Best bedding for a really filthy mare?

[horsegirl]

She is on rubber mats and shavings ATM and I am going to try her on mats and straw tonight but I have a feeling she is going to be even worse. Is it cruel to just give enough bed to soak up wee and rely on the mats?

 

[amandathepanda]

My dressage horse has just come off box rest & he is disgusting at the best of times. I've got him on mats & a small amount of straw now (box rest forced me to invest!) and the difference it makes is unbelievable. I only get half a wheelbarrow out now instead of the 4/5 a day when he had a thick straw bed.

 

[horsegirl]

Do you just sweep it all out everyday?

 

[lexiedhb]

If they are that dirty I would just use the matting with maybe 3 sections straw on top, and take the whole lot out everyday!!

 

[ironhorse]

My disgusting trollop of a mare is going onto chopped rape straw on mats in 10 days and I'm interested to see how dirty she'll be - I remain to be convinced as even the relatively polite palominos and paint horses at the new yard tend to cover themselves in it.

At the mo she's on a full bed of flax over an old stable brick floor. Because she's had respiratory probs I muck out to the floor every day (with her out of the stable) and sweep in between the horrid little bricks. I probably get half a barrow out each day, which is mainly droppings - the flax is incredibly absorbent and stays dry on top. Only rarely does she end up looking like a warthog.

Altho its pricey (our YO moans incessantly) I only use 2 bags a week and she is much cleaner than on straw.

 

[Maesfen]

I've got one too! She's on rubber mats with some Sundown Yellow (similar to Easibed) in the corner where she wets and I take it all out each morning. Very quick, very simple, a bale lasts six days and is 4.50 +vat. I certainly wouldn't go back to a full bed with her, she wrecks it every night and would cost a fortune! She also lays flat out, quite comfy, just cocks an eye open as if to say if you don't want me I'll stay here!
If I put a full bale in because I feel guilty that she hasn't a comfy bed like the others, then it would last three days but look quite grubby by day 2 and unuseabally disgusting by day 3.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

oooh to have a mare who actually has a corner they use to wet in. Mine is just disgusting, she poos about 14 poos and theyre everywhere and shes soooo wet too.

she was worse on shavings so I use straw which at least is cheap.

3 wheelbarrows a day come out.....

My only solution is moving house to our own place where I will be able to throw stinky knickers into a field!

 

[horsegirl]

Not only does ours poo and wee in the banks she then walks it around to really mix it all together well. Shavings look disgusting all the time and as you say at least straw is cheap

 

[miller]

Ours has been on mats + shavings with both small and larger amounts of shaving and the same but straw.

She is now on a full bed of bedmax and is the cleanest she's ever been

 

[spitchwick]

I use elephant grass with the matting, which is very absorbant, so you don't need that much.

 

[zoesophie]

megabsorb is fab for wet horses

You can use it under shavings or straw I believe

 

[Folara]

Oh yeah Megazorb vote here as well. I have rubber mats and then a small layer of this on it. Gen is really disgusting poo and wee wise and mixes it all up. The megazorb is really absorbant but most of all it sort of 'beds down' and doesnt get kicked into a mushy heap.

Best thing I ever did and saves me a fortune in bedding.