Changing bedding, advice please.

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maddielove

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I'm planning on changing my horses bedding from straw to shavings (or maybe another type of bedding...but most likely shavings.)
I am allergic to straw (I changed my guinea pigs bedding too
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) and she eats it, I cant be done with a whole winter of hassle (she was only in for 4 months this year)
So I'm looking for a bit of advice about kitting out her stable. I'd like to put down mats, I'd like some recommendations of where (eBay?) and what to buy. I'm willing to spend up to £130/£140 kitting out her stable (mum's estimate is that it's 10 x 12)
Also, how much shavings is best to put down, I've seen lots of different things, Just a square in the corner, just banks, all over. Whats best, she's not very mucky, fairly clean?
Anything else I need to consider (I still have the shavings pricing to sort out but it should be easy enough as availability isn't a problem)

Thanks
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If you're going to get rubber mats, make sure that your stable has good drainage so that the urine doesn't collect in pools underneath, if you don't and you still want rubber mats, like me, you need to use something super-absorbant on top - I use Megazorb and it works really well.
I have rubber matting on all of my stable floor and it cost me £192, I got 6 sheets (my stable is 12 by 11 I think) and I had 1 mat and a little bit left over. I got them from Smart Products and the £192 included VAT and delivery from the Midlands to London, they're good mats and I think it was a good price.
For a bed I cover approximately 2/3 of the stable, leaving a bit at the front for feed, hay and water buckets. I wouldn't do this if he was on concrete but the mats provide a soft-ish surface. I do a medium thickness bed, more than a lot of people do with rubber mats but not as much as I would do with just concrete. I know a lot of people dont use hardly any bedding with rubber mats but its all down to personal preference really. I use 1 bag of Megazorb a week and I think they have saved me money.
 
At the last yard I had the stables filled with rubber matting, then just a sprinkle of bedding over the tops, plus banks. Very quick to sweep out each day but can get smelly.
At the new yard the mats are just across the front half of the boxes and the back is semi deep littered shavings with high banks - still quick to muck out and a much nicer environment
 
I have got rubber mats down in my stable and i used to use easi-bed which is good providing your horse doesn't tread the stable up like mine, which is why he is on straw. Easi-bed is good as all the wee drains to the bottom so the horse isn't standing in it and it goes far. Not sure on pricing as everything has had a price increase
 
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