Straw on rubber matting - do you??

grandmaweloveyou

grandmaweloveyou

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As title really - do you use straw on your rubber matting? I am debating whether to swap to shavings but they are 3 times the price as the straw and another livery said she uses a bale of shavings a week and I manage on a bale of straw a week (he has a nice deep bed dont panic - he is a clean boy) so it doesnt seem as if there is any less wastage? Also, selfishly, I have just bought a new straw fork and dont want to have to replace with a shavings fork hahaha x
 
Yes. The Fjord has straw on rubber matting, it makes a lovely bed. He is very clean and doesn’t seem to eat much of it either. It works out a lot cheaper then shavings.
 
Yeah i do
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yup I use a decent straw bed, but not like 3ft thick, on Rubber matting, the only reason I wouldn't was if the horse ate the straw and this gave them respiratory difficulties, or if they had COPD or similar anyway and it upsets their breathing, I like to think they are comfy at night!
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I used to but mare too wet. I now use cushionbed on rubber matting..... its a bit cheaper than shavings but you need to start off with a deep bed so rubber mattting is a bit irrelevant!
 
4 of mine are on straw and 3 of those have rubber matting down. I love it because the mares can be a bit mucky and straw is so cheap compared to Bedmax/ shavings i can give them a nice new bed every couple of days without worrying how much money im wasting on bedding. Mine always have deep beds and the rubber mats have become somewhat irrelevant now but they are so heavy and cumbersome to move, they're staying put!!
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Following on from OP - ie mine haha - I was doing a semideep litter bed - poo picking during the week and big clear out at the weekend. My "neighbour" made me feel bad so I have reverted to full muck out / bank up / dry out and re-bed every day but chatting to someone else today they said how the semideep / deep litter makes it nice and deep and warm and that they always do it. What do you think is best? I am guilty of doing what I think others think I should sometimes and it annoys me and ONLY applies to the horse!!!! LIkewise with the previous "to rugs being worn in stable" post - I WAS changing into a cold stable rug each night now I am leaving a fleece on under and MAY start to just leave his to on to save time etc!
 
I personally wouldn't, mine has a lovely deep fluffy straw bed on concrete floor, with my bed on concrete I disinfect the floor every saturday morning so it stays nice and clean
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However I couldnt have mine on straw and mats anyway as he is revoltingly filthy
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ETA: Mine is fully mucked out every day, I personally am not a massive fan of (semi) deep litering, I have seen a huge amount of horses get thrush etc on it.
 
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Who needs a shavings fork
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.... never ever had one and never intend to buy one and Motor's shavings bed is good enough for me and him
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N has full rubber matting and up until this year had a full bed, but I stupidly thought it would be better to just give him banks, with a small amount of Straw in the midde and see how it went
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.... I was only using a bale of Straw a week (so very inexpensive boy
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) .... well I am going back to my full bed, as I am now getting through 2 bales of Straw a week instead ..... no brainer for me
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Yes! Have mats down and straw bed. Means that any time she has to stand in during the day I can muck out and leave bed up until nighttime so saves work (doesn't happen that much but there are days when fields can't be used due to weather and we have no seasonal field rotation so need to save our pad for the summer). I like to have mats and straw it makes the stable nice and cosy x
 
I do the same as you if mine are in (which isn't often these days as not enough stables!)

Pick up poo in the week and scatter a bit of clean on top of wet patches, and then do a full blown muck out at the weekend.

Use some 'Equidry' stable powder to soak up the ammonia smell.

Then put the bed back. Only used about a bale a week in a 12ft sq stable.

Each to their own I reckon! Mine never had thrush or any problems from this muck out job - this was luxury after coming in from a boggy field upto their knees.
 
I have full straw beds on rubber mats and do a full muck out every day. I go through about 2 bales of straw a week. When on shavings I went through 3 bags a week doing a full muck out.

One of mine is cleaner on straw the other is the same on both, so have stuck to straw.
 
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