What really is the best bedding?

I cannot stand straw, and my horse has dust allergies so straw can be challenging. He lays down in whatever and seems to exercise no preference when it comes to his sleeping. Some wood shavings have also been really dusty. The best seems to be flax straw pellets. Absorbs well, no smell, and easy to sift through. It's not super light in color, but I'm not so obsessed with a box looking a certain color as long as it's clean and dry.

I've always preferred pellets, and again, horse seems to be fine with it.
 
My horses have free choice of stables as they open onto a barn and the doors are left open full time.

My rubber matted stables have a good bed of shavings covered with a good layer of straw. I have been accused of being over generous with both beddings but there is far less wastage with big beds than with thinner ones. The shavings stop the smell and the straw is inviting for the horses.

I have tried other bedding. The horses did not use the stable with megazorb in even when covered in straw. They used the shavings stable as a toilet only. The straw only stable was wet, minging and smelly even with full daily mucking out. Paper blew everywhere. Rubber mats were a toilet area. I liked the chopped hemp but it priced itself out due to a shortage one year.

Every bedding has its pros and cons, non are perfect. Given free chice my horses prefer to lie down in the field.
 
TPO said:
Nedz Pro for me.

A big straw bed is lovely but most stables aren't built with the drainage that "olden day" stables had. Straw isn't absorbent so all the urine goes to the floor and sits (if the floor isnt slightly sloped towards drainage channel). I've never managed, or met anyone who has, to bed on straw and not smell of urine after mucking out.

I find wood pellets go dusty too. They never look like a very appealing or comfortable bed given that they are damp prior to drying and going dusty.

I liked shavings and always had a big bed in top of mats. However even with dust extracted versions there was still dust. I also got fed up funding sharp bits in bales.

After much umming and ahhing I switched onto Nedz Pro (chopped straw) and love it. It makes a comfortable looking bed, smells amazing, no dust, very easy to muck out, no wastage and economical.

Someone else posted that they use Bliss bedding. It sounds along the same lines as Nedz but cheaper. Unfortunately no supplier anywhere near me or I'd have tried that. So if chopped straw appeals to you might be worth looking at that brand too.
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Im a recent convert to Bliss. My favourite was always thoroughbred shavings, but i couldnt get any, so tried Bliss, and loved it. the beds are nice and thick, smell great and they are £££ cheaper. One of ours would only lie down on straw, but he lies down on bliss, so even the horses are happier . So easy to muck out too, the clean just falls through the fork. I do get straw in when we have a mare in foal, and did try to keep some on it, as Finn loved the bed. But the smell was just awful, even if i lifted the bed every day. Plus the stables are right next to the house, i could actually smell the urine when i walked passed one of the barn windows. if you buy direct from Bliss you get better prices too.
 
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I’ve used paper, shavings, nedzbeds and pellets over the years.

If you made a huge bed out of paper it was great, but really heavy to lift the pee out. No one really sells paper now either so that stopped.

My favourite is my current- Sorbeo wood pellets. I wasn’t keen on them for years as I didn’t think they looked particularly comfy and the fact that you watered them first surely defeated the purpose! However, they’re brilliant. You need to make a good big bed out of them to start with I think this is where people go wrong. Ive also added a standard shavings to the banks (i like huge banks).

Hate straw. Unfortunately someone uses straw in our barn and it stinks. There’s definitely a smell lingering from it ?
 
The best bedding is the one that suits the horse and owner in the particular stable, which may change with circumstances.

I deplore the practice of putting a few shavings onto a mat or two even more than the practice of giving half a bed and leaving the rest of the floor bare. Given the choice, while they do not make nests, ime, horses will find the softest place to lie down in a field, even if that is a pile of hay.
 
be positive said:
I love a really good deep straw bed, I had the same conversation with my farrier the other day and he agrees, he dislikes the trend of a thin layer of something on top of rubber mats, I have never used pellets and like you do not really like the look of them which is of no interest to the horse who has to lie on it but if I have to muck out I like to have a nice big fluffy bed to deal with, I will try and find the photos of michens boys sleeping in their luxury straw beds as an example of how they should be.
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Would not go to a yard that used straw as old horse had COPD. Vet said what used to be called the heaves was far more common when straw was the common bedding. Much rarer now apparently
 
I'm always paranoid about mites in straw, and dust. I also find it difficult to muck out.

