Horse Bedding

For horses that spend most of their time at the box, the choice of bedding for the stable is an important choice, three of the selection criteria that are taken into account include:

Economical: prices vary greatly depending on the type of bedding, the region and the quantities required.

Sanitary: horse prone to colic, emphysema, allergic, sensitive feet may impact on the choice of bedding...

Convenience: option of storing bedding and recycling manure, time spent on maintenance for you, time spent in the box for the horse ...

What are the qualities of a "good" horse bedding?

It must be comfortable. There is general bedding on a layer of about twenty centimeters thick. More bedding is thick and it is comfortable. But it costs more ...

It must remain clean and dry. The droppings are collected once or twice per day. The "cake" (part of the bedding which absorbs the liquid in contact with the ground and forms a hard crust) is removed once a week by scraping. A sloping floor and / or laying drainage tiles box allows to obtain a sufficiently dry cake.

It must be absorbent. This prevents the horse has feet being constantly damp.

It must be easy to store and handle. Beddings are generally supplied in bags or in bale 25 to 30 kg. To limit the cost of delivery, it is more interesting to deliver large quantities. We must therefore have an important place of storage, away from moisture.

It should not produce an amount of waste too large. The storage and disposal of the manure are important to consider. Manure can be offered to mushroom growers, market gardeners, horticulturists in your area. According to the flow rate, it must be stored longer or shorter.

What are the possibilities?

Straw bedding: These cereal bars (wheat, rye, barley or oats) cut, stripped of their grains and dried. It is comfortable, absorbent, and fairly inexpensive. It is edible and used as ballast in the horse's diet, which improves the intestinal transit, especially if the stems are long and thin, and fills his need to snack throughout the day. But it has several disadvantages:

It is increasingly difficult to find untreated straw; Phytosanitary products spread on the grains are responsible for digestive disorders in the horse consumes large amounts or allergy.

Straw tends to generate a lot of dust and is not suitable for horses with respiratory problems.

Straw strands are cut shorter today than before. The rods are thus easier to eat and horse colic risk by overeating.

Straw is often presented in huge round bales whose middle decays easily, and it produces an abundant manure ...

Some manufacturers now offer the "ground straw" whose stems are short and treated so that the horse does not eat.

Flax bedding is often used in stables races, alone or mixed with wood chips or sub-layer of straw bedding. Produced from woody central stem of the plant, it is 100% natural, highly absorbent and not dusty. It produces a low volume of waste and the resulting manure is very good. It is easy to maintain: just air it every day to keep his absorbent properties. Presented in bag, it is easy to store and non-flammable. It is particularly suited to horses that are returned to the box that night. But it is relatively expensive.

The hemp bedding (! Stems from a non-narcotic hemp) has properties similar to flax bedding. Good absorption capacity, comfortable, non-dusty and easy to store, but it has two major drawbacks: its high cost and his appetite. To prevent the horse from eating too much, we must ensure the rack provide an adequate amount of straw or hay (5-8 k / day) or sprinkle the bedding in a slightly vinegary water. It also tends to blacken.

ood chips are a healthy bedding, insulating and inedible. Not dusty, they can be used for horses with respiratory problems. It is possible to recover them directly in a sawmill or carpentry, if large enough, dusted, untreated and varnishes; then they are very inexpensive or even free. But they are less comfortable than other beddings (to loosen them, you can drizzle with a solution of water droplets 1 p. 1000) and blacken in contact with urine . Finally, some horses have developed an allergy to certain types of wood. However be avoided sawdust which generate the fine particles of dust.

Peat bedding is composed of decomposed plant. It is comfortable, very absorbent, hypoallergenic, non-dusty and inedible. As flax bedding, it is particularly suitable for horses that are returned to the box that night. But it is a poor thermal insulation (bedding remains cold) and is difficult to maintain (raking is particularly painful). It also tends to stick to the dress of the horse, especially if it is wet. Moreover, only a few cooperatives offer for sale.

Bedding paper is composed of shredded newspaper into strips. Be careful to check that the ink on the paper does not contain lead, otherwise the horse may trigger severe allergies. The bedding is absorbent, non-dusty and inedible. But it is still wet (slippery!) After absorption of urine and above all, it does not absorb odors. It also tends to hover in the air currents.

When choosing what bedding to use for your horses you are given a wide range of options, from shavings, straws, pellets or even card board. All these different horse bedding types have their advantages and disadvantages, with different horses often better suited to different bedding options.

Wood Shavings For Horse Bedding

Wood shaving bedding Small and Large petals: - Shaving chips come in a variety of different sizes, the different horse bedding companies select the shaving sizes for their qualities and more convenient packaging.

Dust free shavings: - Modern wood have a very low dust content, helping decrease possible problems with your horses respiration conditions. During the manufacturing process many producers of horse bedding pass the chips through a screen for optimal cleaning.

Small shaving petals has been tested and approved by veterinary schools to ensure the comfort of your horse in its stable.

Drying the shavings allows them to increase their absorption capacity. The ranges of your horses are not in humidity. Remember a dry stable helps avoid possible health problem including hoof problems, a healthy foot is a guarantee for a healthy horse.

A high absorption capacity: - Horse shavings have a very large absorption rate in comparison to other types of bedding. Indeed, shavings have a moisture content equal to 25%, provide better mattress for your horse.

A pleasant color: - The wood chip bedding ensure a pleasant and light color in your box. Its appearance gives a feeling of freshness and cleanliness for several weeks (up to 4 weeks without addition). Your box is bright and comfortable for your horses.

Easy maintenance for more efficient bedding:Horse shaving beds require daily maintenance. It is advisable to remove the droppings and urine morning and evening so your bed will last several weeks. Dung can be easily removed with a shavings fork, you save you’re bedding and your job is easy. It is an economy of time and investment. The low maintenance of wood shavings allows you to spend more time with your horses.

Straw Bedding

Straw is a natural bedding option that many horses love, straw gives them a comfortable bed to rest and lie down it. Negative aspects of straw are greedy horse may eat their bed and some straw may be dusty which may be bad for the horse’s respiratory system.