bedding dilemma...

[lilym]

right, i'm bored so you lot can give me some feedback on what to use this winter!!
last winter i used straw, we had lovely straw beds looked great, but fat bloody cob eats it all, wether i put yukkabed on or not!! she came through the winter fatter than ever!! shavings i'm not keen on because of price.......need i say more??!!
i have been toying with the idea of paper/megazorb mix? anyone done this?? any feedback on diced cardboard?? i'm not worried about the bed looking "pretty" it just has to be easy maintainance wise, rubber mats ate not an option as our stables are not free draining enough and her box is huge!! thanks!!

 

[Maisy]

I use shavings and dont find them *too* expensive!

 

[Scribbles]

£5 a bag at new yard and as it's padded rubber matting only need a sprinkling...

 

[emmmmmma]

Hi, I use cardboard - ecobed. My horse is really wet in the stable - tried hemcore - shavings etc but found ecobed most cost effective and comfy - closest to straw I've come across.
It allows the pee to drain through.

 

[kerilli]

i use ecobed too, and my stables aren't free draining either. i find it clumps together when wet like shavings, it's just a case of scraping the clean, dry stuff away and picking it up. it's lovely warm stuff, makes a super bed.

 

[ESH]

I have had most things in the past, for the last few years I have been using Equizorb (flax bedding) on top of rubber mats and that has been great, better than shavings, I just take the wet out once a week.

However with the increasing prices of most bedding I am going to try cardboard (ecobed) this year.

I tried some ecobed in my lorry, my horse always pees every time I take him out in it, but what I found is the pee went through the cardboard and ran down the channels in the matting. So I now add a little of Megazorb under this and it soaks up everything straight away.

 

[Persephone]

I am using Equisorb underneath straw!

My bed has huge banks which she always wees in. If I sling a bag of Equisorb in the appropriate place I only need to take it out once a week. All the straw on top stays lovely.

Jojo x

 

[Tiffany]

I use rubber mats and shavings and wouldn't change but I've heard good reports about Easibed although not sure how much it is?

 

[miller]

Just swapped from Bedmax to Laysoft (Ron Hull + Sons) due to costs and have to say it's brilliant looks like Easibed but slightly bigger bits.

I've in the past used:

Cardboard - hated it - got very wet and solid
Paper - as above but worse
Easibed - didn't soak any wee up
CHopped Straw types - my horse is allergic to the anti eat preparation on them

To be fair - most of those were tried when he was on full livery at my old yard a while back and thier mucking out wasn't the best so could have been a factor

Really like the Laysoft though and we pay £4.90 a bale and need a bale a week in a 12 x 12 without mats for each horse. Mare is extremely dirty usually but is brilliant on this as it doesn't kick around so much so it doesn't all get churned up.
Muck trailer only filling once every 6 weeks now compared to every 3 with bedmax - don't waster any as it falls off the poo through the fork