Stall Bedding

[Mini Glaciers]

1. In the past, I have used straw for bedding when the stalls exit directly to outside. Now I have a barn and will put down stall mats. I wondering about the pros and cons of using straw v shavings

[Slim Pikkens]

Bedding isn't so much about bedding but absorbing the splash from a urinating horse. Whether shavings or straw it's your preference. I'm a fan of straw as years ago I was taught how to clean and bed a good stall, as done at the race tracks, without being wasteful.

[kaykay]

I prefer shavings as they are much more absorbent and easier to clean. Also straw takes forever to break down in the compost pile. We do use some straw when its very cold for warmth

[Horsemom2]

We use straw, but we have a straw chopper. I don't really find much of a difference in how quickly they break down (I actually think shavings take longer but they press together and compact more). I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my straw chopper. It makes a nice fluffy bed that is easy to clean and at a fraction of the cost. I can bed for more than a month with straw for what I had to pay for shavings.

[horselady]

Shavings are what I use now, and I also get sawdust from a mill by the truckload, cost effective that way.

[AnitaP]

We use straw here but my husband is wanting to try shavings. I am interested in that straw chopper were did you get it sounds good to me I like the straw my self but if we had a straw chopper it would brake down a lot faster.

AnitaP

[mingiz]

I use sawdust. I get it by the dump truck load....Alot cheaper in the long run than straw....

[Horsemom2]

We actually found ours on ebay!!!! It was a fluke I think. It was only about an hour away and we got a really good deal on it. I am not sure how much they run new. What I like is how easy it makes it to clean the stalls. It is easier to get out the yucky stuff and leave the clean stuff. Much less waste! Thankfully with our barn set up we can push it from stall to stall which makes it really easy to use. To me they stay cleaner and I save money... gotta love that. To be honest though, I wouldn't even know where to go buy one new. Probably an implement store or someplace similar. Like I said we got a really good deal on ebay of all places!

[greygirls]

I prefer shavings for convenience reasons.

[MCCURDY HORSE]

I tried straw, did not like it as much as shavings, beside, my horses ate the straw

[AngelPA]

Back at the track we can't use anything but straw. They say the shavings didn't break down for the mushroom company that comes for the track poop so now we don't have a choice. At the home farm we use nothing but shavings, easier, faster EXCEPT when it's foaling season, then of course it's back to straw. Here at my personal home, I only have 2 horses & I use Best Cobs, it's a pellat, works just like kitty litter, the only thing I don't like a bout it is if you step in a spot that was urinated in it's slick like gel and you really slide like heck!

[sdm2009]

Which is cheaper, straws or shavings?

[taelesean]

Originally Posted by sdm2009

Which is cheaper, straws or shavings?

Depends on where you live, time of year, and how good the weather was for making straw.

[train2rein]

Originally Posted by horselady

Shavings are what I use now, and I also get sawdust from a mill by the truckload, cost effective that way.

It is cost effective, and I totally agree. I would advise caution only because walnut is toxic to horses. Unless you do not know exactly what types of wood are in the mix, I wouldn't risk it. Most horses wont ingest the shavings, but if you feed on top of them, or some hay spills on top, you could have a problem.