Bedding

[ChristineL]

I know this has probably been asked a number of times before, but what do you think is the best bedding to use?

I have 3 horses that are out at grass in the day and are stabled over night, my mare and 1 of my geldings are on normal shavings and are both fine.

I then also have a 3 year old gelding who is has rubber matting and is on shavings, however he is so dirty!!

I have tried straw but he eats it and it plus it does not soak up the wet very well and he is still as dirty. He has to have quite thick bed due to a previous injury, so I was just looking for other peoples opinions..

Thanks

 

[Alimac19]

I have now tried a couple but I think it largly depends on what suits you and your horse. I found shavings OK but not as absorbent as some of the alternatives on the market. I use Nedz Bedz Pro and am very happy it is absorbent and easy to work with. I've used on but concrete and rubber matting and OK with both. Recently I put down a bale of Equisorb. This was extreemly absorbant with hardly any wet in the bed but I actually found it difficult to find the poos as my horse tends to bury them and the Equisorb is very powdery and this stuck to the poo!! I also found that the Equisorb didn't last very long due to it being powdery and I do like a thick bed. As regards matting there are pros and cons. I think that the horses genuinly like it more as it's easier to stand on for long periods etc but I found that it can get smelly very quickly as the wee goes underneath and without removing the mats which are very heavy and cumbersome you can't clean properly which I find frustrating as I'm a bit of a clean freak!

One main thing I've found though when using different bedding. If you want to try several don't be afraid to mix them. You don't have to take out all the shavings to start using a hemp based bedding for example. Just mix it in and within a couple of weeks you won't see the shavings! Also the hemp/rape based bedding apparently biodegrades quicker so if you have a muck disposal problem they may be the better options. If I were you I'd give a couple a go over the course of a couple of months.

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

I used to use shavings and went onto Flax bedding a year ago, it is really good. Our muck heap has halved as it rots down so quickly as it's veg based? and it is usuable compost in half the time too. Seems a bit loose underfoot when you first put it down but absorbs loads better and isnt as heavy as shavings to muck out. Well worth a try I would say.