Making banks

[becca114]

Is there a knack for making banks for the stable? Whenever I try to make them for my stable they always look a bit pathetic and not very solid.

 

[scotsmare]

TBH unless they are 3ft high they don't do any good - save yourself the trouble and don't bother!! If your horse is regularly gets cast then fit a rubber strip along the walls of the stable so they have purchase for getting back over again.

 

[stencilface]

I do mine cos they look nice, and might keep some draughts out.....

I fluff up the straw and then bash them in a bit with the fork if that makes sense

Seems to keep them pretty stable, they are generally still there in the morning, unless sir has chosen to lie on on of them

 

[scotsmare]

Stencilface your horse is obviously better behaved in the stable than mine - mine just trash the banks!!

 

[Damnation]

My mare has about 2ft high banks (Because I have so much damned bedding).
I throw it up, flatten it against the wall and then square off the top of the banks.
I have banks because my mare likes to either lie against them or use them as a pillow

Izzi x

 

[Coffee_Bean]

I have banks because they look nice and my box walker walks inside of them, so she isn't likely to kick the wall. They aren't very high, about 1ft-2ft. I dig a little well in front and throw the bedding from the well up the wall the bash the tops down to level them off

 

[fredthoroughbred]

I LOVE BANKS!!!

I am obsessed with them even though I know my horse probably wouldn't get cast, it is simply a perfection thing.
I get the straw and make about a two feet high bank all round and then bash them down and then bash them in towards the wall. THEN I add another foot or so and do the same. I think you have to do the "double bash" hahaha to get the best out of your banks

I'm a little embarrassed after reading that back

 

[daretodream]

slightly of topic here a bit but i use straw beds too and i use banks because im sad and think it will keep him warm lol

but my wee turd of a horse keeps eating his bed even when i mix semi dirty bed with clean stuff, has anyone any tips on gettin him 2 stop eating his bed (without changing from straw) before he gives himself collic!

 

[becca114]

Thanks for the replies. Ill just have to practice with them to get them looking comfy and warm.

 

[michaelj]

DTD, If you shake the straw out, he shouldnt get collic.

 

[emmacl]

i used to have a mare that used to eat her bed we used to use a wak soloution of jeyes fluidin a spray bottle and just sprayed her bed to prevent it and it seem to work

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I have a back bank just because it's a useful place to store enough shavings for about a week or so with my deep litter beds. It slowly shrinks over about 7 or 8 days then the new bale gets chucked in and banked up.

 

[T_K]

I do the same as Damnation.

Just a thought though, make sure you turn them daily. I went to work at a Pony Trekking place years ago, there were 2 horses on box rest with HUGE thick banks - I went to turn them and they obviously hadn't been done for ages as they had mice living in them!

 

[Blaise]

I'm not really a huge fan of banks either. Most of the ones i see are in shavings beds and are about 1ft high if that & really wouldnt help anything if the horse got cast, i'd rather have the extra thickness on the floor so they dont bang themselves when they lie down. If my horse was on straw though i would put them in, but i have huuuge straw beds (mainly as i think it looks nicer than shavings

) and still make sure they've got a good depth before putting banks up. I make them the same as everyone else seems to; throw loads up against the wall so it looks like a big heap up against the wall then flatten the sides in and bang the tops down with a fork. I also make sure the corners are square, i hate rounded corners in banks (not at all obsessive am i?

)