Dirty horse v clean horse bedding dilemma

[Blondiecopper]

I have 2 large horses. One is clean in stable, the other filthy. At present on Summer routine which will change end of month. Dirty horse on full rubber matted box with shavings bed mucked out in full each day. Generally use 2 bales a week and has a decent depth of bed. Clean horse on straw (ad lib) at our yard. Not matted beneath. And topped up with clean straw 2/3 times a week. Now, going into winter dirty horse can easily have a bale of shavings every 1-2 days. Should I swap them over with bedding?
Put clean boy on shavings and filthy boy on straw (as he can still have a decent depth of bed at no extra cost)
Dilemma is dirty horse is wet and smelly so on straw is pretty minging but if I kept him on shavings through winter it costs more and price of them has increased ?
Anyone with my scenario?

 

[cauda equina]

I had a filthy pony on rubber matting and as little shavings as possible, although it was still a proper bed and not just somewhere to pee, and replaced the whole lot once a week by which time it had become a homogenised mix of poo/shavings
Wood pellets are great for wet horses

 

[Goldenstar]

I hate straw but it’s the easiest bedding for dirty horses it is .however extra Labour .
It might be worth experimenting with a few straw cubes or similar under the straw bed that might help

 

[Blondiecopper]

I've looked at both of those types of bedding. I've heard good things about pellets.

 

[charlotte0916]

I’d really recommend pellets as an option - my mare can be filthy, she walks all her poop into the bed like confetti! I currently use pellets on the bottom to keep it all dry and stable then top up with 1/2 bags of shavings per month on top. I then just top up with one bag of pellets a week to replace what I’ve taken out. I find with that combo the bed stays super dry so you can scoop the poop right out - but I really recommend using a pellet master fork, it makes a world of diff for how much of the little bits you came get out every day so it stays much cleaner. I’ve also used pellets under straw too as she was disgusting on that but it was as lib at our old yard. That worked well too to stop the worst of the wet spreading/mixing!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I use pellets. Mainly straw pellets. Mine isn't filthy, but I think they could work for that type of horse. Or a combo of pellets under straw.

 

[Blondiecopper]

I’d really recommend pellets as an option - my mare can be filthy, she walks all her poop into the bed like confetti! I currently use pellets on the bottom to keep it all dry and stable then top up with 1/2 bags of shavings per month on top. I then just top up with one bag of pellets a week to replace what I’ve taken out. I find with that combo the bed stays super dry so you can scoop the poop right out - but I really recommend using a pellet master fork, it makes a world of diff for how much of the little bits you came get out every day so it stays much cleaner. I’ve also used pellets under straw too as she was disgusting on that but it was as lib at our old yard. That worked well too to stop the worst of the wet spreading/mixing!

Wood or straw?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I have one clean and one filthy, they’re both on wood pellets on rubber matting. They both have a decent bed in about 2/3 of the stable and clear in the area where they stand eating or looking out the door. Wood pellets are cheap and easy to muck out with good absorbency. I think either you have minimal bed (ie just a bag to soak up wee) or you need a full proper one. The in between sort seems to waste a lot of bedding. I used to do the minimal but if they lie in it they or their rugs stink of wee.

To set up a bed I soak (saturate) two bags at a time in a wheelbarrow until swelled then tip in. Probably about 10 bags to set up and then a couple added at a time until it beds in and I’m happy with thickness.

Then on the clean one I skip out daily but only take wet out occasionally when needed then I put a bag of dry pellets in the holes I dig out. I occasionally soak two to top up the bed. The really messy one I take out the wet patch daily as well as droppings but try not to disturb the rest of the bed unless he’s made a right hash of it. I add a bucket of dry daily and top up with soaked as needed.

 

[charlotte0916]

Wood or straw?

I’ve used wood so far. Apparently some have a tendency to eat straw pellets like a snack so I’ve not wanted to tempt fate with my accident prone beastie.

