THE RISKS OF TEMPORARY STABLES

The perils of temporary show stables

Competing with your horse is one of life’s pleasures. If you compete locally,you can usually get to your chosen show and back again in a day; but for those competitions further away, or if you are competing at the same venue for more than one day, staying over is usually the best option.

Many venues provide temporary stables, which a much more convenient solution than booking stables at nearby livery yards, but they do bring their own challenges with them.

The biggest challenge is the volume of traffic that passes through some of these stables, particularly at busy showgrounds. You are none the wiser as to the history of the stable you have been allocated, such as what horse has been using it before, and whether they were carriers of any infections. You don’t know what they may have left behind, lurking in the walls.

Keeping your horse healthy and well is of course your number one priority, so protecting them from potential pathogens is essential.Utilising these stables may be convenient, but it also could put your horse at risk.

Luckily, there is a way to have the best of both worlds. Everytime you go away just make sure you have a bottle of Aqueos Stable disinfectant with you; looking after your horse will then become as straightforward as cleaning your teeth. Let’s look at how to keep your stable clean.

Steps for keeping your temporary stable clean

The person before you should muck the stable out, but start off by cleaning any remaining muck and bedding out that has been left behind

Some stables are erected on grass, which is difficult to clean. Try and brush up as much as you can

Grab a handy bottle of multi-use disinfectant,ready prepared with a spray nozzle, and liberally coat the stable walls and floors, and outside the stable as well (for extra protection)

Put down fresh bedding

While at the show

While on the showground, wash out your feed and water buckets with Aqueos and spray the stable each day. It may feel like overkill,but with Aqueos’ powerful, yet safe, formula,you will be providing protection against a multitude of bacteria, fungi and viruses, all of which can be hiding in the walls and floors. Although it carries on working after application, regular treatment could help stave off any air born or new infections that are brought in with new arrivals.

Ringworm in particular can carry on living in stable woodwork for months after the initial infection, but as Aqueos is independently tested against this and strangles using the product offers extra peace of mind.