
I’m sorry you’re going through this - I put down a horse with a stifle injury myself, and another who was having a hard time getting up and down (neck problem - his inability to get up and down was one of the reasons to euth per my vet) so I know how hard it is… 
4 Likes
