Should I be concerned that she never lies down in the stable?

Rosie'smum

Rosie'smum

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Rosie is fine in her self, but should I be concerned that she never lies down in her stable?
Her current stable is 12x12 wooden outdoor stable and bed is half at the back. She is a 14hh cob. I did have her bed covering the whole stable but slowly it has ended up to half bed as now I dont currently want to be paying for more shavings as already pay £16.20 for 2 bales a week.

At her old yard she had an 12x14.5 internal stable with solid walls but the front was bars so she could see out. Her bed was half at the back and have used both straw, rapasorb and micanthus bedding all which I know she has lied down in and did every night.

Not sure if she lies down in the field, but I doubt it as she is in with 2 others and she is middle in the pecking order, other is a very dominant mare,

We both have dust allergies so she is on haylage and shavings currently but dont know if I need to change her bed to make it more appealing for her to lie down or I'm over reacting?

Straw would be cheaper but she is a wet mare and worried about drainage, or lack off, I only have rubber mats at front and not at the back.

I was just reading the thread "how much of your stable is covered with bedding" and it got me thinking...

Could I have your views please?

Thanks!!
 
I know mine don't lie down if they aren't feeling relaxed, so on a new yard, they tend to stand until they're feeling secure. My big lad didn't lie down in his stable which is also 12 X 12 until he had the whole floor covered in a deep bed and my mare doesn't lie down unless the bed is very clean and dry. Too fussy by far, that one.
Studies have shown that horses seem to prefer straw, although, like people, they're individuals and not all like the same things. I guess the main thing is that the bed is clean and there's room to get down on it -and that the horse is happy and able to see his/her friends.
 
I thought that might be the case that because it is a smaller stable she stands in the same spot and does everything there, where as in the old stable she was able to do everything off the bed so her bed was nice a clean. Perhaps that's why. But even with a full bed to the door she does everything in the middle so with her haylage one side and water the other there still is not alot of room.
Might need a re think in stable layout and someone to give me money so I can buy another 4 bales of shavings to fill up the rest of her stable!

I know she likes her own space but perhaps she feels to closed in? She like to be nosey so have to have her haylage right to the door so she can look out.

Either that or risk a cough and go for straw....

Thanks for your reply.
 
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How can you pay £16.20 for TWO bales of shavings?? I would try straw and give her a really deep lovely bed and see if she lies down then. I have a wet mare and give a really deep bed and take the wet out every few days, works great for us. You could try taking it out every day though if she is super wet. Or if you could source shavings any cheaper would put a thin layer under the straw bed.
 
There £8.10 a bale seems the going rate round here and that's the cheapest because they are sold at the yard so now travels costs.

That's some options worth considering thanks
 
The only time my lad lay down in the stable was when he had laminitis, in the 5 years he's been stabled, he never lies down! Had him on straw originally now shavings n rubber matting, hasnt made any difference! He does lie in the filed occasionally though. Wouldnt worry too much.
 
I would imagine that it is the lack of adequate bedding which is stopping her from lying down. Make sure that there is a good deep bed throughout the box. You will only need to make the extra payment once, as you will then just be able to take the muck and worst of the wet out and top up as you do now.
I wouldn't put her on straw if you both have a dust allergy but it might be worth investigating different types of bedding to find something which is better value for money than your current shavings.
 
My gelding appears not to lie down in his stable..at least I never find any squashed poos or shavings in his tail. He is on rubber mats wall to wall and a good depth of shavings which he loves to roll in but I ve just no evidence he lies down.
 
Well I done rose a straw bed and the first night she had lied down! in all the manky stuff so it wasnt that her bed wasnt clean enough for her. Im happy now that she feels comfortable. :)

Photo really doesn't show how awesome this bed is :D

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0xihn2pr17nf99q/2014-12-01 13.53.57.jpg?dl=0

Out of interest how much do you pay for shavings?

straw is 12 a big square bale which im sharing so much cheaper *hopefully*!
 
Going rate around here is £8.50 - £8.95 for Hunters Shavings. The cheapest shavings are about £7.50 apart from that and they don't have nearly so much in them. I would be careful about using straw with a horse with dust allergies. I can't muck it out at all as I am wheezing like mad afterwards. You might also find that she is not secure enough to lie down as when she does she can't see her neighbours. Presumably in her old internal stable if next door neighbour was standing she could still see them when she lay down?
One of mine has not lay down in his box for the last 3 years despite a very deep full 12x12 bed. He can also see his neighbour as we only have half partitions between the stables and his neighbour is one of my other horses who he loves. My other 2 lie down but not him. I often see him lying down in the field though. I would be surprised if your girl does not lie down at all. Even dominant mares should allow their herd to lie down............
 
Not read all the other replies so apologies if I am repeating anything, a couple of things spring to mind - Could you invest in more mats so the entire stable was covered? How old is your horse? - I ask this as I noticed that as my old mare aged she stopped laying down in the stable.
 
I did have mats for the whole stable but found without adequate drainage they were useless.

She's 12 so still young :)

Old stable were solid walls but half solid half bars in front.

I wear a mask when making her bed but I have found as only skipping out and today was the first proper day I was ok. She is on haylage which helps alot.

She definalty is happier now that most of her stable, apart from a small patch by the door and under her haylage is covered as she lied down again last night. This time more towards the front of her stable.

So think I made the right choice. I will of course keep close eye on her in case she starts to cough but she had a cough last year I think mainly as everybody else seemed to and she did start on the dusty hay this year hence the haylage and hasn't coughed since.

Thanks everyone :D
 
This has been an interesting thread as neither of my horses are laying down in their beds, they both lie down in the field if the weather is nice and sunny, they're both well settled at the yard, having lived their for years. My gelding used to, but hasn't so far this year. I think it's because they're both arthritic and though they have larger than standard boxes, I have wondered perhaps they're worried there's not the room to get up.

My gelding has a very thick straw bed, my mare is on shavings because she has breathing issues, she has thick mats and a generous covering of shavings.
 
YAY, congratulations! So glad you solved the riddle. I found this quite interesting and my filthy beast will lie/roll almost anywhere whether it's muddy/dry/wet/ even on a very thin bed he has during the summer.
 
Mine does everything at the end of her bed & uses the back but to lie down. She lies down a lot! All the time; she loves it! And she's on straw too! Although she occasionally likes a good dig!
 
I know my lad lies down - always find squashed banks where hes rested his pretty head (I prefer to think its his head anway!) But I have only ever actually seen him lying down in the stable once in the (nearly) four yrs Ive had him and that time he was a bit colicky so I know if I catch him laid down something is amiss.
 
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