Easiest, most cost effective way of managing a stable?

[Ziggy_]

As title. I've 90% made my mind up that I'm moving to the yard I posted about last week.

The hacking is excellent (directly onto the beach), the facilities are good and there are shows held weekly on site. Whats' even better, is that according to the YO and other liveries, everyone more or less keeps themselves to themselves and would rather go out for a hack than sit about drinking coffee and gossiping! I can actually see myself more or less fitting in there which is a rarity LOL

The big downside, is that the horses are stabled overnight all year round. I've tried to keep my girl out as much as possible and the only times I've stabled her its been on a full straw bed, taken ages to muck out and I've turned up at work smelling a bit horsey with hay in my hair

So I'm wondering what is the easiest, most cost effective way to maintain a bed and what in your opinion is the best bedding?

I'm willing to consider rubber matting etc but I've never been convinced it can be that comfortable. Any types of bedding also considered; my mare has an occasional cough (not COPD) so I'd rather avoid straw. She's not filthy but not clean either - pees in one spot but craps everywhere and appears to have fun spreading it!

 

[ForeverBroke_]

My favourite bedding is the Traditional Bed-down. It WAS £5.50 a bale - but ..lets not go there

I'd only need 1 bale a week and that gave me a huge thick bed, and 3 banks.

I semi-deep litter ie, in the week I just poo pick , and then on the weekend when I have more time etc I'll hoik it all up for an air and to take the wet out

 

[Ziggy_]

Thanks - never heard of that bedding - what is it? And - not sure if I should ask this but - how much does it cost now?

 

[ForeverBroke_]

Its a mix of chopped straw and shavings. Sounds a bit bleh, but its lovely

I wave the flag for it anywho haha!

And it came in our shop last week at £8

But the next delivery is coming straight from the supplier at £6 . A bit more reasonable!

 

[Chico Mio]

My FB is the same - pees in one place but trashes poo around the box. He is on wood pellets and shavings that I deep litter. I take out poo daily, by sifting with a shavings fork and hand picking. In the begining I removed the pee patch but now his bed is so thick I don't bother. I just rake it around level and add more shavings. His current bed has been going since April and is just fine, it's brown but clean and dry, also very warm in the winter!! Takes about 10 minutes tops. I leave a metre strip free at the front of the box because I feed hay off the floor.

I'm looking at mats because I can get some cheap from an ex dairy farm and I get my shavings free from the local sawmill.

 

[MuddyCob]

Aubiose deep littered is great. Quite dear to set up the bed at first, but after that you will only need to top up once a week, I managed on half a bale a week. Very quick to muck out as even the messy types (my mare similar to yours, poos everywhere) can't bury the poo!

 

[H's mum]

Get yourself some rubber mats and use wood pellets - really cost effective - very clean and you don't smell (like you do with straw).
Good luck with your move!

Kate x

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

In answer to your question i would say rubber mats and shavings or paper perhaps given copd

 

[Flint12]

I have been mixing shavings, with megazorb.

Banks are all shavings, and i then put down megazorb in the places where he is wettest.

Every day i remove all the poo and the wet as he has to be kept on a very dry bed due to thrush, anyway it takes me around ten mins.

I find it is very cost effective, seeing as when i was using shavings on thier own i was using about one every week in the summer and was costing me alot!!

 

[muffinino]

I would deep litter on straw. It's easy to maintain once you've got the initial bed down, quick to muck out and doesn't smell at all if you do it properly. I confess to mucking out in my work clothes and wearing them again the next day!

I have my colleagues that I don't smell at all, which they think is remarkable for a horsey person

 

[Booboos]

Rubber mats plus wood pellets used as a litter just for the urine - takes 5 minutes to muck out, doesn't smell, great for the respiratory system

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Wood pellets

 

[Echo Bravo]

rubber mats, 5 mins clean out, I do wash the mats down everyday but my four horses, 2 mares and 2 geldings dont seem to mind them a all and as they are out every day the flooring is dry when they come in, and no smells simple.