Instructions
Cleaning a horse stall, also known as "mucking out," is a crucial part of horse care. It keeps the horse healthy, clean, and comfortable. Read through the sections below and complete the activities to test your knowledge.
Activity 1: The Mucking Out Method
The steps for cleaning a stall are listed below, but they are out of order! Number them from 1 to 8 to put them in the correct sequence.
_____ Scrape out the wet spots, getting all the way down to the stall floor.
_____ Gather your tools: a pitchfork (manure fork), a shovel, and a wheelbarrow.
_____ Safely remove the horse from the stall and place it in a secure area, like a paddock or cross-ties.
_____ Dump the full wheelbarrow in the designated manure pile.
_____ Start by removing all the obvious manure piles from the top of the bedding.
_____ Add new, clean bedding to the stall, spreading it evenly to create a comfortable cushion.
_____ Clean and properly store all your tools.
_____ Sift through the remaining bedding with your fork, tossing the clean, dry bedding against the walls to save it and letting the small, soiled pieces fall into your wheelbarrow.
Activity 2: Barn Vocabulary
Match the term on the left with its correct definition on the right. Write the letter of the definition in the blank next to the term.
| _____ 1. Bedding | A. The combined mixture of manure and soiled bedding that is removed from a stall. |
| _____ 2. Muck | B. Sturdy, closed-toe footwear that protects your feet in a barn environment. |
| _____ 3. Banking | C. A farm tool with a long handle and sharp prongs (tines) designed for lifting and sifting bedding. |
| _____ 4. Pitchfork | D. Absorbent material like wood shavings, pellets, or straw used to cover a stall floor. |
| _____ 5. Boots | E. Piling extra bedding up against the stall walls to prevent a horse from getting cast (stuck against the wall). |
Activity 3: Problem Solving Scenarios
Read each scenario and write a short explanation of what you would do and why.
Scenario A: You're cleaning the stall and you notice the horse's automatic waterer is clogged with hay and bedding, preventing it from filling up properly.
Your Response:
Scenario B: You finish mucking the stall, but the wheelbarrow is overflowing and feels too heavy for you to push safely to the manure pile.
Your Response:
Activity 4: Stall Math
Solve the word problem below. Show your work!
You use 2 bags of fresh bedding shavings to set up a clean stall. To keep it fresh, you add 1 new bag of shavings every other day. If you clean the stall on Monday and add 2 bags, how many total bags will you have used by the end of the following Sunday (a 7-day period)?
Work Area:
Final Answer: ________________ bags
Answer Key
Activity 1: The Mucking Out Method
- Safely remove the horse from the stall and place it in a secure area, like a paddock or cross-ties.
- Gather your tools: a pitchfork (manure fork), a shovel, and a wheelbarrow.
- Start by removing all the obvious manure piles from the top of the bedding.
- Sift through the remaining bedding with your fork, tossing the clean, dry bedding against the walls to save it and letting the small, soiled pieces fall into your wheelbarrow.
- Scrape out the wet spots, getting all the way down to the stall floor.
- Add new, clean bedding to the stall, spreading it evenly to create a comfortable cushion.
- Dump the full wheelbarrow in the designated manure pile.
- Clean and properly store all your tools.
(Note: Steps 7 and 8 can sometimes be switched, but tools should always be cleaned at the end.)
Activity 2: Barn Vocabulary
- D. Absorbent material like wood shavings, pellets, or straw used to cover a stall floor.
- A. The combined mixture of manure and soiled bedding that is removed from a stall.
- E. Piling extra bedding up against the stall walls to prevent a horse from getting cast (stuck against the wall).
- C. A farm tool with a long handle and sharp prongs (tines) designed for lifting and sifting bedding.
- B. Sturdy, closed-toe footwear that protects your feet in a barn environment.
Activity 3: Problem Solving Scenarios
(Answers will vary, but should be similar to the following.)
Scenario A: I would scoop out all the clogged hay and bedding with my hand and wipe the waterer clean. It is very important for a horse to have constant access to fresh, clean water. A clogged waterer can lead to dehydration.
Scenario B: I would take some of the muck off the top and make a second, smaller trip to the manure pile. Trying to push a wheelbarrow that is too heavy is unsafe and can cause injury to me or strain on the wheelbarrow. It's better to take two manageable trips than one dangerous one. Alternatively, I could ask an adult for help.
Activity 4: Stall Math
Work Area/Explanation:
- Monday: 2 bags (initial setup)
- Tuesday: 0 bags
- Wednesday: +1 bag
- Thursday: 0 bags
- Friday: +1 bag
- Saturday: 0 bags
- Sunday: +1 bag
Total = 2 (Mon) + 1 (Wed) + 1 (Fri) + 1 (Sun) = 5 bags
Final Answer: 5 bags