Field shelter - Rapport bedding directly onto dry earth?

[billylula]

I want to make my field shelter more attractive to my NF and more cosy for the new veteran pony who arrives next month. At the moment it has a bare earth floor mixed with hardcore - it isn't pretty but it is completely bone dry. I like the Rapport hemcore bedding and was thinking of putting 3 or 4 sacks down then using a kind of deep litter system, just taking out the poo and obviously wet clumps. Do you think it will work or will I need rubber mats?

 

[Mogg]

i put bedding directly on to my field shelter floor which is also earth. its sandy soil tho so good drainage and on a very slight slope. i put down a layer of shavings then a good thick bed of straw. its a 12ft x 8ft shelter to accomodate 2 mini shetlands so i can alternate which side i put the bed in every 2 weeks to give the earth time to rest When i remove all the bedding to swap sides i throw some Stalosan down to absorb any moisture and disinfect the ground.
i imagine with larger horses tho soggy ground could possibly become a problem, depending how much they use the shelter as a loo. Id give it a try without mats to start off and see how the ground holds up

 

[hobo]

I do just that with my field shelter and it works perfectly. I never take any wet away just the poos and top up as needed.

 

[billylula]

Well its been down two days now and the pony won't get out of bed he loves it. Expensive stuff but it smells nice and seems easy to deal with.