How is shavings dust free?

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Hazel and Arnold

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I've recently changed from straw to shavings as my horse has COPD but I don't understand how they are supposed to be dust free. He's a bit of a box walker but there is dust everywhere - in the water, on the rugs that are stored at the side of the stable, everywhere. When I was on straw there was hardly any dust like this. I'm trying to keep his stable dust free and I feel like I've just made it worse??
 
Yes I bought them because it said dust extracted. I even asked the lady in the shop which bedding she would recommend as the least dustiest - she said she'd tried pretty much all of them and that these ones were the best - I'm totally confused!!! And I've spent £20 on a pretty thin bed that seems even worse than before! Do you think its because he's box walking?
 
I've had mine on shredded cardboard for 14 weeks of box rest after always being on straw. Its on top of mats so I only have a certain amount down, not a huge bed but its so easy to clean out (a very mucky horse too) and totally dust free, and I mean there's absolutely no dust at all :)
 
I was on thoroughbred shavings and found that they got really dusty towards the end of last year, i hadnt had a problem previously. My horse developed a mild cough so i researched lots of different types of bedding. I switched to ProBed (theyve got a website, if you google :) ) its shredded rape haulm, and it acts almost exactly like shavings, but it is totally dust free and smells really good- like eucalyptus, which i think must also help with any breathing issues. I really like it and its cheaper than thoroughbred shavings which is a bonus!
 
Actually maybe you should complain to the manufacturer if they are supposed to be dust extracted and aren't. That would solve the problem, if they refunded you.
 
Anything that is alleged to be dust free will create it's own dust purely by the action of the horse living on it. It must do. All that weight walking about and lying and rolling on it will create dust eventually.

When my boy was diagnosed with COPD the first thing I did was do away with bedding and install good thick rubber matting. I then just gave him a pee patch, which he uses. 10 years on and he is not on any medication and works as normal. He is out 24/7 in summer and in at night in the winter with no ill effects. Personally I would love him to have a full bed but his health comes first and this works for him. He is pee patched on good quality wheat straw, which I have found to be far more dust free than anything else.
 
Thanks everyone - Just having a nightmare because he seems to be mostly affected by pollen/ grass and is much better when he is out of the field. So I'm trying to keep him in but that is now causing a problem because of the dusty shavings - I think I will complain (worth a try isn't it). I'm lucky enough that I can keep him on the yard which is attached to his stable and away from the grass but when people want to bring their horses onto the yard he has to go in stable with the dust. I was taking him off the grass just in the day time which has definitely helped so I'm not trying to keep him off the grass 24/7 for a week or so to see if it helps, however this dust is not helping so its affecting my trial and I cant tell if he's better in or out. Its driving me mad and I'm worrying about it so much because I don't want him to suffer. He's been on ventipulmin but that's not helped and I don't want to go down the road of expensive inhalers etc if its just a case of bringing him off the grass. He's having soaked hay and I'm happy for him to live out in the winter if that helps him. Sorry for the rant!
 
Just to say, after 3+ months of use my cardboard bedding is still dust free, it hasn't generated its own dust, the only dust that is in the stable is the stuff that comes off the hay! I think its the cleanest bedding I've used tbh, this and the megazorb which is also very good, especially for soaking up wee patches. I just use a poo picker to clean out and take out the wet and put a fresh layer of cardboard on top and it looks good as new

http://www.walmsleypremierbed.co.uk/
 
Interested in this thread, my ponies have thick full beds and the shavings still cover everything in dust, even dust extracted ones like Hunters. Ecocomfy bed beds down quicker but is still dusty. Straw is dusty. Drives me mad wiping off everything constantly let alone if you have a pony that can't tolerate it.
 
I use Plospan shavings which are nice and soft and big clean flakes

They are the least dusty shavings I have found, I breed show chickens and anything that sticks to them makes their feathers very dull so I am incredibly fussy about their bedding and Plospan are the best shavings I have found so the pony gets those too!
 
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