Horse that thinks he's a cat...!

[WannabeMum]

Help! I have a beautiful 16.2HH thoroughbred boy who is sweet and loving ... but ... he's channeling being a cat when it comes to his bed! He buries his poo and makes such a mess of his bed. If you watch him, he paws the bedding with his front legs in one direction, turns, does it again in another, then has a poo or a pee and then paws again to bury it! He's not box walking and he's fit and healthy.

He's got matting on the floor and I'm having to move at least 2 wheelbarrows a day out and it takes HOURS to get it sorted. Just when you think you've found the last bit of poo, you turn over what looks like totally dry bedding and more fall out! When he buries it all, it moves the wet stuff onto the clean stuff, which then soaks it up and therefore makes everything stained and 'tainted'.

Here's what I've tried and the results so far:

- Small bed in the corner: kicks it all around so it spreads out over the stall and tends to use his hay to add to it. Also not helpful because he loves a roll first thing in the morning and ends up rolling in his pee! Had a scare one morning, because he looked sweaty... turns out sweaty on one side = rolling in pee (yuk!!)

- Medium bed down one side, front to back of stall: again, kicks it all around and spreads it out, with it still needing complete muck out every day and removal of a lot of stained/tainted bedding

- Large bed, side to side, across back of stall: less kicking about, but still burying everything, so it all gets stained/tainted - takes forever to muck out and leaves stained bedding

I'm limited to the bedding I can use, as our muck heap gets used for fertiliser on the fields, so it must break down and be compostable (in short time period). I've tried Equinola - goes through way too much and it isn't particularly absorbent when it comes to pee smell(!). I'm currently on Nedz Pro, which is proving better at absorbing the smell, but obviously still being kicked about, so still lots being removed.

I'm coming to the conclusion that it won't matter what I put in there, he's still going to pretend at being a cat and bury stuff and kick it all around, so I need to suck it up... however, I thought I'd try and see whether any of you lovely lot have any thoughts/ideas!!

Thank you!!!

 

[pistolpete]

Nothing to say just . Bless him!

 

[Archangel]

I am a pristine bed sort of person, but with this horse I think I would embrace a brown bed situation.
Do the best you can and think about spring.

 

[asmp]

Feel for you. We’ve got one of those. He digs holes in his bed if he thinks breakfast should be served quicker. Have to have him on straw as he churns up shavings and wastes too much.

Will be watching replies in case anyone has any bright ideas!

 

[Mrs G]

My TB is normally very clean and tidy BUT he will paw and dig his entire bed up when he is stressed - is your horse doing it at certain times (eg turn out time)? Also mine loves a roll in clean bedding and will do that as soon as I bring him in - if I didnt set the bed fair again after it would be a nightmare to muck out in the morning.
You have my sympathy WannabeMum; - the times I have had to deal with a wrecked bed have left me in tears before! (I have a bad back and can just about manage mucking out a relatively tidy bed - one episode of a messy bed can leave me in pain for days).

 

[Hallo2012]

hmmmm i wonder if my 5yo thinks he's a cat too.................

i currently have sawdust under his pee spots and a big bed of long straw on top which is working well and would prob work with chopped straw if you aren't allowed long.

this holds the pee in a much much smaller area and minimises churning. I have yet to work out how to prevent squashed poops but can only confirm that a bigger bed does stay cleaner longer IME

 

[WannabeMum]

My TB is normally very clean and tidy BUT he will paw and dig his entire bed up when he is stressed - is your horse doing it at certain times (eg turn out time)? Also mine loves a roll in clean bedding and will do that as soon as I bring him in - if I didnt set the bed fair again after it would be a nightmare to muck out in the morning.
You have my sympathy WannabeMum; - the times I have had to deal with a wrecked bed have left me in tears before! (I have a bad back and can just about manage mucking out a relatively tidy bed - one episode of a messy bed can leave me in pain for days).

Oh bless you!! I’m so sorry you have to deal with that with a bad back. It definitely doesn’t help mine (I’m not a young thing lol!).

I don’t believe he’s stressed and he’ll dig at any time. I did have the vet check him out just in case and she thought he was just a messy pup!

