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I've just ordered from white horse if anyone wants 5% off code: Macchr21736
Best bedding
- Thread starter Limbo1
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Does anyone find that the platinum plus pellets quickly smell of wee?
I'm taking out the poo and wet patch daily and they have a reasonable depth bed but there is a noticeable smell of wee. Am I doing something wrong?
I'm taking out the poo and wet patch daily and they have a reasonable depth bed but there is a noticeable smell of wee. Am I doing something wrong?
I am waiting in for my delivery of Platinum pellets, no sign yet. My first foray with wood pellets and had planned on using deep litter with once a week muck out of wet and daily of poo so I will be interested in any smelly wee related answers.
No, never had a problem, but my bed is around 8" thick and I don't take the wee out daily. In fact, that's probably your issue as you're disrupting the bed. The bed needs to form, loose pellets don't really work too well and the bed should be left to firm up.
I kid you not the best bedding I have ever used was the free shavings Dad got me from 1995-2014. He can't get them anymore as he is not as mobile as he was and is 82! But he would always get me five or six bags every week and we used to stock pile them at the old yard or round the side of the house in a purpose made shed. They were never dusty, my horses never coughed on them, every now and then we would run into problems getting them due to the timber yard being shut or not producing enough wood to mill, and then i would buy a bale and sure enough within a day my horse would start coughing when ridden after being on the so called 'dust extracted' shavings.
Dad used to collect them from the timber yard by going when the men were on their break and the hopper was switched off and he would bag them all up and tie them with twine. God bless him, he is a Dad in a million!
Dad used to collect them from the timber yard by going when the men were on their break and the hopper was switched off and he would bag them all up and tie them with twine. God bless him, he is a Dad in a million!
Wood pellets all the way. Have tried everything over the years and nothing beats the wood pellet. Have also tried all the leading brands, wouldn't touch Verdo with a barge pole, rubbish absorbency. White Horse Premium are by far and away the best. Lovely people to deal with and actually do deliver bang on time (unlike a major competitor, who shall remain nameless).
Sorry, White Horse Energy, Platinum Plus Pellets ! Too tired, off to bed lol
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I do find them very good, just notice the wee smell more on these pellets than brites that I used last year. Maybe I'm disturbing the bed too much.
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Still finding a very noticeable smell of urine. Used brites last year and didn't smell like this. Don't know what I'm doing wrong!
I think it depends on how you keep your horse, how much turnout and size of stable etc.
I use a mix of snowflake premium and snow flake soft chip, I find this makes a good, clean and deep bed that is easy to keep. I know of a few on pellets but they find it hard going with mucking out as the bed gets compressed under the weight ( their horses are in 24/7 though) thus really put me off, plus the bed always looks very flat!
I use a mix of snowflake premium and snow flake soft chip, I find this makes a good, clean and deep bed that is easy to keep. I know of a few on pellets but they find it hard going with mucking out as the bed gets compressed under the weight ( their horses are in 24/7 though) thus really put me off, plus the bed always looks very flat!
Hippofan flax, previously LWP wood pellets but I didn't like the bed much. Have used a chopped wheat straw/rape straw combined bedding and that was nice, but expensive, I don't like shavings and straw stinks! Although, back when straw was cheaper, I had huge beds with sawdust (25p a bag from the local fencing place, all white wood) underneath on top of rubber mats and an earth/hardcore floor and that worked out really well, even for a wet horse. I didn't rate rape straw on it's own and I've never tried miscanthus.
The best bedding system I ever used, was an enzyme bed. No mucking out for 16 months, just take the poo of the top and once a week add more enzyme powder and a thin layer of shavings. Ten minutes to do a bed, including filling up water buckets and putting in the hay. It was warm too and had a feel like a firmly sprung mattress. Horse loved it, but it was expensive to set up, so I had to abandon it.
The best bedding system I ever used, was an enzyme bed. No mucking out for 16 months, just take the poo of the top and once a week add more enzyme powder and a thin layer of shavings. Ten minutes to do a bed, including filling up water buckets and putting in the hay. It was warm too and had a feel like a firmly sprung mattress. Horse loved it, but it was expensive to set up, so I had to abandon it.
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Have found Laysoft brilliant (after Eco Comfybed disappeared) but my local supplier have stopped selling it. Cheeky sods told me the manufacturer had stopped it, not true - supplier is doing their own very poor imitation!
OP, try some Laysoft, brilliant for a very soggy gelding, also for a quite unmentionable big mare. Otherwise chopped Miscanthus is pretty good for sogging things up too
OP, try some Laysoft, brilliant for a very soggy gelding, also for a quite unmentionable big mare. Otherwise chopped Miscanthus is pretty good for sogging things up too
I have just completed my first week on Premium Plus wood pellets from White Horse. The bags were not split as they have sorted the problem out. Delivery was fairly diabolical but we got there in the end. Box rubber matted with the thicker very heavy mats as I didn't want them moving around. Started the bed off with 10 bags and it has been skipped out daily but no wet removed at all. This afternoon I mucked out the wet and after a full 7 days I had just over half a wheel barrow, took all of 5 minutes and I haven't added any new pellets.
