Straw or shavings for a thrush prone horse

[Jim bob]

My horse is very prone to thrush.

He has previously been on shaving and is currently on straw. However I am finding that my boy can still end up standing in wet pee or bedding eventhough I give him a nice thick bed of clean straw. Plus I find it takes the floor a very long time to fully dry out. Would you stick to straw for a thrush prone horse or move to shavings?

 

[criso]

Mine was actually much worse on shavings as he is quite wet and they would absorb and hold the wet. On straw it's a bit better as the wet drains and the top layer often stays dry. However he was best of all on wood pellets. Can't use them anymore as he tends to get an allergic reaction on anything except straw but his feet were clean and dry.

 

[Jim bob]

Thanks. My boy he I would say is average . He isnt like really wet or anything like that. Thank god!

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would say shavings would be drier but the bed needs to be very thick so the wet does not come to the top and soak through and I would muck out everyday.

 

[Tnavas]

You might find a mix bed would be good, straw is not absorbent, but allows urine to drain through to the floor. Sawdust and shavings are very absorbent so would be good in a deep layer below the straw to help keep hiim dry.

 

[Welly]

Hi, i have a horse who is prone to thrush I have also noticed that she stands in her poop at night which doesn't help. So I don't pick her feet out at night and find the mud protects them. I also use straw and leave my bed up during the day to dry.

 

[JillA]

I find as Tnavas says a combination bed is best and quite easy to manage. I use chopped rape straw or miscanthus as the base, they are absorbent and more biodegradable than shavings. The straw on top, provided there is enough of it, keeps feet off the base layer which has absorbed the urine, and also helps mucking out - you can lift the poo on a layer of straw and tip it into the barrow. Fork the straw aside and you can remove any wet patches.

 

[Leo Walker]

Wood pellets are brilliant for making a solid, dry bed. My cob is prone to thrush sometimes and his feet have really dried out now hes bedded on pellets

 

[Goldenstar]

Big flake shavings like bed max muck out daily including lifting the bed to a different side each day and allowing the floor to dry .

 

[beaker1]

I found a thick bed of shavings with rubber matting under helped my boy with his thrush along with cleaning weekly with hibiscrub drying and applying tea tree hoof oil improved his thrush immensly

 

[pokeynokes]

Why not try wood pellets. they are unbelievably absorbent. I get mine from White Horse Energy & you can get 5% off your first order with the code FloJul9563.

 

[Miss D]

wood pellets, totally the most absorbent bedding I've used, love em.