How to choose horse bedding - Countrywide Farmers

Horse bedding is not a straightforward choice. It can depend on a number of factors includingcost, transport, storage, disposal and the individual. In general, the most common types ofbedding used are straw and shavings. There are also several other options available atCountrywide:Wheat StrawWhen baled, it is often heavily compacted and brittle, affecting its durability and reducing itsvalue as bedding. Good wheat straw makes excellent bedding. It is still the most popularbedding. It can be used for a deep litter, and it will take you four to six bales to start a bed. Youwill need around five bales a week for a horse that is stabled at night.AdvantagesWheat Straw is cheap, easily available, absorbent, warm and easy to muck out. It rots downwell, and is easy to dispose of in a muck heap or can be sold or given away as it makes a goodgarden fertiliser.DisadvantagesWheat Straw is not suitable for horses with dust allergies or respiratory problems. It can bevery dusty and poorer quality straw can be mouldy too. Storage can be a problem - bales needa lot of space in a dry area.Oat StrawOat straw is palatable and more expensive. It quickly becomes saturated, which makes it theleast suitable straw for bedding.AdvantagesFirstly it gives a clean and bright appearance. Straw manure can be disposed of more easilythan other types of materials. In a good harvest year it can be cheap.DisadvantagesSome horses will eat the straw and it can cause several problems such as allergic coughing tothe dust. In a bad harvest it can be quite expensive.Wood ShavingsWood Shavings are a popular form of bedding as they are very absorbent and easy to muckout. It is important to buy wood shavings that have been specially produced for use as animalbedding. If you use alternative wood shavings, such as waste from a saw mill, you may find theshavings are sharp and contain rubbish. Wood shavings can be used for a deep litter and willtake four to five bales to start a bed. You will need one or two bales a week for a horse that isstabled at night. They can be expensive.AdvantagesWood Shavings are easy to muck out, easily stored and easily disposed of (they will burn). Theyare absorbent and for allergic horses, dust-free (or dust-extracted) shavings are available.DisadvantagesIf you are unable or concerned about burning the shavings to dispose of the waste, woodshavings can be hard to get rid of. They take a long time to rot down and are generallyunwelcome on muck heaps.

Wood FibreWhite wood fibre products have recently introduced to this expanding market, manufacturedfrom carefully selected recycled whitewood fibre.AdvantagesEnvironmentally friendly product. Fairly dust free bedding that is warm, comfortable andsupportive. Free-draining bed that stays dry on top. Horses also stay cleaner as it doesn’t clingto manes, tails or rugs.DisadvantagesBales are often small due to heavier weight of product and can become heavy when muckingout, due to high absorbency.Shredded PaperShredded Paper is becoming more popular as a choice of bedding as it is one of the cheapestoptions and has many advantages. It is not suitable for a deep litter bed. It will take five balesto start a bed and one or two bales a week for a horse that is stabled at night. Newsprint hasthe same insulation qualities and storage qualities of straw or wood shavings, but requires morecleaning and maintenance. For grooming qualities, shredded paper is excellent because it keepshorses cleaner than other bedding products.AdvantagesShredded Paper is completely dust free and is an excellent choice for allergy-suffering horses.It's easy to store, light to work with, quite absorbent, very warm in the Winter and can becheap.DisadvantagesThe most effective method of disposal would be to burn it. It can be difficult to keep a tidymuck heap as shredded paper tends to blow around in the wind. The dye from the paper cansometimes mark a horse's coat and it can ball up leaving a bare floor for the horse to lie on.Wood PelletsWhite wood fibre products that have been heat treated and compressed. When water is addedto the pellets they expand in size and can absorb nine times more liquid than regular shavings.AdvantagesEnvironmentally friendly product. Dust free bedding that is highly absorbent. In addition, woodpellet bedding composts much quicker than shavings or straw which often do not fully compostor take a long time to decompose.DisadvantagesCan be slippery whilst still in pellet form. Need to add water to bedding when initially put downto make if fluff up.HempHemp is a relatively new type of bedding. It is a natural fibre derived from the hemp plant. Itcan be used in a deep litter bed, and can be shown to be economical in the long run.AdvantagesHemp has good absorbency qualities and makes a very soft bed. It is dust free and breaksdown very quickly. It is ideal for a deep litter bed.DisadvantagesHemp is initially expensive, it is not edible and may cause swelling to a horse's stomach ifingested.Rubber Matting

Rubber matting has many advantages and while initial costs can be high, running costs can bepractically non-existent. Once fitted, running costs can be very low.AdvantagesCompletely dust free and can be used with a bedding of your choice. Drains well and is warm.Very safe for your horse - soft rubber reduces risk of injury. Easy to muck out.DisadvantagesIf your horse is messy, then the no bedding option may make the horse/rugs dirty. Some extrabedding may also be required to stop draughts. Initial cost is high. The stables need to havegood drainage if no bedding is used to absorb the urine.The Importance of Good Stable MaintenanceMaintenance of stables and a good mucking out routine is paramount to ensure your horse hasa healthy environment to live in. Follow these ten tips to ensure your horse has a clean andhealthy stable environment.1. Clear the area. Take your horse out of the stall and removes any objects such as feed andwater buckets.2. Keep a cleaning kit to hand include a wheelbarrow, shavings or manure fork and a yardbroom.3. Clear all the soiled bedding. Remove manure and wet bedding thoroughly.4. Dump the waste product in the assigned area, ensuring it is well away from the stable. Muckheaps can attract flies and other parasites which can provide a nuisance factor as well asspreading disease among horses.5. Once all waste has been removed spread the leftover bedding in the stable.6. Add fresh bedding to replace the amount removed. Buff the bedding up with a fork tomaximise comfort and warmth.7. Have a routine complete clean out when once a week or a fortnight, where the stable iscompletely stripped out. Use a disinfectant such as Virkon to prevent the spread of disease. Letthe stable dry out completely before re-bedding.8. Clean up outside the stable. Any residue dirty bedding will carry disease so make sure allwaste is tidied away and dumped on the manure heap.9. Replace the feeding equipment and toys that were removed to enable an effective clean.10. Return the horse into a better, healthier and cleaner living environment.DisclaimerThe information in this publication is meant as a brief and general guide only and is not intended to bespecific advice, or an exhaustive treatment of the subject. Countrywide Farmers plc advises that youshould always consult a professional, as it is possible that the information in this guide may not relate toyour particular situation. Whilst Countrywide Farmers plc endeavours to keep this publication up to dateand correct we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about thecompleteness, accuracy, reliability or suitability of the guide. Any decisions based on information containedin the guide are the reader’s sole responsibility. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable lawCountrywide Farmers plc accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance placedupon information given in this guide by the reader or anyone to who such information is communicated.