Get rid of that ammonia smell in a horse’s stall
We all know that familiar smell of ammonia smell in a horse’s stall – it makes your lungs ache and your eyes water. Sometimes, you only catch a brief whiff, and other times you must leave the area! Now imagine being locked in a room with that horrible ammonia smell, and then eating your dinner off the floor right next to it.
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Your horse’s urine does not have ammonia. But…
- The ammonia you are smelling is not actually IN your horse’s urine, it is created when the urea in urine is broken down.
- Ammonia can be dangerous. First, ammonia is caustic – which means it corrodes tissues that it comes into contact with. The mucous membranes of your horse’s eyes, nose, mouth, and even further into the respiratory system are all at risk.
- Secondly, it just smells bad. If you suspect your horse’s ammonia smell is abnormal, it’s easy for your vet to do an exam and a few tests to ensure his urinary system is good. You can also learn more about normal horse urine here.
Would you want to eat next to a spot of ammonia smell?
How to reduce and eliminate the ammonia in a horse’s stall
- To start, your stall cleaning process may need to be revamped. If you are only cleaning once daily, consider cleaning your stalls more often. If you add in a quick pick at lunch and/or the end of the day, you will have many benefits. A cleaner horse, a cleaner stall for the next morning, and fewer flies, less ammonia, stronger arms, and happier horses. You will also get to know your horses better, and be alerted to possible illnesses and colics earlier as you will be up close and personal more often.
Carefully peel back shavings to find the urine spots! This prevents you from tossing urine-soaked shavings around the stall.
- If you have mats in the stall, peel back all of the shavings to reveal the urine spots. Use a shovel to scrape the mats and remove all of the shavings that are wet in that area. It’s key to allow the mats to fully dry before moving shavings back.
- If you have dirt floors, you may need to leave them bare to air out for several days (do some stall rearranging for the horses) or strip the top layer and add freshly packed dirt. Don’t be afraid to bend over and smell – remember that your horse (whose nose is much more sensitive) has to be on the ground to eat and sleep.
Additives for your horse’s bedding
- You may also consider adding a stall freshener under your bedding to soak up the urine. In the past, lime (calcium hydroxide) was commonly used for this purpose, although that stuff is horribly dangerous and poisonous. Zeolites are a natural stall refresher that soaks up the ammonia AND is safe for you, your horse, your chickens, and your barn cat.
Stall fresheners eat ammonia for breakfast and are safe for your horse.
- You can also try using wood pellets under bedding, these are super absorbent and create an easy-to-clean urine spot. Think of it as clumping cat litter. You also have dozens of bedding choices (read more about them here) that may work better. My favorite is the wood pellets to soak up any urine, covered in shavings for awesome cush factor. You still will need to control the ammonia odor, even with the best combo of shavings.
Use an old feed scoop for your zeolites and you don’t have to lug the bag around.
- Good ventilation is also a major must-have in the barn, and not just for the ammonia. For stalls without windows, or stalls in the back corners, the stalls must be vented for the health of your horse. Consider using swirly type vents in the roof (no rain gets in), fans, and bars on the top parts of the stalls instead of solid walls up to the roof.
Your horse’s lungs will thank you for your efforts!
Also – one type of lime can be caustic, and the other gets slippery and doesn’t actually eat the odors.
If you want to try some ammonia-eating products, you can pick some up here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, no extra charge to you. I thoroughly appreciate it! Order here:
This ammonia eating concentrate is in liquid form
Another liquid ammonia smell remover
Sweet PDZ Horse Stall Refresher Powder, 40-Pounds
Sweet PDZ Horse Stall Refresher Granules
Thank you!
