Bedding Advice please

[magichorse]

Hi, I am currently looking into optiond for bedding for my horse. He has a dust allergy so I cannot use straw, and having used shavings he is sensitive to the 'dust' in them too. He is on Nedz Beds original at the moment, with soaked hay and as dust free as possible stable, but still has a bit of a cough. Am getting the vet to check that the cough is nothing else, but in the meantime would appreciate your thoughts on the bedding. I do not have rubber matting, as the stable does not have good enough drainage but he has a good thick bed mucked out daily.

What dust free beddings would you recommend? Many Thanks

 

[BigRed]

I would say the best, but probably more expensive would be aubiose, it is fantastic stuff. Although it is expensive, you really do use less of it than pretty much any other bedding I know of.

A cheaper version that I buy is Edellin, which I buy from Thorogoods in Essex (they deliver), it is cheap and very dust free. It feels slippery - to begin with, and some people say you should dampen it, but I cannot bring myself to water an expensive bed. It is very absorbant, very dust free and cheaper than shavings. It is made from flax.

http://www.thorogoods.co.uk/shop/bedding/55/93/bedding/P-edellin

 

[magichorse]

Thank you- I've never heard of Aubiose- going to google it now. I'm quite a way from Essex, but thank you for the link- I'd think that feed merchants up here would have something similar.

Much appreciated

 

[Dancing Queen]

PAPER?

 

[magichorse]

PAPER?

I had thought about paper, but my only experience of using it was about 15 years ago and it was really difficult to muck out. Have you used it? How did you find it? Thanks!

 

[Dancing Queen]

I had thought about paper, but my only experience of using it was about 15 years ago and it was really difficult to muck out. Have you used it? How did you find it? Thanks!

same as you about 15 yrs ago as well - and yes it was a nightmare to muck out!

 

[magichorse]

same as you about 15 yrs ago as well - and yes it was a nightmare to muck out!

Lol! We used to argue about who had to do the 'paper stable' at the yard- not a popular job!

 

[Miss L Toe]

I think most paper is from newspaper and is tricky to make a good bed, you could go for deep litter, keeping walls intact and solid, lifting out the wet in the middle, have you tried wood pellets, they are low in dust as you mix with water before you use them [I mix in a barrow] they are cheaper than auboise, but there is no reason not to try a mix of beddings, if he always wets in one place put the pellet bed there. A deep litter bed has less disturbance and is always comfortable., but it needs careful management to be clean and non smelly.
I have light mats which can be lifted easliy and washed, I have had them in three stables and they have all worked, but I have them covered with bedding if in a small stable.

 

[magichorse]

I think most paper is from newspaper and is tricky to make a good bed, you could go for deep litter, keeping walls intact and solid, lifting out the wet in the middle, have you tried wood pellets, they are low in dust as you mix with water before you use them [I mix in a barrow] they are cheaper than auboise, but there is no reason not to try a mix of beddings, if he always wets in one place put the pellet bed there. A deep litter bed has less disturbance and is always comfortable., but it needs careful management to be clean and non smelly.
I have light mats which can be lifted easliy and washed, I have had them in three stables and they have all worked, but I have them covered with bedding if in a small stable.

I've never used wood pellets but sound worth considering. An interesting thought about trying a mix of beddings. He's not particularly messy, so I've never considered deep litter but see what you mean about less disturbance. Some good food for thought- thank you!

I'm making a list of possibilities to look into price and availability near to me, as that may could be a factor.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I use wood pellets & provided you damp them down in very dry summers they are pretty much dust free, they also are great for reducing muck heap sizes!

Aubiose is great too, also pretty much dust free & great for little muck heaps!

A friend if mine has some tissue paper type bedding, can't think what its called but again dust free, also have seen beds made out of cardboard type bedding which works quite well, apparently is not too bad to muck out, better than paper at anyrate!

 

[magichorse]

Thank you! I saw some cardboard bedding on a website and wondered about that. Its amazing what is available now- when I was a kid, it was straw for most- even shavings were a bit 'exotic'!!!

 

[Super_Kat]

Flax.

 

[Pat10]

Thank you! I saw some cardboard bedding on a website and wondered about that. Its amazing what is available now- when I was a kid, it was straw for most- even shavings were a bit 'exotic'!!!

My stable next door neighbour used cardboard one year - found it smelly and heavy to muck out. It didn't look very nice, either.

 

[Foxhunter49]

I have managed to source wood peelings - the bark from trees. It is the best of the best. No dust, easy to muck out and even if it is wet it is still absorbent.
In the lose shed I semi deep litter. I remove the droppings daily but leave everything else.
When it is clear out time it never has the ammonia smell that you get with other bedding and, when one half of the shed was down to straw and the other was bark the horses all chose to lie on the bark.

 

[magichorse]

I have managed to source wood peelings - the bark from trees. It is the best of the best. No dust, easy to muck out and even if it is wet it is still absorbent.
In the lose shed I semi deep litter. I remove the droppings daily but leave everything else.
When it is clear out time it never has the ammonia smell that you get with other bedding and, when one half of the shed was down to straw and the other was bark the horses all chose to lie on the bark.

Thats interesting- is it expensive?

 

[debsey1]

What about Miscanthus? Very absorbant, dust free & bio-degradable

 

[BigRed]

What about Miscanthus? Very absorbant, dust free & bio-degradable

I tried miscanthus and it is nowhere near as absorbant as flax or hemp bedding, and the product my local feed co was selling, was so dusty that I couldn't tolerate using it, never mind how the horses felt. it makes a lovely bed and it was reasonably priced, but incredible amounts of dust came out of it.

 

[magichorse]

Thank you all for your input- off to the feed shop tomorrow to find out some prices

 

[Wagtail]

Thank you all for your input- off to the feed shop tomorrow to find out some prices

I would use rubber matting with a minimal bed of megazorb. Megazorb is fantastic. It is dust free, but like wood pellets, if you leave it during the summer, the dust gathers on it. It is made out of virgin wood pulp and is extremely soft and absorbent.

 

[toots]

Have a look at www.fitchrecycling.co.uk - it's shredded paper (like paper tissue) not newspaper.