Dirty horses & Deep litter (POLL)

[vicm2509]

My horse is on a straw bed. He is dirty but that is probably only due to his size (16.3). He is in from about 7pm to about 7am and I take out 2 good size wheel barrows a day. He tends to poo in the same place he stands so it all gets trampled in. He had a good size bed, id say I put down 3 bales a week.

With my old horse who I had many years ago I used to deep litter on straw and it was brilliant but he was a very clean horse who always pooed in the same place and would hardly ever stand in it.

My question is, do you think it would be easier for me on deep litter? Just removing the layer of mushed up poo every day rather than doing a full muck out or do you think it would get really messy? Im thinking about maybe deep littering all week then do a full muck out each saturday.

 

[rema]

My 17hh IDx is a filthy beast in the stable.I have to take out most of the bedding each day and he only has a small bed because on mats but i think if i deep littered him by the end of the first week he would be up to the roof in sh*t.I was always told geldings were cleaner than mares it's all lies i tell you!!!.

 

[KatB]

My boy mushes everything in his bed. He is on deep litter shavings/aubiose and is relatively clean on it. IMO shavings is much easier to deal with with a messy horse than straw.

 

[tigers_eye]

I've got a similar one. He just mashes eveything in together, I hardly take out any recognisable droppings, just a brown paste. I am going to try deep-littering him on easibed from tomorrow, as I think it will actually be cheaper - he gets at least 1 bale every 2 days at the moment.

 

[Halfpass]

One of my horses is so very dirty never known a gelding like and I've tried all sorts. He will walk round and mix his bed up before choosing a spot to sleep on. Never find a whole poo in his stable. Have tried all sorts of different stable management and I am currently taking wet out every third or fourth day and puttind 2 bales of shaving in per week and it seems to be working quite well. A last resort for me will be rubber matting, deep litter and straw I found to be terrible and very smelly

 

[vicm2509]

Must be in the breed then, mine is also IDxTB, lol.

 

[wizzi901]

I have just two words for these filthy horses lol!!! (including both our biggies!!) RUBBER MATTING!!

Tiny amount of shavings and oik the whole lot out every day, its the only way, one box walks it into a circle and the other just hides it and tramples it into a mush!

 

[Faithkat]

My Arab gelding was horrendous on straw - quite impossible, I had to take out virtually the whole bed every day. He was manageable on shavings or shredded paper though.

 

[the watcher]

Not sure which will work best for you but wanted to add that in my experience using less bedding is a false economy and I have found horses to stay cleaner and create less mess with a really full bed. I find myself taking out less than if I was removing swampy shavings every day

 

[riotgirl]

My mare treads everything into a brown mess. I use shavings deep littered and I find them much easier to deal with than straw. Cannot bank it up either as she pulls it all into the middle and ends up standing on a really tall bit in the middle!

 

[samp]

IMO dirty horses are better off on rubber matting and shavings. Used to take hr to muck out a box walking horse, now takes 10mins tops

 

[Ashf]

We have Jessie well trained

 

[Tempi]

Archie is REALLY dirty, he tramps around in his poo (lovely!) and generally makes a total mess. On straw i was taking out two wheelbarrows a day and it was costing me a fortune, now hes moved stables and ive got him on rubber matting and a small amount of shavings in one corner. So far hes only had one bale of shavings in nearly two weeks. I just sweep out the mess, much easier and quicker imo.

Bloss is also on shavings and mats - id never put either of them back on straw or on deep litter.

it takes me approx 10mins to do each stable and mine are in from around 630pm to 6am

 

[Kelly1982]

Dont you feel guilty though that they are not able to lay down on a nice cosy bed??

My horse is only a baby and lays down all the time so i would feel really guilty, especially in winter when its freezing.

I must admit though it does sound a whole lot easier.

 

[samp]

That is why people put a scattering of shavings down, they all lay down quite happily. Only downside being the rugs tend to get filthy and stink

 

[vicm2509]

I dont really like the sound of rubber matting and a really small bed, nothing personal its just I prefer a nice big cozy bed.

