Stable bankings

Never had banks... Fair enough I don't stable any more as mine are happy living out 24/7 (and we don't get snow) but even when working for a pro rider, none of his stables had banks. I never came into work and found a cast horse either. :) The horses were all toasty warm and the stables were not drafty - One of the horses was a feral... his bedding was always trashed, so banks would have lasted all of 2 seconds anyway. I don't actually know of anyone who has banks in their stables, I don't think they are that common over here.
 
NaeNae87 said:
Never had banks... Fair enough I don't stable any more as mine are happy living out 24/7 (and we don't get snow) but even when working for a pro rider, none of his stables had banks. I never came into work and found a cast horse either. :) The horses were all toasty warm and the stables were not drafty - One of the horses was a feral... his bedding was always trashed, so banks would have lasted all of 2 seconds anyway. I don't actually know of anyone who has banks in their stables, I don't think they are that common over here.
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I found that too in New Zealand. One place I worked forked all the straw into the middle of the box leaving the edges with no straw - the box was always a mess in the morning. He couldn't/wouldn't understand the importance of a good bed for the horses.

Its something I've found really difficult to deal with here.
 
Tnavas said:
I found that too in New Zealand. One place I worked forked all the straw into the middle of the box leaving the edges with no straw - the box was always a mess in the morning. He couldn't/wouldn't understand the importance of a good bed for the horses.

Its something I've found really difficult to deal with here.
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What like no bedding at all on the edges? Strange!!

I have found straw bedding is quite uncommon here too. Mostly we use sand or sawdust. I used to make sure the sawdust was quite deep (at least 15-20cms), it was a pain digging the wet bedding out, but in the event you had to borrow a stable to sleep in they were actually pretty comfortable :) haha
 
NaeNae87 said:
What like no bedding at all on the edges? Strange!!

I have found straw bedding is quite uncommon here too. Mostly we use sand or sawdust. I used to make sure the sawdust was quite deep (at least 15-20cms), it was a pain digging the wet bedding out, but in the event you had to borrow a stable to sleep in they were actually pretty comfortable :) haha
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Im looked at in shocked amazement when I suggest that the horses need banks. Straw is hard to get, it seems we don't grow much Barley or Wheat here in NZ. Last place we were on straw and the boss was almost in tears the day we had to start converting to shavings, the beds are not the same - I love straw beds. I actually find them far easier to keep clean and they don't smell like shavings can. Shavings move around too much
 
I suppose as with all these things, it depends on the horse, and the stable.

Mine have large stables that are not drafty, and neither are prone to being cast so I do not bother.

However if any of these factors were different, then I would bank.
 
none of my beds are more than 2 inches deep, and most vary from 1/4 inch - 2 inches. The liveries choice up to them as each bed is different. Some only have bedding in one 1/4 of the stable just enough to soak pee up. My pony has a handful only of megazorb over the floor area equivalent to one shavings fork load
 
HGA-12 said:
none of my beds are more than 2 inches deep, and most vary from 1/4 inch - 2 inches. The liveries choice up to them as each bed is different. Some only have bedding in one 1/4 of the stable just enough to soak pee up. My pony has a handful only of megazorb over the floor area equivalent to one shavings fork load
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Certainly wouldn't like to be your pony! Bedding is there for more than just absorbing pee. Every stable is draughty and they can make a horse really cold.
 
I bank up the bedding when he's not coming in, and just pull down a sprinkling if shavings to soak up any wee over the matting. But when making up a bed I don't use banks - they need to be decently big to work and my horse is a digger, so I would come into a shavings explosion if I were to bank his bed. However I always used to bank beds when I worked as a groom.

On the straw v shavings issue, I hate straw beds with a passion and would never use one myself. I just find that, no matter how thick the straw, there is always heaps of damp underneath, so the whole bed needs lifting daily to let the floor dry or else it stinks. Whereas my shavings I deep litter, just removing droppings and wet and adding fresh, and then dig out in the spring - which doesn't smell a patch on the daily mucked out straw beds I used to have to deal with at my old job. Admittedly I don't think the ventilation was quite right in their barn as was difficult to dry out, but it did put me off pure straw beds for life.
 
Tnavas said:
Certainly wouldn't like to be your pony! Bedding is there for more than just absorbing pee. Every stable is draughty and they can make a horse really cold.
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How do you manage to get the banks across the doorway? Under the door is where most of the draughts would get in.
 
K has small banks all round but when i do it and try and put the new shavings in the banks and old shavings for the bed part to try and make it last a bit longer. (also never known a horse to wee as much as him!)
 
khalswitz said:
I have a wooden block fitted to stop draughts coming under the door. Even with no banks and minimal bedding my stable is always much warmer than outside.
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Me too - I'm just always intrigued by the people who say you've got to have banks to draught-proof - and then leave a big gap by the door.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I've picked up a lot of useful tips and info on HHO, but doing without decent banks is a step too far. I like the look of them, they help prevent draughts, they leave a nice central area for the horse to snuggle down, and I'm sure that they help prevent horses getting cast. So mine are staying ;).
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This is me. I wouldn't say I am obsessed, just quite...particular!

