They used to advertise a program and say “Only The Shadow Knows.”  Well I’m putting a new spin on it.  “Only The Nose Knows.”

I think I border on Obsessive Compulsive.  I can be dirty as anything, but I can’t be sticky.  When I was a kid, if I had Ice Cream, and it got on my hands, I would walk over to where there was dirt, and rub my hands in the dirt.  No more sticky.  I’m still like that about sticky.  I don’t do sticky.

There are just some things in my life that I’m very intent on (putting it nicely).  One of those things is a clean barn.  My house can always use a dusting and vacuuming (I have no idea where the dirt comes from, but it’s there), but the stalls have to be clean and the floor swept.  Now that I have a 14 X 96 foot long aisle way, it’s not swept twice a day, but it’s usually clean.  I am a fanatic about clean stalls.  They have to look and smell like there has never been a horse in there.  Now we all know that is not an easy task.  Since my horses spend very little time in, it’s easier for me, but still drives me nuts.

Have you ever just finished the barn, stripped stalls, limed, new bedding, and you walk down the aisle and you can still smell it.  Yup, it’s stronger than ever.  The strong odor of urine/ammonia.  Well one day I decided that I had to find out where it was coming from.  Sniff, sniff, Aha! My corn broom.  You know those golden-yellow brooms that everyone has.  It was holding the urine along with that ammonia smell.  Well ever since then, after I’ve finished doing the barn, I take the broom, manure fork, and shovel out, and I hose them off.  Voila!!  Odor gone.  Urine, as we all know, will eat up anything if left long enough.  I’ve also found that by cleaning it, my broom lasts longer. When you put your broom away, put the handle down and rest the broom part against a wall upright.  Rotate the side and it will keep the broom like it was made.  Straight.  My friend suggested that, but it also kept the puppies from chewing on it at the time.  As Martha Stewart would say – “It’s a good thing.”

Urine and horse trailers, a big No No.  Before horse trailers were made of aluminum and had rubber mats, urine was the prime culprit for rotting out floors.  It’s still a good idea to hose out your trailer after every use and let it totally dry.  Don’t forget to clean under those mats.  It’s also the perfect time to check and make sure your floor is good and sturdy.  I’ve seen many horse trailer floors with holes rotted through.  It was cute on the Flintstones, but does nothing for a horses legs.

Now for the next thing.  Your wheel barrel.  I’m not kidding!  In the “good ole days” they were metal, and they rusted.  Back then I discovered that hosing them out made them last longer.  Yes they would rust once the paint was off them, but we had more productive years together.  Now I just hose them out to keep the smell at bay.  This way I can multi-use them without thinking.  If I want to throw a bale of hay into one, it’s already clean.  If I want to cart blankets or anything else I want to wash or hang out, it’s already clean.  If I want to tip the handles to the floor and use it for a seat with a nice back rest, it’s clean.  If my husband wants to use it to mix concrete in, yup, you guessed it, it’s already clean.  Not to mention if you are having a Wedding or Baby Shower at the barn, they make great Wishing Wells to hold presents.  My horsey friends would decorate them.  We’ve done this for years.  It even makes it easier to move the gifts to the car.  I don’t go to Showers unless they are held in a barn.

It only takes 60 seconds to hose everything out or off, but it makes a world of difference to your sniffer.  It’s a breath of fresh air, it’s a good thing!