bedding for a box walker

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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Can anyone help my friend? She has a 16.2, 8yr old Dutch warmblood gelding kept on a very small livery yard (YO's 2 horses + 2 liveries) that is so immaculately kept you could eat your dinner off the yard floor! YO very strict about this. My pal's horse is a box walker...he has about 4hrs out a day in the winter. He is currently deep littered on shavings but it is impossible for her to maintain a proper deep litter bed because of his box walking. Has anyone got any ideas re type of bedding and bed? Not sure if he's on rubber mats but would a box walker do ok on rubber mats and a sprinkle of shavings if he's in for that many hours a day? Any thoughts most welcome.
 
I would put him on rubber mats and a shovel full of Woody Pet/ Aquamax bedding a day, sweep it out and replace daily. he only needs something to soak up the wet and if you can sweep it out completely everyday it will remain as clean as you can. Rubber mats are far more comfortable and warm than the hoard ground in a field yet i have never known a horse not want to lie on the ground. She will need to have lots of rugs as that is the only down side - rugs just absorb the wet and stink. But she will find it much easier than trying to keep a deep litter bed half decent
 
Is there anyway that your friend could turn the horse out for longer periods? If the horse is stressing in the stable for 20 hours a day with no alternative then rubber matting is probably the best idea.
 
It used to take me a good hour to muck out my box walkers stable, I put him on to rubber matting with banks and it takes 10mins max to muck out
 
I'd put him on rubber mats with just a small amount of shavings or easi-bed.
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Thanks everyone - I don't think more turnout is an option. If she lived closer to me than Stafford, she'd be begging for a stable at my fab yard I know!!! I'll pass all your thoughts on to her and thanks again. x
 
I have a box walker, he's been on box rest for an injury for 3 weeks. I too have rubber matting, and never used to use any bedding. However, apart from him churning all the muck up, he got thrush from always having wet feet . Hardly ever lay down, stable rugs discusting. I have also tried just a sprinkling, not much different there. So now I have a huge deep bed ( up to my knees!) I clean out the poo everyday and do a full muck out once a week. I use 2 bales of Bedmax a week. It does take longer, but if they are going to be in for that amount of time, I think you should make him warm and comfy.
 
Mats and a half bed and a light weight turn out over his stable rugs to stop them getting too disgusting. LW turnout can then be occasionally hosed down.
 
Definitely rubber mats - but not the cheap thin rubber ones which aren't MUCH softer or warmer than concrete. The best I've found to combine warmth and comfort with reasonable drainage AND economy - and which don't 'lift' - are the M8 mats from Fieldguard. http://www.fieldguard.com/matting_guide.html

However, she needs to try and reduce the stress that causes box-walking and if more turnout/exercise is not an option, then stable mirrors or stable toys might help.
 
I have a box walker.

I use rubber matting then add a thick layer of straw on top. As he walks it breaks down so looks like chopped straw. I take the poo (if there is any) out during the week and take the wet out at weekends. I have the rubber matting down too so if he wears a large hole of bare in the middle of the bed he is not on the floor. It takes about 5 mins to muck out in the week and about 15-20 on a 'big dig' weekend!! It offers him the opportunity to lie down comfortably.

I am shocked about your horse been in for 20 hours. If my box walker is in for more than 12 hours he does the 'wall of death' actually cantering round his stable and gets so sweaty it runs down his face and legs.....oh for all year turnout I can only dream!!

You can see him in action...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uY0ZeOtCjz0
 
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