Hope yours isn’t too bad for the winter xx

 

[Velvet turner]

I swear by Pellets for my horse that is exactly the same stable-wise. Got my mucking out time on weekdays to 3 mins a day and 1/4 a wheelbarrow - down from 1.5 barrows and 45 mins! At weekends i take all the wet out and add another bag, one bag a week does the job. Nice deep clean bed, minimal time and waste and no smell (even with mare wee!). My go-to is sorbeo but if you cant use wood pellets on muck heap straw pellets do the job.

 

[WannabeMum]

I swear by Pellets for my horse that is exactly the same stable-wise. Got my mucking out time on weekdays to 3 mins a day and 1/4 a wheelbarrow - down from 1.5 barrows and 45 mins! At weekends i take all the wet out and add another bag, one bag a week does the job. Nice deep clean bed, minimal time and waste and no smell (even with mare wee!). My go-to is sorbeo but if you cant use wood pellets on muck heap straw pellets do the job.

A friend and I are talking about this exact thing... using straw pellets. They seem like a good idea and the Nedz Advance look like a good shout (more because you don't have to soak them first!).

Anyone had any experience of them?

 

[horsimous]

I think I’d try a deep straw bed

 

[Peglo]

A friend and I are talking about this exact thing... using straw pellets. They seem like a good idea and the Nedz Advance look like a good shout (more because you don't have to soak them first!).

Anyone had any experience of them?

I’ve been using straw pellets under my straw beds this year and there’s so much less waste. Even the straw that sits on top of the wee area is clean. But my horses are both pretty clean (sorry )

I don’t use that brand but I’m sure they will be fine.

 

[teacups]

I have described my horse as ‘like a cat’ before! and feel your pain.

I’m currently trialling a base of straw pellets with a thick top layer of chopped wheat straw, and making the bed really deep - someone recommended it to me and whilst it didn’t really work when the bed was 10 cm deep, now that it’s about 15 cm it does seem to be working.
The poos are covered (not all, just some) but are near the top rather than churned in because he’s dug down too far to cover them. The wee soaks to the bottom and the straw pellets in the wee area are dug out every 5 days or so and replaced.

I am responsible for my own muckheap so can’t use straw as I just don’t have the space and resources to deal with a muckheap that size. Shavings just never rot down, unlike chopped rape or wheat straw. The chopped wheat straw is new to me: it’s from unibed and is slightly scented with lavender. It’s quite fluffy and he loves to lie down in it (and on top of any uncovered poos grr). Most importantly he doesn’t want to eat it.

Mucking out still doesn’t take 3 mins though! Never tried just straw pellets before & may have to give it a go some time

 

[WannabeMum]

I have described my horse as ‘like a cat’ before! and feel your pain.

I’m currently trialling a base of straw pellets with a thick top layer of chopped wheat straw, and making the bed really deep - someone recommended it to me and whilst it didn’t really work when the bed was 10 cm deep, now that it’s about 15 cm it does seem to be working.
The poos are covered (not all, just some) but are near the top rather than churned in because he’s dug down too far to cover them. The wee soaks to the bottom and the straw pellets in the wee area are dug out every 5 days or so and replaced.

I am responsible for my own muckheap so can’t use straw as I just don’t have the space and resources to deal with a muckheap that size. Shavings just never rot down, unlike chopped rape or wheat straw. The chopped wheat straw is new to me: it’s from unibed and is slightly scented with lavender. It’s quite fluffy and he loves to lie down in it (and on top of any uncovered poos grr). Most importantly he doesn’t want to eat it.

Mucking out still doesn’t take 3 mins though! Never tried just straw pellets before & may have to give it a go some time

It's the most annoying thing ever!! I provide that service in the yard where people moan about their horse and then come look at my stall... and feel better I feel I should be charging for this service!

Maybe I'll give a deep bed another go and try deeper! Think I'm going to try your idea of straw pellets underneath and then his usual on top. To be totally fair, the Nedz Pro is actually pretty good at keeping that hideous ammonia stench at bay. Yard Manager suggests I'll get used to it, but I just won't

I haven't heard of Unibed before, so thank you for the info!! I shall go and investigate!

The "cat" has a weird habit of having his breakfast and then having a lovely, long roll about in his stall ... and all his poop . Just as well I love him!!! LOL!