Deep Litter Straw Bed

[SunshineTallulah]

Is it possible?

Are they any good?

Any advice is welcomed! Just getting prepped for winter.

Have a feeling my horse as my horse is a bit of a messy chap overnight, that I may have to put him on shavings, but I wanted to try him on straw first.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Nailed]

yes its possible.

Girl at our yard does it for the whole winter.

Personally i dont, as Ted get thrush easily..

But the horse at the yard on it is fine year round!

Lou x

 

[longtalltilly]

Yes it is possible! As long as you keep it well topped up with clean straw and the worst of the wet is removed it can give a very nice bed!

 

[DollyDolls]

Yes. Stan has a "pee patch" near the front which is removed daily, but the rest is deep litter. The worst of the wet does need to be lifted out, but this will keep the rest of the top layer dry & cosy. If the pee doesn't drain out, it'll start rising through the bed, which smells, blinds you & rots their feet. -That's why it needs lifting out.

 

[carys220]

It does depend on how clean your horse is....if he has a pee patch like mentioned above then you can just take that bit out periodically.

We always used to have these and they ended up about 4 feet tall at the end of the winter!!! Ponies loved them though!

 

[Keltic]

I deep litter during the week and just poo pick and add clean straw, at the weekend i take all the wet out, but I leave the banks alone, then gut it at the end of winter!!

 

[LindaW]

Me the same as Keltic, skip out all week, plenty of fresh in, take out any wet that gets to the top, then pack the hole, and dig out at weekend. I leave the banks alone and take one out a month ish

 

[kibob]

I deep litter mine on straw all winter. I pick out poos daily and any wet that has come to the top (stables drain really well) and add PLENTY of fresh straw daily, until a really good bed is established, then I can get away with adding a barrow full of fresh straw perhaps every two days.

It will take a while till the bed "establishes" itself, they are usually a bit messy for the first couple of weeks but when the wet beds down underneath it should keep nicely. The key is plenty of fresh straw though - results in a lovely deep bed

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