Anyone have/use sand-bottomed stables?

Trish C

Trish C

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 February 2011
Messages
1,945
Location
body in Norn Iron, heart in Co Clare!
Visit site
I had a look round a few livery yards today in preparation for moving back up to Northern Ireland in a few months. (Gutted to have to leave current yard as I adore it!)

The most promising place I saw has sand-bottomed stables. I've never seen these before. The owner said she installed them as she was told they'd help her with a laminitic mare. They don't put any bed on top, there's just a thick layer of what looked like the same sand they have in their arena.

Anyone any experience of these - what do you think of them?
 
Never heard of that before. How do they help with laminitis? Does the sand cushion the feet?

Can't quite see how you would muck them out, it would probably be OK with the poo but what about pee? Wouldn't it all smell quite heavily of amonia fairly soon? Also I like feeding off the floor but wouldn't that risk sand colic? Just thinking out loud, don't really know if any of this would be a problem.
 
Not sure how it works for laminitis to be honest, I assume it is something like that.

She said the pee just drains out and you just kinda 'turn' the sand every few days to shake up the layers/keep it loose. I assume for the poo it's just like picking it out of the arena? I had a good look at the sand and it looked very clean in all stables and didn't smell! Also they have great turn-out so even when they are stabled they don't spend too much time in their boxes (which I like!)

They have haybars installed for feeding hay, and low feeders for other feed, so that works with that problem anyways :)
 
I've seen this set up both in stables and in the pens they use in some very temperate climates. The major concern, as above, seems to be sand colic (although there are supplements to lessen that risk) but by and large it seems to work well.

There was an American company that designed a whole system of flooring and bedding which worked rather like a litter box. They did all sorts of studies proving horses lay down more on it, air quality was better, hoof health improved etc etc. and yet they couldn't sell it. It did require a different mucking system and was initially more expensive (although apparently cheaper in the long haul as very little bedding was ever removed, which also meant lower muck costs) but the major issue seemed to be that it wasn't "the way it had always been" and horse people don't do well with that. ;)
 
Haha, sounds about right TarrSteps! Thanks for that info :)

It would definitely save us a fortune on bedding costs as my boy is a filth machine when he's in (tempted to put him out 24/7 if turnout allows at new yard) and we make a huge dent in our current yard's straw shed - which I feel very guilty about as we pay exactly the same as the other liveries :rolleyes: YO at place with sand-stables said they just get a lorry load of sand to top up once a year and that's all they need as their horses spend most of their time outside :)

I did initially wonder about the warmth it would provide during winter - but a) where this new yard is usually has quite mild winters, b) geldie lived outside in the back arse of Co Kerry on a mountain without a rug last winter and c) he wouldn't lose condition if I put him on a permanent horse-walker with nothing to munch on but air ;)
 
My field shelters all have a very good layer of sand, with a small amount of shavings over the top. All drain very well, never stink & are loved by the Fuzzy's.
So much so, that the last 2 winters I kept them in these most of the time rather than in stables and am going to be sorting lights out for those for this coming winter.
I just put electric tape as a 'corral' outside during the very snowy weather so they could still go in & out but not tramp the whole paddock. Much quicker to skip out & level over & Fuzzy's happy too :)

Never done this for the stables tho.............
 
Have seen sand put in a large barn, they wintered 10 horses in it and lunged in it during the summer. There was no smell and as far as I remember as I can recall it was fine for 3 winters and needed a bit of help during winter 4 and was then replaced. It was great so little work required!
 
I've seen it used in a few different places in South Africa & Botswana, it worked well & the horses all seemd fine on it.
As long as they weren't feeding hay off the floor it wouldn't bother me.
 
No experience of it but I can answer the laminitis/sand question.

Packing hooves with sand/shavings etc helps support bottom of foot and means less likely to have a rotating pedal bone coming through. Shavings better than straw but sand obviously better still.
 
Thanks for that all, good to know :) So all seems positive then - looks like I've found his new home. Hope they still have room when I move up in a few months! (Offered them a deposit).

Very interesting imr - learn something new everyday!

They have haybars and low-mangers already installed so all good on that front. I'm hoping he'll live out whenever possible anyways but depends what kind of a winter we get next year as to how the land holds up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top