Wood Pellet bedding questions - what to do!

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Azabache

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I'm thinking of switching on to a wood pellet bedding (down to cost and ease really), but have a couple of questions. My horse is prone to getting cast, so has big banks. Is is possible to build some decent banks up with a wood pellet bedding? If not, I was half thinking of keeping his chopped rape straw banks and putting the wood pellet bedding in the middle or would this just turn into a horrible mess? Any advice would be gratefully received as I can't make my mind up what to do!
 
I swapped Buzz rom shavings to Shredded cardboard today, nd left his shavings banks in as i wasnt sure how well the cardboard would make banks, i'm just hoping its not horrible to muck out tomorro with it all being mixed together :
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I have been told that you only need teeny banks with wood pellet bedding, but have never wanted to risk it with a horse who is known to get cast. Having said that I don't see why you can't just make big banks out of the wood pellet bedding, it copacts together well
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Banks will never stop a horse getting cast. They have to be about 3 ft high and really solid to have any effect. You would be far better with no banks but anti cast strips around your stable so the horse can get purchase on them. With banks they just kick straight through unless they are huge and solid.

As to mixing - then yes it shoudl be Ok. we offer people a choice of wood pellet, hemp/flax, elephant grass as a bedding and we have found most people may start with hemp or elephant grass will eventually switch to the wood pellets and they simply add wood pellets to the existing material and it works fine.
 
Just in the process of swaping on to wood pellet bedding when I move yard. Beds are down at new yard and have to say had no problem at all in creating banks with it, was one of my concerns too.
 
When I changed over to pellets I left my shavings banks in.

I never dig my banks out (unles theres a problem) so they are tall and pretty solid. The pellets have slowly covered them.

I agree totally about anti cast strips, much more effective than banks but my horse uses his bank as a pillow so I left them in!

The thing with the strips is to make sure you take advise on how high up the walls to put them for the hieght of horse you are instaling them for.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Will try to peruade my YO about the anti cast strips, she pulled a bit of a face when I mentionned putting them on the walls. Has given me food for thought. Thanks!
 
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