Part 2 in our 2 part series
What type of Stable Bedding is Best?
Having the right type of stable bedding is important for the overall health, safety, and comfort of stabled horses.
However, which bedding is best for horses?
Which type of horse bedding will provide your horse with the best bedding for its circumstances, but also be cost effective?
Types Of Stable Bedding Materials For Horses
There are a number of different types of stable bedding available in Australia. They include
Straw (loose, pellets, cubes)
Sawdust
Wood shavings
Wood pellets
Sand,
Paper (pellets and shredded)
Hemp (pellets and shavings)
Rubber matting
Popular Stable Bedding Choices For Horses
Before choosing which type of bedding is best for your horse, you will need to factor in things like allergies, dust, stable ventilation, cost effectiveness and so on. We covered these in Part 1 of What bedding is best for horses?
Now let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the most common stable bedding materials…
Straw Stable Bedding
Straw is a by-product of grain harvesting and is usually either barley straw or wheat straw.
It is one of the commonest types of stable bedding because it’s readily available and usually cost effective.
Many feed stores sell bales of straw as an alternative to oaten and wheaten hay for ‘fatties’. It’s also easy to use as stable bedding, comfortable for the horses to stand and lie in, and absorbs moisture OK.
However, it can be…
Dusty
Difficult to clean if they spread manure all through it
Rots down when wet
Attracts flies if not cleaned regularly (who then lay their eggs in it which produces maggots)
Flammable
Edible
You can also get pelleted or cubed straw for bedding. These do work very well, but are more expensive. Loose straw is by far the most economical to buy as it’s the least processed.
Sawdust Stable Bedding
Sawdust is also common as a bedding here in Australia. It is a by-product of timber milling so is readily available and usually economical as well.
Softwoods like pine make lovely soft, fluffy sawdust that also smells wonderful when fresh!
It absorbs moisture well, and can be spot cleaned easily, making it a very popular choice of stable bedding.
Sawdust bedding isn’t without its problems though. Notably, not all timber is horse friendly so avoid sawdust made from these timbers.
Sawdust also…
Breaks down faster than some other types of bedding.
Rots when wet, which attracts flies so soiled sawdust needs to be removed daily.
May be a fire hazard.
Wood Shavings
Like sawdust, wood shavings are another popular choice of horse stable bedding.
Pine again is probably one of the most common but most softwoods make excellent wood shaving bedding.
Shavings are more absorbent than straw, take longer to break down than sawdust, and are quite dense and cushioning.
They’re also not edible!
However, some of the same issues that apply to sawdust bedding also apply to shavings.
They are an organic material and being quite absorptive, rot down if not cleared out regularly.
There is also the same fly problem you have with sawdust, and obviously being wood – is flammable.
Wood Pellets
Wood pellets are made from compressed sawdust.
They’re extremely absorbent, and are a very good option if you need the bedding to be able to soak up odours and ammonia well. Plus wood pellets are easy to clean.
However, being a more processed product than either sawdust or shavings, wood pellets are usually not cheap.
They’re also an organic material so you run into the same rotting problems, and they may not be as soft and comfortable as sawdust or shavings.
Sand
Sand is often underrated but can be a good choice in some situations.
Notably, if your stable has dirt floors, clean white sand may be the most economical choice of bedding.
It drains well, dries out quickly, is easy to spot clean and readily available in many parts of Australia!
Sand doesn’t rot like organic bedding so is long-lasting, very durable, and not flammable.
Wet cold sand is also a good choice of bedding for laminitic horses and ponies as it helps reduce heat in their hooves.
However, sand will be a problem if your horse spills food on the floor so if you are going to use it, you’ll need to place some sort of matting under feed bins and hay nets.
Sand can also be dusty, as well as cold and uninviting in winter!
Other Stable Bedding Options To Consider
Paper Bedding
If your horse (or you) has respiratory problems or allergies, paper bedding may be an option. It absorbs moisture well, doesn’t produce dust, and is easy to clean.
Most paper bedding is made from old newspaper stock, and comes as a shredded product. It also composts well in the manure pile!
Paper stable bedding though is not commonly used, which means it’s also probably expensive. It can also be messy to handle, a consideration in windy areas.
Final thoughts on Stable Bedding
What bedding is best for horses like yours will vary depending on your personal preferences, your horse’s needs, and your budget.
However, regardless of which you choose, all stable bedding needs regular cleaning (we call it ‘mucking out’) and replacement.
