Aquamax users- help please!

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Kidsponies

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I have half a pallet of Aquamax wood pellets that I'm trialling and I wondered if someone could help me use them to their best as I'm disappointed so far and was so impressed with what people were saying about how fantastic they are, that I'm sure I must be doing something wrong!

I have a very wet pony and he has been on them and coming in overnight for a couple of months. I'm disappointed with how wet the bed seems even when I take out the wee everyday. There is a big sodden patch about 1 metre square, but even the bits where he hasn't wee'd always feel wet to the touch. It can't feel nice to lie on a wet bed can it?

Last night I set up two new stables. I used minimal water (literally just sprayed the top layer of the bed with the hosepipe on fine mist) and both stables this morning are still mainly pellets in fact, but the bits that have broken down, are cold and damp. I was assured by the Aquamax guy that that was you got with the cheaper pellets that I was on (Verdo) but not with Aquamax - this stuff really dries out, he said? But as far as I can see, they are no different and still give a damp bed - even when there is no wee in it?

Secondly I wondered if people had tips on how to use them specifically with a very wet, box walking pony. I have been taking out all the wet and putting half a new bag in dry, twice a week. But is there a better way?
 
I used them several years ago and I have used other makes. If you have a box walker its difficult because they are constantly mixing the wet with the dry unless you have a solid base and the amount of time they take to dry out obviously depends on how dry the air, as it's been very wet and humid recently unless the box a lot of sun they are not going to dry very quickly.
I would try getting a deeper solid base with perhaps some shavings on the top.
 
We have had a box walker, after trials of many bedding we used thick rubber matting and a sprinkle of shavings. Anything else turned into a mini muckheap in the stable by the morning! I feel a bit mean when its very cold and everyone else has deep beds but I figure that laying on rubber is better than laying in a muddy field. Sorry perhaps not much help but I share your pain with a box walker.
 
For them to work effectively they have to be really deep. A deep bed stops it all getting churned up. What I tended to do when I used them was to not wet them. I took out poos daily but only took the wet out twice a week. Seems the less you disturb the bed the better it works. I didn't really like it though.

I use wood chip now, again with a deep base and same method. It's great as you can order it from heating suppliers and only pay fuel tax on it rather than 20% vat.
 
i didn't get on with Aquamax at all, and that was with a cleanish pony. Found that I was using a huge amount just to keep a decent bed.

In the end I used the remaining bags on the wee spots under a full bed of miscanthus - they worked fine to soak up a bit of wet under a full bed but would never use again as the only bedding. Both pony and I developed coughs too.
 
A friend uses straw pellets which she reckons are more absorbant, you don't have to damp them down as the horse breaks them down by just walking round. Once she had put down a nice deep bed (followed recommendations) she only used one bag a week and at around £2.75 a bag, depending on quantity ordered, that's very reasonable.
 
Tammytoo said:
A friend uses straw pellets which she reckons are more absorbant, you don't have to damp them down as the horse breaks them down by just walking round. Once she had put down a nice deep bed (followed recommendations) she only used one bag a week and at around £2.75 a bag, depending on quantity ordered, that's very reasonable.
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I use that as kitty litter! It has mint added to it as well to keep the smell down.
 
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