Can anyone recommend me a good bedding product please?

[Snowy Celandine]

For the past four or five years I've used ComfyBed Plus which I bought by the pallet load from a local agri co-op. Unfortunately, they've gone bust, so I need to find another supplier who'll deliver by the pallet load, or choose a different product. I've got rubber matting placed onto bare earth and I only chuck the shavings down in one corner as a rule, or put more down if my horses have to be kept in.

I've got the option of using straw, but I'm worried that the mini Shetlands will eat it and that it will make the muck heap grow too big too quickly? I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any useful advice please? I like the sound of the miscanthus bedding but it's very pricy. I don't fancy the wooden pellet type bedding, but happy to change my mind and consider anything if people rave about it. Thanks

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I'm using nedz bed at the moment, I hardly have to take much out out and hasn't expanded the muck heap like straw and judging by the pony shaped imprints left in it, they like using it to have a flat out nap. I don't really like wood pellets either but during the winter I used straw pellets and they seemed a lot nicer and easier to use, I never really got on with wood pellets and always ended up with a hard manky looking bed, but the straw pellets made a lovely soft springy bed, one of mine did try to eat the pellets if they were new in, but this was solved by putting a layer of older bedding over the new stuff, but my pony tried to eat some stones that had been used to fill a pothole the other day so pretty much anything he can reach will be tested for being edible.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks Dizzy. Straw is so cheap and readily available to me from the farm next door, so I use it for my sheep, but I can’t face using it for the horses too because it’s so bulky. I like the sound of Nedz Bed pro which is OSR straw and you can compost it. Need to check the price before I get too excited though ? I used to get a decent discount buying through the agri co-op, so I suspect I’m in for a shock!

 

[OldNag]

Honestly I know not everyone is a fan, but I rate wood pellets. They have gone up massively though (but then so has everything). I used to buy those by the pallet, by far the cheapest way.

 

[TPO]

I order from here. Even with shipping price per pallet it works out cheaper than going anywhere to buy it myself.

I've used their miscanthus and unbranded chopped straw and have stuck with the chopped straw.

My horse has mild asthma so dust is a big concern and my mum's two are filthy in the stable. This bedding has worked best of all.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Honestly I know not everyone is a fan, but I rate wood pellets. They have gone up massively though (but then so has everything). I used to buy those by the pallet, by far the cheapest way.

I’ve just ordered 75 bags for the cattery and managed to get them before the price increased again ? I don’t think wood pellets would work for the horses, but maybe they would? I need a ‘selection box’ containing various types of bedding ?

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I order from here. Even with shipping price per pallet it works out cheaper than going anywhere to buy it myself.

I've used their miscanthus and unbranded chopped straw and have stuck with the chopped straw.

My horse has mild asthma so dust is a big concern and my mum's two are filthy in the stable. This bedding has worked best of all.

Thanks TPO. Was there a link in your post? I can’t see one ? They all go into the stable to wee, especially in this dry weather, so I’m looking for something absorbent. I’m so glad I’ve not got a filthy horse any longer. I had a gelding who made his stable rank and the livery owner hated him ?

 

[OldNag]

I’ve just ordered 75 bags for the cattery and managed to get them before the price increased again ? I don’t think wood pellets would work for the horses, but maybe they would? I need a ‘selection box’ containing various types of bedding ?

The ones I used - Platinum Plus - are exactly the sane as the ones sold as cat litter in Pets At Home. (But cheaper). Definitely as good for horses as cats

 

[OldNag]

(In fact I have in the past when running out, bought the PAH cat litter version for the pony).

 

[TPO]

Thanks TPO. Was there a link in your post? I can’t see one ? They all go into the stable to wee, especially in this dry weather, so I’m looking for something absorbent. I’m so glad I’ve not got a filthy horse any longer. I had a gelding who made his stable rank and the livery owner hated him ?

??‍

https://www.cavierabedding.co.uk/

 

[Pinkvboots]

I just use wood pellets and scatter them where they wee on top is a thick mega spread shavings bed, I find it saves on how much shavings you chuck out and the wee never soaks through, in summer I only take the wet out once or twice a week.

 

[asmp]

For the past four or five years I've used ComfyBed Plus which I bought by the pallet load from a local agri co-op. Unfortunately, they've gone bust, so I need to find another supplier who'll deliver by the pallet load, or choose a different product. I've got rubber matting placed onto bare earth and I only chuck the shavings down in one corner as a rule, or put more down if my horses have to be kept in.

I've got the option of using straw, but I'm worried that the mini Shetlands will eat it and that it will make the muck heap grow too big too quickly? I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any useful advice please? I like the sound of the miscanthus bedding but it's very pricy. I don't fancy the wooden pellet type bedding, but happy to change my mind and consider anything if people rave about it. Thanks

I’ve used Laysoft for some years now and rate it. If you buy it by the pallet load from the manufacturer it works out very reasonably priced (well it did the last time I bought a load)

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks very much everyone for all the suggestions I've just ordered a pallet of Nedz Bed Advance, even though I said I didn't like the idea of wood pellets. These are straw pellets, and are supposed to break down a lot more easily. Hopefully, they won't be palatable and should mean that I don't need to muck out completely every day like I do with straw.

