Bedding - Paper vs shavings vs straw

[Reform]

I'm interested in hearing views. We used to use shavings but went over to paper. Which I personally thought was brilliant but others on the yard didn't like as it does get blown around a bit in the wind - although biodegrades well.

Don't really want to go back to shavings because of the increasing cost and it isn't as easy to handle as the paper (been spoilt).

Any views on straw? Or any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Shipley]

Personally i love fla, at a friends yard they use paper and I love that too its easy to muck out. I would not go on to straw unless i had to and shavings would only be if I cant get flax (paper not allowed at my yard as farmer will only take flax or shavings)

 

[irishdraught]

My mother used paper with her shetlands and I found it heavy to muck out when wet, the dry bits blow around and it doesn't look that nice. Straw is cheap but I found it got very messy when using it with our bigger horses and there seemed to be a lot of wastage. We currently use shavings on rubber mats and I find it much easier.

I tried easi bed for a while but couldn't get use to it. Now I use the bigger flaked bedmax which seems to suit everyone. I haven't tried hemp or flax but could be tempted to if enough recommend it - getting hold of it locally would be the biggest problem.

 

[atot]

When I helped out on a little welsh stud they were all on deep paper bedding - it looked great, absorbed well, didn't smell, but was a pain to muck out, but perhaps that is because I did 6 rather than 1/2. I'd always go for straw personally, having worked on all three.

but paper does look nice - better in a barn type stabling arrangement though, otherwise it dissapears off out the stable into the wind!

 

[lifeslemons]

When we moved to my current place I was very reluctant to use the straw that everyone else had. We decided to give it a shot, and I have since become a convert to the stuff. Nothing beats a straw bed in terms of comfiness, protection and warmth etc. The horses realy like it, its much cheaper and easy to keep a yard tidy with.

On the negative, it can be dusty, (although we have a great farmer who supplies good bales,) some horses do try and eat it (but ours tend to have ad lib hay which avoids this) and can take longer to muck out than alternatives. Nevertheless, I would continue to use it elsewhere.