Clean and cheap bedding?

[Passionflower]

My mare is on straw at the moment but she is really messy and I have to take out alllll of her bedding every night. I want something cheap but also warm for the winter and that's why I liked straw! But it is just hard work now using a whole bale then taking it out the next day! Does anyone have any suggestions? thanks!

 

[xTrooperx]

I used straw and swapped to shaving, and found it so much cleaner and easier to clean, but I have noticed if I do a small/shallow bed I have to do full clean but a deep/big bed it doesn't get as messy, very weird.
I've heard good comment about pellets, though I've never used them.

 

[PolarSkye]

Make the straw bed deeper. Kal is on straw and I've found that if the bed is not established/is too shallow it's nasty and I have to remove far too much, but once it's established and plenty deep enough (at least a foot deep) then it woks really well (and trust me, I'm a tad OCD about ammonia smells and stable stains).

Hope this helps.

P

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

I've heard good comment about pellets, though I've never used them.

If your horse is really that messy i wouldnt advice using pellets, i changed to pellets after hearing all the good comments but i was spending so much more money on them than i was on shavings and they are disgusting if you have a wet horse like really disgusting!
I would say stick to straw or shavings although unless you can get shavings from a local saw mill i dont think it will be cheaper

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

big i mean big beds are much easier to deal with and stay cleaner.

 

[SNORKEY]

My mums mare was very wet and messy on straw so she swapped her to shavings with a layer or that comfy bed small wood chip stuff underneath. She was a lot cleaner and easy to manage.

 

[RunToEarth]

Our beds have no less than the equivalent of 25small straw bales in, if they are deep enough they can't stir all the crap around so much imo.

 

[L&M]

I have recently swopped to cardboard (Future Animal Bedding), mainly as horse has mild wind issues.

I have been very impressed with it - I have rubber mats and put down approx 1 bale in a corner for the horse to toilet on. It is absorbent and totally dust free.

As my chap is a clean boy so can't say how clean a bed it is, but at under £5 a bale bought in bulk, I find it far cheaper than shavings.

I top up the bed with 1/2 a bale twice a week