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StephK
Junior Member
 England
39 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 1:15:59 PM
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What do you prefer?!
I have ALWAYS used straw on my horses bedding but one has recently caught thrush in his hoofs ( he is on box rest so always standing in stable!) so i have changed to shavings to absorb the moisture a little better... and I'm quite liking the shavings! 
What are your opinions on the different bedding types? I hear some people use shavings as a base and straw on top, i guess this would be great but rather expensive! x
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sab2
Platinum Member
8467 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 1:30:40 PM
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| I use chopped straw, i found normal straw didnt rot down very quickly and so i tried the chopped type, its far easier to muck out and soaks in more wee, lot smaller muckheap too have to say i like shaving as well but dose not rot down very quickly. |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 1:41:48 PM
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I use shavings. I find straw smells when he has a wee on it and doesnt soak it up!!
Once you get the hang of mucking it out it cant be done in minutes with a shaving fork
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
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Silver
Silver Member
279 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 2:03:31 PM
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| Shavings every time for me tried straw a hated it.I wear rubber gloves to pick out the droppings a use a small shovel to get the wet out it takes a lot less time and its a lot less smelly than straw. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 2:04:12 PM
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My favourite is Easybed but have been using shavings for the last 4 years as we get them free. As long as the shavings aren't the dusty type which are horrible they are quick to muck-out and more absorbent. I do like straw as it always looks warm and inviting, just not keen with how 'puddles' hang around underneath. As Kazzy said, you can whip round a shavings bed in minutes with a shavings fork, unless you have a horse like mine who destroys banks for fun, grrrrr!!
Carole. |
    
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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RUTHIE
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1238 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 2:53:01 PM
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| Shavings, everytime. Have rubber mats too. Tried straw, just too heavy and smelly. Worst tried recycled shredded cardboard. May as well not had anything at all, wee just went straight through it. |
     
In Memory of Crystal Flash 2010-2012 |
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Slave 2 Magic
Gold Member
England
1023 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 3:17:30 PM
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| Shavings and a pair of rubber gloves to pick the poo out. I deep litter it over winter and find it works well this way. |
West Yorkshire
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Zannyzan
Bronze Member
66 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 4:10:24 PM
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| Bedmax for me i love the smell when you open a fresh bale and so easy to muck out :) |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 4:18:30 PM
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| Went from straw to shavings to wood pellets (more economical, quicker to muck out, easier on back, smaller muck heap), now about to try straw pellets after a recent thread on here |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 4:58:30 PM
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Shavings. think a huge bed of straw is so comfy looking but I hate mucking it out and its hard to get good straw that doesnt isnt clumped together with mould.
im still undecided about what to use this winter. Might be moving neds so Ill wait and see what stables are like first. im currently looking into flax. |
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 5:10:08 PM
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| I have rubber mats, but now use straw...hate it as never soaks up anything and makes life hard in the winter. Muck heap huge also. Love Hemp/flax but just so expensive. Liked using shavings also never any smell. Not sure what to use this year. |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 5:29:20 PM
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| Flax is great, less dust than shavings, more absorbant and rots down quicker. |
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 5:33:26 PM
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Shavings. The stables in the american-type barn at my yard don't have drains, so straw is horribly impractical as it isn't absorbent enough. Also, I find shavings quicker as I can just poo-pick.....then take out the wet patch once a week or so.
Caryn
PS I love the look of a fresh, deep straw bed though! |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
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proctorclaire
Silver Member
437 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 6:26:25 PM
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| I used to be on straw and had used it since first started out with horses but then yard owner made me switch to shavings. Hated it at first but now really like it. We have rubber matting so in summer I just put a sprinkle down to soak up pee. Plus my arab was eating the straw all the time. |
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gg
Bronze Member
England
202 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 6:43:29 PM
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| have been using aubiose, sometimes mixing in shavings.easy to skip out with rubber gloves and weekly proper muck out. |
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Etoile
Silver Member
275 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 7:24:24 PM
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| Previously used bedmax shavings, but last year switched to aubiose, its turned out to be so much quicker and easier. Skip out with rubber gloves, and initially did a full muck out and took out the wet once a week as per the instructions on the back of the pack. However, due to difficulties moving the muck trailer during the snow we left it for a month without any problems and it hardly took us any longer to do the full muck out, so we switched to doing it every four weeks or so. It's so much more absorbent, and it creates a much firmer and spongier bed. Salad used to turn his shavings bed inside out every night by marching around, but with the aubiose the bed seems to stay in one piece with the poo on top, making it a lot easier and using a lot less new bedding. |
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joanna_piana
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3935 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 7:28:15 PM
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| Rubber mats with shavings. Hate mucking out smelly straw and in the summer I only use one bale of shavings a month so not too expensive. |
      
