Favorite pooper scooper or farm/barn tool???

[QuiltinMom]

I would like to know what your favorite pooper scooper is. We have one of the plastic ones and it works OK, but it seems like there is so much small bits of poop that fall through the tines of the scooper. Am I being too picky to want all of those cleaned up too, or is there a different pooper scooper that has tines that are closer together?

Also, if you have any other favorite tool that you use to clean up the stalls, use on the horses or is just really handy to have around for whatever purpose I would sure like to hear about it.

I am the type of person that wants to buy the correct tools the first time that will last a long time. I don't mind paying for quality if it is worth the price.

THANKS!!!

 

[AngC]

Probably not a "correct tool," but I have a little shovel made for children. It has a short handle and small blade. I like it 'cause I have limited upper arm strength.

By the way, I'm anal-retentive (no pun intended) and I've been picking up every little nit-picky piece of horse apple. I took the fecal samples in for ours; perhaps the poop picking is working, because I didn't have to deworm anybody this time around.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I have a little metal tine picker upper made for dogs. Picked it up at Goodwill for a couple bucks. I keep it in the horse trailer to use at horseshoes etc. Works like magic on all that little stuff.

 

[candycar]

They do make manure forks for mini poop. Look online for "close tine manure forks" or they carry them at Tractor Supply if you have one near you.

I used to use a large dust pan and a very small garden rake or child's rake to pick up poo, but when I got to 3 minis it wasn't practical anymore. I still use the rake to rake the poo into the fork instead of scooping it, works better in close quarters or when they try to "help".

My favorite thing I wouldn't do without is a dog size slicker brush. It works on mud, winter coats and manes/tails better than anything else I've tried.

Have fun and welcome to LB!

 

[JanBKS]

I ordered a large dog poop scooper one with the rake and two more with the regular scraper, large enough for big or small pick ups, My 3 girls love to leave me a pile in the barn even when fed outside, they work good for when they eat inside, forget a clean barn I scrape everything up in a pile and scoop up works great. I use the pin brushes and large dog slickers as well and those combs like the hosp give you with the wide teeth. I keep a set in each barn.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I don't have stalls or use bedding, so mine just leave piles on the dirt. For me, an old square shovel and child's leaf rake have worked for 12 years. I can rake the little balls into a pile then onto the shovel. The shovel is handy if there is a weed growing, and the rake if the dung beetles/chickens have spread out the pile. Always get a little dirt with the scoop and that works out well for the compost pile.

For bedding, I think one would need a real scoop made for poop.

 

[Margo_C-T]

For many years, I've used the 'Missy' metal tined manure forks. I 'operate' on it when I get it...break the welds on each end that bind the last tine to the 'end' tine, then take a few minutes to use my fingers to push each tine closer together at the outer ends. Works like a charm! I've cleaned up manure, inside in shavings/pellet sawdust, and outside off plain adobe dirt to crusher fines, twice daily at this location for over 34 years, have had maybe 4 of these altogether...and that's mostly because the wooden handle would eventually 'give it up'.I haven't needed a new one in probably 10-14 years now(maybe more!), but think you can still order them from one of the catalog livestock supply companies. The company also makes one they call the Big Daddy' model; tried one once, it was too big, gave it to my neighbor who has 'big'horses.

I use the fork(or a light touch with an exploded tip broom)to gather the manure, then either sweep or 'rake' that into a lightweight plastic 'scoop' shovel outside or off the mats; the 'Missy' itself to pick up out of the bedding. As long as I can get this one,I'd never consider any other.

 

[AngC]

After we put the pea gravel in, the regular plastic poop fork we bought at the local co-op works great. (It just didn't do so well when I was trying to pry little bitty apples out of 3-4 inch rocks.)

I've learned a lot about grooming tools. When we got our goobers, I bought a metal curry comb, some of those oval black rubber curry/brush thingies, and some mane combs. All three of ours hated the metal curry comb. I tried It with various amounts of pressure and near as I can figure, they don't like the sound it makes as I pull it across their hair. (I've since read on-line metal curry combs are for cows; beats me if that's true, but we never curry-combed any of our cows when I was growing up.) I've since tried a metal thingie called a 'sweat scraper' which is flat metal on one side and has less-aggressive teeth on the other side. They all hated it. They tolerate the black rubber oval thing.

