Barn & Stable Maintenance 101
Summer Tips for Florida Horse Owners
How to muck stalls, manage pests, and keep your barn safe and clean during the hottest months
Florida heat doesn’t just test your patience—it pushes every part of your property to its limits. And your barn? That’s where it shows first.
Between the rising temps, humidity, bugs, and daily wear and tear, summer is when maintenance matters most. Tackling it now keeps your horses safer, your air cleaner, and your schedule saner later.
Whether you board, ride, or run a private barn—here’s what should be on your seasonal checklist.
💩 1. Deep Clean & Muck Smarter
Summer speeds everything up—waste breakdown, ammonia buildup, and that not-so-lovely barn smell. Daily cleanups aren’t enough this time of year. You need full reset days.
✔️ Strip stalls completely on a weekly basis
✔️ Disinfect floors and walls with a horse-safe solution
✔️ Rinse mats outdoors and let them dry fully before placing back
✔️ Use lime or stall dry to neutralize odor and moisture
And when the waste piles up, don’t just shift it from one side of the property to another.
TrashHelp offers full-service hauling for muck piles, shavings, spoiled hay, and deep clean debris.
Prefer to clean at your own pace? We also offer dumpster rentals for barns and equestrian properties.
🌬️ 2. Check Ventilation Before It’s a Problem
Good airflow isn’t a luxury in Florida—it’s a health essential. Hot, stagnant barns create respiratory issues, increase heat stress, and welcome in every bug under the sun.
☑️ Clean fans and dust all vents
☑️ Make sure every stall has unobstructed airflow
☑️ Open lofts, doors, and windows whenever safe to do so
☑️ Remove clutter that blocks breezeways or air circulation
Now is also a great time to toss broken fans, cracked storage bins, or damaged doors. If it’s cluttering your space or creating a hazard, TrashHelp can haul it.
🐜 3. Stay Ahead of Pests
Flies, ants, gnats, and mosquitoes thrive in warm, damp environments. If you wait until you see them, you’re already late.
🪰 Remove manure piles weekly
🐜 Empty water buckets daily and scrub every few days
🧴 Use fly sprays and feed-through fly control (check with your vet)
🧹 Rinse feed tubs to avoid attracting pests
Don’t forget to clear cobwebs from rafters, dispose of empty grain bags, and sweep out hay dust. Pest control isn’t just about what you use—it’s about what you remove.
🧯 4. Organize Tack + Feed Areas
A cluttered barn becomes a safety hazard in the summer. This is the time to reorganize, restock, and purge anything expired or broken.
✔️ Check expiration dates on supplements and meds
✔️ Sweep out feed rooms and disinfect bins
✔️ Toss cracked buckets, chewed lead ropes, and broken storage
✔️ Store flammables away from direct sun and plug-in devices
If your cleanup project leaves you with bags of junk or retired gear—TrashHelp can haul the mess so you don’t have to.
🧱 5. Prep for Storm Season Now (Not Later)
You know the drill. Afternoon storms, pop-up downpours, and hurricane threats don’t leave time for emergency prep. Build storm readiness into your summer maintenance routine.
🏚️ Inspect roofing, gutters, and drainage
📦 Move sandbags or flood blocks to easily accessible areas
🧯 Check fire extinguishers and emergency lights
🪵 Clear loose debris and dead tree limbs
🐴 Make sure you have an evacuation plan and backup feed/water storage
If you’ve got a load of debris from tree trimming or pre-storm prep, we can get it gone fast—before the weather turns.
🚛 What to Do With All the Waste?
You’ve mucked the stalls, deep-cleaned the tack room, tossed the junk, cleared debris… now what?
This is where TrashHelp comes in.
We’re a local Florida team—not a national chain or call center. We understand the unique waste needs of equestrian properties and offer:
🛻 Full-Service Hauling: We load and remove muck piles, shavings, damaged gear, and debris
🗑️ Dumpster Rentals: Ideal for larger cleanouts or gradual cleanup projects, with sizes from 12 to 40 yards
🌴 Service Areas: Palm Beach County, Central Florida, Gulf Coast, and nearby regions
📲 Call or text (561) 316-8668
