Dust free bedding

[Sail_away]

Any suggestions please? Or opinions on bedmax, easibed or aubiose? It has to be dust free or very low dust for an asthmatic horse, I’m struggling to find any paper bedding that you can order individually so am looking for the next best option. He’s fairly wet and poos a lot, plus it’s going to be mucked out every day so things that work best deep littered are probably not going to work.

 

[TPO]

I swapped from bedmax to Nedz Pro and I am happy with the results.

Horse has respiratory issues so was swapped to bedmax, along with other management changes, however I trialled nedz pro and really rate it.

My mum then switched her two from a mix of bedmax and wood pellets to nedz pro and that has reduced atmospheric dust further again

 

[poiuytrewq]

personally I’m a big bedmax lover, however I do find with a dirty horse you need a lot of it and with a clean horse it gets dusty over time, lovely at first but you do need that turnaround of bedding.
Im currently using chopped dust extracted wheat straw which is treated with eucalyptus for my horse with an allergy. It’s not my favourite but he’s super clean and this has stayed dust free the longest!

 

[ozpoz]

I use used flax last winter, which was very absorbent and dust free. I will try miscanthus as well this winter.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

A vet just advised a friend to put her asthmatic horse on cardboard. I think some yards refuse to allow it due to disposal issues.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I've used Bedmax for years having used paper previously and found Bedmax better for my COPD horse as well as a lot easier to muck out. Occasionally I've used other 'dust-free' shavings and have been disappointed as all have had more dust in.

 

[Cragrat]

A vet just advised a friend to put her asthmatic horse on cardboard. I think some yards refuse to allow it due to disposal issues.

Just curios as to why there are disposal issues with cardboard? I though ti rotted better than shavings?

 

[Abby-Lou]

I use blue frog, I used to use bedmax, but find blue frog to soak up better which allows me to give a minimal bed with thick mats for comfort

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Just curios as to why there are disposal issues with cardboard? I though ti rotted better than shavings?

Clueless, a former yard banned it stating disposal difficulties. They were shavings/straw only.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

Nedz bed pro or flax is worth a try!

 

[lamlyn2012]

I've used cardboard for years and wouldn't change. I order mine from Phil Walmsley @ Premier bedding. It does compost down very well so can't understand why people have issues with it. I find it very absorbent and easy to deal with.

 

[NinjaPony]

Following with interest, moving yard means I can choose my own bedding and my ‘dust free’ shavings are definitely not dust free!

 

[shortstuff99]

I use beddown excel for mine and it has been really good, they also do a lavender shavings now too which is supposed to be good for breathing issues.

 

[Sail_away]

Oh great, thank you for the suggestions!
Nedz pro seems to be popular - for those who use it, how easy is it to buy? We don’t have enough storage space to buy in bulk unfortunately so would need to buy max 10 at a time.

I've used cardboard for years and wouldn't change. I order mine from Phil Walmsley @ Premier bedding

Had a look and it seems great but do you have to bulk order/pay for a courier? I’m in Greater London so would be quite a way!

I use beddown excel for mine and it has been really good, they also do a lavender shavings now too which is supposed to be good for breathing issues.

Yes a friend of mine had this on the racing yard she worked at and loved it! Again how do you get hold of it?

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine is stocked at my local equestrian/farm shop, if your local doesn't currently have it they may get some in for you or I think you can bulk order from them directly.

 

[IrishMilo]

Laysoft is a woodchip type that's pretty much completely dust free. It's great for wet horses as very dense.

 

[lamlyn2012]

Oh great, thank you for the suggestions!
Nedz pro seems to be popular - for those who use it, how easy is it to buy? We don’t have enough storage space to buy in bulk unfortunately so would need to buy max 10 at a time.

Had a look and it seems great but do you have to bulk order/pay for a courier? I’m in Greater London so would be quite a way!

Yes a friend of mine had this on the racing yard she worked at and loved it! Again how do you get hold of it?

I do buy in bulk via courier but it is available at some outlets, don't know which ones though I'm afraid.

 

[Sail_away]

Another question for people on Nedz pro - having had a further look at their website, they suggest fully mucking out only once a week, but say that their bedding creates an ammonia free environment? How does that work? I’m all for less mucking out but have always done a full muck out every day to get rid of the pee. Or do you just ignore the instructions and muck out as usual?

 

[chaps89]

I use nedz pro after @TPO recommended it
I semi deep litter. I skip out daily then every 5 days do a full muck out and leave the bed up to air. You could probably do the full muck out every 7 days if you have a horse who doesn't pee for Britain ?
In the very hot dry weather we have had it has been dusty but less so than wood pellets which I was using before, and only when I fully lift the bed for the muck out, day to day I've not noticed any dust at all.
I did find it tricky to get hold of - luckily the local feed and bedding supplier is happy to order it in for me in bulk and I buy off her as and when I need it, given as I can't get a pallet load in myself, but I did find there wasn't many stockists of it about.
Bliss bedding is a similar alternative and seems easier to source but I've not used it myself.

Eta- I believe the nedz original is designed for full daily muck outs, the pro is for semi-deep littering. Not sure what is different about it to make it that way but might be an option if you prefer full daily muck outs?

 

[TPO]

I can order it in via a feed merchant but I do have storage space so bulk ordered via efeed just before lockdown.

I take out dung daily and any wet that comes to the surface then pull some bankings down. I lift the bed and let the floor air (all rubber matted) at the weekend and then add another bale.

In saying that it's more like a bale a fortnight now.

 

[chaps89]

That's another point. It's not overly cheap but I don't use as much as shavings or straw by a long shot. I usually take a barrow and a half out for my weekly full muck out (it was a barrow or two a day on straw)
When she was on box rest I used a bale every 3 or 4 days, now I alternate between a half bale one week, full bale the next.

 

[SEL]

I found easibed good with a clean horse but horrendous with my mucky one. Not as dusty as wood pellets. Haven't used Nedz to compare but might see if our feed store will stock it

 

[TPO]

That's another point. It's not overly cheap but I don't use as much as shavings or straw by a long shot. I usually take a barrow and a half out for my weekly full muck out (it was a barrow or two a day on straw)
When she was on box rest I used a bale every 3 or 4 days, now I alternate between a half bale one week, full bale the next.

Yeah I've found the same.

My horse is super clean and poos in a pile and is normal amount of wet. That's why I can get 2wks without topping up.

Fat Cob seems to bury his poo. It's easy to seperate the clean from dirty so that clean bedding doesnt end up in the barrow.

Neurotic TB is disgusting in the stable. He has a sensitive digestive system too so dung consistency varies ? and hes quite wet. He gets a slightly smaller bed and its lifted to air more regularly. Still use a lot less bedding on Nedz than shavings/bedmax and a cleaner/drier bed than wood pellets

 

[Kitty B]

I use Burlybed Light. It is advertised as dust extracted not dust-free, but out of everything I have tried, I absolutely like it the best. I've used straw, which they ate, shavings which I didn't care for and made me cough, Bliss which made me AND one of my ponies cough, and now Burlybed Light. I don't get that choking feeling in my throat skipping out now, and Willow is no longer coughing right after her bed has been turned over, so I reckon we're sticking with this. I also didn't care for the smell of the miscanthus. I am incredibly sensitive when it comes to all things sensory, so it was a deal-breaker even without the coughing. I've also found Burlybed the easiest to muck out, personally, which is a huge win since Willow makes a wicked mess!