Harthall Rashida RIP, Binley Ishara, Bouchan
Chorleywood, Hertfordshire |
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Etoile
Silver Member
275 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 7:29:02 PM
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| Forgot to say, if you have problems with thrush aubiose dries the feet out incredibly well. They live in a muddy clay field in winter, so we'd wash the feet off to get rid of the mud, put them straight in the stable, and the feet would be bone dry in no time. |
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kim gasper
Bronze Member
England
136 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 9:29:12 PM
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| I second what Etoile says regarding Aubiose, it really is the most amazingly absorbent bedding available. I skip & level the beds every morning & do a full muck out once a week, removing approx 1 wheelbarrow full of wet bedding in total. I have been using Aubiose for about 9 years now I will never use anything different. Seeing Kaz & Psy looking so cosy & comfortable when they lay down on a deep, clean bed tell's me they love it too! |
Many years experience owning & riding my own horses. Fell in love with Arabians at 11 years old when given a ride on "Trevallion", a 3/4 bred who was a livery where I worked as a stablehand. I have never forgotten that ride, Thank You Yvonne- should you ever read this!I now have 2 beautiful purebreds.
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moatside
Platinum Member
England
3224 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 9:43:40 PM
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| I have used straw & shavings in the past - I love to see a huge straw bed but I hate the smell & the huge muckheap - I love to see a nice, clean shavings bed but with 4 it works out expensive!! I changed to wood pellets a few years back and find it easy to use and the muck heap is smaller - like Callisto I am about to try out straw pellets....... |
www.spanglefish.com/kasanarhythmbeads/ |
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Honeyb060674
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4301 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2011 : 10:08:30 PM
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| Straw! It's more time consuming but you can't beat a lovely deep bed, big squishy bankings (Or pillows as Sunny prefers to use them as) especially in the winter when I deep litter. I'm fastidious about my mucking out & waste very little, it has to be wheat straw though as barley straw doesn't absorb as well..and apparently tastes much nicer |
      
Claire & Sunny x
http://sunnyandclaire.blogspot.com/ |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 09:52:56 AM
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Hate straw smells makes you smell when you muck out, always loved shavings wouldn't use anything else, until I moved yards a month ago, shock horror no shavings allowed , I did have a panic attack I love my pure white thick shavings bed, can only use biodegradable bedding so of to the feed shop I went, I decided to use Megazorb in the end it looks like grey fluff and is wood pulp, well I love it it's brilliant the wet patches don't spread, poos are really easy to pick up and I only use about one bag a week at the moment as his out all night, so I am converted and I never thought I would ever use anything than shavings. |
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debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2011 : 09:57:35 AM
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Love the look of a straw bed... but for me, or rather Ali it's Aubiose every time. Quite a big layout to start with but very economical, easy and quick to skip out daily, then dig out wee patch as needed. Would never change back to shavings or straw...
Oh and you have a much much smaller muck heap as Aubiose can be put straight onto the garden, no need for it to rot down... |
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Topic |
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Straw or shavings..
