i use advance bedding mangement from eagle valley and its great just soak it in a wheel barrow and let it "fluff" up and its ready to use

We also use the pellets, although we've changed suppliers, can't think of the name of them now. We have 11 horses in the barn, and they lay down the pellets and then use a watering can, it's really pretty easy. I will say that we're on Soft Stall mattresses at our place, so they are really there for absorption, cushioning is provided by the rubber mattress.

Out where my Mom's horses are, she uses the ABM to absorb, and then straw for bedding. They love the straw, and no, they don't eat it, but if they have the munchies, they could keep themselves amused. It's heavy to muck, but it's great for the horses. Maggie loves straw, so when we go to shows up at Amberlea Meadows, where we have the option of shavings or straw, I always bed her on the straw and she thinks she's a princess.

@barbara f yea they come in a bag in pellet form and like i said you just need to soak some in a wheelbarrow and let it sit for a few minutes i usually wait till its almost over flowing when its soaked and your good to go. i used to work at a barn that had lots of horses and we had a bag or two to a stall sorry for my delay i lost internet for a few days

-- Edited by Andrew on Thursday 13th of October 2011 01:25:20 AM

Hi

this has been a hot topic for us for many years, as while it is important for all horses to have dust free bed, it is even more important for race horses, as they are only as good as their lungs allow. 

I have used all types of bed, and have found that there are more problems than just dust. 

Peat Moss is great for the feet, but if not damped down it can become an inhalant and cause throat problems (I was on this for many years with a number of horses with bad feet), we would damp it down, but in the cold months -- I live in Canada-- it was not practical as it was cold and the horses could get sick on it from being damp. 

Pellets, can be a problem as again they have to be wet down, and while this is okay for the warm months you get into the same trouble as peat moss.  Pellets can also cause a real dust issue for some as if not wet enough they are very air borne, as a famous stb race horse Shadow Play can tell you, he lost a very rich gimme race as he was tons the best, and had no competition and he lots by lengths due to the dust from the pelleted bedding he had been stabled on when he was trucked from his usual stable.  He lost the rest of his season as well due to the clogging of his airways, and lungs. 

Straw if done the old way with long stalks can be okay if your horse has no allergies, and if the bedding is changed often and well rotated.  I prefer oat straw over wheat, as oat straw is tougher, and wheat is a softer straw that breaks down, it is very hard to find oat straw anymore where I am due to the lack of money in oats in Ontario.  Also anymore the way they chop the straw up makes it useless for preventing dust.  Horses after a couple of days will not eat enough straw to hurt themselves, and they will eat oat straw for 2 to 3 days and grow tired of it as long as hay is provided.

Shavings are not what they used to be, to be good you need huge, thick flakes that do not break down, not like the bagged ones that we see now a days that are no better than sawdust at times.  The soft wood becomes powder very quickly.  Chips if they are not too heavy are good, but you have to watch what is in them, as they are usually old skids, and saw dust is dust.

Sand is not a good bed, as sand colic can become a real problem, but sand is good for the legs and feet, but if wet down can become too damp for warmth, or if not wet down to dry and dusty, also if your horse puts it's eyes in it can cause problems.

Papper is not something I have used, but people I know have, and they liked it, but it is not available in my area any longer so I have not had a chance to try it since I came back to horses.

Currently my horses stand on stall mats (to stop digging, and to keep them off the cold ground) their is dirt under them, I hate cemement as it is bad for the joints-- and we use my all time favourite bed of menonite shavings (I suppose you would call it saw dust to some extent)... we get it for 20.00 a truck load, and my small truck bed will keep the two horses bedded for 2 weeks and Che is very, very dirty (we clean our horses all day long though, and do not allow anything in their stall to stay on the ground while we are there-- of course nights we aren't there) This is not typical saw dust, as it is heavy, does not get into the air, and is made up of hard woods.  It is bigger than dust, more like small chunks.  The horses do not like the taste so they will not eat it, and it is not sharp like pine shavings, so it does not get into their blankets and bandages and rub. 

The down fall of it is that it can be hard to get when they are not cutting, and so when we are stuck we go with bagged shavings to make up the difference.

Deb McDaid

Tiocfaidh Ar La Stable 

We use wood shavings too

Hi, yes the cheapest and most reliable bedding that they won't eat in our area of Southern Ontario is shavings (sawdust-- it is heavier and does not get in the air like regular sawdust) from the Menonites, if you have a mill near you that is, or you can see if a pallet place is grinding them down into bedding, once such place for an example is www.oxfordpallet.com.  We use the menonites in our area, but with some looking there are alternatives.

take care and good luck, deb