Which type of bedding is best for your horse?
Do you prefer bedding your horse down on straw or shavings? Or perhaps you prefer an alternative bedding such as paper or wood pellets? Most people have a favourite choice of bedding and there are several factors at play when it comes to choosing the most appropriate for your horse. Whether its habit and what youre used to or a condition of the yard your horse lives on price storage capacity and being able to buy locally are other influencing factors too.
There are multiple types of horse bedding to choose from and what suits one horse wont be right for another. You will need to consider this as part of your horse care and management. Some horses are wetter and therefore need a more absorbent material for example while others may have a health condition such as a respiratory disease and so only dustfree will do.
If you keep your horse at livery you may have to factor in yard rules too. I know of several yards that wont allow straw for example because it requires a large dry storage area. More straw bedding tends to be removed each day too which leads to a bigger muck heap that needs removing more often.
Horses like to eat oat straw and it isnt as absorbent as wheat straw. It can be relatively cheap following a good harvest but like wheat straw it can also be dusty.
Wood shavings
One of the more expensive bedding options the biggest benefit of shavings is their absorbency and ease of use. Most brands are now dustextracted but it is worth double checking if your horse has a breathing or allergy issue. They take a long time to rot down but can be burnt.
Wood pellets
Wood pellets can absorb nine times more liquid than regular shavings and so are super absorbent making them ideal for deeplitter beds. However they can be time consuming to lay as they need wetting prior to use and they can be slippery when still dry. They can work out to be more costeffective than other bedding types. Wood pellets
