Better wood pellet bedding?

Nasicus

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I've used Verdo wood pellets for the past 2 weeks whilst my filly was stabled for new yards quarantine and blood test procedures. We've got the all clear and she is out now.

I liked how quick it was to skip her out on the pellets, so I know I'd like to stick to wood pellets if I can, but I found the Verdo stuff clumped down in a very hard mass underneath from all the urine, and made it hard to feel like I was keeping it clean.
I tried topping up with a bag that had more whole pellets than soaked, but this didn't make a difference. When it come to fully mucking out after a week, it took ages and I had to use a shovel to get the base of urine soaked stuff out. Maybe I did the bed too thick? It was about 4" on rubber matting.

So I'm wondering if they're all like this, or if there are better brands to use?

Price isn't a huge issue as she's going to be out for a majority of the time now, so it won't be getting used too often, but when she is in she's pretty wet and likes to poop all over the bed :p
 

Nasicus

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I like the Corley bio wood ones. I mix in a bale of shavings, makes for a well drained comfy bed.

Mix in a bale of shavings huh? Is that large flake of small flake? And how many bags of the pellets do you use to a bale of shavings?
That's something I hadn't considered! :)
 

Cinnamontoast

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I use Hunters, just cos mine reacts to new bedding so I've stuck with one brand. I have one bale of shavings, 4-5 10kg bags of pellets.
 

9tails

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I've used a lot of pellets and White Horse Energy Platinum Plus are the absolute best. I have bags of Corley Biowood from a previous delivery that aren't anywhere near as good although I liked them at the time. Sorbeo is on a par with Verdo which you have found is awful.

With regard to the solid base, this is how wood pellets should be. The base goes solid and you have the clean loose stuff on top. It also goes solid where the horse doesn't wee from the weight of the horse on top. I skim the wet off when it gets too high but I don't remove the base on a regular basis. Maybe once every 6 weeks if I'm feeling energetic. My bed is at least 6 inches deep with the top two inches being loose clean broken down pellets.
 

Nasicus

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With regard to the solid base, this is how wood pellets should be. The base goes solid and you have the clean loose stuff on top. It also goes solid where the horse doesn't wee from the weight of the horse on top. I skim the wet off when it gets too high but I don't remove the base on a regular basis. Maybe once every 6 weeks if I'm feeling energetic. My bed is at least 6 inches deep with the top two inches being loose clean broken down pellets.


Aaah, so it's supposed to go like that! That's reassuring, I mean, it never smelt and the top was always clean pellets, but I wasn't so sure!
 

Annagain

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White Horse Energy Platinum Plus for me too, and I agree the pellets should clump and form a solid base. I have rubber mats and about 4"-6" of bed on top. My horse is very wet but doesn't poo in his bed so I leave the wet in and clear it out once a week (as otherwise it ends up much higher than the rest of the bed) I use up a bag of dry pellets every week, about a quarter of a bag every other day, on top of the wet patch to cover it over and soak up new wee. Then about once a fortnight I soak a bag (empty it into wheelbarrow and fill with water) to top up the rest of the bed.

I'd leave the wet and only take it out when you end up with a big lump that's bigger than the rest of the bed - this will always happen as it absorbs so much keeps swelling - just make sure there's enough dry stuff over the top of it.
 

benz

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I've used Liverpool wood pellets, verdo and white horse . Verdo was not v absorbent and was brown so made bed look dirty. Liverpool was very good but delivery was awful. White horse seem similar pellets as Liverpool but delivery generally much better so have stuck with them although I have a feeling Liverpool lasted longer. Can't be sure though. I use them the same way others have described above.
 

Sandstone1

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When I first used white horse pellets I did find a smell of urine, however I found it was because I was disturbing the bed too much. Now I leave it to form a base and only take out the wet once a week.
I find them very absorbant, quick to muck out with less waste and easy to handle.
 

Dollysox

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Another vote for White Horse Platinum here. And I also leave the crust under, only taking it out every 6 weeks or so. I also removed the rubber matting from underneath and found the pellets worked so much better without it under.
 

Nasicus

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Phew, certainly a lot of votes for white horse!
I might have to wait till March payday before I can consider ordering some mind (vets bills boo) but it certainly sounds favoured!

@Happyneds - Thanks for the link, I shall have a look :)
 
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