Has anyone ever had a horse that really couldn't be bedded on straw

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horsegirl

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as they would eat it all? Our new horse is on shavings which I HATE
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and we were told that she couldn't go on straw as she would eat it all but now the shavings problems have got me thinking that my friend's horse is the greediest most food motivated horse in the world and he was on straw and didn't eat it, I know they all have the odd nibble now and then, even my TB does and he isn't bothered about food at all. So was wondering, people say these things but has anyone really had a horse that ate their bed everynight and did it do them any harm? I know some horses can't have straw for other reasons but this is purely eating it.
 
My TB mare could not be bedded on straw....ate it and got colic!
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.....when I had her on full livery they made the mistake of using oat straw she was off her head due to eating it!
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When I got my horse I was told that he couldn't go onto straw as he ate it. Apparently he ate most of his bed overnight on the first night in his new home, completely ignoring the haylage. Apparently he was quite happy, but rather full in the morning!
He was on box rest at the end of last year and I put him onto straw, as it was going to cost me a fortune to keep him on shavings and he has been fine.
I suspect the problem may have been that he was kept short of food at some point which encouraged him to eat the straw. Now he knows food is always around he doesn't bother.
 
we have the odd mare that eats her straw bed. Never caused any problems, well, apart from the extra straw you have to put in everyday!
I've also seen oat straw being mixed with hay in a net and given to overweight ponies, so I don't think straw eating generally causes a problem.
I'm sure there are some though
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just not in my experience.
 
My cob, used to eat loads of her straw bed each night when she used to on straw and it never did her any harm! I did have to have to add at least a bale a day sometimes more, (think we used to go through about 10 small bales a week) but like I said it never caused any issues and as we used to buy our straw straight off the field in bulk, it still worked out cheaper doin that than it is now to use just 1 bale of shavings a week. We only changed to shavings because we got a 2nd horse who can't be kept on straw due to a dust allergy.
 
Are you sure Stropster - what if yellow beast becomes dirty green beast? This is the dilemma I'm facing as my grey is going onto mats.

Re the straw a horse I used to ride for someone would eat all the clean straw and then lie in the really dirty, wet stuff he couldn't face eating. Fortunately he was chestnut, but still smelt disgusting!
 
She's a bay and has rubber mats too so won't have a massive amount. I think we are going to swap the horses over for a couple of nights and see how they get on
 
Both our horses were on straw and had a dust allergy so we had to soak the hay as well. Moved house built own stables put on shavings and hayledge. Not a cough has been heard since. We found shavings more economical that straw. Less wastage. We have also put rubber matting in + shavings. Even better. Oat straws not very good as some of the seeds can choke if it gets stuck in throat. But ours had good hay and still ate the straw.
 
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My cob, used to eat loads of her straw bed each night when she used to on straw and it never did her any harm! I did have to have to add at least a bale a day sometimes more, (think we used to go through about 10 small bales a week)

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Hahaha thats cobs for you!
 
My cob destroyed a full very thick shavings bed in one night!! dirty beast, she eats her straw and in the morning her bed has shrunk to about a metre wide!! no wonder she doesnt loose any weight!! I did think about mats but as she is soo wet i didnt think they would be suitable either, oh well keeps the straw man in business
 
Just eating straw can cause impaction, but mixed with hay, is usually ok, my Highland's are on matting and a sprinkling of elephant grass, which is extremely absorbant, and very easy to keep clean. A lot of Highlands are fed on an oat straw and hay mix.
 
Up until recently I bedded my TB on straw, he regularly ate lots of it but other than making him a bit bloated it had no ill effects, however just before Christmas he stuffed his face on it and ended up with very severe colic. He colic'd on and off for three days and I was sure we would lose him. I now have him on rubber mats and eco-bale.

Pilib X
 
My old pony was on shavings originally but was so messy it cost too much. We put her on straw and she ate it so we got a watering can and sprinkled jayes fluid over it. I hated it because it was always slightly damp and smelly but had desired effect. This was in the days when there was only straw and shavings...!!!
 
YES!

I tried Merlin on straw when I first got him. He basically started at one end of the box, ate all night and by the morning there was nothing in there but poo!

It got so expensive I had to switch to shavings as a cheaper option!

He just HAS to be munching something - I have never found an amount of hay he couldn't eat. He usually has a large wheelbarrow load - and I mean a LARGE wheelbarrow load and he doesn't stop till it's gone.
It's the same in the field. He doesn't come up for air!
 
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