Deep Litter or Rubber Matting? Filthy horse!

Switcheroo

Switcheroo

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 January 2012
Messages
70
Visit site
Hi everyone,

This winter I will be on a yard with a greater limitation on turnout, so my gelding will be stabled more of the day than last year. Basically my problem is he is the filthiest horse I've ever met; pee everywhere, soaking bed! It was costing me a near fortune and I was beddding him on wood pellets and shavings, thinking this would soak it up enough to last him more than a few days. Wrong-- it wasn't long again till the bed was filthy, and it was forever the bain of my life (and purse!)

Do you suggest using rubber mattings with banks and enough shavings to soak everything up? Does this save money? I've heard this suggested by people and a horse on the yard uses this method.

On the other side of the coin, has deep litter beds worked for you? How many bales did it take you to set up? What was the upkeep?

Sorry for the questions and hugs to anyone who has ideas!
 
Did you try pellets without the shavings? For some reason I find that the pellets lose their absorbancy when used with shavings. What about trying straw pellets as well so that you don't have to damp them before they go in the bed and part of the wet can be 'used' to expand the pellets. I wouldn't reccomend deep litter because it can get disgusting!
 
actually my old boy did really well on deep litter. every other bed/ yard we had been on he got capped hocks and an ammonia rash ( he seemed to be allergic to his own wee ! regardless of rubber matting, type of bed ( straw/shavings /easibed/aubiose ) or depth of bed, on the last yadr he was on they deep littered him and it was the best he was in the 8 yearsI had him. it didnt always look the best but that wasnt important.
 
My filthy box walking gelding was rubbish on deep litter. I've had him on mats with big thick banks around the side and then just a couple of trugs of shavings to soak up the wee and then just swept out the middle everyday. Soooo much easier. But now I'm in a funny stable and I can't have rubber matting (YM wishes) so I'll just have a big bed and muck out everyday. I find the bigger the bed the less I get out of him if I can't have rubber matting for some reason?
 
Put mine on rubber matting with big banks and a little bit of bedding in the middle he is quicker to muck out but i find that he gets himself dirtier and seems to stink of pee
 
I have my very wet boy on wood pellets and rubber mats. He got through at least 3 bales of shavings a week in winter, he's only one bag a week of wood pellets. I semi deep litter, take the wet out once a week. I don't soak the wood pellets when I put them down, he's wet enough to do that job for me!

The biggest change though was the size of the stable, he's in a huge stable now which I think helps keep him cleaner. I think I would always struggle if he was in a 12x12 stable or smaller.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top