If you could choose any bedding, what would you choose?

[NativePonyLover]

P is currently on straw, which I fully muck out every day, but I've recently moved house (I had planned to move yards - but alas, that won't happen now) & I'm now seriously changing bedding to A. save time in the mornings before work & B. to something slightly less 'fragrant' to muck out every day ...!

I'm curious as to what other people would choose if they could use anything? To get some ideas before I make a decision.

Rubber matting? Lightweight EVA mats? Shavings? Woodchip? Or something else entirely?!

 

[ebonyallen]

Straw every time for me, like yourself I do a full muck out every day, but when you look at that bed when its put back down with lovely banks nice and thick it just looks so snuggly and warm and some days wouldn't mind sleeping in it myself. So I am no help as I would not want to use anything else sorry, hopefully others will give you more info lol

 

[eatonbraynat]

I use aubiose. It's great just hemp doesn't have a strong smell. It's designed for deep littering so very absorbent. I poo pick bed everyday and only need to take wet out once a week or every five days at a push. Would never use anything else but you do need to set the bed up quite thick so it works properly then it's just top up once a week with a bale which costs 8.50 where I live.

 

[PorkChop]

I have used rubber matting and miscanthus for years, once a week full muck out, poo pick every day. Once bedded down it makes a really stable bed that always looks neat and the poo sits on top, it also doesn't smell!

 

[Evie91]

Rubber mats - whole stable and super thick shavings bed (equine gold preferred brand - dust extracted). Full muck out every day

 

[Holly Hocks]

I only discovered Nedz Bedz this year and wow it's fantastic! One bale goes a long way. I'm only adding one bale every fortnight and the bed looks amazing. I deep litter it and just take out the wet once a week or every 10 days or so. Don't use woodchip type bedding unless you have a very strong back! I used it for quite a while but found it incredibly heavy to muck out with when you take the wet out and couldn't work out why I always had a bad back!

 

[BSL]

rubber mats and aubiose.

 

[rowan666]

Straw, always. It looks so warm and snuggly!

 

[Archangel]

barley straw every time.

 

[SpottyMare]

Rubber or EVA mats with a layer of dampened miscanthus pellets where they are wettest and then covered with straw. Wet gets removed daily - still a full muck out, but much quicker and much less wastage...
Miscanthus absorbs the wet incredibly well, much less straw gets used/thrown out as it doesn't get soggy and the bed still looks snuggly..

 

[EbonyJayne]

I prefer shavings. I just find it easier.

 

[Auslander]

Miscanthus, with a bit of shavings mixed in for fluffiness. After shifting 13 sticky, heavy mats last week when the horses moved, I swore that unless they were professionally fitted and sealed, I was never having mats again. Vile things...

 

[hihosilver]

Shavings mixed with bed max gives a lovely fluffy deep bed x

 

[9tails]

Rubber mats and wood pellets. Mucking out takes a few minutes.

 

[Sheep]

I use chopped straw with eucalyptus and bitter apple to stop them eating it, since its basically chaff! cheap at £4.50 a bale and 4 bales gives a decent bed to a large stable. I do love shavings but they are too expensive.

 

[Arizahn]

Straw here, £15 per round bale

 

[OldNag]

Straw. Can't beat it.
But for time-saving, I now use wood pellets.

 

[Abby-Lou]

Thick equimat & thin layer of shavings. Full muck out each day smells so much cleaner than straw. use blue frog shavings

 

[meandmyself]

Equisorb over fitted/sealed mats.

 

[Wagtail]

Rubber mats and either megazorb or wood pellets. Both of these are so quick and easy and never smell.

 

[ozpoz]

I'll stick with barley straw. I am sure my horses are more contented on it than any other bedding and it allows them to trickle feed if they are in for longer periods.
It is clean, and rots down into beautiful compost too, and £10.00 per large bale. : )

 

[CrazyMare]

I have fully matted stables and use big flake shavings. Ican do all 3 stables in 30 minutes including doing hays and waters!

 

[case895]

Rubber mats and Bliss, as it rots down very quickly and allotment owners will take it.

 

[LeneHorse]

Mine is on a deep bed of bedmax on top of rubber mats. She must like it as she lies down & sleeps quite a lot. I skip out the poos during the week and lift the wet at the weekend and put in a new bag of bedmax once a week. It is very clean and neither horse nor myself smells of pee. It's not the cheapest option but it suits me.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I wouldn't change from what I have now, which is earth floors, layer of stone and a foot of woodchip. All wet drains straight through, no smells and cheap as chips after initial set up.

 

[PolarSkye]

Straw - sorry. Yes, it's smelly to muck out, but once you get the balance of the bed right, i.e., deep enough to be stable, but not so deep that it's unmanageable, it's ridiculously easy to muck out and makes the loveliest, warmest, softest bed.

P

 

[Cortez]

Straw for me and mine too; stables are built to drain, so don't have a lot of wet to take out; easy and quick to muck and they can always have a nibble if feeling peckish.