December 2009

Clean-Stalls and Respiratory Health

This study makes you wonder if it’s worth it.

It’s well established that the level of ammonia, bacterial toxins, molds and plant-based allergens inside stables can easily reach levels that pose a threat to a horse’s respiratory health. It seems logical that keeping your barn meticulously mucked out is a must. However, a recent German study had surprising results.

The lowest levels of ammonia were found in barns where stalls were only picked free of manure, followed closely by stalls that were not mucked at all. Ammonia level was 1.5 times higher when stalls were mucked out completely on a daily basis. …