 

[charlotte0916]

I have one clean and one filthy, they’re both on wood pellets on rubber matting. They both have a decent bed in about 2/3 of the stable and clear in the area where they stand eating or looking out the door. Wood pellets are cheap and easy to muck out with good absorbency. I think either you have minimal bed (ie just a bag to soak up wee) or you need a full proper one. The in between sort seems to waste a lot of bedding. I used to do the minimal but if they lie in it they or their rugs stink of wee.

To set up a bed I soak (saturate) two bags at a time in a wheelbarrow until swelled then tip in. Probably about 10 bags to set up and then a couple added at a time until it beds in and I’m happy with thickness.

Then on the clean one I skip out daily but only take wet out occasionally when needed then I put a bag of dry pellets in the holes I dig out. I occasionally soak two to top up the bed. The really messy one I take out the wet patch daily as well as droppings but try not to disturb the rest of the bed unless he’s made a right hash of it. I add a bucket of dry daily and top up with soaked as needed.

Agree with just skipping out and taking out the wet when it rises to the top. Forgot to mention what a major time saver it is with a messy one!

 

[GreyDot]

I've got one clean and one filthy too. Both on very deep straw beds but the filthy one has a 1/4 bale of shavings under his to help soak up the wet. I fully muck out each day and sweep everything back so it can air as he also has the stinkiest wee ever. Considering they are both on the same feed, it amazes me how much he reeks!

Shavings really help, though.

 

[Squeak]

I've had some really messy ones on straw pellets and they were amazing. Second the taking out the wet only as needed rather than disturbing the whole bed everyday.

I've not had a problem with horses eating straw pellets, they often grab a mouthful of the unsoaked pellets (joy of straw pellets is you put them in dry) the very first time they seem them but soon spit it out and don't do it again after that.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I use wood pellets for my dirty/messy gelding but have found the biggest difference is once the initial bed is set up, putting the pellets in dry really helps.

I mainly use1 bag a week this way.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Have you tried deep littering the dirty one on straw? I used to find once the base of the bed had settled it was the easiest bed to keep clean. Just remove poo off the top and top up bedding. It takes a bit of digging out in spring but it was wewirth it in my case.

 

[Birker2020]

I had a filthy pony on rubber matting and as little shavings as possible, although it was still a proper bed and not just somewhere to pee, and replaced the whole lot once a week by which time it had become a homogenised mix of poo/shavings
Wood pellets are great for wet horses

My new boy is very wet. I think this is because he appears to drink an awful lot compared to my other horses - I have him on electrolytes as that was what he was on before I took ownership and was on the list of what the previous owner gave him. I've cut down on the electrolytes, I don't personally think he needs them as he is not in hard work at the moment.

So my shavings bed which is half the size of my previous horses bed (I promised myself with my new horse I would keep things to a bare minimum to save on costs and time) is quite wet in the evening. So I am thinking of trialling wood pellets.

 

[Peglo]

I hate straw but it’s the easiest bedding for dirty horses it is .however extra Labour .
It might be worth experimenting with a few straw cubes or similar under the straw bed that might help

thats so interesting. I have my oldie on shavings for the first time ever and I HATE it!! I curse for it every time I muck it out ? Other 2 are on straw and it’s like a dream to muck their beds out in comparison. But I’ve always had straw beds so it’s just what I know.

 

[Mrs G]

I also would try shavings under straw for your wet horse - straw just isnt absorbent enough so you end up with a massive straw bed which is harder to muck out (and still wet!) A layer of shavings underneath (or whichever more absorbant bedding you decide to go for) helps soak up the wee but you dont need to use as much as you are doing with a full shavings bed as you have the straw to make up a nice comfy bed. I get thru roughly a bag of shavings a week with this type of bed and top up the straw as and when. Definitely helps reduce the smell too!

 

[Annagain]

What sort of dirty is your dirty horse? If he’s very wet but doesn’t disturb the bed, wood pellets are great.

