best bedding for a wet horse

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Horsegirl25

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Does anyone have any recommendations for a good absorbent bedding for an extremely wet pony.
I am at my wits end now and they have only been in the winter routine for less than a week!! My boys bed is sodding wet after a night in, he is half a bale in the stable EVERYDAY to replace the wet that has been taken out.
He is currently on shavings, not any specific brand just whatever the farmer buys in. He is asthmatic so I have to be cautious about what type of bedding he is on so can't be anything too dusty.
I have put in a full bag of shavings on top of what he already had this morning to see if a thicker bed will soak it up any better?
His urine has been tested at the vets, he has no infection and bloods recently checked for EMS and were clear - he is just so wet!!
Every morning half his bed comes out and the mats are squelching....
Deep litter isn't an option. Not sure about pellets? The ones that you soak in water, if they would help absorb the wet any better?
Bring back summer 😭
 
You have my deepest sympathy! I have a very wet mare and what works best for her are straw pellets underneath sawdust. I don’t wet the pellets and make the bed deep.
 
The pellets would really help
You have to get your head around it not looking so nice to us, especially if you are accustomed to nice fluffy shavings, but I'm not sure the pony cares that much and would rather it was deeper and dryer!
 
Do you think the pellets on their own as a full bed or pellets as a base and shavings on top? I am a 'digger' when I am mucking out so I'm not sure if the pellets would just end up mixed with the shavings?
 
Wizpop said:
You have my deepest sympathy! I have a very wet mare and what works best for her are straw pellets underneath sawdust. I don’t wet the pellets and make the bed deep.
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Do you find she eats the pellets if not soaked? I am rather concerned my fat welsh D would think I have just put a full bag of feed in his bed 🤣
 
Have you considered using hemp shavings? For extra absorbency, put some wood pellets underneath. I just scrape the top layer of hemp away, take out the wet and scrape the hemp back into place. Hemp shavings are my favourite bedding both for the horses and for mucking out. Also, there's very little waste when taking out the poo (I do it by hand not fork).
 
My gelding is so wet that before I found the right bedding, puddles of wee would literally seep out from under his door (he's been checked, and he's fine - just likes a drink apparently!). For him, I do a super thick bed with wood pellets on the bottom, with aubiose thickly on top. Works a treat and I only have to dig out the wet once a week now - usually replace with 2 - 3 bags of pellets and 2 or 3 fresh aubiose (like I said...he is super wet lol).
Thank goodness he is otherwise extremely clean!
 
Wood or straw pellets underneath should help. I wouldn't just use pellets if he's dust sensitive as if they dry out they can get dusty. Two of mine will sample straw pellets the pests, so I make sure they are well buried (if wood pellets come down in price I'll go back to them!), I don't soak them, just put them dry into the wet spots and cover up. I find they mat together well to make a defined layer but I do use them under straw now so they don't mix the same as shavings, but I used the same technique under shavings too.
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Do you think the pellets on their own as a full bed or pellets as a base and shavings on top? I am a 'digger' when I am mucking out so I'm not sure if the pellets would just end up mixed with the shavings?
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I have minimally soaked (1/3 bucket) straw pellets under miscanthus for mine. It's the best solution I've found and I no longer have a stinky horse in winter and a soggy, churned bed. Mine nearly always pees in the same spot so it's easy to scrape off the top and dig out the wet and replace with a poo scoop of new pellets. The bed is 12-20 inches deep - more in winter, less in summer.

I don't mix up my bed too much - miscanthus gets put in new on one side and is rotated through to the wet patch through the week. Some of the pellets get mixed in with the miscathus, but I just chuck those back into the wet patch.

@HufflyPuffly mine will eat straw pellets too...:rolleyes:
 
I use All bed fibre for my big wet lad. It works wonderfully and is such a treat to muck out. I went through the pellets and shavings routine for a year but it cost a fortune and was a pain to muck out. I would also ditch the mats, they just hold in the pee and stink.
 
Wood pellets should help as we have an extremely wet gelding too. It’s so frustrating when they are like this but try and lower your expectations of how great his bed is going to look day to day otherwise you are just going to be disappointed. Try and accept if never going to look that perfect and just manage it as best as you can.
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Do you find she eats the pellets if not soaked? I am rather concerned my fat welsh D would think I have just put a full bag of feed in his bed 🤣
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my gelding was on wood pellets, I changed to straw pellets which he was snorting through the fluffy layer to find the whole pellets... gave his self aspirational pneumonia and nearlly died... so be careful!
 
I mixed my shavings with straw pellets and they go further. I try and create a bit of a base and just add fresh bedding on top (and just take the wet out when it comes to the surface) as I find I use more bedding if I remove all of the wet everyday/keep the beds thinner.
 
Aubiose for me too. I have also tried it with an under-bed of wood pellets, straw pellets and miscanthus pellets. All of which helped soak the wet up, but digging the pellets out was a job I hated and to be honest, the aubiose on it's own is just as good.
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Everyone that requested straw pellets you have saved my life (and bank account)!!!! ❤️
I have been putting a bag (unsoaked) underneath a shavings bed and it lasts me exactly 1 week!!!!! 1 bale of shavings a week is UNHEARD of for this pony in winter!! Thank you all so much
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Glad it’s helped! It makes mucking out so much easier doesn’t it?!
 
spotty_pony2 said:
Glad it’s helped! It makes mucking out so much easier doesn’t it?!
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So much easier and SO much quicker!! I thought the Sunday (the day I take the wet out) would be a bit of a slog but honestly doesn’t take long at all!
That extra time on a Sunday is worth it for the time saved through the week!!
 
Wood pellets and shavings on top that gets mixed in and stops it getting dusty. 1-2 bags of pellets a week and a bale of hunters every other week between 2 big wet geldings….start with a big bed!
 
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