Is there a Stable Powder that absorbs wee?

Tinsel Trouble

Tinsel Trouble

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I am trying to get my bedding costs down. Is there such thing as a powder that you can sprinkle on the wet patch area that absorbs wee?

It must be compatible with Rubber matting and with Shavings. I have tried alternative beddings but my big horse is a total pain and makes a soggy mess of his stable regardless of the bedding!

I think he hosts raves in there.
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
I am trying to get my bedding costs down. Is there such thing as a powder that you can sprinkle on the wet patch area that absorbs wee?

It must be compatible with Rubber matting and with Shavings. I have tried alternative beddings but my big horse is a total pain and makes a soggy mess of his stable regardless of the bedding!

I think he hosts raves in there.
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You can buy proper sawdust. Not shavings, but the actual dust. I thought about it and using it at the bottom of my bed to soak all the wet up as I semi deep litter now during winter. However, not recommended if you are in an indoor stable so to speak in a barn with other horses as it takes a while to settle down.

I went for woodchip instead. You could try sand though?
 
Equimins do a stable disinfectant powder, but tbh it isn't absorbent really, it's just good to put down an a wet (not soaking) floor.
i think you have to find something really absorbent that you can cope with. i swear by Ecobed cardboard bedding as it's really absorbent and even the messiest ones still have a reasonable bed no matter how they trash it!
 
Yes I love my ecobed but a lot of people won't consider it. My stable has a chalk floor and it dry in the morning. The wee drains through the chalk and the cardboard soaks up the rest. Brilliant
 
Yes you can buy a powder called Equidry, not sure if I can put all the details up here as I sell it so maybe that would be advertising? PM me if you would like details.
 
heidiharvsnroo said:
You can buy proper sawdust. Not shavings, but the actual dust. I thought about it and using it at the bottom of my bed to soak all the wet up as I semi deep litter now during winter. However, not recommended if you are in an indoor stable so to speak in a barn with other horses as it takes a while to settle down.

I went for woodchip instead. You could try sand though?
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I have considered the sand, and I was looking at our packet of cat litter this weekend, i'm was just a bit chicken to try it. Thank you for the recommendation I will have a go with the sand first! Unfortunately the big horse has COPD so I am unable to entertain the saw dust idea with him, I did have some and put it at the bottom of the pony's bed and this worked well- but the horse would just kick it up and around and through the bed!
 
I keep my (very wet) gelding on sawdust (although it's more like a sawdust/shavings mix). it costs me £18 for a tonne (delivered) which lasts 3 weeks and is brilliantly absorbent. I don't touch the wet all week, just remove it at the weekend :D

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...64604042327_633522326_8922316_344480071_n.jpg

You can always use this underneath something else if you're worried about dust but tbh, I kept a close eye on my gelding and he's not been drinking more or snotting or coughing. I might not use it if I were stabling all year but he's only stabled overnight from October till April time.
 
Megazorb is very absorbant, not cheap though. If he wees in the same place you could use it underneath your normal bedding in that area, which would make a bag last quite a long time. You would only need to dig out the wet once a week as it keeps on absorbing moisture even when it looks wet. I don't think sand is absorbant.
 
Tinsel trouble
Ask in your local country store for a powdered disinfectant and ammonia neutraliser for all livestock.
Dont mention horses--''stuff'' for calf/lamb pens comes much cheaper.
There are quite a lot of different ones available, one I am using is locally made.

Cutting down on ammonia in stables can only be a good thing.

I do bottom stables daily and sprinkle half a mug on wet area of floor and put bed back down.
Not used on good drying days when bed left up until later.
 
Tammytoo said:
Megazorb is very absorbant, not cheap though. If he wees in the same place you could use it underneath your normal bedding in that area, which would make a bag last quite a long time. You would only need to dig out the wet once a week as it keeps on absorbing moisture even when it looks wet. I don't think sand is absorbant.
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Megazorb is fantastic and very absorbant. I put it in the areas where pools tend to form under the mats (floor not totally level) and it makes life a lot more pleasant.

Have also seen a riding school bed down on bulk bought cat litter and that seemed to work quite well, but I have no idea what the cost would have been. Can't imagine it would have been the most expensive cat litter though!
 
the sawdust is brilliant for absorbing the wet and if you put it down and then normal shavings on top it will not blow around and cause gusts of sawdust in the air, really the only was to stop so much wet is to have enough bedding to absorb it, little 1/4 bales of shavings is not enough to absorb the amount of wet that will come out of a horse, whilst it might seem like a lot in the beginning you need to put in a good few bales of shavings and leave them in and when you get a nice deep bed going you will only just be topping up with new shavings in the end and only digging out the wet patch and then filling the hole again, it is called semi deep littering but it is a clean bed rather than a black dirty one where the whole lot needs to be taken out eventually.
 
At the moment we are on rubber matting and we have a 1/3 of the 12'x12' stable covered in shavings at about 6" deep (once swept into the correct shape) the horse gets through 3 bales of shavings per week! The pony gets through 1! Hence the trying to find a way to save on the shavings costs.

I would never just put a sprinkling of shavings down on the rubber matting. I believe that that the rubber matting was designed for vets practises where they need a soft but hygenic floor and walls. It was never designed to replace a good bed!
 
Cat litter will work out expensive- just use wood pellets instead- less cost. I buy a tonne from White horse (I think) for £207, it lasts one box walking two year old and a piddling prince of a section D about 7 months with them both in overnight.
 
katastrophykat said:
Cat litter will work out expensive- just use wood pellets instead- less cost. I buy a tonne from White horse (I think) for £207, it lasts one box walking two year old and a piddling prince of a section D about 7 months with them both in overnight.
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How do the wood pellets work? Does the truck just empty into the stable and then the horses climb in and a bit is removed every time you muck out?! Do you have to water the bed?
 
Foxhunter49 said:
All of the powders designed to eliminate stable smells and disinfect are mainly good old lime.

I use bags of lime powder, much cheaper and work just as well.
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Can I ask a really stupid question... by lime, do you mean the sort of lime used in the building trade where if it gets wet is bubbles and boils, or do you mean the lime that is spread on the fields... sorry- I'm really very simple...!!!
 
if you dont move the base of the bed around, in other words dont dig it like you would a vegetable patch, and only take out the wet patch in the middle (gelding) and fill it in with shavings (used/new) then just keep adding a bale a week you will eventually have a bed that is 12" (a foot) deep the bottom 3" will absorb the wet and it wont come up through the top of the bed, trust me we have 200 horses on this type of bedding.
 
I really like Biodri. Stalosan F is cheaper but not quite as absorbent

powders are really better on damp patches as opposed to wet patches though

Megazorb may be your best bet
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
How do the wood pellets work? Does the truck just empty into the stable and then the horses climb in and a bit is removed every time you muck out?! Do you have to water the bed?
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They come delivered in bags, usually 10kg or 15kg. I've used them for over 3 years and rarely take any wet out, 2 bags per week are used and yes, you do damp them.
 
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