Anyone use straw over other bedding, on mats?

[Spyda]

Having laid my mats and already having a supply of small bale straw, I was wondering what would work best under the straw. I still want to keep bedding costs to a minimum and speed up mucking out time. Anyone use this system and if so, what works best?

 

[R2R]

I have big straw banks, and a little straw bed and rubber on the floor. It works fine

 

[Skippydo]

I haven't got mats but have got complete sheets of rubber with underlay fixed to the floors.
Little po is on shavings, skipped out every day and completely mucked out once a week.
Chunky monkey is on shavings, again skipped out every day and completely mucked out twice a week.
Nutty chestnut is on straw though cos he completely trashes his bed and blasts his poo into millions of pieces which then takes a hour to muck out if he's on shavings. He is mucked out completely every day and we use about a third of a bale of straw a day (on top of what is left from mucking out).
I think if I had mats i would only use shavings to stop the wee from soaking through, I'm not sure shavings underneath straw would work, it could get a bit messy and be quite hard to muck out.

 

[soulfull]

I just put the straw on top of the mats. Haven't had a problem so far

 

[Geraldine]

Ditto.

 

[NeedNewHorse]

Hi,

My mare is very wet and quite horrid in her stable (but she is out as much as poss anyway) but what I used to do was this;;

I had mats and then used newspaper in the places in their stable that was wet. So if you know your ned is wet to the left, or at the back or wherever, place down tonnes of newspaper and then the next day you will find, all the wet is absorbed by the paper and not the straw, thus saving on your straw costs. (plus it#s easier to just pick up all the soggy paper, though wear gloves!!)

Newspaper is easy to get hold of, if you just ask friends /family /work colleagues etc It's free and does the job well under straw (which isn't particualry absorbent!
x

 

[dieseldog]

I just use straw, it works great

 

[horseriderdeb]

I just use straw on top of my rubber matting

 

[_Rach_]

We use rubber mats with sraw and its great

x

 

[sevoflurane]

i've used just straw in the past, but my boy is a slob so now i'm trying shavings underneath. It does keep it drier but he drags his feet and churns up the bottom....but then again he did this anyway!

 

[Harriephebs]

Just use straw!

 

[Spyda]

But is it absorbent enough just on it's own?

My filly could pee for an Olympic Gold over night and I don't want a situation where her pee is running out of the stable into the communal walkway.

I thought a sprinkling of something absorbent under the straw (in the area she generally pees in) would help stop any run out from her stable?