How much bedding do you get through?

[Charliepup123]

Just wondering how many bales of bedding people get through a week - for shavings? Trying to make an estimate of costs of shavings at £6 per bale approx.

horse is in at night out during the day

thanks

 

[9tails]

I found that cheaper shavings didn't last well and used to use at least two bales every 10 days. Now on wood pellets, a ton will last a year.

 

[paddi22]

i use a bale a week per horse. i got sick of the cheaper shavings and use ones that are 8.50 each, but they last longer

 

[VikingSong]

I found that cheaper shavings didn't last well and used to use at least two bales every 10 days. Now on wood pellets, a ton will last a year.

This.

 

[Ormsweird]

A bale a week roughly.

 

[Mrs B]

Amazed people get by on 1 bale of shavings a week!

I have an easy-to-muck out horse, only in at night, fully mucked out every day so bed swept back, bed depth on rubber matting of about 10 inches.

£8 a bale, 3 bales a week.

 

[Kylara]

I use bowbed, which is fine Chopped rape straw but works like super absorbent shavings without the dust. Most of the horses get a bale a week, but squeaky clean Ollie pony manages with a bale every 2-3 weeks. I was sticking one in a week but his big bed was getting ridiculous!

 

[FDLady]

I use hunter shavings, personally my favourite. My 16.1hh messy mare is out during the day and in at night. Started the bed off with two bales and do a full muck out every day - i make sure to leave enough of a bed as she lies down every night. On average i use 1/2 bale a week so my bill comes to between £14 and £21 a month.

 

[Starzaan]

Depends entirely on the horse and how you like your beds. My horse is very clean, but I love big fluffy white beds on thick rubber mats, so he has three to four bales a week.

At work we have one horse who can manage on two bales a week, and one who has been known to use up to seven!

 

[Goldenstar]

When stabled at night with turnout during the days I reckon it as a bale every other day .
Sometimes it's less it can be more when the weather is bad .

 

[Nicnac]

Very little. Hunters on full rubber mats. Shavings over back half of stable. Use a couple of bales to start winter and then half to one bale a week per horse. They are out 12 hours over winter.

They live out 24/7 during the summer and lay down in the field. Rubber mats are softer so don't need bedding bar to soak up wee and poo juice.

 

[chestnut cob]

1 bale of Bedmax, full bed on a fully matted stable which is 12ft x14ft. Very clean horse out during day, in at night. Scrupulous YO mucks out mon to Fri.

 

[C1airey]

When we were on shavings, we used half a bale of Hunter shavings a week. He had pellets underneath his wee patch to stop the liquid spreading and soaking into his bed. Even on a half-and-half bed, cheap shavings were a false economy.

 

[Shay]

Like NicNac - 1/2 to 3/4 a bale per week - but on fully rubber matter stables. I do actually have one for whom cheap shavings work really well - £4.50 a bale. They just really seem to suit him. The others are on normal dust extracted shavings at £6 a bale. Over the years we've done straw, wood pellets, dollar bedding - which is shredded up bank notes, bedmax and auboise. Different beds worked best for different horses and I have the space that I don't have to keep everyone on the same bedding. Its just a case of finding what suits your stable, your horse and your mucking out routine!

 

[ihatework]

Minging mare.
When on full rubber mats would use 3-4 bales of shavings a week depending on if she was on half or full day turnout.
Much better managed on a semi deep litter basis, 2 bags wood pellets and 2 bales of straw a week pretty much halves bedding cost and is quicker/cleaner too

 

[Hannahgb]

One is on a bag of pellets and one or two bales of shavings a week.
Other on 2 shavings a week

 

[Cobonthejob]

Get through two bags every 7 days I would say. I have experimented with a few different brands. I found some cheap ones for £3 per bag but they were really useless. Then tried the ones sold at my yard which are £7 per bag (Mendip) but they were not good for my mare who seems to be a wee machine- on those I could sometimes get through FOUR a week, which was not good for my bank balance. Finally I have settled on some Jacksons shavings which are about £6 per bale and are very absorbent. It seems to take a while to get to grips with the best brand and method of mucking out- I now try to do it all by hand as it reduced wastage (with gloves of course lol) x

 

[Mince Pie]

I used a bag of wood pellets every fortnight, and a bale of shavings every week. Pony was semi deep littered as when I was just on shavings I was using a bale a week when he was in during the day - dread to think how much would have been used when he was in overnight!

 

[Micropony]

As others have said, depends massively on how clean your horse is, how you like your beds and how much time you are prepared to spend mucking out. I can get through anything from 1-3 bales a week. If I had the choice and the storage space and was on DIY, my choice would be wood pellets as you can have a clean bed so much more quickly, and they seem to work out more cost effective.

 

[Mince Pie]

As others have said, depends massively on how clean your horse is, how you like your beds and how much time you are prepared to spend mucking out. I can get through anything from 1-3 bales a week. If I had the choice and the storage space and was on DIY, my choice would be wood pellets as you can have a clean bed so much more quickly, and they seem to work out more cost effective.

They're not great if your horse is very wet though.

 

[Micropony]

They're not great if your horse is very wet though.

Yes, there is that!