Best bedding for wet horse?

[starry94]

Since my horse has come in during the night he's been making his stable quite messy & really wet. At the moment he's on shavings (Elite Dream brand) that cover the back half of his stable but i'm having to take lots of bedding out each day so am on the look out for a new bedding.
Don't want to use straw and am thinking of mixing in flax/ hemcore into the shavings to make it more absorbant but am open to any other suggestions!

Oh, and i don't have rubber mats and can't really afford to get any at the moment.
Thanks

 

[maxapple]

If he's just wet and not too messy, Myscanthus bedding might work. It's elephant straw and is very absorbent.

If not, flax mixed with shavings would be better than just shavings. You might be better biting the bullet and investing in a couple of mats as you'll soon save on shavings. My old horse is very messy / wet so we use shavings and make really big banks with a thinish bed on mats and just take most of the middle out every day. Works well and we only use a bale or so a week.

 

[_Rach_]

Wood pellets are your friend i think as they work better the wetter your horse is try looking up Verdo horse bedding on google

 

[SNORKEY]

Our old mare was really wet, we used hemp core or similar on the base and shavings on top, seamed to work quite well and didn't get mixed up.

 

[Ali2]

Wood pellets get my vote

 

[Sunflowers]

another vote for wood pellets: add them to the spot where your horse pees the most, they will keep the stable far drier than any other bed I know!

 

[PuzzlePiece]

I used easibed last winter for my very messy mare found it much better than shavings. I used to take out 1-2 barrows shavings a day, easibed skipped out every day, wet once a week.
Am putting both of mine onto wood pellets this winter.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

wood pellets or straw pellets.

I use straw pellets and they are fab, i was forced to use shavings for a week when my delivery of pellets was delayed and I was getting pools of wee at the front of my stable every day, shavings just arent absorbent. First night back on pellets and not a single drop of wee visible anywhere - I'm happy again!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Eco Comfybed all the way.
Big Fuzzy (RIP) was the soggiest burd I've ever had on my yard. Had her on shavings for the 1st month I had her & then was converted (by a good mate) to try the comfybed.
It stood up really well over the past 2 winters, sometimes being left on deep litter for a couple of months at a time, including 6-7 weeks box rest this spring.
Worth a go, but put in plenty to start with

 

[Milkmaid]

Another vote for wood pellets. Look up Five Star Bedding on google. Their economy are Verdo but a hell of a lot cheaper than from Verdo direct! They also do a premium pellet which is SUPER absorbent. I use that on my very wet neddy as although more expensive it works out cheaper in the long run.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Wood pellets are your friend i think as they work better the wetter your horse is try looking up Verdo horse bedding on google

I took delivery of half a pallet yesterday for my wet stable, more because of the rain blowing in than wee.
I think they are exactaly the same product as White horse bedding? Same company just a different site one horsey and expensive one wood burnery and far cheaper! VAT is different for fuel purposes.
I've used LWP before and would certainly recommend trying pellets on a wet horse.

 

[JennBags]

Eco Comfybed all the way.
Big Fuzzy (RIP) was the soggiest burd I've ever had on my yard. Had her on shavings for the 1st month I had her & then was converted (by a good mate) to try the comfybed.
It stood up really well over the past 2 winters, sometimes being left on deep litter for a couple of months at a time, including 6-7 weeks box rest this spring.
Worth a go, but put in plenty to start with

This ^^^

I was actually converted by TFF never thought I'd be able to deep-litter, but the ComfyBed is fantastic - no smell until you dig it out. I have 2 horses, one on rubber matting, one on half-matting and a half-bed (he has a huge stable). I actually find it works better on the concrete than on the rubber matting.

 

[wiglet]

I use normal snowflake shavings but put Megazorb underneath the shavings where my mare pees (fortunately she always pees in the same area). I muck the shavings out everyday but leave the Megazorb in place - it absorbs all the wet and no smells. When the Megazorb gets saturated (every 4-6 weeks) I replace.

 

[wiz07]

Wood pellets are your friend i think as they work better the wetter your horse is try looking up Verdo horse bedding on google

liverpool wood pellets work out a little cheaper if you can "read" the price comparrisons to fuel and horse bedding!

 

[Cadburys_addict]

I am thinking about wood pellets and wanted to pick your brains!

