Possible silly questions about using wood pellets...

[Holzdweaver]

I use woodpellets for my hens, quails and ferrets (i used them on my old mare briefly but they pulled the moisture from the walls as they were always very damp along the back so didnt use them long) and know how good they are for absorption and for making a nice solid bed, iv searched the threads on here and have read a lot of them, but haven't found the answers to my questions. im ordering a pallet for my boy and just thought of a few things while pondering, if any current wood pellet users would be so kind?


I use pig oil on his lower legs in winter as it seems to have helped with mud fever, will i end up with the bedding stuck to his legs in a horrid mess?

Also, do they stick to the horses coat and tail like shavings do?
I dont mind brushing his tail daily but because its so fine, it may be harder to get out if that makes sense?

as my feathered pets are deep littered on it and only the top is riddled, i add eucalyptus water soluble crystals to the mix when in soak to help aid clearer breathing plus it helps to keep everything fresh, is this safe to add to the horses bedding?

anything else i should know? good or bad? any tricks?

 

[Captain Bridget]

It does stick to the horse a little but no where as much as shavings. And yes, I think it would probably stick to pig oil on legs, it certainly sticks to hoof oil.. I don't know about the crystals though. Never used anything like it.

 

[Holzdweaver]

Thank you CB, i did expect a bit of sticking, but thats great if its not as bad as shavings, my horse is a roller and coats himself in his bed. Thinking about the eucalyptus salts, the stuff i have is for birds so i wouldn't use that in case of reaction, but does anything add anything to their bedding to keep it fresh, or doesn't it really need it?

 

[cobgoblin]

I haven't had any problems with pellets and pig oil, but I usually oil before turnout so it's not 'fresh' when they go in the stable. As far as tails go the wood pellets hardly stick at all and if they do are far easier to brush out than shavings.
No idea about the eucalyptus.

Eta
You don't need anything to keep the bed smelling fresh.

 

[Holzdweaver]

Oh thats good, i do tend to apply in the mornings so that will be great. I dont mind the sticking and brushing out but it sometimes drives me a little crazy when his tail is more shavings than hair! I swear he has parties in his stable at night, iv had to pick bits out of his ears before now... he only rolls like that when he gets wet though, he has upgraded from using his haynet to dry his head, to rolling his head in his bed.

I spray jeyes on the floor when i take the wet out once a week but dont really like the smell, was hoping to add something which actually smells nice, il start an internet search on horse friendly nice smelling stuff xD

 

[Fjord]

The wood pellets don't stick in the tail hair anywhere near as bad as shavings, they are so much easier to deal with. You shouldn't need anything to keep them smelling sweet either, as long as you make the bed deep enough to catch the wet, I'd say at least 4" deep, more if your horse makes a mess. I take the wet out every 5-7 days and don't have a very deep bed, but my mare is tidy and always goes in the same place. If she does wee on the thinner part of the bed I take it out each day.

 

[LovesCobs]

I use them with a gypsy cob, I find if I bring him in the pellets dry his feathers really well over night, brush out easily if on any on his feathers (but there isn't much) his feathers look great and I can then oil them and send him out. I don't need to wash his legs. It works really well for us

 

[poiuytrewq]

I used to add eucalyptus essential oil to the water with no problem. I know you don't need it to keep the bed smelling fresh but my horse had copd and I found eucalyptus helped his breathing. Putting it on his bed was a good way of using it!