Banks on Bedding

S

sea_view

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 December 2005
Messages
7,347
Location
Scotland
Visit site
Just looking for various opinions here, but what are your reason to have or not to have banks in your horses bed?
ETS (Esp if you don't use them)

Discussion we were having the other day so was just looking for more varied opinions as all of used them incase of getting cast.

Thanks X
 
Just for not getting cast, mine loves to roll in his stable, even after being in his field, nearly got stuck once but I managed to pull him round on my own. I wonder if he does it as a male smell/dominance thing as I suspect he may have been cut a little late.
 
I used to put banks in, but Genie just digs them out so they weren't doing any good! She now just has one along the long wall of her bed, which is mainly so that the clean aubiose is ready to pull down onto the bed as needed!
 
I only have time to faff about with bales of bedding once a week, so they are somewhere to store new bedding which I can bring down onto the bed during the week.

He also gets up a bit funny post-injury, and whilst I'm sure he could get up by pushing against a wall, I would rather he pushes against a solid bank of bedding; he is plenty capable of removing various bits of skin by himself, I do not need a wall to help him. He also uses the banks as a pillow for his pretty little head
grin.gif


Most importantly, they make the bed look neater and I am completely anal about my beds, which just have to have big, level, solid banks
wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I only have time to faff about with bales of bedding once a week, so they are somewhere to store new bedding which I can bring down onto the bed during the week.

He also gets up a bit funny post-injury, and whilst I'm sure he could get up by pushing against a wall, I would rather he pushes against a solid bank of bedding; he is plenty capable of removing various bits of skin by himself, I do not need a wall to help him. He also uses the banks as a pillow for his pretty little head
grin.gif


Most importantly, they make the bed look neater and I am completely anal about my beds, which just have to have big, level, solid banks
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto to all of the above, it must go back to my PC days, we lost points on camp if we didn't have banks up to my (then) hips!
 
[ QUOTE ]

Ditto to all of the above, it must go back to my PC days, we lost points on camp if we didn't have banks up to my (then) hips!

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to have my beds and banks checked with a spirit level when I was ickle
blush.gif
 
i have banks a) because i don't like the look of beds without them, b) to stop drafts and c) to stop thm getting cast/ to lean against when getting up from lying down. wouldn't have a stable without them, just stuck in my ways like that i'm afraid
 
I always have banks, mainly because of the cast worry but I do prefer a bed with banks. Would ther ever be a reason not to have them other than you don't think your horse needs them?
 
Pretty much as others have said as a store for bedding during the week and to stop draughts. Was tallking to a vet nurse (horses) a while ago and she was saying unless the banks are very deep/wide then it won't stop a horse getting cast.
Also was thinking about the cast thing as a lot of people now use stuff like Aquamax which you don't bank (unless you used about 30 bags!) wonder if more horses get cast on that sort of bedding???
 
i have banks because my boy lies up against the wall. so i have squashed banks in the morning lol. and i prefer the look of the bad if it has banks
laugh.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
i have banks a) because i don't like the look of beds without them, b) to stop drafts and c) to stop thm getting cast/ to lean against when getting up from lying down. wouldn't have a stable without them, just stuck in my ways like that i'm afraid

[/ QUOTE ]

ditto to all of the above, I have a really deep straw bed and like how it looks with big even banks
blush.gif
grin.gif
 
I have big staw banks 1- for the cast reason, although sometimes the banks aren't really big enough to help as they have to be quite large to make a difference. 2 - I think the bed looks alot cosierif they have a bank wether it be big or small.
smile.gif
 
I agree with you all, it was drummed into me, but i heard someone somewhere say the other day that they were as useful as a chocolate teapot (i liked that, but i still bank)
 
This is the first year I have gone bank-less, and I always criticised it in the past. To be honest, it works a lot better (for me) than having banks, and my horses seem a lot happier. But, I do have horses that are not prone to rolling in their stables, or getting cast etc (tcouhes wood). Generally I prefer beds with banks, as they look neater, but practically you waste so much bedding, and they can harbour some nasty things, mould spores etc (not good for a horse with dust allergies) and rat tunnels!

I don't believe there is a right or wrong method, just what suits the horse and owner. We have one horse at work that needs to have banks about three foot high, otherwise he gets cast all the time.
 
No banks for us. If I make them, Star thinks digging them out is terrific fun. If I store clean straw in them, she eats them. The back wall of her box is solid stone, with no holes - no draughts.
 
Mine are on rubber matting with some but not many shavings and and we don't use enough to make it worth having, we have anti casting bars instead - and we haven't have a problem in 10 years! We don't even have to have them at camp any more, all ours roll in their stables anyway and throw the bedding everywhere!
 
HI all,

Just a quick question.......Can't really believe i am asking this, having worked on and run various yards for around 15 years.

However!

Like many of you it was drummed into me that you should always bank up the bedding against the walls of the stable with sufficient bedding to help stop a horse getting cast, with the emphasis on adequate banks to have any effect.

I have now stopped working with horses and have my own on livery, I have been told that i need to reduce/remove my banks to stop my horse getting cast...........I thought that was the whole point of having the banks.

Am i right or wrong? (my horse spends hours laying down, and tho he has got cast a few times, is the probability of him getting cast higher due to the amount he lies down and not the fact that i bed down with huge banks)

Sorry to ask such a silly question when really i think i know the answer, just needed clarification

Cheers (",)
 
i am 47...

have been around horses/ponies since i was 4 yrs old..and never have i "banked" a bed..

a horse will get cast for many reasons..regardless if the bed is "banked" or not..

the only fail-safe way to stop a stabled horse/pony from getting cast, is to fit it with an "anti-cast" roller..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top