Messy Straw Bed Help

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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My new ponio (mare) is on straw, which has always been my prefered method of bedding, but she is very messy. She tends to box walk (seems to be mostly whilst waiting for us to arrive in the morning) and the front 3ft of the bed, where there is straw when I leave on a night, is virtually bare and the little there is, is terribly churned up and mixed with trampled droppings.
Is there any way you guys can think of helping this, without changing from straw? And if you think changing is the only way then what's best (and cheap like straw
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), as I have no experience of other bedding? My stable has about 4 bales to start it, then about 1 bale a week top up at £1.50/bale.
 
My mare was disgusting on Straw, Swapped to shavings, less smelly, much cleaner and easier to do.. It now costs me £5.30 a bale of shavings as to £1.25 for a bale of straw.. however mucking out takes less time etc.. so worth it in the long run.. my stable has rubber mats, took 4 bales of straw to fill, shavings took 3 bales, and i put 1 in every week.. her bed is so much better... I also smell a lot nicer
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I use rubber mats and have shaving as my banks. It will cost you at first but in the long run it will save you money. You should think about it in your case you could us straw for your banks.
 
Id stick with straw. At £1.50 a bale I would be puttting more in to be honest! Those of us on shavings are spending waaaay more than you are....lucky devil!
 
Make the bed deeper!
She may get better after a period of time, I know that was the case with one of mine, who for the first month or so was a 5 barrow job every day, then he got better and better so it's now 2 barrows a day.
Can you get up there earlier, or is there someone else who can put in a bit of hay in the morning just until you arrive, to give her something to do?
 
I deep litter mine monday to friday, creates a nice compact base and it stops my horse from digging it all up. Mine doesn't box walk but she seems to be quite active, and also doesn't move gracefully around the stable but throws herself around to change direction, so digging up the bed. With it deep littered she doesn't dig anything up.

As Spans says, for £1.50 a bale I would be putting more on!
 
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I will try putting more in, because, like you said, it's very cheap.
I can't really get there any earlier, as am there at 6am as it is. I feed then my friend turn's out a bit later as one is v v slow at eating! There is only us two at the yard, but luckily it's only a 1 min walk from my house!!
 
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