If I'm not 100% keen on them I am going to try the Raviera/Caviera as recommended by TPO next

 

[Laafet]

I find wood pellets very dusty in the summer, perfect in the winter. I have just ordered a pallet of StrawMax - Straw pellets as I have been told these are less dusty and they are cheaper at the moment than the wood pellets as you can't burn them in a wood burner! A pallet last me over a year so it's a no brainer to try to be prepared in these uncertain times.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Thanks very much everyone for all the suggestions I've just ordered a pallet of Nedz Bed Advance, even though I said I didn't like the idea of wood pellets. These are straw pellets, and are supposed to break down a lot more easily. Hopefully, they won't be palatable and should mean that I don't need to muck out completely every day like I do with straw.

If I'm not 100% keen on them I am going to try the Raviera/Caviera as recommended by TPO next

Straw pellets are a good option when you're limited on muck heap space or want fast breakdown. The are very palatable to some horses though, but not all. I use rapestraw pellets which are supposed to have a bitter taste so they work for my friends straw pellet eater. My horse doesn't try to eat bedding, fortunately. I am not sure if these type of pellets are available in the UK though. They're also typically lighter in colour, which is apparently a thing for some people (I don't care as long as it's dry).

I used wood pellets ages ago and they were good too, but some farmers won't take away a muck heap with any wood product (idk if that's an issue anymore/or where you are).

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I find wood pellets very dusty in the summer, perfect in the winter. I have just ordered a pallet of StrawMax - Straw pellets as I have been told these are less dusty and they are cheaper at the moment than the wood pellets as you can't burn them in a wood burner! A pallet last me over a year so it's a no brainer to try to be prepared in these uncertain times.

I'm hoping the ones I've ordered will be very low on dust. It says they are, so fingers crossed. I've just bought a pallet of wood pellets for the cattery and they were quite a bit dearer than the straw ones I've just ordered. Like you, a pallet will last me a year for the horses as I'll keep using straw for the sheep and I feel better knowing that I've actually got them and won't be affected by a price rise until next year

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Nedz Bed Advance

Those were the straw pellets I used, I really liked them, they were lovely and springy and broke down really easily, I just emptied them in and mixed in with the old bed to stop the gutsy one eating them and they just broke down by themselves. I only went to the nedz bed pro because my local place stopped getting the pellets in.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Straw pellets are a good option when you're limited on muck heap space or want fast breakdown. The are very palatable to some horses though, but not all. I use rapestraw pellets which are supposed to have a bitter taste so they work for my friends straw pellet eater. My horse doesn't try to eat bedding, fortunately. I am not sure if these type of pellets are available in the UK though. They're also typically lighter in colour, which is apparently a thing for some people (I don't care as long as it's dry).

I used wood pellets ages ago and they were good too, but some farmers won't take away a muck heap with any wood product (idk if that's an issue anymore/or where you are).

The farmer is ok with my ComfyBed at the moment because I don't have too much of it and it's well mixed with straw, but wood pellets might not be so welcome. I'm just about to get some 4ft straw bales delivered (from the same farmer) so I'll let him know what I'm swapping over to. I'm just keen to keep the volume of the muck heap down as much as I can to be honest. The muck trailer isn't very big and it's a pain having to keep emptying it.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

My straw pellets were not dusty. You can also put the new pellets under the older bedding (pellets that are already broken down but still dry). I do this, and it also deters friends horse from eating them.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Those were the straw pellets I used, I really liked them, they were lovely and springy and broke down really easily, I just emptied them in and mixed in with the old bed to stop the gutsy one eating them and they just broke down by themselves. I only went to the nedz bed pro because my local place stopped getting the pellets in.

Thanks Dizzy I've just had an email to say they are arriving on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to trying them. Fingers firmly crossed that the mini Shetlands don't want to eat them though as they are both on diets. I'll be keeping an eye on them both!!!

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My straw pellets were not dusty. You can also put the new pellets under the older bedding (pellets that are already broken down but still dry). I do this, and it also deters friends horse from eating them.

I think that's what I'll end up doing. They're not bed eaters at the moment because they're on ComfyBed, but they're on a starvation paddock/small yard with soaked hay and I guess that they might be tempted by the new bedding It does say it's been treated, so I'm hoping it will taste too bitter! I once had a horse at livery who was taken off shavings and put onto straw, for one night only. When the staff came to muck out in the morning there were only a few wisps of straw left because the greedy pig had eaten the lot

 

[Britestar]

I’ve just ordered 75 bags for the cattery and managed to get them before the price increased again ? I don’t think wood pellets would work for the horses, but maybe they would? I need a ‘selection box’ containing various types of bedding ?

I muck out for someone who uses pellets. My OH asks why they keep the horses on cat litter ?

 

[Pokitren]

I'm using nedz bed at the moment, I hardly have to take much out out and hasn't expanded the muck heap like straw and judging by the pony shaped imprints left in it, they like using it to have a flat out nap. I don't really like wood pellets either but during the winter I used straw pellets and they seemed a lot nicer and easier to use, I never really got on with wood pellets and always ended up with a hard manky looking bed, but the straw pellets made a lovely soft springy bed, one of mine did try to eat the pellets if they were new in, but this was solved by putting a layer of older bedding over the new stuff, but my pony tried to eat some stones that had been used to fill a pothole the other day so pretty much anything he can reach will be tested for being edible.

It sounds so funny, it is possible to eat their bed. Horses seem to be big eaters
I've seen horses like to sleep on wooden pellets. You might not like it, but horses might like it