Living in

[AntxGeorgiax]

I am going to be bringing my horse in for the winter; and am going through a checklist!
Just looking at the best shavings to get- i have been reading previous posts and have narrowed it down to Auboise, Hunters, Phosplan (sp?) and bedmax.
I dont know if my horse is going to be a bed trasher or a neat thing; so looking for something good for absorbing, dust free as possible and economical.
Straw bedding is a possibility, but i would prefer shavings/hemp etc.
Any reccomendations would be really appreciated!

Also, any nifty reccomendations for storing rugs/drying rugs out as my yard only has one drier which is mostly full!
Thanks

 

[Alchemy]

I love Bedown Excel which are shavings mixed with chopped straw(although more shavings then straw) absorb very well, always smell nice and clean, reasonably priced compared to pure shavings.
Bedmax are also good but i found you needed a lot to start off your bed and they dont last as long but thats just my opinion

As for drying out your rugs best thing to do is leave on the horse overnight unless he/she is wet underneath rug.

 

[Grumpy Jewel]

Wood pellets seem good for those who are not bed trashers, but if they are they are time consuming to muck out if your a perfectionist IMO. Anything over rubber matting will reduction the amount and therefore cost over winter and can be thinned out over the day and thickened up at night time. Bear in mind the amount of hay/ fibre your horse will need through the day or boredom may set in and possibly lead to vices. Take a look at boredom busting threads on here for ways to keep your horse amused. I made a rug rack out of blue cord and a long drain pipe and folded rugs over that at the back of my stable which generally remained untouched. Will your horse like living in? And will you be able to leg stretch enough, or you may end up with stiff/puffy legs.

 

[pottamus]

I use Bliss Eucalyptus for my lad as it is very low in dust, easy to muck out and smells nice for my lad that suffers from dust allergy problems. I leave his turnout on overnight to dry off...never seen the point of stable rugs.

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

When i said live in, i mean she will be in over night and out in the day
I have heard many good things about wood pellets, but from the processes of soaking them etc it sounds like they are very time consuming?
I have rubber mats which will be put down, and the stable has a small channel for the wee to go through out the back of the stable and down the hill!
I have heard of eucalyptus shavings! Are they absorbent?
Alchemy- do you know if lots of stockings sell beddown or could you reccomend a website/company where i can order them? I am in Bucks so not sure if that is far away from your supplier?!
Thankyou for the replies everyone!
Is there anything important i need to have? I have all the various things like wheelbarrow, fork shovel etc but i know i will forget something!

eta- should say stockists not stockings!!

 

[putasocinit]

Mine were always on shavings, but just switched over to straw due to cost and coming in earlier, running out of hay, i know they can eat their bed esp when it is really cold weather, will go back to shavings in summer.

 

[Jane_Lou]

Sundown Red is the same as Beddown Excel (well almost - I prefer it and would use it if my horse didn't eat the straw out of it!) not sure where in Bucks you are but I get my Bedmax from Hunters Farm Shop near Bletchley - they are the cheapest for all bedding by far! (6.95 for Bedmax)