Comparing shavings sizes - photos

[Birker2020]

I used to get Stable Choice at £8.66 a bale delivered free (I had an account with the supplier so a few fellow liveries on the yard joined in) but after my supplier hasn't been able to get any for the past 6 months I've been using Wooburn from a local stockists which I actually prefer. Even if I could get Stable Choice now I'm sure it would be more expensive.

I used my last Stable Choice bale yesterday so thought I'd do a comparison between three in terms of sizes before I opened the bale. Wooburn were actually up there in terms of being the same quality and type as Stabke Choice but a little smaller in size and volume so I think I'm going to stick with them. I think they are still £9 a bale which isn't too bad.

Hope the photos are helpful for anyone who has a choice and isn't sure. I don't like the Natural flake as the shavings are like Bed Max and too big, just my personal preference.

Weights:

Natural Flake 20kg
Stable Choice 22kg
Wooburn 20kg

 

[eggs]

I suppose it does come down to how tightly packed the bags are as the Stable Choice do look to have a reasonable gap at the top of the bag.

Like you I prefer the smaller flake shaving as although the big flake shaving make a good bed I find them more wasteful to muck out.

I recently found a book I had kept of all my expenses when I had a horse back in the easrly 1980's - 20p for a bale of straw, 50p for a bale of hay and £1.80 for a bag of pony nuts ......

How is Lari getting On ?

 

[Red-1]

I think I would go by weight rather than how they look. To store winter rugs, I have plastic bags you hoover the air out of. The rugs go to 1/4 the size, it is amazing what a little domestic vacuum can do. The smallest one doesn't seem to have much air in.

I don't like the Bedmax ones either. Can't find the poos!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

This will upset some people but the new boy (and the old one) get whatever bedding is cheapest at the time excl straw.. be it shavings, chopped straw, the woodchip type one (the proper name escapes me right now). And it all gets mixed in together.

 

[Birker2020]

I suppose it does come down to how tightly packed the bags are as the Stable Choice do look to have a reasonable gap at the top of the bag.

Like you I prefer the smaller flake shaving as although the big flake shaving make a good bed I find them more wasteful to muck out.

I recently found a book I had kept of all my expenses when I had a horse back in the easrly 1980's - 20p for a bale of straw, 50p for a bale of hay and £1.80 for a bag of pony nuts ......

How is Lari getting On ?

Fine thanks, tendon looks great and he's walking well when he's gone a few steps, he's a bit stiff but the in hand walking and the massage pad helps. Vet coming to take bloods for insulin resistance test on Thursday. Hoping to find somewhere he can be turned out but I've lost my old paddock, it would have been ideal

 

[Birker2020]

This will upset some people but the new boy (and the old one) get whatever bedding is cheapest at the time excl straw.. be it shavings, chopped straw, the woodchip type one (the proper name escapes me right now). And it all gets mixed in together.

Mixed in together? That makes me shake I'm way too OCD to allow that to happen. I gave my last shavings bed to the horse across the aisle when Lari went away on retirement. The lady put straw around the edge and Lari's bed in the middle of her stable. Her mare used it overnight once but boxed walked and it was all mixed in.

When Lari returned to the yard after getting injured at retirement her horse wasn't going to use it again so she kindly said I could have what I wanted back and mix it with new to give more stability. It took me nearly two hours to get 2 wheelbarrows of shavings out of the mixed bed, I was so determined to weed out every last bit of straw!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Mixed in together? That makes me shake I'm way too OCD to allow that to happen. I gave my last shavings bed to the horse across the aisle when Lari went away on retirement. The lady put straw around the edge and Lari's bed in the middle of her stable. Her mare used it overnight once but boxed walked and it was all mixed in.

When Lari returned to the yard after getting injured at retirement her horse wasn't going to use it again so she kindly said I could have what I wanted back and mix it with new to give more stability. It took me nearly two hours to get 2 wheelbarrows of shavings out of the mixed bed, I was so determined to weed out every last bit of straw!

To be fair, straw and shavings would annoy me, not because it's mixed bedding but because I LOATHE mucking out straw and you'd end up throwing a load away where it was all mixed in. Everything else though is fair game, it annoyed me for a week and then the cost saving outweighed the annoyance.
You have more commitment than me!

 

[Birker2020]

I suppose it does come down to how tightly packed the bags are as the Stable Choice do look to have a reasonable gap at the top of the bag.

Pre covid it was vacuum packed, but they started selling it with clear plastic trying to fool customers into thinking it was the same product.

I found an old Thoroughbred bale from the beginning of the Milenium a few years ago, twice the weight if the ones they sell now. Like everything from contents of crisps in a packet to the size of chocolate bars!

 

[Birker2020]

To be fair, straw and shavings would annoy me, not because it's mixed bedding but because I LOATHE mucking out straw and you'd end up throwing a load away where it was all mixed in. Everything else though is fair game, it annoyed me for a week and then the cost saving outweighed the annoyance.
You have more commitment than me!

I'm very, very particular. My mats are swept to within an inch of their life and bed and banks spirit level straight!

I also use a snow shovel to muck out shavings. More labour intensive but saves a fortune in lost bedding when I see how much others chuck out.