The hands-down favorite, wait-at-the-fence, and make bucky-beaver mouths tool is my husband's hands inside leather gloves scrubbing where it itches. (...without regard for hair direction.) Nicky will darn near fall over for that type of rubdowns.

I'm experimenting with some other things right now. For example, instead of buying over-priced horse brushes, I've picked up various scrub brushes, testing out bristle stiffness. ...way cheaper than anything labeled with "horse." Our goobers still like hands better. The mane 'n tail shampoo is ok; the mane 'n tail creme rinse is not so good; it tends to get a funky odor. I've tried the mane 'n tail detangler; it's ok, I guess, but I'm still checking out other stuff made for humans.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Orvus is hands down my favorite shampoo! That and dawn dish soap when they get greasy.

Favorite grooming tool varies by horse. My stud loves a super stiff bristled cow brush. The gelding loves a rubber hand curry.

 

[paintponylvr]

I use the regular plastic "Dura-Forks". I usually purchase them in purple as that is our farm color. We usually have to replace them yearly - I'm hard on the plastic tines plus do lots of manure pick up. I do also have one mini sized one - but they made the handle mini sized too and I can't use it for long as it kills my back to bend over to use it. Most of the doggie scoops are also much too short. Our larger minis and shetland ponies on free choice hay have large piles and aren't generally stalled so the larger pics work very well. Been a long, long time since I've even seen one of those metal picks - didn't realize they were still being made!

I favor the "grabber tool" - we have lots of down twigs and small limbs. I can pick them up w/o bending over. Also allows me to reach a brush that may have fallen where you can't reach it or a "hidden egg" when the hens decide they'd rather lay anywhere but their nesting boxes! I can also use it from the seat of the lawn mower when I'm doing pastures if there is something out there that shouldn't be mowed over (twine, a larger twig, plastic trash bags, a brick). I'm going to purchase one of those lawn bag opener tools next payday - we have 1 mini stallion boarding who is fed from a net - hopefully will make it easier/faster to load w/ hay and not be a waste of $$.

I laughed quite hard over your description of your metal curry, AngC, as the metal curry's were never made (originally) to be used directly on any horse. They were to be used as a "cleaner" for your body brushes (stiff, medium and soft), while using it on your horse. Most old timey grooming books state that. Don't think any of the grooming books in the last 10 years do, though. That said - I use it a LOT on all of our ponies during the winter. It's often the only grooming tool I use on necks, chests, bellies & rumps to clean off mud and to help shed them out in the spring. Used it this spring to take the matts off of the two tiny boys (31" at the withers) up thru June since they didn't want to shed out. None of ours will tolerate it during the summer when they have their short coats or if they are clipped (why would you need it on a clipped horse?)...

My favorite grooming tool, however, is those bath scrubbies. Both the round ones that fit in the palm of your hand or a little larger and the mitts (preferred). I use them for bathing (you can really spread both shampoo and conditioner over the body with mitts) and also keep at least one and sometimes two in the grooming buckets for the ponies. LOVE the mitts during the summer - off comes a bridle and I use a mitt on each hand to "scrub" the sweat away on both sides of the head at the same time. They lean into the "massage". It also works great to remove mud and sand from legs and can help during the shed in the spring. When dirty, just toss em in the washer, and they are dry by the time they go back out to the barn. Or give the dirty one a quick rinse before using it to bathe your horse and it comes clean. There was a time when our 3 daughters had color coordinated grooming tools for their horses/ponies - I would pick up "their" colors whenever I found them, LOL(purple/lavender - farm color, red - youngest, pink - middle, teal or lime green - oldest).

During the fall/spring - I use a "grill block" (I no longer have a source for those) or a Farnam "block" to remove bot eggs and long hairs on the legs.

