Shavings

shadeofshyness

shadeofshyness

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Hi all

My horses in the past have always been on straw so I don't know much about shavings at all. I'm going to start a part loan at the end of this month and he is on shavings.

He gets one bale per week. This is put down on the weekend and gradually used up through the week, so it's quite a thin bed by the end of the week but it's on rubber mats. It has banks at the start and gradually these are brought into the bed to thicken it as more is taken away.

Any tips to reduce throwing out shavings unnecessarily? Someone said about a 'flipping' technique?? Any wonder-tools I should invest in? Would rubber gloves and a bucket be better than a shavings fork?

Thanks
 
I have 5 horses on shavings (2 minis share a stable though som4 boxes to do!) I start my beds with about 5 bales of shavings then add a bale every 4 or 5 days. I have rubber mats and have about 2/3rd of the stable covered in shavings. I remove any droppings on the mats with a shavings fork, then use gloves and a bucket for any in the bed. I also have, have, have to remove any tiny pieces by hand, can't stand bits in my bed. The wet is removed by carefully scraping the top clean dry layer of shavings off the top to reveal the wet patches, then I take out the wet. The wet bits of the rubber mats are then swept dry. The holes are then filled in and the bed made fair again.

I don't throw all the bed like some do, I try not to disturb it too much if possible. If the horse is messy you can keep throwing the shavings up the wall and the bits fall down, but I don't put my shavings fork into a pile of poo as it can spread it into a million pieces and I'd be there all day picking out bits!! I also have huge banks.

I would have to buy a couple of bales to make the bed thicker, I find if you start with a decent bed you don't spend any more keeping it thick. Mind you it does take me bl00dy hours to muck out, depends how fussy you are!!
 
I deep litter my older horse on shavings to make sure he has a thick supportive bed.

I poopick with marigolds during the week then lift the dry top 3 or 4 inches of the bed and let the poos I have missed roll down, take those out then if I am riding the bed is left up until I am finished. If he needs a bale added I pop on on top once the bed is pulled down. I don't use a shavings fork I just use a rectangular snow shovel :)

I put in roughly a bale every three weeks now. I had to put in three to get the bed started then one every two weeks until the base formed. Now the bed is stable and hard underneath an lovely and fluffy and dry on top. Just over half the stable is covered and he has thick rubber mats. Saves me a fortune in shavings.
 
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Thanks both.
Oscar - yes I can see why it is easier if the bed has several bales in - this only has one and is about half an inch deep, so does get totally churned up overnight.
As it isn't my horse I can't change anything about how it is kept, but thank you both so much for all the tips :)
Going to be quite a change from sneezing through straw!!
 
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