Straw beds without the smell, is it possible ?

[Asha]

We are nearing my mares due date ( 6th April), so ive just moved her onto a straw bed. I'm just dreading the smell that comes with it.

So good folk of HHO, any tips to keep the smell at bay ?

Have to say, love the look and feel of the straw bed, and would move all mine over if we didnt have the pong to go with it.

Thanks !

 

[ihatework]

In general, semi deep litter with a wood pellets base.

For foaling down I'm not convinced I'd risk foal nostrils near WP. You will probably just have to accept standard straw. Worth buying in a sack of Stalisan though

 

[Pinkvboots]

I only have one on straw it's a very thick bed with banks it's mucked out everyday floor swept and bed left up most days for most of the day, in the summer I will wash the wet bit of the floor with zorflora most days, he is possibly one of the cleanest horses I have ever mucked out only has a few wet patches and I am very picky about my stables they really are spotless I would sleep in them.

and yet I still stink of horse pee straight after I have done it its in my hair and clothes so I think the answer is no unfortunately someone else may have a miracle cure so I will watch this thread with anticipation.

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

My three are on straw. I definitely notice the difference in smell when the beds are left up for the day so the floor dries, and even more so if I can sluice with water before drying. I also find the deeper the bed the better with straw.

So my advice would be air well at the times your mare is not in there, wash with water (I use whatever water is left in their overnight buckets) and sweep clean whenever possible, and bed down as thick as possible

 

[ozpoz]

Thick beds are the answer - thicker than you would imagine. It will save time in the long run and keep fresh that way.
I skip out last thing at night and beds are up after mucking out. Sawdust next to the floor will be good too if you have a wet horse.

 

[Casey76]

Very thick beds, lift the bed and leave to dry every day, sprinkle the wet patch on the floor with DE once a week.

Hardly any smell (that I notice anyway!)

 

[JennBags]

This was my biggest worry with switching to straw too, but I bit the bullet a couple of months ago and did it anyway. I am amazed to find out that I don't smell any more than I did with a shavings bed (and both my partner and I are very sensitive to it). As long as you have a deep bed and keep it clean, there's no need for a smell. I use shavings or wood pellets under the bed, and dig it out about every 3 days, I add new shavings each time I dig out and I add a bale of straw every other time which ensure I always have a lovely clean deep bed.

 

[Cortez]

What smell? I have all but one of my horses on straw (one is a greedy sod & must be on shavings or he'll scoff the lot overnight), and the only difference I find is that it takes me twice as long to muck out the bl**dy shavings and I cannot get that bed as clean as the straw ones. Hate shavings with all of my being.

 

[windand rain]

What smell? I have all but one of my horses on straw (one is a greedy sod & must be on shavings or he'll scoff the lot overnight), and the only difference I find is that it takes me twice as long to muck out the bl**dy shavings and I cannot get that bed as clean as the straw ones. Hate shavings with all of my being.

me too

 

[ihatework]

There is definitely a smell that lingers on your clothes after full mucking out (however deep and clean your bed is). The bed/stable doesn't smell if managed well.
If you work on the yard full time oh either wouldn't notice or it doesn't matter.
If you need to get from yard to office directly pong free it is quite noticeable

 

[JennBags]

There is definitely a smell that lingers on your clothes after full mucking out (however deep and clean your bed is). The bed/stable doesn't smell if managed well.
If you work on the yard full time oh either wouldn't notice or it doesn't matter.
If you need to get from yard to office directly pong free it is quite noticeable

Sorry but not in my case; I go up and muck out, and then go either home or straight to the office. I can smell it on the jacket I wear daily, but never on anything else. My OH is very sensitive to the horse smell, and doesn't smell it on me. However, I don't change rugs and maybe that makes a big difference. A few years ago, my horse was away on training livery, and the day he came back, the only thing I did with him was change his rug. I went home and absolutely reeked, I couldn't bear it and my OH also mentioned it - it was because he'd been on straw, and I blamed the straw but actually it was the rug-changing!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Sorry but not in my case; I go up and muck out, and then go either home or straight to the office. I can smell it on the jacket I wear daily, but never on anything else. My OH is very sensitive to the horse smell, and doesn't smell it on me. However, I don't change rugs and maybe that makes a big difference. A few years ago, my horse was away on training livery, and the day he came back, the only thing I did with him was change his rug. I went home and absolutely reeked, I couldn't bear it and my OH also mentioned it - it was because he'd been on straw, and I blamed the straw but actually it was the rug-changing!

You haven't got a proper straw bed though. A straw bed with shavings or pellets underneath is going to soak up the wet the same way a shavings or pellets bed does, and those beds don't make your clothes/hair smell whereas a true straw only bed does.

 

[JennBags]

You haven't got a proper straw bed though. A straw bed with shavings or pellets underneath is going to soak up the wet the same way a shavings or pellets bed does, and those beds don't make your clothes/hair smell whereas a true straw only bed does.

