Dilema with bedding!!

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woody2211

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Hi advice please on bedding
My mare is currently on straw which I think looks very inviting very comfy and is cheap.... How ever it takes for ever to muck out!
A few people at my yard u aubiose bedding? Is this not shavings?
And how good is it? Is it cost effective?
Due to work I want something quicker :) I know every one has their own preferences but any advice is appreciated :)
TIA
Xx
 
Hemcore/Aubiose is a Hemp based product, it works well if you slightly deep litter it, just taking the droppings out daily and then when the wet rises to the top dig that part out. It is much better than shavings as you don't have to take the wet out daily - in fact it is better to leave the wet in. It is however quite a bit more expensive than shavings - around here is it nearly £10 a bag vs £6.50 for shavings.

I used to have my horse on it the whole time he was on box rest, saved me money but was still very expensive. Since he is now out during the day and in at night he has gone on to shavings - too wet for box rest but fine now. They were both originally on straw but like you, I found it took too long and stank.

I find shavings good and cheap and easy to get hold of. I also have my lads on rubber matting too.
 
Thank u for that very helpful. Oh yes that's the other downer it STINKS :) hmmm might have to look in to shavings as well.
I always take out everything every day with straw. Would I have to do the same with normal shavings or would i be able to deep litter?
 
well I have 2 horses, one significantly wetter and dirtier than the other - when he was on box rest I was spending out £50 on just bedding :( Now I probably take the wet out every other day, just to keep on top of it as I have a bad back so cannot lift too much heavy wet out at a time, however I have managed to deep litter him a month without the bed looking manky. The bed just needs to be nice and thick. He has between 1 and 1.5 bales a week of shavings put in and my other has one bale every other week.
 
Do you have rubber matting?

I have used just about every bedding under the sun, and the best by far, is megazorb but it works best with rubber matting and only around 3 inches depth. My second favourite bedding is wood pellets. Both of these beddings take me only 4 minutes to muck out an average stable (8 minutes for the really messy horses). I take out all wet and droppings daily.
 
Yes I do have rubber matting. With out sounding really stupid how does rubber matting help? Thanks for the advice no I have more choice to c which suits me :) :)
 
Rubber matting means you need less conventional bedding as it's more shock absorbent and warm than a concrete floor. Some people go the whole hog and use no other bedding on it, which you can do perfectly reasonably. It basically means you don't need a full bed on top, tho I'm guessing you're using a 'cut down' version already as you have mats now.

Shavings, megazorb, just about anything but paper will be more absorbent than straw and while I agree straw looks lovely, I'm probably moving back to shavings soon (doing some sums!) as it's easier/quicker to muck out and will absorb more of the wet.
 
I love straw bedding and find it really quick to muck out - it all depends on what you're used to dealing with. I now have everything on shavings, 'tho (which used to take me an age to sift through, but got better/quicker at it now) and I have to finally admit that shavings is a better bedding for the horses as it doesn't smell as much and stays drier. Harder to dispose of 'tho. Straw rots down more efficiently and the farmers like it better for spreading. Pros and cons on everything I suppose.....
 
Agree that with matting you would be better off using a bagged product.

I personally use Miscanthus because it is cheaper and more absorbent than shavings, and you can muck-out every day or semi-deep litter. I use a bag per stable per week.

If you think about it horses that live out are lying on grass/earth, which isn't particularly "comfy".
 
Can I just mention something about rubber matting that a lot of people don't think about??!! If your horse has any limb/ligament problems, make sure that bedding covers all of the mats. This isn't too much of a problem if your horse has no shoes on, but if it does the rubber matting can damage ligaments. The shoe can get stuck on the matting and cause jarring/ligament strain to the legs and inside the feet. Unshod horses or horses on concrete will slip whereas the rubber grips on to the shoe and can cause damage. This is one of the biggest causes of collateral ligament damage.
 
I like wood fibre.... sticks to rugs/tails a bit less than shavings, even my piggy lot won't eat it (!!) I find it quick to muck out (I don't deep litter, and can happily muck out in about 10/15 minutes), and if you bulk buy it its well under £4 a bale.... Keeps me happy anyway!
 
Have just forked Out for comfy bed - bout £6 a bag

Was on straw until Sunday, she'd been in 3 nights and I got bored and v smelly! And she'd trough the lot overnite :(

Love the look of straw (and it's free where I am) but comfy bed quicker, easier and unPalatable!

There are lots of types of bedding and plenty posts if you do a search!!
 
im afraid im stuck with straw :(, live on our farm where the straw is free and grumpy hubby would have a fit if I bought bedding in. I find its not too bad if you use plenty, nice big beds. My big horse i take her wet out everyday, I think her weight when she lies down make it soak into the straw. Whereas my little pony, I leave hers in for a week and deep bed her. Just keep it fresh and plenty of it this seems to help with smell!
 
Tried them all and went back to straw, but I do like to give them a nice thick bed and they have rubber matting underneath, shavings and such don't rot down quick enough and not many farmers will take it off your hands to plow or spread.
 
I love wood pellets - like wood fibre they dont stick to tails and coats as much, they deep litter really really well, and we only add about 1 bag per week to each bed.

Tom is really wet and smelly, and even his bed stays looking clean. Ron barely disturbs his cos he's odd and would rather stand with his head in his hay trough and doesn't dig or paddle about.
 
I quite like easibed. It's cheaper than shavings, more absorbent and the wet goes to the bottom so the top layer stays dry. I have it on rubber mats this year, but last year just had it on concrete, but on a much thicker bed. My mare is very clean on it, but my gelding, is a poo stirrer on whatever bedding he is on!
 
if you want to deep litter or semi deep litter then get easibed. skip it out daily and take the wet out only when it gets too much. If you want to muck out fully everyday mendip are the best shavings - one bale goes WAY further than other brands we have tried so far better value.
 
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