Have a very deep bed (more is more, it’s counter intuitive but it works) and leave the wet until it starts to show through, then dig out the patch and fill the hole with unsoaked pellets. Both my boys are wet but don’t disturb the bed (one won’t even poo in it) and this works well for them. My old share horse would disturb the bed but won’t wee in his stable and they also worked for him as the poo is very easy to pick up. However, my friend’s horse was wet, pooey AND disturbed the bed and his stable was grim with wood pellets.

 

[AFB]

I've just got pellets for the first time, horse came in on Friday for the night as we were up and out early Sat AM - so first day in of the year and he's always a messy sod until he gets into the routine of coming in.

First muck out is usually a nightmare as he's kicked clean fluffy shavings everywhere and usually has a wall of bedding he's managed to bank up the door. Pellets were still kicked around but much more stable and it took me about 1/4 of the time to muck out so I'm a convert.

 

[Birker2020]

I've just got pellets for the first time, horse came in on Friday for the night as we were up and out early Sat AM - so first day in of the year and he's always a messy sod until he gets into the routine of coming in.

First muck out is usually a nightmare as he's kicked clean fluffy shavings everywhere and usually has a wall of bedding he's managed to bank up the door. Pellets were still kicked around but much more stable and it took me about 1/4 of the time to muck out so I'm a convert.

so did you soak them first or just add them dry? Friend had two bags she put into an empty wheelbarrow, added two buckets of water. They totally absorbed the water, really good, although I did query why you have to wet them in the first place. Think its in case they eat them.

 

[TPO]

Straw isn't absorbent so works best when fully mucked out daily in stables without mats and with drainage. Stables used to be built with sloping floors so that urine would run off into drainage channels. "Back in the day" beds were fully lifted and swept back to air and dry before laying a full bed.

Nowadays a lot of stables aren't purposed built and/or don't have that gradient and/or drainage. Rubber matting affects run off too.

I don't like wood pellets. I hate that they are damp and I find them really dusty. There is an, initially, fine coat of dust on everything that obviously builds if not cleaned regularly.

I've got a clean horse, a messy horse (stirs bed and buries dung) and a messy wet horse who soaks everything. They have been on chopped straw recently. It works well and is dust free but it's just not absorbent enough for the big wet horse.

Just switched back to Nedz Pro. Previously it's worked brilliantly with a wet messy horse. I only switched because I had a pallet where each bale had foreign objects in them.

The Nedz Pro version is designed to be used as semi deep litter. A big bed put down (think I used about 6 bales per stable) and then dung lifted daily along with any wet at the surface then all wet dug out weekly.

Even with the wettest messiest horse only used a bale every 10 days approx to top up. My clean horse starts with a big bed and maybe gets a new bale every 2wks.

The Nedz Pro is really low dust (can't see or feel any and no build up on fixtures), big cosy beds, even the greedy horse doesn't attempt to eat it (it's coated with something), it smells nice and it takes 5mins to muck out daily and maybe half hour max for a big muck out at weekends.

 

[AFB]

so did you soak them first or just add them dry? Friend had two bags she put into an empty wheelbarrow, added two buckets of water. They totally absorbed the water, really good, although I did query why you have to wet them in the first place. Think its in case they eat them.

Soaked - it does seem counterintuitive to pour buckets of water on to new bedding but it's just to break them down I think - I laid the bed Weds and it looked quite wet (possibly used too much water) but I could see it drying Thursday and by the time I used it Friday it had totally lightened in colour where it had really started to dry out.
I really can't see using them un-soaked would work tbh (other than a small amount in the wee spot) - they're rock solid and would move about a lot, also they roll underfoot when they're hard so wouldn't be convinced of their safety.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

so did you soak them first or just add them dry? Friend had two bags she put into an empty wheelbarrow, added two buckets of water. They totally absorbed the water, really good, although I did query why you have to wet them in the first place. Think its in case they eat them.

