I'm going to be in a box for christmas

I

imyourstalker

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I need help please! My horse doesnt really like being in but is getting better. Except for the fact I find his stable like this at 7am every morning:
stable1.jpg

stable2.jpg

These pictures actually make it look better than it is. But basically I am having to take out almost half a bale of shavings a day. I cant have the horse on straw because he is wetter on it and eats it. And I cant have him on shreddings because he is scared of them (hes a confused horse).
I basically wanted to know would it be cheaper for me to deep litter? I've never done it before, so dont really know how, apart from you keep the wet (i think). Please any suggestions to help me out a little wouldnt go a miss. Thank you for reading x x x
 
I used to semi deep litter (until i moved yards where they dont do it) my boy (monday to sat, take out wet sunday) at old yard - it was so much cheaper i gave him a huge bed so the wee kinda stayed where he produced it (in the middle) and it meant i only had to add a bale a week (going from adding almost that a day!)... i found it so much cheaper and am really glad i did it although its dirty to remove on the sundays
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Get the shavings which are bigger - I've found I don't go through as much.

Is he being kept in 24/7? because if so then thats just the way it is if you don't skip out twice a day (without meaning to sound harsh! My horse is in on weekends and we only muckout once a day and end up taking a good 2 barrows out.)
 
I've had mine on straw and shavings, both deep litter and not and the bigger and deeper a bed I give them, the cleaner it is... being honest, looking at your bed I'd be putting another 3/4 bales of shavings in just to get it bigger and softer.

if he is really messy, I'd prob go deep litter, but I'd look to have the bed at least 6 inches deep in the middle

Is it possible he's just a party animal - I know mine on occasion invite all their friends into their stable and get up to heaven knows what!
 
Thank you all!! I shall look into it all. I'll try the semi littering whilst getting through the bales of shavings I already have and then maybe try him on the pellets
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Hen is only in at night from about 6pm-7am. I think he saves his toilet duties until bed time to spite me.
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Isn't it a bl**dy nightmare!!! Mine hates being in but has had a suspensory ligament injury and can start doing a bit more after Christmas. My stable looks like yours every morning, cos she box walks, very well indeed even on a calmer. I've put mine on mats so I need less on the floor and just shovel out the s**t twice a day!!! Mats are defo the way forward when they are so messy,
hope you get it sorted
Rach x
 
We have rubber mats down so they only need a little bed in the corner. It's probably the same amount of shavings as yours though- they get quite a thick bed to say that they have the mats.

They usually look like that in the morning, and we mix in the wet with the clean bankings thoroughly twice a week and add half a bag of shavings twice a week to each and mix it all in. We only take out the very worst of the wet- eg when it's that horrible solid patch of red looking stuff, and throw it all up so the poohs roll down. They have their beds up all day and then we sweep out the poo at night and put the bed down, with bankings since it's in the corner.

I've always taken all the wet out everywhere else i've been, but this method works really really well, the beds are nice and fluffy. I don't know how it works but it does- the dry banking stuff must soak up some of the wet and as long as you mix it in properly it works really really well. They each only have 1 bag a week (half weds, half at weekend) and i would say the bed is about 5x4' with decent bankings, and about 6 inches thick.
 
One *leetle* word of caution on the deep littering... it can give off pretty bad amonia fumes which are potentially harmful as well as unpleasent. Having helped out at a yard that did it throughout the entire winter I'd /never/ do it again. Basically your horse pees a set (ish) amount. If you're not taking it out it is staying there under his feet. (Obviously it does drain/evaporate a bit but you see what I mean.) By all means give it a try but do be mindful of ventillation and review after a little while.
 
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