I use Laysoft (woodchips) as a thick base, and then mix in small-flake shavings. Deep, absorbent, and stays white.
 
First choice would always be a good straw bed, fully mucked out and swept back every day. Current yard doesn't allow straw, so next choice is well-fitting rubber mats, plus a good thick shavings layer with a bank at the back (which Sir uses as a pillow!).
The box slopes to one side slightly, so I put a run of pellets where the wall joins the floor and that soaks up the wee very well.

I just don't understand people who use a sprinkling of unsoaked pellets on either bare concrete or mats - nothing there to encourage lying down and it stinks to high heaven!

The head girl at the yard I worked at as a kid used to say: "Would YOU be happy sleeping on that bed? If not, it's not good enough for your pony."
 
be positive said:
I love a really good deep straw bed, I had the same conversation with my farrier the other day and he agrees, he dislikes the trend of a thin layer of something on top of rubber mats, I have never used pellets and like you do not really like the look of them which is of no interest to the horse who has to lie on it but if I have to muck out I like to have a nice big fluffy bed to deal with, I will try and find the photos of michens boys sleeping in their luxury straw beds as an example of how they should be.
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Here it is! I put woodpellets in pee patches underneath as don't like straw smell clinging to clothing. Works a treat!25311211_10159527692985618_1925473114564547608_o.jpg
 
Not straw for me even the best straw has fungal spores .
My next choice is Bedmax it’s the nearest to straw and we manage it like straw .
I have one on chopped rape ( he’s allergic to shavings ) and I do quite like it but it does pack the feet more than Bedmax and straw .
 
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+1 to Probed. My mare is/was too wet for shavings (3 bags a week to keep the bed clean and dry :O ) and if she was on straw her stable would be like a swimming pool!
She's on full livery now and they're all on shavings, she seems to get on OK with them as beds are deep littered. If I was the one mucking out she'd be back on Probed though.
 
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I hate straw, I really hate straw
it looks nice and I have no doubt that a good bed is comfortable but it is just honking and I agree even clean stuff is more dusty than pretty much any other bedding. I have straw in the foaling box at the moment and even thought the drainage is great and the wee drains out, it's still the only time in decades of having stabled horses that I can smell horse piss all the time on my boots, and my clothes after I've been mucking out.

Since the mare foaled they've both taken to peeing in random places so I can't put pellets underneath really.

I have my other stabled horses on pellet beds on rubber matting, proper depth of beds and semi deep litter the pellets. The TB is super comfortable, he lies down a lot on it.
 
milliepops said:
I hate straw, I really hate straw
it looks nice and I have no doubt that a good bed is comfortable but it is just honking and I agree even clean stuff is more dusty than pretty much any other bedding. I have straw in the foaling box at the moment and even thought the drainage is great and the wee drains out, it's still the only time in decades of having stabled horses that I can smell horse piss all the time on my boots, and my clothes after I've been mucking out.

Since the mare foaled they've both taken to peeing in random places so I can't put pellets underneath really.

I have my other stabled horses on pellet beds on rubber matting, proper depth of beds and semi deep litter the pellets. The TB is super comfortable, he lies down a lot on it.
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Simple solution is wood pellets under straw- Bog is really wet and uses max 3 bags a month. I never smell of the straw except the day I dig out the wet wood pellets!
 
Michen said:
Simple solution is wood pellets under straw- Bog is really wet and uses max 3 bags a month. I never smell of the straw except the day I dig out the wet wood pellets!
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I have loads of pellets next door but I'd have to fill a 12 x 24 box to cover the whole area and as foal is now experimentally eating things I'm very wary of unexploded pellets ;)
 
milliepops said:
I have loads of pellets next door but I'd have to fill a 12 x 24 box to cover the whole area and as foal is now experimentally eating things I'm very wary of unexploded pellets ;)
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Oh gosh yes wouldn't do it for something that size. Just for standard stables!
 
I don't think there is a right answer. My lot all have differing needs. Straw looks nice but the modern combines thrash the stalk to pulp and dust. It has been 2 years since I had proper straw with good length. I have 2 round bales that I can't use. Ted was on straw in his barn and immediately got mites, which was frustrating because straw suited him and gave him a good bed for his massive frame.

