best alternative to straw?

[Hoof_Prints]

Hi, I've always used straw, but as pony has a mild respiratory infection, I thought i'd make his stable clear of dust and stuff that may bug him. I'm going to pick up some new bedding tomorrow, so shavings is probably the most readily available stuff, but I wondered if there are any other mainstream options that will keep him dry and comfy? He is pretty tidy in his stable, but I don't want to be chucking loads of it away each day!
TIA

 

[JennBags]

I really like the snowflake softchip.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I use magaspread shavings I find them really good and they make a nice comfy bed.

 

[poiuytrewq]

How about one of the chopped baled straw type beddings if you like straw. they are dust extracted and sold fairly readily.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

Stabled all cleaned of dust so now need to go buy some new stuff. I have between 4-5 horses on a regular basis so it must be pretty cost effective and clean, low dust is priority ! There are so many to choose from, I've sat googling and am left more confused. I think my local tack shop sells snowflake, so may end up going for those until I find something else. I can't rubber mat every stable, so It would be nice to have something quite comfy for them to sleep on. They loved sleeping on the straw but with a row of indoor stables, nobody's lungs can take a winter of dusty mucking out!

 

[ponydi]

Wood pellets work for me

 

[C1airey]

I prefer to think of bedding as either ‘draining’ or ‘absorbing’. So straw and large flake shavings are a draining-type bedding - the wee goes through and pools at the bottom and slowly soaks into the bedding. Small flake shavings, wood pellets and chopped straw are absorbent - the wee is soaked up almost immediately. If you like straw, then big flake shavings might be a good option. Personally I like chopped straw sprayed with eucalyptus (Sundown Green are the bales I buy): the eucalyptus helps his airways (and feet) and the chopped straw is absorbent, keeping the wet in one patch to be cut out at weekends. It’s not totally dust-free, but no bedding really is.

 

[GirlFriday]

I used to help out on a yard with dust extracted shavings as their 'default' and paper/card bedding for the really bad COPD types. The latter is very much of the 'absorbing' type but was, genuinely, very dust free. I *think* that the card stuff had to be bought quite expensively but we had an irregular supply of quite cheap shredded documents from a local company too.

 

[Britestar]

Shredded cardboard - not the squares.

Super absorbant, dust free and small free. Easy to muck out.

 

[tallyho!]

Chopped rape straw e.g. bliss, bed rap

 

[Goldenstar]

Bed max

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

For my little pony that coughs at the slightest bit of dust, we use wood pellets under big shavings... spread the un soaked pellets in the bits where they wee and shavings over the top. Means we can poo pick all week and do one muck out and bed stays lovely and because you don't need to move the bed, it's not dusty

 

[HappyHollyDays]

For my little pony that coughs at the slightest bit of dust, we use wood pellets under big shavings... spread the un soaked pellets in the bits where they wee and shavings over the top. Means we can poo pick all week and do one muck out and bed stays lovely and because you don't need to move the bed, it's not dusty

Would this combination work for a messy horse? I have one who suffers from dust and is clean and tidy but my other one grinds his bed up and hides poo just for fun. I have used wood pellets for the past two years but now need to keep the dust down and want them to be on the same bedding. I was thinking of using Thoroughbred shavings as I can get them locally.

 

[ester]

woodpellet layer on the bottom and misanthus or aubiose on top for me.

works superbly for the tidy one and much better than straw ever did for the hiding messy one.

 

[Wagtail]

Chopped miscanthus such as Burly bed. After trying virtually everything on the market, this is by far my favourite bedding. Always looks nice, never gets dusty, even in the summer, and is very good for very dirty horses. I hate wood pellets despite using them for 7 years because they get so dusty.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

Thanks everyone, I'm taking note as it's shopping day tomorrow. I was considering wood pellets, but I think I've been put off now No doubt I'll get there and be clueless on what to get ! but it's a huge help