I did have a "true" straw bed for the first 3 weeks I had my most recent addition, and I didn't find it smelled then either I mucked that one out daily; but still kept a very deep bed, and I didn't get smelly.

 

[SpottyMare]

me too

me three. I also agree with Cortez about shavings - tried them for 2 weeks, took me twice as long to muck out and absolutely hated it.

I have a gelding on miscanthus pellets and a mare on straw. I muck the straw bed out and go straight to work, and don't smell at all (and believe me, my colleagues would tell me if I did!). I was reading something the other day (might have been on H&H?) and it said that if you smell after mucking out straw, then the bed isn't big enough.

 

[Asha]

Thanks for all the replies. So it seems that thick beds = less smell. So, is this deep enough ? Bob certainly likes it

 

[poiuytrewq]

There is definitely a smell that lingers on your clothes after full mucking out (however deep and clean your bed is). The bed/stable doesn't smell if managed well.
If you work on the yard full time oh either wouldn't notice or it doesn't matter.
If you need to get from yard to office directly pong free it is quite noticeable

I agree. I do work on a yard but we are all shavings. Even going from work to pick up my daughter from her work where one mare is on straw I can smell her.

 

[Dubsie]

Thanks for all the replies. So it seems that thick beds = less smell. So, is this deep enough ? Bob certainly likes it.

Gosh no, we have at least twice that. No smell, and leave up to dry off in the day time. I used to muck out and then go to work, definitely no smell. Having said that I did wear wellies. If you wash your boots off after mucking out, and wear waterproof gloves and take care to ensure your clothing is covered by overalls OR you o't let anything touch it- then no smell.

 

[Boulty]

If you put shavings or pellets underneath (and under the bankings) then this will absorb the wee that tends to pool at the bottom of straw beds and improve the smell. If your drainage isn't great then it may not eliminate it completely but I've noticed a difference when I've done this (I don't do it as a rule as shavings aren't in with my livery, just if he's in a lot / when the roof is leaking badly and I want to keep the bed a bit drier!) If you can leave the bed up to dry for a few hours every few days that helps too. I also think rubber matting tends to smell more than concrete as wee tends to pool under the mats unless they're sealed in.

 

[Casey76]

Thanks for all the replies. So it seems that thick beds = less smell. So, is this deep enough ? Bob certainly likes it

No, definitely not deep enough, especially when you take into consideration how fluffy it is. you need a good solid bed about a foot thick

 

[Asha]

I will defluff it , and add more today ! Thank you

I actually put some in one of the others bed last night, over his shavings. He loved it, and for the first time in ages, I caught him having a full on flat out snooze. If I can keep the smell at bay, I will be a convert

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

I too would say that its not deep enough in the pic, my beds would be as thick as your banks.

Glad your other horse appreciated it all mine lay down all the time in their stables, in fact I have one that I regularly have to encourage to get up to go out in the field!

 

[ponydi]

Depends on the straw as well - wet will run straight through wheat straw to the bottom, barley straw soaks it up more

 

[claireandnadia]

This is a good post after me having to put 2 stables along with no notice, I could only use the straw sold from the farm so having being a shavings person forever, straw is all new to me and it absolutely stinks. Probably doesn't help that my mare is in season a lot.
My bed isn't very big so I'll make that my task this weekend.

 

[First Flame]

I will defluff it , and add more today ! Thank you

I actually put some in one of the others bed last night, over his shavings. He loved it, and for the first time in ages, I caught him having a full on flat out snooze. If I can keep the smell at bay, I will be a convert

This is why I keep my smelly mare on straw, she loooooves to sleep and will rarely sleep on any other bedding but on straw I have to check she is still breathing sometimes, haha.
Echo what everyone else has suggested, leave the bed up to dry as much as possible, plenty of fresh straw. I do find the extra thick bed helps but only if topped up with fresh straw, occasionally my yard get my bed too big and then it does not need more straw and gets smelly. I run it down for a day or two or take out more than required then top up with lots of fresh straw again.

 

[Asha]

its been a week, so thought id give you an update.

The mare in foals stable isn't bad. To be fair shes clean anyway, and now has a lovely thick bed. Which she adores. I'm leaving it to air, and washing the wee out with disinfectant. her stable has a lovely aroma !You get a lovely fresh smell in the stables when hers is done. Clearing it out, can be a little pongy, and does linger a bit more on my clothes than shavings. But not a massive difference.

Ive put two others on it, with a layer shavings underneath. These are much better to muck out, and don't smell as much when mucking out. Both these horses are lying down more than they did on shavings alone. But I do find these take a little longer to muck out. I also disinfect these.

The major benefits ( apart from horses preferring it ) from my perspective, is its definitely cheaper, and the wheelbarrows are much lighter to push, mucking out in general is lighter all round than shavings, so if you have a bad back definitely consider straw.

The downside, my muckheap is filling up faster.