I also love rubber curry combs and you will find all types of them around our barn - mood changes or hand is sore (here in the south - hands swell w/ humidity - sometimes hard to use some grooming tools) - I switch to a different one. I am a bit and grooming tool "junkie" so will buy them whenever I see ones I've not been able to find and want or a new one - if I have the extra $$ when I find them.

Does anyone have a good source for a stiff brush that works on the ponies/mini horses? Most of our tack stores only seem to carry the medium and soft bristle brushes these days... Oh, and my color preference has gotten me into trouble w/ brushes. Have purchased most of the new style brushes in the past several years and they may be pretty colors but they sure don't make them like they used to! The bristle fall/pull out and get tangled in our ponies' coats! UGH. Funny - I still have brushes I started with (and USE a lot) in 1995, but the new, pretty colored brushes - lucky to get one season of grooming out of them before they fall apart. I'd have to go to the barn to give you name brands... But several are carried by the regular as well as mini tack catalogs...

 

[JanBKS]

Paintponylvr said- I'm going to purchase one of those lawn bag opener tools next payday - we have 1 mini stallion boarding who is fed from a net - hopefully will make it easier/faster to load w/ hay and not be a waste of $$.

Use a hoola hoop or a inner tube with air in it, depending on how big the opening is, a kids bike tube or even the larger adult bike tube.

 

For a poop scooper - Star Lake Tack. They make one especially for minis, and it is just PERFECT!

 

[Miniv]

For picking up mini poop piles we use the things that you see people use in parks to rake up trash....

Not sure what you call them. And we have mini garden rakes to go with them.

For stripping a stall, we use a light weight snow shovel and regular plastic rake. And of course our

big rubbermaid wheelbarrow/carts are priceless!

 

[AngC]

I use the regular plastic "Dura-Forks". I usually purchase them in purple as that is our farm color. We usually have to replace them yearly - I'm hard on the plastic tines plus do lots of manure pick up. I do also have one mini sized one - but they made the handle mini sized too and I can't use it for long as it kills my back to bend over to use it. Most of the doggie scoops are also much too short. Our larger minis and shetland ponies on free choice hay have large piles and aren't generally stalled so the larger pics work very well. Been a long, long time since I've even seen one of those metal picks - didn't realize they were still being made!

I favor the "grabber tool" - we have lots of down twigs and small limbs. I can pick them up w/o bending over. Also allows me to reach a brush that may have fallen where you can't reach it or a "hidden egg" when the hens decide they'd rather lay anywhere but their nesting boxes! I can also use it from the seat of the lawn mower when I'm doing pastures if there is something out there that shouldn't be mowed over (twine, a larger twig, plastic trash bags, a brick). I'm going to purchase one of those lawn bag opener tools next payday - we have 1 mini stallion boarding who is fed from a net - hopefully will make it easier/faster to load w/ hay and not be a waste of $$.

I laughed quite hard over your description of your metal curry, AngC, as the metal curry's were never made (originally) to be used directly on any horse. They were to be used as a "cleaner" for your body brushes (stiff, medium and soft), while using it on your horse. Most old timey grooming books state that. Don't think any of the grooming books in the last 10 years do, though. That said - I use it a LOT on all of our ponies during the winter. It's often the only grooming tool I use on necks, chests, bellies & rumps to clean off mud and to help shed them out in the spring. Used it this spring to take the matts off of the two tiny boys (31" at the withers) up thru June since they didn't want to shed out. None of ours will tolerate it during the summer when they have their short coats or if they are clipped (why would you need it on a clipped horse?)...

My favorite grooming tool, however, is those bath scrubbies. Both the round ones that fit in the palm of your hand or a little larger and the mitts (preferred). I use them for bathing (you can really spread both shampoo and conditioner over the body with mitts) and also keep at least one and sometimes two in the grooming buckets for the ponies. LOVE the mitts during the summer - off comes a bridle and I use a mitt on each hand to "scrub" the sweat away on both sides of the head at the same time. They lean into the "massage". It also works great to remove mud and sand from legs and can help during the shed in the spring. When dirty, just toss em in the washer, and they are dry by the time they go back out to the barn. Or give the dirty one a quick rinse before using it to bathe your horse and it comes clean. There was a time when our 3 daughters had color coordinated grooming tools for their horses/ponies - I would pick up "their" colors whenever I found them, LOL(purple/lavender - farm color, red - youngest, pink - middle, teal or lime green - oldest).

