Stabling with no bedding

[baymareb]

Has anyone heard of this/done it? I am just curious because there is a person at my barn whose horse is kept this way and I'd never seen a stabled horse kept without some kind of bedding.

This isn't any kind of dig at the owner - the horse seems healthy and doesn't have bedsores (my mare would - she gets them if she doesn't have a huge, thick bed). The owner is out daily to clean and exercise. It's just alien to me so I wondered if anyone else had seen the same.

The horse is in a stall and small paddock combo (both about 12x12) so he's not just in a stall. But he is messy so the stall gets quite nasty, and he is an older horse (in his 20s) so I'd be concerned about either slipping, getting sores, or being reluctant to lie down.

I'd ask the owner but I don't know her well and I don't want to come off as being judgmental - I'm really not, just curious.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I assume the horse has rubber matting to protect from injury, but to be honest it is not right, bedding is for safety and for comfort. OK if she is only in a few hours per day.

 

[AmieeT]

My boss does this. Not one of her horses has had bedding for 5 years- rubber matting is on a slight angle to drain (ew) into a tank or something- but they're all perfectly fine xx

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I kept a young horse on rubber matting with a small patch of shavings to soak up wee. Rugs always stank of wee and that then made all my clothes stink. I would worry that the horse would not stale if there were no bedding and they wouldn't properly rest either.

My 19yr old has a large stable that is rubber matted and half of it has a shavings bed. He always chooses to stand on and lie down on the shavings in preference to the rubber matting. I would hate for him to have to lie down just on matting in all his wee and poo.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Have known a few people to keep them just on rubber matting, the horses stink the rugs stink its horrible, I am not sure either of mine would ever lie down on just mats, I suppose its what the horse is used to if that is all its ever known. Also think it looks cold and not very inviting, I like to see a nice thick fluffy bed for them.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

I started sasha on full bed with rubber mats, but she so wet and messy, lord knows what she does at night in there! So now she had big banks and a sprinkle of shavings on floor to soak up wee. Then I brush it all out in the morning and bring some bank down, I put one bag of bedmax in on a Saturday. Big lad has big deep bed as he will poop and wee in one spot. Both of them do lie down at night. Big lad full out and snoring head off!

 

[noblesteed]

I questioned a girl who kept her horse like this aside from a small corner of shavings so the horse could pee. The stable stank and the wee used to run out down the passageway. I was rudely told 'have you never been to a racing yard? All racehorses are kept like this. You don't need bedding with mats. " I just smiled and nodded and carried on putting plenty of shavings down for my horse.
My farrier did once tell me he much preferred shoeing my horse because it had a proper bed so it's feet were kept clean and dry and therefore healthier. I also can't be doing with the smell that your hands acquire from changing piddle-soaked rugs!

 

[Baycobsmum]

I recently moved yards (3 months)
I had always used shavings beds but the new yard used a set up like the others have described

Full rubber matting sealed and a sprinkling of sawdust to soak up the pee
They muck out/skip out 3 times per day

The stalls are clean and they horses do lie down with no bed sores ect

However I have my horse in a shavings bed still
Over half his stable and he always stands / lies down in these do obvs prefers them

I would worry about casting, bed sores and even thrush if standing in per that's not absorbed by jack if bedding until it's cleaned

Each to their own I guess
I feel my boy deserves his nice bed for comfort and I sleep better knowing he's safe tucked up at night

 

[Goldenstar]

I hate it and would never allow it here .
I hate when you are somewhere and a horse stands next you and you think yuk kept without bedding because you can smell it .

 

[Honey08]

I hate it too.

Yes a horse would lie down on rubber if it had no alternative, it would lie down on concrete or a pile of bricks if that's the only option it had. I had a 18' stable that I used to put bed down in half the stable, and ALL the horses used to lie down on the bed. They didn't even seem to like going to the loo on the bit that had no bedding. We used to have a DIY that sprinkled a bit of shavings and cleaned the lot out daily. I used to be ashamed when people visiting looked over that door. I've also never seen a horse lie down in the field so much during the day - instead of in the stable at night basically.. But then who would want to lie in their own pee all night...??

As for the big yards that do it, IMO its just lazy horsemanship and a way of cutting jobs to make the yard work quicker (and not need as many employees).

 

[horsefeed]

OP says he has access to a small paddock too so in this situation I wouldn't bed down either, he can roll, lay down etc outside. I never put bed down in my field shelter they have a whole field to lay on why waste money

 

[MrsNorris]

Mine's on mats with a half bed of shavings, he always does his business and lies down on the shavings and I'm certain that if there was no bed he wouldn't ever lie down and would probably try his damnest not to stale as well.
We had some at my last yard, and the sludge ran out the front of the stables onto the yard, it was revolting and the horses and yard stank.
So to answer the question, yes it is done and the horses do seem to cope, but I would never do it personally, too unhygienic and stinky!

 

[magicmoose]

OP, what is the base of the stable made from?

In a drier climate with a dirt floor in the stable, I wouldn't bed either.

 

[Clodagh]

OP says he has access to a small paddock too so in this situation I wouldn't bed down either, he can roll, lay down etc outside. I never put bed down in my field shelter they have a whole field to lay on why waste money

But if it is cold and wet? Mine have straw in their field shelter.

 

[MouseInLux]

My old trainer had a mare who ruined her bedding so quickly she was kept in her dirt floored stable with a sprinkle if shavings. She was only stabled in the afternoon when students were out riding and in the morning for breakfast. She never had an issue and trainer didn't have to strip the bedding every day (yes she was that bad).

