going back to straw bedding?

[maisie]

all mine have been bedded on equisorb on rubber mats for the past 18 months or so. both the ponies are great on it - 2 mins to skip out and take the wet out once a week if that - no smell and they both have nice dry tidy beds - both are mares. My gelding, however, is a different story - used to be on shavings but needed 2 bales a week - therefore v expensive. he spins like a top between his hay bar, the window and the door all night - not stressed - just nosy! consequently his bed is mixed into a soggy pooey mulch by the morning. I've tried lots of bedding and less bedding but it still looks awful and I can never get all the poo out. Thinking of going back to straw, which at least is cheaper - but concerned about dust/him eating it (although he's not a piggy horse). Don't really want to spend a fortune on another load of expensive bedding that just gets mulched up! Any thoughts anyone?

 

[ihatework]

very similar to my horse by the sounds of it.

I personally dislike straw over rubber matting mainly because the straw is significantly less absorbant and therefore rubber mats become a lot more smelly than normal. Using straw will be a lot cheaper, just need to disinfect regularly.

I've used 2 different methods with my horse.
1. equisorb in a quarter of the stable (in one corner), opposite corner to that of hay and door!
2. Shavings (a couple of buckets) scattered over the floor to absorb wee, the whole stable then simply swept out every day.
Option 2 was by far the quickest and easiest all round, horse didn't seem to mind but it wasn't pleasing on the eye not having a cosy bed. I also stabled him in NZ rug as the stable ones get smelly this way.

 

[eekmon]

Well if you are just taking out a wet pooey bed then straw would deffo be cheaper! And if you have tried all other types of bedding it seems stupid to throw away money on it! I am on a thick bed of straw and my horse only nibbles at it!

 

[K9Wendy]

Not fun, horse in next stable to ours does this. To minimise the churning up she closed his window at night and moved his haynet to the door so he munched and looked out the door instead of spinning around. It has not cured the problem but lessened it somewhat. I know you use a haybar but you may be able to relocate it to the other wall or put hay on the floor for a while she if it helps..

 

[RunToEarth]

My boy is like that, very nosy lad. I took the matting out and bedded him on deep strw and it isnt half as hard as it was to muck out onto easibed, let alone the expense saved.

 

[Lynnes]

I can totally relate to your problem. I put my gelding on shavings and only managed 2 weeks. He is far too mucky, I think if I had a bigger stable than I have it may have helped but his window and haynet are close so he didn't have to spin around like you said but he was just far to mucky. The pony on the other hand just poo's and never seems to stand in it so he is nice and clean.

The mucky gelding is back on straw and he is fine - he has a nice deep bed so I hardly throw anything out as the poo's seem to clump together if you know what I mean.

 

[maisie]

might try thin layer of equisorb on floor and then straw on top....... hopefully straw will hold all poo together (what a delightful topic to discuss!!)

 

[Triskar]

I'm using chopped dust extracted straw on rubber - just a thin layer. It's very absorbent, the poos don't get mixed in, and it're really quick to muck out. It isn't expensive, either.