His feet are lovely and dry and any wet mud on his legs dries quickly. The only negative I have found is that he is very dusty now but I would rather that than him smelling of wet pee from a straw bed.
I wasn't sure about changing him over but am a total convert and wouldn't go back to straw now even if it was completely free.
His feet are lovely and dry and any wet mud on his legs dries quickly. The only negative I have found is that he is very dusty now but I would rather that than him smelling of wet pee from a straw bed.
I wasn't sure about changing him over but am a total convert and wouldn't go back to straw now even if it was completely free.
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Have you noticed a smell of urine?
Selinas Spirit there is absolutely no smell of urine at all. It smells of pine and wood just as it did when I opened the bags last week. The bed is about 6 inches deep though and the wet hasn't risen to the surface unless he has dragged a foot through it.
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Thanks, I think maybe m disturbing the bed too much.
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Not read the whole thread but IMO the best bedding is straw.
If you have a clean horse, then go for shavings, but they cling to everything (manes, tails and fleeces).
I tried wood pellets but my horse is too messy and trashed it, so we're back on straw. It's warmer, cheaper and looks better.
If you have a clean horse, then go for shavings, but they cling to everything (manes, tails and fleeces).
I tried wood pellets but my horse is too messy and trashed it, so we're back on straw. It's warmer, cheaper and looks better.
I'm afraid I'm in the minority and absolutely detest wood pellets. I think they look awful, and I hate mucking them out. So much so that if asked to look after someone's horse I will decline if they're on pellets.
Mine is on thick Equimat rubber matting, with a big shavings bed on top. I like fine shavings as they hold nicely in banks and they're easy to muck out. I don't mind straw - perfect for mares and foals etc. And I adore paper, but sadly can't get hold of it where I have moved to now. Too far away from glorious Gloucestershire!!
It's all personal preference. Have a try and see what you like best.
Mine is on thick Equimat rubber matting, with a big shavings bed on top. I like fine shavings as they hold nicely in banks and they're easy to muck out. I don't mind straw - perfect for mares and foals etc. And I adore paper, but sadly can't get hold of it where I have moved to now. Too far away from glorious Gloucestershire!!
It's all personal preference. Have a try and see what you like best.
Some great experiences on this post - I've just ordered my first supply of White Horse Energy Platinum Plus pellets thanks to the recommendations from this thread.
If anyone wants the 5% off code for their order, they sent me one, it's BaxMar24242
If anyone wants the 5% off code for their order, they sent me one, it's BaxMar24242
One that hasn't been mentioned is shredded cardboard. I have all my horses on this, with rubber underneath. Its warm, super easy to much out, doesn't smell and is really absorbent.
Had a leak in one stable in the recent gales/ rain, and a thick band at the back sucked up all the drips and his bed was still dry.
Had a leak in one stable in the recent gales/ rain, and a thick band at the back sucked up all the drips and his bed was still dry.
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Another vote for shredded cardboard. In addition to Britestar's comments- their is very little dust. Be aware that their is different qualities and the cheaper grade cardboard is false economy as not as absorbent.
Another wood pellets fan. I've used straw, shavings and cardboard in the past too - cardboard was at work in certain stables, and it's hideous with messy horses, but ok with neat ones. Not cheap, however.
I've come to the conclusion that wood pellets are easier all round, and definitely the most economical. I only add one bag per week to my large horse's stable, and I only get half a wheelbarrow out each morning (used to be at least double that on shavings.)
I've come to the conclusion that wood pellets are easier all round, and definitely the most economical. I only add one bag per week to my large horse's stable, and I only get half a wheelbarrow out each morning (used to be at least double that on shavings.)
I like straw and it cheap and cheerful, you can make a huge fluffy bed and my horse can graze on it when her hay runs out.
To be honest I don't have much choice with my mare as she tries to eat whatever her bed is, but I am happy with straw and so is she.
A friend on my yard tried wood pellets, but they smelt terrible so she went back to shavings.
To be honest I don't have much choice with my mare as she tries to eat whatever her bed is, but I am happy with straw and so is she.
A friend on my yard tried wood pellets, but they smelt terrible so she went back to shavings.
Woodpellets
I have always bedded on straw previously as it came with the livery. I have worked on yards so have dealt with: wood chips, nedz bed, shavings, rape straw (hated this!), bedwell.
I loved the nedz beds & bedwell but it takes so much longer & is so much more expensive than woodpellets
Woodpellets dont look the prettiest but they are functional & cost effective
I have always bedded on straw previously as it came with the livery. I have worked on yards so have dealt with: wood chips, nedz bed, shavings, rape straw (hated this!), bedwell.
I loved the nedz beds & bedwell but it takes so much longer & is so much more expensive than woodpellets
Woodpellets dont look the prettiest but they are functional & cost effective