Shavings or Straw?

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ecrozier

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Moving yards soon, and trying to decide what to put down in my two stables? The two that will come in are my arab and our formerly lami pony who is OK now but can't risk the frost!
Currently I have them both on shavings (thin bed) and rubber mats, but our stables are integral and solidly built.
Where we are moving to, the stables are outdoor and wooden, nicely built but bound to be more draughty? So whatever I have, I am going to need to build banks/thicker beds I think.
Both horses are pretty clean, I don't do deep litter though as I can't bear the smell!
I'll be using rubber mats again, but just not sure what to use on top? As I see it the main problem with straw is disposal - but on a livery yard that is not such a problem as they deal with it?! The main benefit of straw there is that it is FREE! But does it take much longer to muck out? Its ages since I had a straw bed!
Any opinions gratefully recieved!
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Well I used to deep litter my straw bed and TBH it never smelt. I think it's because the wee only smells if the air gets to it.

I only discovered deep littering quite late on and highly recommend it, found it far easier than shavings/hemcore/rubber mats or standard straw bed.
 
I moved to shavings with my first horse because of respiratory problem so even after a 15 year break my new horse went straight onto shavings. However I'm finding that I'm spending a fortune on extra shavings and at our yard the straw is free so I'm moving to straw. I recall that straw was much much faster to muck out and the other thing I'm looking forward to is not having shavings stuck to the inside of all his rugs. I wil be keeping a close eye on his respiratory system and his waistline for a while though but I think everything will be easier and cheaper for you and me !!
 
Firstly if your deep litter bed smells then you are doing it wrong!
If straw is free then I'd be inclined to use that however if you don't like the smell aspect then it might not be so good, especially when lifted every day and combined with rubber mats
 
I've never deep littered myself Ben and Jerrys, becuase all the ones I have ever been in have smelt! Having said that, most of them were on a livery yard I was at a few years back where the staff were a bit suspect, so they may have been doing it wrong - what should be done to stop them smelling?
And why would a bed lifted and cleaned every day smell? Surely if I made sure I got all the wet out it shouldn't? WOuld be mucking out in the am, leave bed up til pm like I do now.
 
i tried my mare on straw and she kept eating the bed. despite covering it in diluted jeyes i was losing half a bed a night. i am back on shavings (hemp) but i find straw much easier and quicker to muck out
 
given the fact the straw would be free, go for the straw i say, i usually prefer shavings but did used to love straw, so i am am sure you would get used to using it again, especially for free
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