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Tnavas said:
Certainly wouldn't like to be your pony! Bedding is there for more than just absorbing pee. Every stable is draughty and they can make a horse really cold.
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who are you to Criticize my ponies life who is more than happy ty she wants for nothing. Her stable is

A. Not Draughty
B. she is warm enough in the winter
C. she loves her stable life
d rubber bedding

Her previous life was

living on the moors,
struggling for food
sleeping on the cold damp ground
coat soaking wet
not worming
not jabs
no love
no warm coats

So in your mind a stable is not a stable with knee high bedding???

she is a damn site better off than some ponies in this country.

I do not see the need for that amount of bedding - pure fluffy coating IMO, a horse does not give a monkies how much bedding there is, its purely for the humans piece of mind
 
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LittleMonster said:
K has small banks all round but when i do it and try and put the new shavings in the banks and old shavings for the bed part to try and make it last a bit longer. (also never known a horse to wee as much as him!)
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you have not met my boy lol he only ever pees in the bank all 4 inches of them climbs up there wedged along the wall, he wont pee in the middle
 
HGA-12 said:
you have not met my boy lol he only ever pees in the bank all 4 inches of them climbs up there wedged along the wall, he wont pee in the middle
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It looks so uncomfy when they wee in banks!
before i ride i muck out and leave it up to dry (lots of wee lol) and he has to do a wee before we go so i make a little pile center of the stable... nope has to pee in the banks... Why do they do this to us!
 
I only have banks to put clean shavings on. Our stables are 16ft x 12ft and horse is 15hh. He lies in the middle of his stable, no where near the banks, so they'd have no purpose if he was cast. So I just use them to store clean shavings on, so by the end of the week, there are no banks until I put a fresh bale in.
 
Mine only has banks along the back, because he likes to lie against the back wall and I don't want him to get rubs from the concrete. Each to their own!
 
HGA-12 said:
he acts like a mare and climbs the banks to pee in them, ALL banks trodden down and dragged into the center of the stable
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HGA-12 said:
My pony has a handful only of megazorb over the floor area equivalent to one shavings fork load
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Maybe your pony is trying to tell you something!

Mine all have decent beds down for when they come in. They are happy to wee in the field, but none of them like weeing straight on their mats.
 
Auslander said:
Maybe your pony is trying to tell you something!

Mine all have decent beds down for when they come in. They are happy to wee in the field, but none of them like weeing straight on their mats.
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Mine LOVES peeing straight on the mats. He'll go to the front of the stable where there is no bedding (I have to bring bedding to the front to help absorb now) in order to pee. He'll poo on the banks though! He never used to pee when brought in just for an hour or so when I had bedding straight on concrete, but even with plain mats down he will pee every time!

I can admit he is probably a freak though.
 
I'll admit, visually I do prefer banks - and provided the horse had a big enough stable and wasnt a mucky pup then my preference would be to bank.

I don't bank with current horse as she wee's and poos in the banks which makes mucking out twice as long. So for convenience she goes minus banks
 
Auslander said:
Maybe your pony is trying to tell you something!

Mine all have decent beds down for when they come in. They are happy to wee in the field, but none of them like weeing straight on their mats.
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No my pony is not trying to tell me anything SHE is happy with her bedding arrangements and pees on the floor in middle or back.


My boy (15.1) is the one who pees in banks he has a full bed 15x14 stable albeit 2 inches all over he has always peed in his banks since he saw his mum do it. ;)
 
When I started reading this thread I though, 'GREAT, I can get rid of the banks' - should have stopped reading there. Now I've read the whole thread, and back where I started!
 
HGA-12 said:
I do not see the need for that amount of bedding - pure fluffy coating IMO, a horse does not give a monkies how much bedding there is, its purely for the humans piece of mind
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'it's a horse not a broody chicken' as someone once said to me, mine have a deep enough bed to ensure they don't end up on concrete when they lie down but no banks as such, one of mine doesn't even have a door :o she has a pen outside the stable so is never shut in as thats the way she likes it.
 
redfoxhunter said:
When I started reading this thread I though, 'GREAT, I can get rid of the banks' - should have stopped reading there. Now I've read the whole thread, and back where I started!
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Like everything else, it's a matter of opinion and horse dependent. Some horses need them, others it just adds to the time it takes to muck out. Some people think they look good, or help stow clean needing, others don't. I think it shows there's no 'right' answer just the best for your horse.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I think this thread could get as heated as the 'do you wash out your feed buckets' thread of 2004 or whenever it was :D
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Lol! I'd forgotten about that thread, I think I may have been one who riled a few fluffies :)

I do use banks but not for anti-cast as all my stables/barns/shelters have anti-cast strips fitted. I use them because my horses appear to like to lie into them and if they like banks, they shall have banks.
 
Spring Feather said:
Lol! I'd forgotten about that thread, I think I may have been one who riled a few fluffies :)

I do use banks but not for anti-cast as all my stables/barns/shelters have anti-cast strips fitted. I use them because my horses appear to like to lie into them and if they like banks, they shall have banks.
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I feel more comfortable with admitting that Alf has a single corner bank, because he appreciates a pillow when he's having a nap!
 
Ibblebibble said:
'it's a horse not a broody chicken'
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My youngster is on deep wood pellets on rubber matting, no banks. Once you've given him his big night time pile of hay in the corner on the floor he pulls it all into the middle of the stable, makes a nest, lies down and curls up in it and proceeds to eat it from under himself.

Daft blighter.
 
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