Bedding for horses

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sarah23

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I read some time ago about a bedding for horses that was like pellets and you have to wet it to activate it or something like that.

Does anybody know what it's called and where abouts i could get it from, I'm in the Cambridge area.

Last question is it totally dust free as my horse has to be in a dust free environment as possible (yes i know living outside is best but he has to come in) or what would be another good bedding to use.
 
They are called wood pellets and there are various makes. Personally i dont like them because you leave some wet in and mix it in, the pellets then absorb the wet and then you take out the very wet patches.

You will get loads of people posting who love them but i wouldnt touch them, even though they are cheap. Especially with a horse that has a weak respiratory system, i just wouldnt risk the ammonia and bacteria that leaving wee in the bed will cause. I have heard people say they are sterile. Well they might be in the bag but as soon as you add p!ss and air they arent!

Paper or cardboard are the best types of bedding for horses. No dust, minimal ammonia if wet is taken out every day and they are cheap too.
 
rubber matting. I know that you can put other bedding on top, but my horses are just a happy with the matting, lot easy mucking out the only things is their rugs get really dirty, when they down.
 
paper or cardboard relatively dust free! wood pellets relatively dust free! every bedding will breakdown and make dust eventually! you need to be a really good mucker out, i would start with rubber matts then your choice of bedding. and do the stable when horse is out to not expose him to spores in the air! peat is good too but doesnt look pretty!
 
I wonder if your thinking of Stovies

Stovies

I haven't used it myself but i've seen in at the feed shop. I'm amazed cause it comes in such a small bag so easy to handle and store.

When Tubs was at the vet school they had him on cardboard bedding and I've used it ever since - when he needs to come in. He's prone to coughing and I've found the best in terms of preventing or limiting the cough. I'd have thought if the vet school use it it would be good. They say its to stop the bedding sticking to wounds etc but if they have horses in for months at I time I'd have thought dust could become an issue. I'm super rubbish at mucking out (I'm so slow) but found it as easy as any other bed I've done and kept just as clean and dry.
 
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rubber matting. I know that you can put other bedding on top, but my horses are just a happy with the matting, lot easy mucking out the only things is their rugs get really dirty, when they down.

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I second that.
Diddnt like the idea untill I saw it in use,15 horses of various shapes,sizes likes and dislikes all happy to lay down as much as ever on the rubber.
Mucking out took all of 5 seconds and best of all,there was no dust or smell!
 
Ive known lots of horses that wont lie down on just mats though. And if they do they get filthy! Horses also like to wee on something, they only wee on a hard surface if desperate. I would rather my horse didnt have to feel desperate before he wee'd!
Personally i think that using just mats may be convenient for the owner but is not very nice for the horse
 
As of today i have just put down a new bed, using 'Thirsty Bed' from a company called Chaplestone, i dont know how far they deliver, they are really friendly and im sure they can put you in touch with a supplier if you are too far from them.
I'm planning on removing my wee patches and can only assume you would end up with a stinky bed if you didn't.
It was strange pouring water over my nice new bed this morning, it did fluff up nicely by bedtime tho. I'm looking forward to seeing what my horse has made of it in the morning and using my new special shovel/fork to muck it out.
grin.gif
 
I have been looking at using cardboard but haven't yet found a supplier that will deliver to me.

Called Stovies, wood pellets, yesterday and they can deliver 1 pallet, 67 bags for £230. That's £3.43 a bag. I reckon this will do me for 6 months for 2 horses. Champion!
 
Thanks all for your replies very much appreciated. Don't like the idea of just rubber mats as i tried this a few years ago, like to see big deep beds (silly i know) but would go back to rubber mats and something else.

Any ideas where i might get cardboard from.
 
What your talking about sounds what we use with the riding school horses called Equisorb, I think French's on Mill Road in Cambridge stock it. V
 
rubber matts on their own = stinky dirty horse, stinky manky rugs and a smelly stable even if you wash out each day, then wet stinky stable!! amonia (from the wee!) is the worst irritant for a horse prone to COPD or ROA
 
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Ive known lots of horses that wont lie down on just mats though. And if they do they get filthy! Horses also like to wee on something, they only wee on a hard surface if desperate. I would rather my horse didnt have to feel desperate before he wee'd!
Personally i think that using just mats may be convenient for the owner but is not very nice for the horse

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The joy of horses-ever ones different.
Some will take ot it,others wont same as anything.

the stables I have seen it use in had exalent drainage-there was never any smell or wet left on the floor with nowhere to go and the horses got no more dirty then they would on a big fluffy straw bed.
I diddnt like the idea because,stupid as it is,I have a big love of deep straw beds with perfect swuare banks,guess it's just what I grew up with! BUT for those 15 horses,it did work well.
They did a wee as much as on straw,decided to lay down as much as ever before and definatly diddnt seem to be crossing their legs or unhappy about the change.
 
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