How much bedding with rubber matting ??

amc

amc

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 August 2008
Messages
694
Visit site
Hi all, I have just had rubber matting fitted in stable and currently put shavings on top with banks covering about half a 12 x 12 stable, I'm using about a bale a week top up, friend in stable next door just has shavings and seems to think I'm not putting enough in
shocked.gif
Matting is 34mm EVO stuff, horse lies down and seems happy, I love it and find it very easy to do..........advice please
confused.gif
 
I use a bale a week too
smile.gif


That's more than some people on my yard who just put a small sprinkle and less than others who have a full bed - just do whatever works for you and your horse xx

I don't think my matting is as thick as yours either - it's the manueverable stuff!
 
We use just enough to allow them to pee and to soak it up with a little bit banked around the edges.
I always remember a lecture many years ago on bedding, and it was brought to our attention that horses normally lie down in the hardest part of the field and they DONT MAKE NESTS!!!

I've never forgotten it, rarley make my horses nests and they've all been happy and comfortable for the last 30 years!
 
April, matting was a bit naughty as I got the thickest I could find but it's fab stuff and very light as its this evo stuff (don't do technical) but only got 1 horse so felt I could spoil him
smile.gif


Northhorse, I must off gone to the same lecture as I also can remember being told exactly the same thing, I was trying to put forward the case for huge straw beds at the time and had no answer when told "but horses don't nest" (20+ years ago)
blush.gif
grin.gif
 
I use megazorb on my mats as this is the only bedding that copes iwth piddly clydesdale mare. I have a bed over the back half of a 12 x 12 stable. I use 1 - 1 1/2 bag a week during winter.

With Cairo, he used to have shavings and chopped straw mixed, again back half of stable and about 4" deep.

This worked for me as it stopped wet running out (my mats are porous) and rugs from getting too horrible. I used about a bale of bedding a week.
 
[ QUOTE ]
"but horses don't nest" (20+ years ago)
blush.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I wish someone would tell my mare that - she get's her rugs down from the rack, spreads them on the floor and lies on them. Way more expensive than an extra bale of paper
smile.gif
 
Made me chuckle......perhaps you should get her one of those fleecy dog beds....in large, very large ?
grin.gif
 
I agree with Northhorse 100%, I used to just have thin shavings to soak up wet on top of mats. Loads of people used to nag me about horse needing a deep bed, but I stuck to it. Mucking out is quick, its good for horsey's lungs and you can replace the lot and clean out easily.
 
quite_hack, does your horsey still lay down though ? I am really pleased with my rubber matting but as I said my pal in next door stable, who has shavings on concrete, thinks I am not putting enough bedding in, I honestly think I am but as this rubber matting/shavings malarkey is all new to me (old bird, used to use straw) I am a bit novicey at it all, my boy does like to lay down at night and although I THINK he's comfortable...... can't believe I'm asking this, I do worry that he's going to hurt himself.......must sound like a soppy mum now....
 
My mare won't lie down unless she has a thick bed on top of her rubber matting unfortunately. When I got her I was told she never lay down in her stable (that yard had rubber mats and a small amount of shavings). She did lie down when I got her, initially no mats so a thick shavings bed. When I got rubber mats for the stable I put a smallish bed down, and sure enough she didn't lie down. I stuck to my guns for a week with a thinish bed, but then gave in as I do want her to lie down (she is in at night and out during day). Her rugs would stay a hell of a lot cleaner tho' if I did put a thin bed down!!
 
I was interested to hear about horses not making nests. My 2 yo was turned away (with another 2 yo) in our bottom field which had been topped and the (scrapings - inedible I might add!!) had been left in the middle of the field. Each morning I would find a body impression on the heap - this went on for several weeks!
I think that the boy liked a comfortable bed!! It was his body impression, as I found the 'hay' on his coat each morning
 
That's a sound argument northhorse about horses laying on hard ground and not making nests. But horses in the wild don't have to bed down on the same 12ft square of ground every single night. They walk often hundreds of miles and are always in a different place every night so there is absoultely no possibility of them lying in their own pee and poo. Even if you watch them in a field, they won't by choice lie down in the area they use for pooing. It's totally different in a confined stable where there is not usually enough room for them to be picky so they HAVE to trample/squash/lie in piles of poo and puddles of pee.

My neds are both on deep litter shavings and topping up is about a bale every 6 days. I do find that the more generous I am with fresh shavings, the easier they are to muck out. I actually take less out. I think this is because with a deep litter bed with a good layer of fresh shavings on top, absorbs the pee easily and the moisture from the poo. So poo just shakes free easily and pee in a deep litter rarely needs taking out.

Whatever bedding you choose, as long as your horse doesn't get capped hocks, he's probably ok though.
 
I wish I'd thought of that 20+ years ago when stymied by lecturer ! What a brilliant arguement against not nesting, I also think that no animal will lay in it's toilet out of choice which is another aguement for keeping horses out when ever possible
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top