How much bedding for stable?

Traks

Traks

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Random question this one!

I’m just moving yards from a stable which is about 10x12 (I have a 14hh pony) to a what feels enormous 11x15!

I’ve put her a thick bed down across the back of the stable with 6 bags of miscanthus…but it’s only taking up about half the space and it looks weird! I’ve never had a stable this big before and not sure whether to put more bedding in so that the bedding is closer to where she will stand with hay etc? It’s definitely wide enough for her to lie down based on what she’s had before.

I mean it’s great that she has so much space but would it be better for her hocks if she’s standing on bedding a lot to the time? I’d have to buy another 4 bags I think if I did that 😂

Or I could get a mat for her to stand on but then it would probably move around as not fixed to anything.

Im probably over thinking but it seems odd having the bed so far back in the stable!
 
With that shaped stable I'd probably get two heavy mats, I have cow mats as they were cheaper, which would cover 8ft wide and 6ft deep and bed down the remaining 11ft x 11ft area. I've been in various non standard shaped stables with a 14.2 and that's the sort of thing I tended to do.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I loathe half beds! I often wonder how often the horse actually uses the bed for its purpose or whether it ends up half on the non-bedded floor. I would buy the extra 4 bags. I doubt that over time it will work out more expensive and your pony will certainly be more comfortable.
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Yes this is what I’m thinking! I mean the current bedding is a bigger square area than her bed in her old stable, it just looks bizarre 😂

I’ll get some more bags tomorrow x
 
Sounds ideal! They can lie down on clean bedding and move around and poo in the rest of the stable. As long as the bed is thick then that’s fine for pony.
 
I have a “rule” that my horses must be able to stand facing in any direction with another foot of bedding in front of them. I hate this fashion for a strip of bed, especially with the weird “pillow” bank across the back. Even with rubber mats it’s not goid enough for me. I’ve seen livery horses wobbling while lying down, trying to stay on the strips. In the case of little ponies in a big loose box, this can mean I do a square of bedding in a corner, rather than across the back. So they end up with a good sized bed for them, but a lot of bare rubber mat too. Unfortunately none have chosen to poop on the mats and leave the bed clean!
 
Honey08 said:
I have a “rule” that my horses must be able to stand facing in any direction with another foot of bedding in front of them. I hate this fashion for a strip of bed, especially with the weird “pillow” bank across the back. Even with rubber mats it’s not goid enough for me. I’ve seen livery horses wobbling while lying down, trying to stay on the strips. In the case of little ponies in a big loose box, this can mean I do a square of bedding in a corner, rather than across the back. So they end up with a good sized bed for them, but a lot of bare rubber mat too. Unfortunately none have chosen to poop on the mats and leave the bed clean!
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What do you mean by a strip of bedding? Like a dribble down the middle? I can’t picture it 🧐
 
saddlesore said:
What do you mean by a strip of bedding? Like a dribble down the middle? I can’t picture it 🧐
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I assume they mean a small patch of bedding somewhere? I’ve seen a few who do a corner or a thin line of bedding at the back of the stable. We actually looked at a very fancy full livery yard once with amazing facilities but the beds were a small corner in a reasonable stable…that put me off!

I should say currently the bed is not a small strip, it’s 6 bags of Burlybed and fairly deep! I just think I will get a couple more bags….i may invest in some mats too for the front, will see x
 
I bed up the whole stable for 2 reasons, the first, my horse poos where he’s stood eating his hay, I don’t like ‘poo juice’ squelching in his hooves so have the bedding to absorb that. Secondly, if only their back legs are on bedding of a couple of inches or more, it is causing all kinds of imbalances to their backs and hind legs
 
Identityincrisis said:
I bed up the whole stable for 2 reasons, the first, my horse poos where he’s stood eating his hay, I don’t like ‘poo juice’ squelching in his hooves so have the bedding to absorb that. Secondly, if only their back legs are on bedding of a couple of inches or more, it is causing all kinds of imbalances to their backs and hind legs
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Thank you! I’ve gone back and put 2 more bales so there are 8 in there now 🤣 I’ve got a 9th on standby!

I don’t like having hay over bedding so her fronts will be on the concrete and her backs will be on the bedding now, just…but understand what you mean re imbalance… will invest in some mats I think for the front x
 
One of mine lives in a small converted cattle yard, which is about 18' x 25'!

There is no way I am going to bed the whole thing. I have rubber mats covering about 1/2 of it now, and a deep bed about 10' x 12' against one of the few solid walls. He has been in this for many years now, and seems quite happy. He loves to roll, sleeps well laid out, and generally wee's on his bed but poos on the concrete, which is very handy. I semi-deep litter, and it stays faily in place - I just shovel the edges back once a day.
 
I always bed the whole stable right up to the door with straw. I don’t like them standing on concrete and I hate mats. Another who hates those puny ‘beds’ that’s basically just a sprinkle of dust in a corner!
 
My gelding is on straw so the whole stable is bedded except for the front where his water & hay is.
My mare is on chopped rape straw (great bedding, very economical and a nice bed). I’ve bedded down a good sized square for her, plenty big enough to lie on. I also don’t like the idea of her front feet being in concrete as she eats her net, so the bed has a small extension so her feet are on bedding while she eats (although I’m not sure why I bother, she seems to kick it everywhere anyway!)
 
I remember years ago, back when I was just a teenager, there was a girl who had this lovely black horse called Morrigan.

Anyway, she used to have rubber matting down and banks, but the whole body of the stable was literally a sprinkling of shavings. Like not even enough to not be able to see the rubber matting through the 'bed.'

I believe the mare was eventually claimed for unpaid livery fees, so perhaps it was a finances thing, but I remember always feeling sorry for the mare.

This is why I like straw. I love an enormous, fluffy bed.
 
Ime if the bed doesn't fill the space when it's put down, the horse will spread it around until it does, so the nice thick but small bed becomes a much larger, thin bed.
We started using chopped rape straw last winter and like it for the shelter. We are hoping to keep the horses out 24/7 this year again.
 
Jenko109 said:
I remember years ago, back when I was just a teenager, there was a girl who had this lovely black horse called Morrigan.

Anyway, she used to have rubber matting down and banks, but the whole body of the stable was literally a sprinkling of shavings. Like not even enough to not be able to see the rubber matting through the 'bed.'

I believe the mare was eventually claimed for unpaid livery fees, so perhaps it was a finances thing, but I remember always feeling sorry for the mare.

This is why I like straw. I love an enormous, fluffy bed.
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I was at a full livery yard over a year ago that did this! They said the mats were sufficient…one of the many reasons I left!

But yes 20 years ago there was more of a fashion for mats as the main source of bedding, was glad to ditch that!
 
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