what bedding if ease of mucking out and cost are irrelevant?

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ghostie

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As per the title really - my new horse will be on full livery due to work commitments so I don't mind how easy or not it is to muck out (evil laugh). I can choose between straw, deep litter shavings or a standard shavings bed. There is a small extra charge for a shavings bed that isn't deep littered - but that doesn't bother me if it's better for the horse. I have the option to put down my own rubber matting if I want.

Provided the horse doesn't have dust allergies or a habit of eating its bed WWYD?

Thank you!
 
I like a rubber mat with clean shavings, most deep litter shaving beds are squelchy.
I put the clean stuff down on the wall and remove the dirty bits as I go.
Good clean straw [long stalk wheat straw which has been lightly threshed is ideal, but barley straw can be palatable [can colic TB types] and can be dusty
It does matter how tricky to muck out, as the staff can vary from good to hopeless, and horse can be mucky mare or classy clean.
 
Straw. As long as it's deep enough and maintained properly, a decent straw bed is wonderful - and totally natural - for horses. If the straw is good quality/not too dusty, it makes a lovely, warm, soft bed for horses to bed down in. Straw doesn't move around as much as shavings so poo tends to stay put and, if the bed is deep enough and properly mucked out, the wee soaks down to the bottom and the top stays dry, leaving horse standing on a clean, dry surface.

I initially put Kali on straw for financial reasons, but now feel that he'll never be bedded on anything else - even if I win the lottery ;).

P

Edited to add: the straw at our livery yard is grown on site and is long-straw, lightly threshed as Miss L Toe describes . . . not dusty, sweet smelling and quite soft. In the past, I've had Kali on shavings, flax, hemp, Rapasorb, Easibed . . . he is a restless boy so all of those meant his bed was reduced to a pale brown mush by the morning . . . because the straw doesn't move around as much, I actually find whole piles of dung in his bed (a first) . . . much, MUCH easier to muck out (not your problem, I know) but also means HE is much cleaner (he's a grey so that's quite important) - not to mention his rugs.
 
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I keep mine on a deep bed of Miscanthus (like shavings but bio-degradable). So easy, every morning I just poo pick and sweep back.

Once a week I add 1 bale, at worst 2 bales if he is stabled for a few days due to bad weather. I find it is easy to do and cheap :)
 
Standard shaving bed 100%. Straw is dusty and smelly- and if we can smell it then it must be awful to stand in a stinking toilet all night. I dont like deep litter as if your horse has a bad night etc and churns bed up it can mean its ruined and you have to start a bed. Shavings are less dusty, less smelly and as warm as a straw bed if deep enough.

I also find they are more supportive when a horse lays down for the night than straw.
 
Paper, I love a big fluffy paper bed with enormous banks. It MUST be mucked out properly, and be deep enough to not go through to the bottom when stabbing it with a fork.

Most of my liveries are on straw or shavings, as that is what they prefer, but the day will come when I give up and just tell them all that they're having paper! Nothing is allergic to paper, it's never dusty, it doesn't cling to rugs and tails, and looks wonderful in my opinion. I first used paper when I worked at a vets, and fell in love with it!
 
Another one for straw, I wouldnt bed my horses on anything else personally. They always have lovely deep and warm beds, wee goes to the bottom so the top stays nice and dry. Looks amazing when done properly to :D
 
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BigRed said:
Aubiose, every time, makes a lovely bed, never dusty, super absorbant. Looks nice too.
Click to expand...

^^This.

Its fantastic stuff. Top keeps totally dry, no odour, totally dust free. Absolutely fabulous to muck out and makes brilliant compost. Only downside is cost.

If Aubiose isn't an option then shavings. A well managed deep litter bed of shavings should not be squelchy - mine never has been.

I love the look of a clean deep straw bed but they do smell revolting the minute the horse has had a wee.
 
I have recently been converted to paper/cardboard on rubber mattings, very clean, dust free, easy peasy to muck out and free (we have an indutrial cardboard shredder and use the waste form my OH business). Great for my mares COPD, she is clean and the muck heap is rotting down very quickly.

My second choice would be easibed or a similar wood chip bed - very stable, dry surface and dont blow around everywhere
 
What is all this malarky about straw beds being smelly? I haven't found that (and I hate the stink of urine). Kal's bed doesn't smell unless and until I disturb the wet underneath the dry (and I have to dig for it - he's not standing or laying in or on wet straw) . . . but there is a decent amount of dry on top so the predominant smells in his stable are: clean straw, fresh hay and his rugs (which smell like him - not like pee).

P
 
I've had horses on both straw and shavings. Shavings is easier to muck out but I love straw beds. Chester is on straw and he's hardly ever got stable stains.
 
We use wood pellets because I have THE most disgusting gelding on the planet who can trash any bed in ridiculously short time... The pellets are the only thing we've found that means we don't have to give him a fresh bed every other day...

But...if someone else was mucking out and keeping it all nice and tidy I'd go for fluffy, fresh looking shavings... :D
 
I had my boy on shavings for a whe but it was getting expensive I figured I could put him on. Straw much cheaper. It's easier to muck out by a mile and he is so much happier on it than he was on shavings.
 
If money wasn't an option I would use Aubiose. I currently use Easibed and love it - I just take the wet out once a week. I would never use straw - I can't stand the smell, and creates a huge muckheap!
 
When my friend's family built stables a couple of years ago, they decided to invest in liquid rubber flooring, link below:

http://www.wes-products.co.uk

I don't think it was cheap, but it was most definetly a good investment!

I stable my horse at their yard and mucking out is a doddle as the floor is even and seamless, so no grotty mats to lift every few months.

It's spread quite thickly so the floor is cushioned and warm. I use shavings on top, but as stable is fairly large, I only need to spread them at the back and still have banks.

It wasn't too easy to lay though as dries quickly so there needs to be a few people on hand!
 
PolarSkye said:
Straw. As long as it's deep enough and maintained properly, a decent straw bed is wonderful - and totally natural - for horses. If the straw is good quality/not too dusty, it makes a lovely, warm, soft bed for horses to bed down in. Straw doesn't move around as much as shavings so poo tends to stay put and, if the bed is deep enough and properly mucked out, the wee soaks down to the bottom and the top stays dry, leaving horse standing on a clean, dry surface.

I initially put Kali on straw for financial reasons, but now feel that he'll never be bedded on anything else - even if I win the lottery ;).

P

Edited to add: the straw at our livery yard is grown on site and is long-straw, lightly threshed as Miss L Toe describes . . . not dusty, sweet smelling and quite soft. In the past, I've had Kali on shavings, flax, hemp, Rapasorb, Easibed . . . he is a restless boy so all of those meant his bed was reduced to a pale brown mush by the morning . . . because the straw doesn't move around as much, I actually find whole piles of dung in his bed (a first) . . . much, MUCH easier to muck out (not your problem, I know) but also means HE is much cleaner (he's a grey so that's quite important) - not to mention his rugs.
Click to expand...

^^^^^this^^^^^

Totally agree with you! Only bedding my boys don't trash, will lie down at night on and always look clean!!
 
just to say thanks to everyone who posted - really helpful! I *think* I'm going to opt for shavings (not deep littered) as I'm a bit worried that my new boy (if he passes his vetting that is :) ) may eat his bed and that being a TB he'll be more prone to colic. Yard can't guarantee which straw they have in as it depends on availability.

Was really helpful to have lots of opinions.

Quite fancy some rubber matting too, but that might have to wait a few months until my bank balance recovers from the shock of buying him and a whole horsey wardrobe for him :)
 
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