During the fall/spring - I use a "grill block" (I no longer have a source for those) or a Farnam "block" to remove bot eggs and long hairs on the legs.

I also love rubber curry combs and you will find all types of them around our barn - mood changes or hand is sore (here in the south - hands swell w/ humidity - sometimes hard to use some grooming tools) - I switch to a different one. I am a bit and grooming tool "junkie" so will buy them whenever I see ones I've not been able to find and want or a new one - if I have the extra $$ when I find them.

Does anyone have a good source for a stiff brush that works on the ponies/mini horses? Most of our tack stores only seem to carry the medium and soft bristle brushes these days... Oh, and my color preference has gotten me into trouble w/ brushes. Have purchased most of the new style brushes in the past several years and they may be pretty colors but they sure don't make them like they used to! The bristle fall/pull out and get tangled in our ponies' coats! UGH. Funny - I still have brushes I started with (and USE a lot) in 1995, but the new, pretty colored brushes - lucky to get one season of grooming out of them before they fall apart. I'd have to go to the barn to give you name brands... But several are carried by the regular as well as mini tack catalogs...

The metal curry doesn't seem like it would be very good at cleaning much of any kind of brush (I assume you mean bristle-type brushes) perhaps, we're not speaking of the same thing. The curry comb I was thinking of has concentric metal circles with short teeth (1/8-inch if that,) and a red handle.

Some good ideas here.

I think you could get a grill-block at a restaurant supply store. We haven't had many bot eggs; actually, only a few on one horse. But I think I'll try that; I could get the husband to saw the block down to a little palm-sized piece. This year I had some little, blunt-tip scissors; very tedious.

When you mention a mitt, do you mean loofah mitts? Or one of those like you use to wash your car?

 

[paintponylvr]

The metal curry doesn't seem like it would be very good at cleaning much of any kind of brush (I assume you mean bristle-type brushes) perhaps, we're not speaking of the same thing. The curry comb I was thinking of has concentric metal circles with short teeth (1/8-inch if that,) and a red handle.

Yes that's the one and no, I never had much luck getting it to work to do anything much other than "knock" or pull off the top layer of loose hair from the bristles.

Some good ideas here.

I think you could get a grill-block at a restaurant supply store. We haven't had many bot eggs; actually, only a few on one horse. But I think I'll try that; I could get the husband to saw the block down to a little palm-sized piece. This year I had some little, blunt-tip scissors; very tedious.

I like the "grill block". I've used clippers, disposable razors (both cut the hair and if you aren't good at it you can really "botch up" even a pasture pony

, those "new fangled" purple hand held "razors" (I break them - rendering them not worth the low cost they are!) and bot egg knife (awkward). The "grill block" works best. I've never had a good restaurant supply place... The Farnam block just works.

When you mention a mitt, do you mean loofah mitts? Or one of those like you use to wash your car?

No, I mean these little mitten type mitts. They can sometimes be found at the Dollar Store or various phamacies and Wal-Mart. Prices range from .99 cents for one up to $ 12 for a pair. I usually get ours at Wal-Mart - but I have noticed that there are times when they don't have any! They are a nylon type of material and could be called a loofah, but I always considered "loofah" to be the stiff, sponge like things...



In the tack stores, they do carry a type of mitt, too. It's like compressed strings of rubber and no individual fingers. They are huge and also very stiff. I find them difficult to use - though I have them. I haven't replaced any of the ones we got as they've worn out - just prefer these little cheap mitts above over the ones "made for horses".



Hmm, google "horse grooming mitts" or "horse wash mitts" and there are a bunch of new products out there. Some I might have to eventually try, others...not so much!