Bedding for very wet messy horse

[avthechav]

I have only ever used straw and at £1.25 per bale at my yard it is a bargain! However Ginge is very wet- added to the pee he splashes around in his water bucket all night like some sort of sea mammal! In the mornings he tends to walk around a lot mashing it all together in a big mushy, mucky pile. So I end up removing 2-3 barrow loads of bed each day. I am tempted to try shavings underneath the straw to absorb some of the wet, but does anyone else have any bright ideas about how to keep his stable nice and dry?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Wood pellets? Either under or instead of. My horse is fairly dry but my stable tends to flood or just be damp. Cost me a fortune in shavings but wood pellets are so much more absorbent that unless the rain is torrential my stable stays dry

 

[flirtygerty]

I have two messy beggars and our stables have been known to flood, I have ours on deep litter, the base is approx 3" of shavings to absorb any moisture, topped up with straw, solids removed daily and straw topped up, the deeper the straw the less mess I've found.
Good luck, it's no fun having bed shedders, my OH's first horse used one corner of his box, how I wish mine would

 

[bubbilygum]

My muck monster is on rubber mats and a tiny sprinkling of shavings. Its easy to keep but it is a pitiful bed, straw is much nicer to bed on! If you can get straw that cheap I would be tempted to put wood pellets under the straw.

 

[MillionDollar]

Try straw pellets under the straw. They are the most absobant bedding you will ever find! Amazing stuff

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Definitely straw pellets or wood pellets under your straw. You will wonder why you didnt do it earlier! Much more stable absorbant base!

 

[avthechav]

ok- thanks everyone! This sounds like a plan....wood pellets underneath straw bed then. I feel like I am coming out of the dark ages!

 

[Milkmaid]

Another vote for wood pellets, either alone or under straw. As someone else has said, you will wonder why you didn't do it ages ago!

 

[Puzzle4ever]

Hi

Yeah i would vote for wood pellets my sister has a wet and really messy horse and she has had him on them now and it is much easier for her to muck him out now.

Yep diffidently vote for wood pellets

Hope this help you dicide

Puzzle4ever

 

[MillionDollar]

ok- thanks everyone! This sounds like a plan....wood pellets underneath straw bed then. I feel like I am coming out of the dark ages!

Get straw pellets if you can, they are FAR more absorbant than wood pellets!

http://www.strawpelletsltd.co.uk/

 

[avthechav]

hmmm so straw pellets are more absorbant than wood pellets then? Which are the ones that you have to water?

...thanks for all the replies people!!

 

[tabithakat64]

Wood pellets, I use Liverpool wood pellets for my very wet box walker and they are repairable even if she really, really trashes the bed.

 

[MillionDollar]

You have to wet wood pellets, you don't with straw pellets which is another bonus!

 

[trottingon]

Sorry to butt in, but if you put one type of bedding on top of another with a messy horse, does the bedding and poo not get all mashed up together and create a right mess and a nightmare for mucking out??? I just can't visualise how it would work?

 

[StoptheCavalry]

I was going to ask this. My horse is currently on shavings but he is so wet when Im getting the wet out it is actually dripping off the fork. I have just bought some wood pellets which I plan to put under he wee patch to soak some wet up.... will this work?

 

[Frosty89]

I'm another lover of wood pellets.

Only converted a month ago and they are great for my messy mare! In fact I've purchased just over a tonne of it today to be delivered for the weekend

 

[Britestar]

More often than not the reason the bed is wet is more down to the drainage in your stables.

I have one who could pee at Olympic level and in one stable he ok but the other his entire bed can be removed daily.

Check drainage first the maybe consider mats under your straw.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Get straw pellets if you can, they are FAR more absorbant than wood pellets!

http://www.strawpelletsltd.co.uk/

million Dollar, I've just looked at your link and they are well priced. Why are they better compared to wood pellets? I currently use Verdo and shavings and am pleased with this in theory but if something's better! Do you wet them?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Sorry I see you don't wet them, even for a new bed?

 

[Muddyboots]

Can those that use straw pellets on top of straw tell me more about how they manage their bed please. I am thinking of doing the same? Can you deep litter this way? How may bags of straw pellets do you use to for a base? How often do you remove / disturb the straw pellets? Thanks!

 

[Maisy]

I have used straw and wood pellets. I found the straw pellets to be dustier when they broke down and had to mix shavings to keep the dust levels down.

I have swapped to wood pellets, which are much better imo.

Once the bed is down and compacted (doesn't take many days/nights!) they lay as a very firm base and the poo sits on the top and can be removed very easily. I feel like I *should* have to take more wet out, but the bed isn't wet on the top as they are so absorbant!!

I will definitely be buying another tonne for next winter...or this summer depending on the weather!!!