How often do you need to put a new bag of wood pellets down? and can you have banks with them or is it not necessary?

 

[Goldenstar]

Straw,wood pellets or my Favorite paper.

 

[Milkmaid]

I use 1 bag a week of normal pellets & about half that of 'super' pellets.

That is with them in 12 hrs a day and mucking the wet out once a week. See thread here ---> http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=552548

I dont have banks as such but scoop it up at the edges cause it looks nicer!

(that was in reply to cadburys-addict!!)

 

[wiz07]

I am thinking about wood pellets and wanted to pick your brains!

How often do you need to put a new bag of wood pellets down? and can you have banks with them or is it not necessary?

You start with about 12 bags in a 12x12 stable and add max of 2 bags a week for a fully stabled wet horse. I only taje out about one shovel of wwet a week and mix it all back in if it starts to come through. Love love love the wood pellets! No Smell - quick and easy and so dense and soft.

I use one a week...... i started with no banks and gradually built them up as I added new bags.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Does everyone add their new bedding dry? (Wood pellets!) or wet it first

 

[Milkmaid]

You start with about 12 bags in a 12x12 stable and add max of 2 bags a week for a fully stabled wet horse. I only taje out about one shovel of wwet a week and mix it all back in if it starts to come through. Love love love the wood pellets! No Smell - quick and easy and so dense and soft.

I use one a week...... i started with no banks and gradually built them up as I added new bags.

Don`t start with 12 x 15 kgs unless you want a gynormobed! If using 10kgs sacks then yes, 12 bags.
I use 8 of the 15 kgs sacks to start a bed and find that is plenty on mats. I should imagine you would want to use more if using directly on concrete.

 

[Milkmaid]

Does everyone add their new bedding dry? (Wood pellets!) or wet it first

In the summer I soak first as I find it helps to keep the moisture content up but in winter I normally just mix in a dry sack if the air moisture is high. Tip tho, don`t just add dry pellets on top without mixing as you waste a truck load as they stick to the poo!

 

[MollyCon]

My mare's extremely wet and dirty too, I've been recommended to use Brites but I notice no one's metioned them here, is that a sign?

 

[wiz07]

Don`t start with 12 x 15 kgs unless you want a gynormobed! If using 10kgs sacks then yes, 12 bags.
I use 8 of the 15 kgs sacks to start a bed and find that is plenty on mats. I should imagine you would want to use more if using directly on concrete.

Yes I use 10kg bags on concrete!

also i dont wet the new stuff being added - i mix it well with what is left - the moisture in air and already in bed is enough to work..

I keep 3/4 of a 12x12 stable like this and it works well for me.

 

[SS.89]

Im another one for wood pellets. Im only on my second half pallet June! Saved so much money

SS x

 

[putasocinit]

I find a wet horse needs lots of bedding so take out the wettest patch, not all the wet, just the wettest and bring the sides down on top and put a bale where the sides were do this once a week a build up depth in the bed and it will come right.

Once the new shavings get wetter and older they do absorb better, you just got to try it to confirm it. If you keep putting a new bale over the top it will stay dry on top and gives better grip for rolling etc anyway.

 

[nat_1]

Molly con.....> brites are liverpool woodpellets,that's what they sent me as a sample

 

[peanut]

I've never tried wood pellets but have found Megazorb to be really good. It works like (and looks like!) clumping cat litter.

 

[Wagtail]

If you can afford it then megazorb all the way.It was the only thing that was any good for the wettest, most active box walker I have ever come across. Thnkfully he has left now. However, I have used wood pellets for the others the past two years due to the expense of megazorb (but now it's got cheaper again). I find that I use more than other people on here though. I am going to try the straw pellets this year after my current pallet of wood pellets runs out.

 

[Oldenburg27]

My boy suffered from really bad Cystitis, and his bed was wet all the time i changed him from shaving's to Rapport and its a god's send but I have just found out the company has gone into liquidation so have started using pro bed which is nearly the same stuff.

Its worth a try £7.20 a bale I have gone from using 3 bales of shaving to using 1 of these week. My sister used to use the Wood pellet's but we found they froze in cold weather. x

 

[mycocorocks]

We find straw pellets the most absorbent. We put down without wetting so you get even more absorbency and they rot down very quickly.