Straw is the best bedding

[Ellietotz]

This was interesting to read. I'd been thinking lately about how wet it has been and whether my mare would actually lie down on the grass outside. She has a big double shelter with rubber matting but I don't know if she lies in it. Would you put bedding down in a corner in there perhaps if you were in my position?

 

[PurBee]

This was interesting to read. I'd been thinking lately about how wet it has been and whether my mare would actually lie down on the grass outside. She has a big double shelter with rubber matting but I don't know if she lies in it. Would you put bedding down in a corner in there perhaps if you were in my position?

I had a similar set up to you, they had access to soft ground and grass and had a large shelter, rubber 1 inch thick matted throughout for bad weather sheltering.
I didnt see them laying down outside, not to say they didnt though.
I did see them lay down on the mats, and unfortunately with rubber it chaffs their fur off their joints. Spotting this thinning of the hair is what alerted me to keeping an eye out to see if they were laying on the rubber.

So i ended up using bedding, as i didnt want skin infection to be the end point of the fur chaffing off completely. Its a rainy climate so use their shelter a lot. In a drier climate theyd lay on the grass more.

My gelding was laying down the other night outside on a massive pile of damp hay theyd pulled off the roundbale theyre currently inhaling, so they evidently dont mind dampness, and seem to prefer a cushioned area to lay on.

With one horse using your shelter, you could bed half so she can lay down completely stretched out for REM sleep, and you probably wont go as through as much bedding or time mucking out as i do with 2 horses swirling the bedding around using the same barn.

 

[Ellietotz]

I had a similar set up to you, they had access to soft ground and grass and had a large shelter, rubber 1 inch thick matted throughout for bad weather sheltering.
I didnt see them laying down outside, not to say they didnt though.
I did see them lay down on the mats, and unfortunately with rubber it chaffs their fur off their joints. Spotting this thinning of the hair is what alerted me to keeping an eye out to see if they were laying on the rubber.

So i ended up using bedding, as i didnt want skin infection to be the end point of the fur chaffing off completely. Its a rainy climate so use their shelter a lot. In a drier climate theyd lay on the grass more.

My gelding was laying down the other night outside on a massive pile of damp hay theyd pulled off the roundbale theyre currently inhaling, so they evidently dont mind dampness, and seem to prefer a cushioned area to lay on.

With one horse using your shelter, you could bed half so she can lay down completely stretched out for REM sleep, and you probably wont go as through as much bedding or time mucking out as i do with 2 horses swirling the bedding around using the same barn.

Thank you, I may put a little sleeping area down and see if it looks flattened in a couple of days. I know she spends most the time in there judging by the amount of poo! The shetland doesn't care for hay, he will find every strand of grass possible before eating hay so he barely goes in there!

 

[palo1]

We have open stables with rubber mats and straw and I would love to give them deep beds but have two that love to churn and dig the bed over which ends up making everything filthy and soaking I give them a good amount of straw and curse them for their filthy habits - it should be something that is on a 5 stage vetting; whether or not the horse is a messy whatsit !!

 

[Bojingles]

I much prefer rape straw to wheat straw - much more absorbent and less smelly.

 

[spotty_pony]

I have rubber mats and wood pellets. I also use straw for the banks as I like them to have banks and Wood pellets don’t make good solid banks. This reduces mucking out time muck heap space and they seem Happy enough. I have three in.. Two live out with a field shelter and they have straw in there. It’s on concrete, so I skip it out everyday and take the time worst of the wet out and add more approx every other day. It gets trampled into the floor and muddy because the field is so muddy at the moment but I think shavings would just stick to their feet and end up being dragged out of the shelter.