More information . By Rebecca Colnar Cleaning stalls is the least glamorous job for horse owners, but if you have horses, you're going to have horse manure. How often your horse is kept in will determine how you clean your stall and the type of bedding and tools that are used. Straw, at least in some areas of the Southeast, seems to be more available and less expensive than bagged shavings. It is lighter and easier to dispose of than shavings.
Straw decomposes more quickly than shavings, which is good for the soil.
But this also means that straw molds more quickly than shavings and must be cleaned more often. Daily cleaning is best. Waronicki's ideal stall has clay footing covered with a thick bedding of straw. A large muck tub or wheelbarrow to cart off soiled bedding is a must. Picking out a sawdust-bedded stall requires a fork with many tines to allow the unsoiled sawdust to slip back through.