Bedding.

[Christmas_Kate]

Last winter we used straw, which G got on very well with (he's not too dirty). Only problem being he's a pig and he eats it. For me to put a fresh bed down and then either wet it with diluted jeyes or mix dirty bedding in... well, its just disheartening!
I'm hoping, by winter to have some rubber matting, just to mat the back half of the stable, but thought as I'd be having matting maybe change over to some other sort of bedding as bedding costs would be cheaper? BUT i need something which rots down just like straw AND isnt too pricey, AND doesnt stink to high heaven.

Any recommendations???

 

[Cuffey]

Ive been using chopped corrugated cardboard for a year, do use bedding conditioner in certain types of weather--when floor doesnt dry. Cheaper than shavings and first lot has rotted well and is in garden under potatoes. Cats curl up in it like straw--they dont in shavings. Urine runs through and is absorbed in bottom layer. Pony was scared of 'crunch' to begin with but now very happy in it. Horse was a pain in shavings--stirred up impossible to muck out but doesnt seem to dig up cardboard. Fairly easy to muck out. Much prefer it to paper. Used to put a small bucket of sawdust or shredded paper under a straw bed to absorb urine, but havent been able to buy nice straw locally recently.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Personally if I were only going to mat half a stable, I would mat the front and put bedding on the back half. This stops bedding getting into the water bucket, stops the hay/haylage getting mixed in with the bedding as just drops onto the rubber, while giving the horses something cushioned to stand on. You could then put a semi deep litter flax or hemp bed (if you don't want to use shavings) on the back half of the stable. I have couple of friends who do this, and it works really well.

 

[Super_Kat]

I'd put flax down and just take out the droppings each day, it doesn't smell and always looks neat (unless the horse trashes the bed of course).

 

[TGM]

My preference is for hemp-based bedding such as Hemcore or Aubiose. It is nice and absorbent, easy to work with, looks good and, most importantly, rots down very quickly on the muckheap.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

What about choppped treated straw? Shouldn't be too appetising, not too expensive, one bale goes a long way, and it'll rot down the same? Agree with matting, if your going to mat the whole stabel is better, as bedding is harder to tidy up when you have a 'lip' between the front and back of the stable. Though if this isn't a problem, would deffinately have the mats at the back piebaldsparkle, otherwise whats the point in having them, as you'd still use the same amount of bedding?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

No you use half the amount of bedding. Mats at the front, and just bedding at the bed (unless you usually have bedding at the back and leave concrete bare at the front).

 

[threeponies]

My shetlands are on mats (whole stable floor) with a patch of shavings at the back for peeing on. One bale of shavings lasts about a fortnight, and there are two of them in the stable, you should get a bit longer out of them with just the one. Aubiose is really good too.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

[ QUOTE ]
No you use half the amount of bedding. Mats at the front, and just bedding at the bed (unless you usually have bedding at the back and leave concrete bare at the front).

[/ QUOTE ]

haynet water etc is at front, and bed is at back, and standing on the conrete, walking from haynet to door, keeps his feet nicely filed

.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Fair enough, I don't like mine to stand on concrete, but she is quite a big heavy cob.

 

[mrussell]

We use rape straw bedding (similar to hemp but half the price) that had added eucalpytus. We pay £4.60 for a 25k bag and use a bag a week. Its amazing stuff and gives a thick form bed that smells great. We take a skip of droppings out a day and 3 skisp of wet out at the weekend.