 

[p87]

I hate seeing it. Not only is bedding for comfort and safety, but there is nothing to soak up pee leaving the stable stinking - and the horse covered in its own toilet. Revolting and downright lazy.

 

[Honey08]

OP said the outdoor area was 12x12, so hardly a paddock, just the small outside pen that is usual on the continent.

MouseInLux, that mare was only in for a few hours at a time, so bedding isn't really as big an issue. I have a really dirty horse though, and he still gets a good bed (even if I end up throwing loads away each day).

 

[horsefeed]

Nope, never bed field shelter. Its very unusual mine are stood in shelter even when blowing a gale and lashing down they just use it as a litter tray!

 

[mhorses]

There is just something cold and inviting about a stable without bedding.

 

[marmalade76]

Not something I would do, it makes everything stink and I really don't think horses would choose to lie on bare rubber. I did once put straw in a field shelter, they only went in the shelter to eat it!

 

[Kooklet]

My friend doesn't give her pony any bedding because he eats it and gives himself colic.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

Just relpying to the girl that told off by the girl talking about racing yards. I bed like an old boss taught me. His motto is if you wouldn't snuggle down and sleep in it don't ask a horse to. Sides are banked about 3 feet and plenty in the middle of straw. Breathing in urine is no way to keep a racehorse. I have pics on FB of how we keep stables. No other way for mine anyway.

Terri

 

[Chunkie]

Two horses on our yard kept like this. One of them is constantly dragging his rugs off the wall onto the floor. His owner is very proud of the fact that he doesn't wee in the stable, but that's probably because he doesn't want is splashing up his legs. He must hold it for hours, as sometimes he's left in until mid-morning and he wees anyway.

I was just saying to a visitor to our yard this morning that I always give my horse a bed that I wouldn't mind sleeping in myself

 

[Vinney]

Being stuck next to a girl at our yard who either has no bedding with mats or a very small amount now and again I get really fed up with the smell. When I get to the yard to muck out mine her stables are left open for all to see and smell while she messes about with her phone and feeding herself. I am not sure why she is so stingy with the bedding but her horses have rugs running in wee when they stand up so they obviously like to lay down to sleep. Personally I think it is a lazyness issue on her part as a quick scoop out is all she has to do rather than make up lovely warm comfortable beds that keep her horse clean and happy. There is no excuse as straw bedding is included in the price of the livery and your YO encourages people to use it for good beds.

 

[lunarlove]

I questioned a girl who kept her horse like this aside from a small corner of shavings so the horse could pee. The stable stank and the wee used to run out down the passageway. I was rudely told 'have you never been to a racing yard? All racehorses are kept like this. You don't need bedding with mats. " I just smiled and nodded and carried on putting plenty of shavings down for my horse.

Such a strange thing to say, I have worked on a couple of racing yards and all my friends work in racing and they have lovely big beds!!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I questioned a girl who kept her horse like this aside from a small corner of shavings so the horse could pee. The stable stank and the wee used to run out down the passageway. I was rudely told 'have you never been to a racing yard? All racehorses are kept like this. You don't need bedding with mats. " I just smiled and nodded and carried on putting plenty of shavings down for my horse.
My farrier did once tell me he much preferred shoeing my horse because it had a proper bed so it's feet were kept clean and dry and therefore healthier. I also can't be doing with the smell that your hands acquire from changing piddle-soaked rugs!

I've worked in racing yards and believe me they have beds, huge beds, the horses are worth a lot and the owners want to see them clean, comfortable, and safe.
I don't want to have to change my clothes and shower after seeing to the horse, and in case people don't know, horses have a very good sense of smell, I am sure they don't want to smell of their own urine.
If you go to some privately owned competition yards a groom will be round every stable twice in a morning to skip out.

 

[baymareb]

OP, what is the base of the stable made from?

In a drier climate with a dirt floor in the stable, I wouldn't bed either.

The base is hard-packed clay and the horse is on rubber mats. The outside paddock is really too small to properly roll and is a hard packed gravel so not very comfy for lying down.

It's not a way I would choose to keep mine but I wondered if there was some reason besides economic that I was missing. It seems more of a bother to me because it's a grey horse so he's always stained yellow. His weight is fine and as I said in the OP, he never seems to have sores but it just seems very nasty for him.

Edited to add - He is in most of the day as well so that makes it worse imo. While he gets out every day, it is only for a few hours at most so he spends the majority of his time in there. :/

 

[Mithras]

I have the mats, and I find they make mucking out a big bed easier! I'd rather keep a horse out 24/7 than in with no bedding.

I've noticed that when I've had them out in a small paddock with a field shelter, when I put straw in the field shelter, they would lie down in it and use it as a bed. But then I have horses that like their comforts - they pull rugs off stable walls to lie on top of, even when they have thick beds, and I once made the mistake of leaving an unopened bag of shavings in the small paddock. The next morning, it had been opened, emptied spread about fairly evenly in a big pile, and one of them had a tail full of shavings!

 

[delaneys]

My horses have big beds but 2 of the liveries do rubber matts and a small corner, tbh its not how I like my beds but they are religious about tidy beds and stables are flushed daily so the horses don't smell!

 

[catroo]

I have two big stables both with EVA mats. One has half a straw bed with wood pellets underneath but the youngster prefers to poo/pee in the straw half and lie down on the clean mats - odd boy!

The other only has a quarter bedded with straw, the old boy is so grim that everything has to come out each day so that's why he's straw only. Goes through a bale a day and is only in for about 6-8hrs during the day to get some haylage as the others are too tubby. I do feel bad because by the end of the day his stable is rank, I did persevere with a half bed like the youngster but was still taking nearly all of out each day and would easily get through two bags of pellets and two bales of straw each day.