I have found that on a normal straw bed he is better with it big rather than small, and his rugs stay much cleaner aswell.

So it seems deep litter straw will make things worse, I have been debating with myself about changing to shavings but ive never had a shavings bed before and always thought it would cost a lot more. Im currently spending £7.50 a week on straw and it takes me at least 30 mins to do my bed.

 

[Tia]

Personally I would put him on rubber matting and shavings. You'll have one barrow-load every morning and it will take you about 5 minutes max. to muck out.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
Dont you feel guilty though that they are not able to lay down on a nice cosy bed??

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry Kelly but I am really chuckling at this comment - it really is such a "human" thing to say.

Horses lie down on hard ground outside; they don't need or even crave a feather-bed with a duvet

. They are horses LOL!!

 

[ecrozier]

He he I was thinking just the same thing Tia! I used to think my horses needed a cosy bed, but having left them out all summer a few years backand gone out every morning to all of them fast asleep, lying down in the field, I revised my opinion!
If they'll lie down outside they're fine on thin beds, and my word does it save time and money! I have rubber mats and they have one bale of bedmax shavings each a week. The mare is dirty and ends up with a fairly thin bed by the end of the week, the slightly cleaner gelding has a thicker bed because I take less out.
Don't do deep litter as I hate the smell, plus my gelding digs it up if you leave it more than a fw days, so I don't think he likes the smell either!

 

[Kelly1982]

[ QUOTE ]
Horses lie down on hard ground outside

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that is true!!

I would still feel really guilty though LOL

 

[TGM]

My old mare has always been dirty and was just the same whether she was on straw or shavings, deep-littered or not. Unlike my other horses who would normally poo in one corner or at the back of the box, she would do it right in the middle of the bed and then trample it all in. Used to take me ages to get her bed clean, so in the end I put her on rubber matting - it's brilliant stuff!

I have the Fieldguard mats which are thick with rubber studs underneath so nice and springy. I've laid on them myself and they are nice and comfy

.

Now all I have to do is sweep the floor and shovel the mess out - so much easier and quicker.

 

[Twiglet]

I have mine on rubber matting and a full bed - he hates weeing or laying on a tiny bed! But then he is a big queen.

Ditto whoever said that they stay cleaner on fuller beds - if I let it get a bit thinner I end up having to take loads out.

 

[Nikiolola]

My horse is disgusting on straw, so I moved her onto shavings and it was a bit better but it cost me a fortune in shavings if she was mucked out every day, so I decided to deep litter her, and it was just the best descision I made.

This year though, I'm on equisorb and finding it better still. She's cleaner again and I think it looks nicer than shavings because they don't look as dirty

 

[Chex]

lol, I feel too guilty to not have a deep bed too. I have rubber mats and still have a thick straw bed, but mine is very clean, only takes 5 mins to muck out. I think deep littering with straw gets a bit stinky! Some do it at the yard, and gut it once a week or fornight, but its a disgusting job! Shavings are better, but so much more expensive

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

Sounds so so similar!! Idxtb too.. i think again just hes size, crunchs his bed turning!

I find its far better for dirty horses on straw!! But im moving to rubber matting (and soild banks and mats) With just a little bed of shavings i think it will be nicer for every body!!

 

[mandy4727]

We have a really dirty horse. Take 2 barrows a day out of her and out at 8 in the morning and back in at 2 pm. I have tried shavings but used 2 - 3 bales a week and was 2 expensive. The first week or so was great and I thought yep we have cracked it. No chance. Then tried nedzbed. Great if you have a clean horse like my gelding - all his poos in one place against a wall!!!!. And again the first week with my filly was great but it went down hill and was costing too much so back to straw. Put a full bale down on a Sunday. Just take the poo out on Monday. The poo and wee on a Tuesday and a full bale back down. Just the poo on Wed and the poo and wee on a Thursday an a full bale. Friday just poo and Saturday poo and wee but still has quite a good bed and back to the full bale again on Sunday. So only use 3 bales of straw a week.