# I'm thinking about dampening the bedding in my trailer



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I noticed last time I cleaned out the trailer that there is a very thin layer of tan-colored dust on top of the white padding. I'm afraid this means that the trailer is swirling with dust when I drive. I'm thinking about trying to dampen down the bedding before I haul them next time, like basically just sprinkle it with water. What do you guys think? Is this a good or a bad idea? Anyone else do it?


----------



## My Salty Pony (Jan 1, 2022)

Yes you can dampen the shavings alot of people do for long hauls but a short haul is good too to keep the dust at bay.. So Damp away .  I would use my water hose to sprinkle the shavings, I would get them pretty damp/wet.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

For a distance haul of many hours, sure.
For an hour...sorry not seeing the point or the added workload you just put on you.

You should be carrying with you a broom, muck fork and bucket already...
When you reach your destination just clean the mess out of your trailer if your horses defecated, _sweep it out._
If your horse notoriously urinate in the trailer, then shavings might be a thought, but...but also remember your trailer is made with weep holes to release urine out the drain holes...
You upgraded didn't you away from a mat covered wooded floor?  _thought you mentioned doing so._..
Near guarantee you you will clog the weep holes so plan on pulling your mats and thoroughly washing down the floor inside and allowing the trailer a couple days to fully dry before putting the mats back in.
Manure has quite a bit more wet matter to it than most realize so some weep with that, but actual urine from urination....to me that is pull the mats, scrub the mats and wash the trailer floor of the caustic that urine is no matter what floor it is, it needs thorough clean from that or it will stink and can rot any floor.
Every seam, wall to floor edge, all of it carefully swept clean and if warranted washed out and left to dry. 
Check your walls for spray if actual urinating happened cause splash happened no matter shavings or not and that needs cleaned gone or start deterioration of the trailer and stench arrives real fast.  
🐴.... _jmo..._


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

ACinATX said:


> I noticed last time I cleaned out the trailer that there is a very thin layer of tan-colored dust on top of the white padding. I'm afraid this means that the trailer is swirling with dust when I drive. I'm thinking about trying to dampen down the bedding before I haul them next time, like basically just sprinkle it with water. What do you guys think? Is this a good or a bad idea? Anyone else do it?


I do not dampen my shavings but I always have my horses wear full fly masks (ear and long nose covering) when we trailer for this reason. Yes things swirl around. 

I also figure if I am making the shavings wet enough to stay wet enough long enough to do any good, well now they aren't going to be absorbant for urine. My horses like to pee in the trailer so I bed pretty heavily with shavings to soak it up.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I don't dampen my shavings (on the rare occasions I use them) because they won't absorb anything if wet and if you have the windows open the wind will blow dirt and dust around anyhow. Try loading your horses up without any shavings and hauling them, you'll see just how much dirt blows off of them and swirls around in there anyhow. Fly masks to protect all the tender spots. Broom, bucket, rakes and then when back at home, hose out your trailer from top to bottom. If nobody pee'd then no need to pull mats except for occasionally, but if someone pees, pull 'em and wash 'em and scrub your floors and walls. You'll keep that trailer beautiful and in tip top shape for a very long time if you'll give it that much attention.


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

beau159 said:


> I also figure if I am making the shavings wet enough to stay wet enough long enough to do any good, well now they aren't going to be absorbant for urine. My horses like to pee in the trailer so I bed pretty heavily with shavings to soak it up.


What I was thinking was I'd dampen it in the front of the trailer to a bit in front of their back feet. I've never known Pony to pee in the trailer, but Moonshine might. So any place that would get peed or pooped on, I wouldn't dampen. So maybe I wouldn't get rid of the dust 100% but surely it would be better.


----------



## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

You can put ice on the shavings to help cool the trailer down but even damp shavings may blow a little and the air from the windows lets dust in. As others have said we also have our horses wear fly masks in the trailer - whether I have shavings down or not. Most dust and dirt comes from the outside not the inside.


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

carshon said:


> Most dust and dirt comes from the outside not the inside.


Yeah, I suppose that could be what's happening here. But the dust is suspiciously shavings-colored LOL.

Also I have screens in all the windows, so I don't think putting fly masks on them would help keep stuff from outside getting in their faces. I expect the screens do as good of a job as the fly masks would.


----------



## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

I don't think it's a bad idea - I would probably opt for a fertilizer pump sprayer instead of a hose just to make sure you don't go too wild with the water, but that's just me.

We use wood pellets as bedding at my current barn. To fluff those up, you add a bit of water to the bag, wait, and then cut it open. IMO, this is one of the least dusty barns I've ever been in and the pee absorbs just fine into the slightly dampened wood pellets. I wasn't sure about wood pellet bedding at first, but now I'm a believer. If you have access to TSC or a similar store, you could even give it a shot in the trailer (just make sure it is animal safe, some wood-burning pellets are not). If you do end up having a horse that likes peeing in the trailer, you could probably mix some unmoistened pellets into the fluffed up moistened bedding to help with absorbency.


----------

