Alternative bedding to straw

[GreyDot]

Currently struggling with a very good doer, in medium varied work 6 days a week, on balancer and chaff (Pure Easy), hay is soaked for 12 hours, restricted night-time grazing.
Last bit to adjust is that he's on straw and have been advised to change to another form of bedding as he will occasionally eat his bed.
Having always had my horses on straw bedding, I haven't a clue about the numerous options which are now available. Have had a look on the internet, but am looking for first-hand recommendations.
Needs to be economical and durable. Horse isn't particularly messy in his stable, doesn't box walk but does wee a lot, so needs to be absorbent.
Any suggestions? What has worked best for you?

 

[PurBee]

For big wee horses - pellets. Wood pellets they dont have interest to eat them. I use pellets underneath shavings on top, due to my horses having appetite for some beddings. pellets only beds can be dusty, hence why i and many have shavings layer on top.

Pellets are the best for pee soakage compared to anything else. For me it was the difference between taking out 1 barrow of pee soaked shavings daily, to taking out 1.5-2 barrows weekly of pee soaked pellets.…for 2 horses sharing a large bedded area. So i saved money and time.

Instead of having pellets everywhere underneath shavings, if your horse pees in the same spot, just have pellets underneath shavings where he likes to pee, and just have shavings everywhere else. It’ll be much less dusty.

 

[Annagain]

I wouldn't worry about him eating his bed and just make sure it's good quality straw. Rather than being the problem it was once thought to be, it's now seen as a good low calorie 'filler' for horses who need to have their hay intake reduced. Straw means they have access to forage at all times and don't spend hours with nothing in their tummies. You could even mix it with they hay to bulk it out or give him some in a net if you're concerned about him eating dirty straw.

 

[PurBee]

Glyphosate residue ingestion is the main concern with straw, barley or wheat, being used as feed or bedding if they eat it. Its routinely used to ‘dessicate’ crops before harvest as it helps dry out the crop and prevent mould grow post-harvest.
Glyphosate causes gastro issues/dysbiosis and then further symptoms as a cause of that initial gastric aggravation.

If you can find organic straw, that won’t have been sprayed with glyphosate.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Ours aren't stabled but we put wood pellets in our field shelter for two ponies who insist on peeing in there regularly but also like to lie down in there too. We started with wood pellets in March and they have been awesome! I can't say what it would be like to muck a pellet stable out everyday as I have no experience of that, but the pellets have held up so well and are really absorbent and seem to stay in their place quite well. We just skip the shelter out and then I turn it every so often to mix the wet with the dry. Since March I have only properly removed the wet once and topped it up with 2 or 3 more bags of pellets and it doesn't smell and feels dry to the touch.