This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In a message dated 12/4/03 1:00:19 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< They do not poop in the other stalls. I clean
that (poop'n) stall everyday, yuk! I have 4 acres that they can poop in, but
no, they want that special stall.
There has to be solution! >>
Hi Linda ! I can help , but you need to be willing to make the changes.
OK, here go's. I have a new ( this year ) barn. Barnmaster, raised center
roof, skylights over every stall, 16 ft center, tack room, feed room ect. All
concrete center, gravel, dirt, floors in stalls, with almost 4 in mats now.
There was no way I wanted to deal with poop pens for stalls, as every stall has
a
run outside, with the 4 on the ends extra big paddocks. Horses use stalls for
litter box's when given a chance. So, I didnt give them a chance. For weeks (
WEEKS ) they were all LOCKED OUTSIDE. ( Yes it was Dec. in UTAH, and very
cold, snow ect.....) are you KIDDING ????? They were happy as clams. ( Fjords
right ? ) They are born in Norway, in the snow, some of mine came from
Minnesota,
where you had to FORCE them inside for water, once a day, otherwise content to
hang outside in 30* below windchill......<VBG> Anyway, our winters here in
Southern UTAH are very mild, and they always like it outdoors given the chance.
So, for weeks they pooped outside. They developed their own poop place on
the outside of their stalls. They are creatures of habit. Once they start
pooping in a specific spot, USUALLY they keep doing their business there. After
they had firmly soaked and distroyed a spot outside, they were allowed INSIDE
for meals. Then, locked out again. None of them changed their poop place from
outside, and a few weeks later, I had them all with 24 hr. in-or-out-by-choice,
all urinating and pooping in their " old " outdoor spots. Now....I have
changed around whos inside the barn, with youngsters comming in for a few weeks
at a
time for new lessons, then headed back outside with gang of 3 and under
monsters to grow up. Only one stubborn filly insisted on pooping in her stall.
The
other newbies smelled ???? or noticed the old places outside and graced the
spots with their own piles. ( we clean stalls every day, thats what 15 yr old
sons are for ) Interestingly enough, this fillys MOTHER was a total PIG in a
stall, and was my only failure yet at teaching outdoor pooping with 19 here
currently. Her MOTHER had lived ( and pooped alot ) in the same stall while
living
here, ( yes its LUPIN, Catherine ! ) and her filly was finally totally tossed
out of the delux living, and now just gets tied up for lessons ( she hobbles
really well though <G> ) All other stalls remain poopless. Same worked for my
stallion barn, where both of my studs live side by side, and both poop out
back. Both will urinate in their stalls, but stand on mats, covered with
shavings, so no poop scooping, and easy wet spot removal with every 2 week
stripping
for new shavings. Even my mares have trained the babies of the " rules ", and
people think that I constantly clean stalls, as always clean, fresh and simply
dirt or mats. HA.
Hope this works for you......unless you live in Alaska ( Jean ! )
or Nova S. ( Carol ) Im thinking that their winter comfort is more for you
than them ! GOOD-LUCK ! Lisa Pedersen * in warm Cedar City, around 58
today.....nice weather to roach off all manes for the winter !
