What to add to shavings to increase absorbency?

[galaxy]

I am moving yards due to relocation prob sometime in November. It's a lovely yard and the price includes 1 bale of shavings a week.

My mare is incredibly wet. I use rubber mats but still have a decent bed due to the volume of pee! I have used pure shavings before, and went through 2 bales a week so know I will have to buy more than I'm given, which is fine and the owner doesn't mind if you buy more off him or you are allowed to buy in anything else.

So last year I used Flaxcore which I really liked as it was heavier and more absorbent than shavings. But I'm not sure if it would work as well mixed in with the shavings? She always wees in the same place so I could try bedding that bit with the flax and rest with the shavings but not sure if in reality that will work! Lol!

Has anyone used anything else mixed with shavings with success?

 

[Buddy'sMum]

I used wood pellets with shavings banks when I had to stable my very wet mare - worked well, pellets are the most absorbent bedding I've tried so far. And very easy to muck out.

 

[galaxy]

Did you actually go through many bags of shavings though if they are only banks and not used to bed at all? I will get a bag a week...

Did you find they mixed together much? Did it effect how the pellets worked?

 

[Buddy'sMum]

Ddn't use many bags of shavings at all, maybe one every couple of weeks, if that. They do mix a bit but not much because the pellets kind of compact down after a few days. I really like pellets - no dust, you just skip the muck out daily and dig out the worst of the wet patches once a week, and add a bag of fresh pellets, mix them in a bit and voila! What I like most though is that you don't waste nearly as much hay because it doesn't get mixed in with pellet bedding like it does with shavings. Have to say, a pellet bed doesn't look as nice as a fresh white shavings bed but if you can get over that, they're great.

 

[galaxy]

Well to get a nice white shavings bed I don't even want to imagine how many bales i would use!!!

May consider pellets. Had a look at them at hickstead. No way I could deep litter her. Her ears would be touching the ceiling within a week!

I just want to use what I am already paying for in livery. Just got to make it work somehow!

 

[Buddy'sMum]

It's not like deep littering shavings though - hard to describe - the pellet bed doesn't stay as pellets for long, they sort of crumble and the bed gets quite compacted (although stays soft and fluffy on top). Even with my messy mare it stayed remarkably dry and smell-free.
Maybe you could try a base of pellets with shavings on top and for the banks? Then once a week, scrape the shavings to the side, dig out the wet bits of pellets and re-cover with shavings?

 

[galaxy]

Thanks BM. Been doing a lot of reading.... Do you wet your pellets down? I've been reading that people with very wet horses hardly dampen them or even just leave them dry.

Also read that several people do out a thin layer of shavings on top, so really might work.

 

[ihatework]

I've got a wet mare who always pee's in the same area. I put 1 bag of unsoaked wood pellets in the wee spot then a full bed of shavings, it works well. Only remove the wet once a week.

 

[Buddy'sMum]

I do dampen them when setting up the stable (but I use less water than recommended). I add a bit of water and wait, add a bit more and wait, and so on until I'm happy with the consistency.

 

[lhotse]

I use Megazorb with large flake shavings and have no problem with wetness. I take the wet out twice a week and use 2 bags of shavings and half a bag of Megazorb a week.

 

[Boysy]

I've a stinking wet mare, we call her niagara (sp) falls as she seriously could pass for it she pees so much and she's only 13.3hh, i use pellets under whatever bed i've got at the time, currently Bedsoft Pink, i layer dry pellets under her pee spots which is right along the back wall and then down the middle then fluff the bedsoft over the top, poo-pick daily then scrape back and lift the wet once/twice a week. I use one bale of bedsoft a week and a bag of pellets lasts me 3 wks pretty much.

 

[galaxy]

Thanks for all the help. I am going to give pellets a go. Now looking at the different brands which looks like another minefield!! Lol!

I have used megasorb with lots of horses before, and have with this one and went through 3 bags a week! What I need is something with a bit of weight and density which is why I got on so well with flax.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I use the pellets under the shavings too. Just in the areas that get wet. I don't wet the pellets, just sprinkle them and let the urine moisten them.
I tried it because I had a few bags of wood pellet cat litter from Pets At Home left over and was really pleased with the difference it made.

 

[lhotse]

One way I've found to keep the stable drier is to teach my horse to have a pee on the way in from the field. She pretty much does it on command now, and out riding too!!

 

[Tiffany]

We use this on our yard www.fitchrecycling.co.uk not had a winter on it yet but YO thinks my horse is clean.

 

[Buddy'sMum]

One way I've found to keep the stable drier is to teach my horse to have a pee on the way in from the field. She pretty much does it on command now, and out riding too!!

I wish! Mine all cross their legs until they get into the stable!
My friend has trained hers to wee in a bucket, twice daily, before his feed.