How to manage a straw bed?

[Laura-Maybe-IV]

I keep my boy on a deep straw bed . . . originally he was on an aggregate floor and I found I could semi-deep litter that with no bother, but now he's on a sealed rubber matting floor (no seepage underneath and rubber mats (part of the sealage) up the walls) and I have found that I need to take the wet and poo out every day. As already mentioned, I do keep a really deep bed and I do top up with clean straw every day . . . if I don't I find that I pay for it (in terms of mucking out) either the next day or the day after.

Kal is a dirty horse (which is a trial because he is grey and I HATE him being dirty) so I do like to keep his bed as clean as possible . . . and I find that keeping it deep and making sure there is a decent layer of clean straw on the top every day works. He only has two banks (and they are huge) and I only turn them properly once a week, but the floor of his bed gets a good going over every day and I remove all poos I find and as much of the wet as I can . . . I firmly pat down the remaining straw and then when level and the banks are refirmed I add fresh clean straw.

Hope that helps.

P

Thank you P, that's definately given me something to think about, I'm lucky as currently mine are being turned out everyday unless its terrible weather. But I will certainly be keeping my mares bed clean as she can be very dirty where as my sec a and shetland are suprisingly clean! I'll be keep my mare on a deep bed because she's getting older it'll cushion her joints more
I agree with you though keeping the bed thick is the way to do it as I found the same thing before with straw if it got a bit too thin it would be foul to muck out for the next two days...

 

[Chestnuttymare]

If you have worries about the smell, try 'stablemate' made by emvelo. i went back to straw a couple of years ago, love straw but not the smell. This stuff is great and a small bottle lasts ages. I don't smell at all after mucking out
I do a full muck out daily.

 

[Captainmouse]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned stable boy! Disinfectant powder designed for the job and doesn't involve wetting your stable floor.

 

[tallyho!]

Broke_but_happy can't quote on phone but did you say your horse eats the straw? Straw is bad for horses. Sorry if I'm mistaken!!

It could be if they are not used to it I suppose like anything, too much hay after grass can be bad for them too. Also, if they are fed grain, the straw will slow the digestion or allow the starch into the hind gut which can also cause problems so its not completely safe. Also, y must consider the state of teeth for chewing efficiently... if they arent as effective then i would imagine colic could ensue! However, if a horse is on a fibre based diet only then you tend to find the gut adapts to any fibre very efficiently.

I feed my horse barley straw and she supplements her own diet with wheat straw from her bed. She does eat hay too by the way, it's just that she seems to like a varied diet. I say, more fibre the better!