Stall maintenance is very different with hemp bedding. Switching from pine shavings requires some different steps.

1. Manure should be picked at least once per day, twice is better it keeps hooves from breaking up the piles. Don’t dig in to the bedding! Try and remove as little good bedding as possible. This can be achieved by a shallow scooping motion, and then rocking your tines to “shake off” the good bedding.  Your wheelbarrow should be mostly manure with little to no bedding

2. Keep track of where your horse’s urine spots are located, it should start to feel different (firmer) under your feet after a few days. Any exposed wet spots should be covered with fresher bedding and stomped down.  This helps to keep wet spots consolidated and working to absorb the urine. Remember hurd is very different than shavings. Wood Shavings absorb almost no liquids. Let the hemp do its job!

3. After about 6-10 days the urine soaked bedding spot(s) should be ready to be removed. You will know this when the color has changed to red or black, at or just below the surface. If you need to dig down into the bedding to find the wet spot, it’s not ready to be removed. Scrape any good bedding away from around the wet spot, exposing the red or black color, and remove with a shovel or fork (now you can dig in!). After removal, put back the good bedding that looks the oldest but still effective first. . Add about an amount  equal to the amount you took out. reshape the stall.

4. It takes months for the hemp to lose its ability to perform in the stall. It may darken over this time, but as long as its dry and still performing its job as a sponge keep using it!