Cheapest/most sustainable bedding

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meganjudd

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Hi, I recently bought a pony who at the moment lives out but in the winter she will come in overnight. She is quite tidy with droppings (they are always in one corner of the stable!) but she wees a LOT! She was in overnight when I first got her and I used straw but I seemed to get through it so quickly and I'd like to know if there is a better alternative. I used to alternate skipping out one day and fully mucking out the next but everyday I'd have to put more and more straw in! I was thinking of buying rubber mats...? Or trying deep litter...? Needing peoples opinions! Thanks :)
 
A wood pellet base, with a bed of straw over the top. Managed semi deep litter (skipped daily, wet lift and replace pellets weekly) - best method I have found over the years!
 
Rubber mats and a deep wood pellet bed. I like Aquamax but Five StarvProffessional are good and cost less
 
We used shavings on mats for years, but as the price of shavings went up we tried a few options, and have now settled on EVA rubber mats, wood pellets (fluffed with a kettleful of boiling water) covered with chopped straw..

This works beautifully for a clean mare, and a cleanish pony gelding, the box walking mare gets hers in a bit of a state but then that would happen with any bedding :(

Fiona
 
My boy is pretty dirty and very wet....was a nightmare with just straw on top of the stable floor but once I'd put rubber mats down it was so much better, I can get away with only adding new straw once every 2 or 3 days whereas before I was putting new straw in daily. Spent £90 for 6 mats (second hand) and its really been worth it. He's in during the day at the moment and out overnight.

I've personally never tried shavings/pellets but sounds like that could be worth a try - still think you'd need the rubber mats for that to work though.
 
kc100 said:
My boy is pretty dirty and very wet....was a nightmare with just straw on top of the stable floor but once I'd put rubber mats down it was so much better, I can get away with only adding new straw once every 2 or 3 days whereas before I was putting new straw in daily. Spent £90 for 6 mats (second hand) and its really been worth it. He's in during the day at the moment and out overnight.

I've personally never tried shavings/pellets but sounds like that could be worth a try - still think you'd need the rubber mats for that to work though.
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Just beware if using rubber mats and straw that you need to have a stable with good drainage (unless you seal the mats together)as the wee tends to just run under the mats and sit in a big stinky puddle.
 
I use half a bale of chopped straw (Nedzbeds/Bliss) under the straw. In the winter I skipped out every day and then put the whole bed up at weekends removing all the wet
 
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