# horse bedding



## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

How much time, per day, will the horse be spending confined in the stall? That is going to play a very big part in how much bedding you will go through and the overall cost involved.
We use pelleted bedding and have actually seen our overall costs go down. However, our horses are not confined to the bedded stall at any time so their use of the bedding is significantly lower than you would have with a horse who was stalled for a majority of each day.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I LOVE pelleted bedding.

The initial cost is more than shavings because you need at least 6 bags of pellets to bed deeply enough, but there's less waste and you'll only need to completely strip stalls every 4 to 5 months.

When I add bedding I only put in 1 new bag every other week, and my stalls are 12 X 24.

I use Equine Fresh, which runs about $5.99 a bag. Shavings run anywhere from $4.99 to $5.79 a bag, depending.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Pelleted bedding makes a great environment for mites, mold and other fun pesky creatures. I will never, ever subject my horse to that crap again.

I prefer shavings for stalled horses because they smell nice, are readily available and easy to clean. If you build a shed, you can buy them in bulk which is way cheaper than bagged. My barn has 3 berms, like 3 sides of a rectangle, and the shavings get dumped into there, it is fairly windy and they don't blow away. I do also like straw, if it is bedded deeply enough. Straw is my preferred bedding for mares and foals, and in outdoor run-ins.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

^^ I agree, I stick with shavings because I can buy them in bulk - much, MUCH cheaper than by the bag in either pellets or shavings. Plus, keeping the stalls clean and bedded with shavings keeps the whole barn smelling fresh and clean.


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

We use sawdust. But it by the bulk. Or shavings if sawdust isn't available


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> Pelleted bedding makes a great environment for mites, mold and other fun pesky creatures. I will never, ever subject my horse to that crap again.


Why does Pelleted bedding make an environment and shavings does not?



OP, I think you will find choice of bedding is a some what personal decision. What one person loves the next hates and they all have valid reasons. Neither choice is wrong.
You will also find that what you use might depend on the horse and the set up. I buy sawdust in bulk. I have one horse that is on mats and is only bedded in sawdust. My other horse does not have mats and he is bedded with sawdust underneath and straw on top. 
If you only have a couple of horses it might be best to simple figure out what works best for each horse and go that route. Obviously if you are dealing with lots of horses that is not really an option.


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## msb (Apr 7, 2010)

how much tipically is it by the load with saw dust or shavings?


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I used straw for 12 years, then wood shavings for 11 years and now Woody pet pellets for the last 2 years.
My bedding of choice for price, cleanliness and ease of cleaning is woody pet.
I am extremely anal about my horse's care and again I like pellets the best of all.
I use alot of the manure on my flower beds.
Wood shaving can NOT be put on your fields.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Why does Pelleted bedding make an environment and shavings does not?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are supposed to spray it with water and only remove big urine spots and then just add bedding. With shavings you remove everything.
I know from experience this happens, a barn I used to board at used the pelleted bedding like the bags said to and they now have a huge mold-mite population. There are mites in any environment, but with this bedding there ends up being such a high population that in a well ventilated barn, the horses were covered in mite bites.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I use shavings. Always have, most likely always will. When it comes time for my mare to foal I'll probably change her stall to straw, though.

Have you guys heard of that corn cob bedding? It's supposedly really inexpencive and really good.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> I used straw for 12 years, then wood shavings for 11 years and now Woody pet pellets for the last 2 years.
> My bedding of choice for price, cleanliness and ease of cleaning is woody pet.
> I am extremely anal about my horse's care and again I like pellets the best of all.
> I use alot of the manure on my flower beds.
> Wood shaving can NOT be put on your fields.


We use wood shavings and the grass and flowers grow like crazy anyway


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

equiniphile said:


> We use wood shavings and the grass and flowers grow like crazy anyway


Wood shavings are not good to put on the fields. Wood absorbs more nutrients out of the soil then they provide. While we have 100 acres of planted fields ALL wood shavings had to be hauled off the property.
No so with the woody pet or straw.


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