Who still uses straw bedding?

I like using straw. Nothing quite like it for creating big comfy banks but have to admit, compared with shavings and the like, it does make you smell when you're mucking it out!!! Lovely Eau de Horse Wee!!! LOL.
 
A new straw bed looks great, the horses love it and will pee on it quite happily (I have a couple of geldings who will only pee on shavings or wood pellet beds if they are utterly desparate) Downside is the amount of mucking out and the fact that I smell of horse p155 all the time.:o
 
i used to use shavings and i loved them. However my horse is now out 24/7 with access to a field stable and i have now changed to straw.. mainly due to the price of shavings and the fact he always coming and going into his stable so if he was on shavings it really would cost a complete fortune.. i have to admit.. i dont mind the straw now.. i have got used to it and i like the way it looks once i have done his bed.. mind you i dont like the way it looks once hes been in and out a few times and trashed it.. i also hate the way my clothes smell after i have mucked out lol.. But all in all i dont mind the straw and its certainly much much cheaper than shavings..
 
I do :)

I've been on paper, shavings, wood pellets all with rubber matting in the past. Much prefer straw as easier to muck out, cleaner and IMHO makes a much nicer bed for the least faff :D

Unless for health reasons, I wouldn't go back to any type of bedding with my current horse.
 
We do, have over 20 on it. We're farmers and lucky enough to have plenty of it - we'd be bust by now if I was buying shavings! In over 20 years I've never had an problems with dust, and have only ever had to take one off straw, a mare that took to stuffing herself with it and coliced a couple of times, she is now on wood pellets which will hopefully help. We offer cheap straw to our liveries too, most are on shavings when they come but pretty much all are now on straw.
 
Me. I have a grey who makes herself rank in a stable easily, experimented with most types of bedding & found she's cleanest on straw. Plus she prefers it. So easier for all to be on straw. Mucked out straw for nearly my entire life so not time consuming. Properly maintained they don't smell. And I admit there is nothing quite like a yard on a winters eve, all bedded down with deep straw beds & looking cosy for the night. Plus in my clubbing up all night years, or when ill they are pretty comfy to have a sleep in yourself!
 
I do usually :)

Pony has been on shavings for long spell of box rest for splint fracture surgery as for quite some time she could not leave stable and need a deep supportive bed.

Had her on a huge small flake shavings bed, deep littered to start with, now she gets some turnout so has Bedmax on semi deep litter.

Can't wait to go back to straw though!! She is easy on straw, vile on shavings (marginally better on Bedmax). When the shavings bed I have is run down and she is back in work will move back to straw.

Using 2-3 Bedmax a week costs me £14-£21, a huge straw bed costs me about £6 a week. It does smell more but the lack of smell isn't worth the cost and hassle with shavings.

Most of our yard on straw, think we have 27 out of 32 on straw (all DIY).
 
PolarSkye said:
Me. I love it and so does Kal. Now that he's on rubber matting though (came with the stable), I do put a light layer of bedmax underneath to help soak up the wee.

Nothing like the smell of a fresh clean straw bed :).

P
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I thought you has switched to Bedmax a while back (when my pony first on box rest and I think yours was too) - I take it you were not converted?

Interesting as am currently trialling Bedmax, although don't intend it to be long term!
 
I used to use straw before going onto shavings, wouldn't go back now - it stinks and my boy is very wet so very messy. I use wood pellets under shavings which works a treat :)
 
acw295 said:
I thought you has switched to Bedmax a while back (when my pony first on box rest and I think yours was too) - I take it you were not converted?

Interesting as am currently trialling Bedmax, although don't intend it to be long term!
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I did use Bedmax while I was waiting for YO's straw to be harvested as the straw I was buying in was too "fluffy." I like Bedmax, but it's far, far too expensive for me to build the size of bed I like. I do put a spinkle of Bedmax down as a base underneath, though.

P
 
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