Winter Shavings Bed

[ohdearme]

Not sure if this is the best forum or not!

I am about to get a horse on full loan, and I was wondering how best to do his bed over winter? He's in at night only. No rubber matting, just concrete 12x12.

Will be using shavings, and I've heard lots of different methods!
Poo pick in the week, full muck on weekend?
Poo pick, add shavings, then redo it completely after a few months?
Or muck it all out every day?

YO has said 4 big bags of shavings to start off with, then 1 a week from then. He's a 15.2 TBx, not sure about toilet habits! Does that sounds about right?

Also, is it ok to leave the mucking/poo picking until after I come back from work (5pm ish?) Or will that make me look bad to the YO/other liveries?

Thanks!

 

[Darkwater]

With my shavings bed I tend to just skip out most days and take the worst of the wet out a couple of times a week- once midweek and once at the weekend, and add a bit of fresh at the same time. I find I just waste quite a lot of bedding (and time!) if I do a full muck out everyday but I couldn't face leaving it for weeks on end so mucking out as and when I feel its required suits me best.

My ponies are fairly clean and use about half a fresh bale per week each, with a bigger or dirtier horse I would probably need a bit more so a bag a week sounds about right. How much you put down to start with depends on how big and deep you want your bed. On just concrete I personally would want most of the stable filled with bedding, and deep enough so they can move around, lie down etc without coming into contact with the concrete and that would take a few more than 4 bales I would think.

As for what time to muck out, I sometimes have to leave this until after work if I don't have time in thee morning, but my ponies go out during the day - I would never leave it if they were in all the time. Lots of people at my yard do this, not everyone has time in the morning to get all their jobs done so I don't think anyone would think it looked bad if you're in that position.

Good luck with your new horse!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have always mucked out after work and truly don't care what any-one else thinks! You have to devise your own routine to fit your own circumstances. I use at least 2 bags of shavings per week for my mucky mare who never picks her feet up, so churns her bed up every night. I would expect to use about 7 bags of shving, depending on the make

 

[MillionDollar]

All of mine are on shavings, start off with 8 bales (14' x 14' stables), I skip the manure out everyday and take the wet out once per week. I find you use too much bedding if doing a full muck out everyday, and I've done proper deep litter only taking out wet every 3 months and I hated that! I use on bale per week if they're in at night, out in the day, or 2 bales per week if in 24/7.