Which bedding?

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hairycob

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It looks like I am finally going to get my own stable so I need to decide what bedding to use. My horses normally live out so the stable will be used for emergencies or before shows/pc rallies etc in grotty weather.
Straw is in short supply & the stuff I can get hold of is poor quality.
Having looked at the wood pellets it looks like they are best for continual use & would probably dry out too much with my more occasional use.
Shavings are £!!!!! (lady at my local feed store told me she just got asked over £10 wholesale!).
Mad lady at yard is convinced my horses will die if I use a hemp bedding (haven't worked out why)!
So I am in a state of total confusion & indecision. Any recommendations for my type of use. Did think about just getting mats & using a small bed but it's a very old barn & the brick floor is a bit wavy so might not be suitable.
 
I use Bliss, it's chopped and dust-extracted rape straw. Very absorbent but you have to get used to the smell as there are two 'fragrances' one lemon and one eucalyptus!

I bed on rubber mats and use one bale per week plus a spare for top-ups if the bed gets too wet or churned up.
 
I use Aubious (sp) yes its initially expensive, but I bought three bales of shavings and they have lasted me over a week, with a messy horse in from 5pm - 8am. I skipped out every day and did a proper muck out today and the bed is still very good.
 
I use the pellets and they aren't dusty at all when they've dried out. If the bed dried out during the summer I would have thought a quick sprinkle would bring it back to normal. I don't even soak the pellets I'm adding, they go on whole and soon mix in with the old so I can't really see a problem even if they do dry out a bit. I still haven't worked out if they are any cheaper than other bedding in the long run but they are a lot quicker to muck out IMV.
 
I use Aubiose its fantastic i use 1 bale every 7 - 10 days i love it. i lift the poos out every day and take out wet every 7 - 10 days then put a new bale in, my horse is kept in overnight all year round .
 
If you really are only going to use the stable once in a blue moon I would look further into putting mats down even if the floor is a little wonky. Unless you plan to shovel out all of the bedding after each occasional use whatever material you do decide to go for will eventually end up covered in dust and probably home and toilet to vermin. At least with mats all you need to do is give them a quick wash every now and then.
 
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What's the cardboard like to use? Do you have to order in bulk from manufacturer?

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You will have to ask your local saddlery/feed store, they may be able to get it for you. Its less likely to blow around than paper but its not as absorbant. It wouldnt go 'off' like wood and straw based beds if used infrequently. Paper would be my first choice as its so hygienic for the horses and cheap. I prefer mucking it out than cardboard, i use gloves.
 
I would go with rubber matting and a small square of bedding at the back of the stable that you can just take out and leave the stable empty when you're not using it.
 
Another vote for rubber matting and a small bed at the back. Definitely the easiest and most hygienic way of bedding, especially if you are not using the stable all of the time. Paper or cardboard bedding are prob the best as they are very absorbent and do not take ages to soak up the wet, like shavings do for example.
 
I have used hemp bedding (Aubiose) pretty much since it became available over here, and the mare that we got it for initially only just died last month aged 29 (she was a 16.3hh IDx - so not a bad age for a big horse!) I have never heard of horses dying from being on hemp bedding. If they eat it, it can cause impaction colic, but the same can be said for other types of bedding too - my old pony always used to colic if she started to nibble on her straw bed!
 
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What's the cardboard like to use? Do you have to order in bulk from manufacturer?

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we sell shredded cardboard bedding, pm for info
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