Bedding.... ugh

[Dyllymoo]

Yes I know, done to death and sorry but.... I currently use Snowflake Softchip bedding. Its cheap, I go through around 2 a week (so works out around £12 a week), 3 in winter. I don't do the whole of his stable (not quite 12 x 12) as he doesn't pick his feet up.

I do a full muck out once a week (leaving bed up for the day), and I pick out all poo and any wet that has come to the top every day. He isn't too bad on it, but it always looks dirty, the poo tends to get lost in the bedding and I was just wondering if there are any other suggestions that could be nicer for him?

Happy to muck out fully every day I just done as the softchip is recommended to be left as it creates a more solid foundation so it doesn't move around. I have rubber mats as well.

Any recommendations?

* No straw - not allowed at yard
* No pellets on their own (I hate this type of bed!)

Need to order some new bedding this week so if you could let me know any recommendations that would be great

(I'm based in Kent so need to be able to source here)

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I’m about to try straw pellets as supposedly better than woodpellets and don’t go the whole brown dirty colour.

I’m a big fan of straw as it’s cheap, easy to get and I barely take anything out of the bed. However my friend is trying the straw pellets and I got nosey so decided to half a pallet and see what they are about.

A friend of mine likes cubes cardboard mixed with Shavings as a bed. Her beds look great nice and thick and clean.

 

[chaps89]

I did a thread only a few weeks ago on bedding and settled on chopped rape straw (nedz bedz pro) in the end. I'm a week or two into it so far and seems good

 

[TPO]

I did a thread only a few weeks ago on bedding and settled on chopped rape straw (nedz bedz pro) in the end. I'm a week or two into it so far and seems good

I switched to Nedz pro from shavings (& occasionally wood pellet base) and love it.

So easy to work with, absorbent, less waste, makes a good bed and rots down quicker than shavings.

 

[JennBags]

I like Softchip, it's a nice bedding but I know what you mean about it looking dirty.
I have changed to Aubiose with a pellet base (straw or wood, it doesn't seem to make much difference). Although it's expensive, in the winter I struggle to even put a bale a week in each of my stables which are huge and my boys are both filthy creatures. Every few weeks I dig the worst of the wet out and replace with some more pellets.

 

[tda]

I’m about to try straw pellets as supposedly better than woodpellets and don’t go the whole brown dirty colour.

I tried straw pellets as thought better for the muck heap, I found they generally looked dirtier than the wood I currently use, they seemed to stick to everything, so went back to wood.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Hmmm thanks all. Don't think I can get Nedz Bed Pro around here which is such a shame. I literally hate bedding!

 

[sherry90]

I have commented on a few bedding posts recently (I’m not sponsored by them!) and I really recommend Swish bedding, if you can get it in Kent - I’m not sure sorry!

I have a wet grubby gelding and I use 3 a week in winter when he’s in more. I get away with 2 in summer when he’s out longer but he still is in half the day on the bed. I do a full muck out twice a week where I throw everything up and take out every last bit of wet and allow the mats to dry. I never feel he has a scrimpy bed, it’s not dusty and it is more aesthetically pleasing than pellets in my opinion. I do like pellets for efficient mucking out but found them dusty.
I have also used Bliss in the past but I did find the wet came to the top and I used 4 bags a week (my stable was slightly smaller than current one though which may have contributed).

 

[Dyllymoo]

Ah I don't think I get that, I think I did look on that post and saw the recommendation. I think they were the ones that said they could deliver to me but it would need to be 4 pallets which is a few too many for me to store! Ha!