I have one on aubiouse with pellets in wet spot, but last night there was no doubt her box was dusty and had to be well soaked this morning. In winter there isn't a problem. Another on chopped treated straw with an earth floor, that is working ok but I do notice the odd smell. Another on rubber with chopped straw and pellets in wet spot, that is working at the moment. Two on rubber with pellets in pee spot and broad flake shavings on top again ok at the minute.

In the ideal world a deep long straw bed for everything would be lovely, but with itchy, greedy, coughing and wheezing to factor in there is no chance regardless of finding the straw in the first place !
 
Cinnamontoast said:
Yes, actually more expensive than Hunters, neither are currently available round here.

I don’t do a thin line of shavings, the boy has a proper bed. I can’t understand pure straw beds, he stank (as did I!) on only straw.
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TC feeds do a bale called pure flake which is similar to megaspread not as good but it is cheaper and I used them last winter and found them ok.
 
I do actually like big flake shavings but they are so expensive it's a luxury reserved for overnight trips ;) they bed up a temp stable nicely. I have pretty tidy horses so it's easy to skip them out.
 
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I like looking at a decent straw bed. I'll use it for foaling or camping away if that's whats offered but otherwise never at home as if not done properly it can stink, also fills muck heap much more quickly.

That said, mine are all on miscanthus as quick and easy to muck out, rots down very quickly on muck heap and is pretty absorbent, been using it for about 5 years now since Eco ComfyBed stopped round here.
 
Given the choice, I'd have a thick bed of straw over pellets over rubber mats. However, my yard only does shavings, so I've got the really thick Equimats and top up with two or three bales of shavings a week. I don't bother with banks. Judging by the fact one side of her is usually plastered in shavings, she seems perfectly happy lying down. At the moment, she's in during the day and out at night, so I skimp a bit more with the bed.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I don't think there is a right answer. My lot all have differing needs. Straw looks nice but the modern combines thrash the stalk to pulp and dust. It has been 2 years since I had proper straw with good length. I have 2 round bales that I can't use. Ted was on straw in his barn and immediately got mites, which was frustrating because straw suited him and gave him a good bed for his massive frame.

I have one on aubiouse with pellets in wet spot, but last night there was no doubt her box was dusty and had to be well soaked this morning. In winter there isn't a problem. Another on chopped treated straw with an earth floor, that is working ok but I do notice the odd smell. Another on rubber with chopped straw and pellets in wet spot, that is working at the moment. Two on rubber with pellets in pee spot and broad flake shavings on top again ok at the minute.

In the ideal world a deep long straw bed for everything would be lovely, but with itchy, greedy, coughing and wheezing to factor in there is no chance regardless of finding the straw in the first place !
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YO grows their own straw, lovely yellow colour and nice soft straw and as far as i can tell not to dusty, however i havent used it myself yet!
 
I personally think nothing can beet the traditional shavings or straw bedding. I have tried wood pellets in pee spots it didn’t make a difference my horse bed was still as wet.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
Which is exactly what I bought last week at TC Feeds! Thought you didn't go there? So many people go to Titmuss, which strikes me as bloody miles away!
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I very rarely go only for rug washing really but I did get deliveries over winter as they were in more as it was wet, I normally go tittmus it's so near me but can only fit 1 bale in in the car which don't go far when there in a lot, I used to get a pallet of megaspread from tittmus but oh don't like them in his gym lol!
 
Another Megaspread fan here. The bales give nearly twice as much coverage as hunters and snowflake.
Ideally, I'd use straw, but there isn't room to store it on our yard. I could have Snowflake delivered to my stable door on request, but I drive to a saddlery and collect 6 Megaspread bales at a time which lasts 3 weeks and keeps the bed fresh and fluffy.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Another Megaspread fan here. The bales give nearly twice as much coverage as hunters and snowflake.
Ideally, I'd use straw, but there isn't room to store it on our yard. I could have Snowflake delivered to my stable door on request, but I drive to a saddlery and collect 6 Megaspread bales at a time which lasts 3 weeks and keeps the bed fresh and fluffy.
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Very lucky to have a clean mare where 6 megaspread would last 5 weeks! If i could get hold of them easier no question she would be one them
 
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