Why clean before you disinfect?
Because disinfectant can’t do its job through dirt. Manure, bedding and dust get between the product and the surface, and they can stop many disinfectants working. So remove the organic matter first, then disinfect.
Stable surfaces make this harder. Old timber, cracked concrete, rubber mats and rough block walls all have places where dirt can hide, so a quick spray over the top won’t do much.
How do you clean and disinfect a stable?
- Move the horses out: keep them out until the stable is clean and dry, and the product has been used as directed.
- Strip it out: take out all bedding, muck, hay and loose equipment, including buckets, mangers and mats.
- Dry clean: brush down walls, ledges, beams and light fittings, then sweep and scrape the floor. Remove cobwebs and dust from high up, as they can hold dirt and moulds.
- Wash: scrub or wash with a detergent, then rinse. Pay attention to corners, drains, door runners and the backs of mangers.
- Disinfect: apply the disinfectant at the manufacturer’s dilution rate, and leave it on for the stated contact time.
- Dry: let the stable dry fully, with the doors open, before putting clean bedding in.
- Don’t forget the kit: clean and disinfect buckets, mats, forks, wheelbarrows, grooming kit and tack too, or you may just bring the dirt straight back in.
Keep wash water out of drains that lead to a stream or ditch. On a big yard, plan where it will go before you start.
Which areas need cleaning?
| Area | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| Loose boxes and American barns | Walls, kick boards, ledges, doors, mangers, drinkers and drains |
| Yards and walkways | Slippery or stained surfaces, drains and the muck heap area |
| Tack rooms | Dust, mould, tack and any shared kit |
| Treatment rooms | Surfaces that are touched often, floors and sinks |
| Isolation boxes | Everything, as they need to be ready before you need them |
| Horse transport | The stalls, ramps, partitions, mats and the floor underneath them |
Do you have to use a Defra-approved disinfectant?
Not for every stable clean, but it’s a good place to start when choosing one. The government says that by law you must use a Defra-approved disinfectant during an outbreak of a notifiable disease, and for routine cleaning of livestock transport vehicles and animal gathering areas such as markets. If you’re not sure whether the rule applies to you, ask your vet.
You can look up products and dilution rates on the Defra-approved disinfectants list. For routine cleaning, the guidance says to use the rate shown on the general orders list, while an outbreak may call for a different strength. Always read the label as well, and check what’s safe around horses.
Approval covers specific uses and doesn’t mean that a product kills everything, so ask your vet which product suits the infection you’re dealing with.
What should you do after an infectious disease?
Speak to your vet first and follow their advice, as they’ll know what you’re dealing with and how long the yard may need to stay closed. For the wider plan, the Horserace Betting Levy Board publishes codes of practice on preventing and controlling equine diseases, including strangles, which are written for breeders but are useful for any yard.
Redwings Horse Sanctuary’s strangles guide shows how much of this comes down to preparation. It recommends having the right disinfectant, separate equipment, foot dips and overalls ready for a quarantine area, and notes that strangles spreads through touch.
A specialist clean can help at this stage, especially on a large yard or when you need evidence that the work was done. But it’s a clean, not a vet’s sign-off, so ask your vet when horses can go back in.
How often should stables be disinfected?
There’s no single rule. Daily mucking out keeps a stable clean, while disinfecting is usually done less often. It makes sense to do it:
- between horses, especially when a new horse moves in
- before and after a mare foals
- after any illness or infectious disease
- as a planned deep clean, for example once or twice a year
- before an inspection or a visit from a vet or insurer
Busy livery yards, stud farms and competition yards may need a more regular programme.
When should you call a specialist?
Most owners can clean a single stable themselves. It’s worth bringing in a contractor when:
- it’s a whole yard, or several barns
- high beams, roofs and roof lights need cleaning
- you need a clean carried out quickly, with the horses moved as little as possible
- you want swab tests or a report for an inspection
- staff don’t have the time or the equipment for it
We clean loose boxes, American barns, exercise yards, tack rooms, treatment rooms and horse transport. We inspect the site and carry out a patch test first, use Defra-approved disinfectants, and give you a work report afterwards. Surfaces can also be swab-tested for bacteria through an independent laboratory. See our equine cleaning service.
