Which is less dusty.... straw or your average bag of shavings?

[polyphonic]

as per post!

 

[Sal_E]

Text book answer is shavings - however, in reality, I'm not so sure these days...

 

[Bex7]

depends on the shaings! Les likely to have mould spores in the shavings I think.

 

[CheekyCob]

I agree with Sal_E. Everybody says shavings which is one of the reasons why people use it for a horse that's chesty - but if you've got some good, well cared for straw, that can be good too. I would've said shavings though.

 

[JoBo]

I think it depends on what straw or what shavings you buy. Horses don’t tend to eat shavings though but are more likely to eat the straw.

 

[Kate_13]

Technically I would say shavings, but when you open a bag, loads of dust flies off, even th non dusty shavings.

However for horses who have COPD and the like, they go on paper or cardboard.

The jury is out for me

 

[tremorfa]

Flax! Flax! Love it! No dust, easy to muck out, little wastage, bio-degradable, no smell- I could go on and on.......

 

[LeneHorse]

The shavings our YO sells (from the local sawmill) are very dusty so mine is on bedmax - a wee bit expensive but dust free. She would eat straw so thats not an option!

 

[RachelB]

We use "dust extracted" shavings at work which always, without fail, make me sneeze when opening a new bale (and sometimes when shaking old bedding). I know it's not the straw as I do the shavings boxes before the straw ones! Our straw is usually very good and much less dusty. We have paper at home which beats both of them though!

 

[Haflinger]

I would say that out of the straw and shavings that we use, the straw is definatly a lot more dusty - the shavings seem very dust free!

 

[BroadfordQueen]

I would say shavings, on the basis that tara has straw and harry has shavings and when i do taras bed it makes me sneeze and when i do harrys bed it doesn't

(have dust allergies). good theory eh?!

 

[*hic*]

QR - reading something else into the question which may or may not be there: Easibed is the least dusty bed that I have come across.

Response based on hubby's asthma!

 

[taffy2]

I would also say shavings but some shavings meant to be dust free makes me sneeze!!!

 

[vicijp]

Good straw is better than all but the most expensive shavings.
My horse doesnt cough on straw. Out of everything else ive tried (different brands of shavings/hemp) only Bedmax and paper are dust free enough for him.