29 August 2008 14:02
A lady at the yard where I keep my horses uses deep litter beds. One of my horses is stabled between two of hers. My horse has developed a chest problem, and has been prescribed steroids for it, by the vet.
This lady clears surface droppings from the beds daily, but has not cleared them out for two years. Drainage channels between the stables mean that black, smelly sludge leaks into my horse’s stable.
Is there a sensible maximum time that beds of this type should be left before a full clean out?
Answer
By Your Horse
YRC Instructor Alison Ritchie says:
Deep litter beds do need to be properly mucked out every couple of weeks, especially if it is a small stablerather than a large barn. It sounds as though the horses are essentially standing on a rotting muck heap – all horses will then suffer from mould, ammonia and gases being released by the bedding, which isn’t healthy.
Officially, you have no control over this lady’s actions, other than appealing to her better nature.
The yard owner is the only person able to remove the livery owner. There should be a contract with an agreement of care, which clearly has not been adhered to.