When you soak them they expand massively and also get quite warm and dry out. They make a much more stable bed and are still very absorbent. I put a lot of water in. I completely cover them in my wheelbarrow and they’re still pretty dry once expanded and laid but also a fair amount stay while.Once bed is established you can add dry. As AFB said they roll around and are slippery when completely dry and would be uncomfortable. When I first put mine on it they grabbed a big mouthful of the pellets but then fortunately spat them out.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Both of mine are fairly clean and on very thick mega spread beds it's just large flake shavings, but I have used wood pellets where they wee I just chuck a load down dry where they tend to wee, it really saves the shavings as I am just mainly throwing away the wood pellets when I muck out.

 

[Goldenstar]

so did you soak them first or just add them dry? Friend had two bags she put into an empty wheelbarrow, added two buckets of water. They totally absorbed the water, really good, although I did query why you have to wet them in the first place. Think its in case they eat them.

I use straw pellets under Bedmax I don’t wet them .
The amount of pee a small quantity takes up is impressive .
H would eat them but is not interested once you put the shavings on top .

 

[AdorableAlice]

Wood pellets (semi soaked) under aubiouse worked for me. Don't disturb until a wet patch appears or there is a urine smell. Expensive set up but very economical to maintain thereafter.

I have just trialled egg box bedding on a rubber floor, with a horse that needs her wind watching. I am impressed with it. She is not a dirty horse. It is very absorbent and comfortable, looks a bit odd and does walk out of the box which is irritating, but there is no dust on the ledges or her. Initially I put it on top of wood pellets but that was a real mistake which resulted in an afternoon of removing the pellets. Now just egg box and working well.

 

[Blondiecopper]

What sort of dirty is your dirty horse? If he’s very wet but doesn’t disturb the bed, wood pellets are great.

Have a very deep bed (more is more, it’s counter intuitive but it works) and leave the wet until it starts to show through, then dig out the patch and fill the hole with unsoaked pellets. Both my boys are wet but don’t disturb the bed (one won’t even poo in it) and this works well for them. My old share horse would disturb the bed but won’t wee in his stable and they also worked for him as the poo is very easy to pick up. However, my friend’s horse was wet, pooey AND disturbed the bed and his stable was grim with wood pellets.

He's a wet stomper that circles ?

 

[Blondiecopper]

When you soak them they expand massively and also get quite warm and dry out. They make a much more stable bed and are still very absorbent. I put a lot of water in. I completely cover them in my wheelbarrow and they’re still pretty dry once expanded and laid but also a fair amount stay while.Once bed is established you can add dry. As AFB said they roll around and are slippery when completely dry and would be uncomfortable. When I first put mine on it they grabbed a big mouthful of the pellets but then fortunately spat them out.

Doesn't that take you a while to do though? I'm a bit flummoxed by putting water on then into their stables? Seems time consuming?
could I just put pellets beneath to soak up the stink?

 

[Blondiecopper]

I also would try shavings under straw for your wet horse - straw just isnt absorbent enough so you end up with a massive straw bed which is harder to muck out (and still wet!) A layer of shavings underneath (or whichever more absorbant bedding you decide to go for) helps soak up the wee but you dont need to use as much as you are doing with a full shavings bed as you have the straw to make up a nice comfy bed. I get thru roughly a bag of shavings a week with this type of bed and top up the straw as and when. Definitely helps reduce the smell too!

Yes I switched the dirt bag back to shavings over summer routine and was easier and less pongy to muck out. Because he walks around his box is fully matted. I'd hate him to knock his legs around as he's a big chap and fully retired now. Seems that the urine holds on the mats and absolutely honks. I could keep a cover of shavings beneath and straw on top although im
Sure the staff would be most impressed mucking him out ?

 

[Cob Life]

sorry hijacking your post but has anyone used the pellets for a box Walker? (she’s bad when they first come in but settles down once she’s in routine)

it is also rubber matted