Shavings or Straw ?

[amc]

As it says really, what are the pros & cons of both ? I'm getting new boy on Friday, he's currently on straw but yard uses shavings and want to know what you guys all think please, thanks

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Straw is generally cheaper and give a nice warm comfy bed, but you do tend to smell of pee once you have mucked out!!!

 

[Sprout]

I use shavings on rubber matting, but I used to use straw.

Shavings are more expensive, and dont rot down like straw, but it is so much quicker to muck out, you can just buy a few bales at a time so dont need a lot of storage space, and for horses with a dust allergy shavings are better.

I know a straw bed looks much more cosy, but horses are not nesting animals and dont lie down for long, so a clean dry bed is what they need.

 

[amc]

Thanks for that, I am returning to horses after 21 years so I am very, very out of date ! I've never used shavings before but think I will try it ! New boy comes on Friday so I'm very excited !

 

[PennyJ]

Good luck with your new horse. I use shavings with mine because they are greedy so and so's I struggle to keep remotely slim looking, but I prefer straw, both cost-wise and for mucking out quickly.

 

[RachelB]

I HATE shavings!! Give me straw any time, at least it's easy to get looking clean! I don't do the "fluffy" bed thing, I prefer a nice thick layer of whatever it is to encourage my horse to lie down. She used to lie down on straw all the time (but she also used to eat it and then colic...) but shavings, even with rubber matting underneath, she won't lie on. It's also expensive. We have some still on straw at work (rest are on that horrible dusty wood pellets stuff) and as long as the beds are cleaned out properly and disinfected where the wet patches are, it doesn't smell too much. I mostly come home smelling of the hay soaker and the drains, not of mucking out!
You may find you get on with shavings though - for example I know a lot of people on here hate paper shreds, but I grew up mucking that out so I love it!

 

[amc]

I also grew up mucking out and used get a real thrill of a lovely inviting straw bed (sad, I know) but with work etc., and as the other girls use shavings I'll give it a go and see how I get on but if I'm honest I think I'd prefer straw, just have to play it by ear I suppose, I can't belive how much things have changed, this new boy is coming with 7 rugs !! I had a NZ, jute & sweat sheet and that was it, we used to cut old blankets if it got really cold to put under rugs and then go down yard at 11pm to put them straight again !

 

[amc]

Thanks PennyJ, I'm soooo excited, he's a lovey ID X TB, just right for me to get back into it !

 

[sammiea]

I have always been a shavings girl but this year father in law asked if i wanted him to get his straw baled for me (how sweet of him) due to the rising costs of shaving not to mention the difficulty of getting hold of decent ones. So i went with this and i can safely say i wont be switching back

Ok my straw only cost pennies to have made and i use 2 bales a week max so of course its good but shavings were costing me an arm and a leg nearly £7 a bale and at a bale every 5 days thats just stupid. I now actually find straw easier to muck out now ive got used to it.

 

[Tiffany]

Good luck with your new boy tomorrow

I love the look of s straw bed with big bankings and it is cheaper than shavings but the yard I'm on only allows shavings so I use rubber mats and shavings.

 

[GoldenWonder]

i looove straw but sadly my boy gets irritated by it and starts to chew his legs like theres no tomorrow

he is now on hemcore which is OMG soo expensive but he does lie down on it, plus i only use 1 bale a week !! lol

 

[Riverboy]

I prefer straw, but the yard I am at only allows shavings

Straw is quicker and easier to keep clean, also call me sad but i used to love having him on a really deep bed looking all snug.

He does have rubber matting with his shavings though.

Good luck with your new one its always exciting.