Winter Prep: What kind of bedding?

[wingnut]

The previous discussion about being ready for winter reminded me that I still haven't decided what to do about bedding.

Our current setup is a converted 12x12 run in shed that we've divided in half and added a double set of dutch doors. The lower doors are set to "mini height". Each stall holds two horses (luckily, their temperments mesh well, so this worksfor us). This setup kept them pretty warm when we shut them in during the worst of the storms, rainy days and really cold temperature days. Only one of our horses needed a blanket, but that's our hard keeper who doesn't have a layer of fat keeping her warm

We had a pretty tough winter last year with 3 blizzards which resulted in 24-36" of snow each time (two of those were only 1 week apart!). We hope we don't have that kind of winter again, but we need to prepare as if it will be at least that bad or worse.

What do you do to keep your horses warm during the winter? Is straw the best option for bedding when it comes to warmth? My husband is after me to decide whether we're going with straw this year or some other form of bedding.

 

[LAminiatures]

I use shavings in the winter months. When we get ice it's much easier to take the dirty bedding and spread it on the ice for better footing than straw. Giving your horses extra hay during the winter and especially the cold snaps will keep them warm. Make sure they are getting enough water as well. Soaked beet pulp or alfa alfa cubes are a great treat.

 

[Carolyn R]

Shaving and sawdust are so much easier than straw. I use straw for newborn foals, but I haven't used straw as a primary bedding source since I was a kid. Yuck, I hated it!!!!!

 

[wingnut]

Shaving and sawdust are so much easier than straw. I use straw for newborn foals, but I haven't used straw as a primary bedding source since I was a kid. Yuck, I hated it!!!!!

We've been using shavings/sawdust for the most part since we started in April '09. I wasn't sure if that was "enough".

LAminiatures: Believe me! They got all the hay they wanted last year. Probably more than they wanted. We had a lot of waste as a result

 

[candycar]

I've always used shavings. Last winter when I "free fed" hay, we had some waste also. I used what they wouldn't eat to bed the stalls! It worked out great with the shavings on the bottom and the wasted hay on top. Very cozy!

 

[Minimor]

STRAW! Straw is all we ever use--I really do not like shavings, and with them being so much more expensive than straw, that is another strike against them.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I prefer straw, but with a layer of shavings underneath to soak up the urine. Helps that the straw is free from my dad who does crop farming.

I've tried to do all shavings, but I feel like the stall is dirty when the shavings get discolored. I'm so picky about clean stalls...just my own OCD when it comes to stalls!

 

[Matt73]

I prefer straw, but with a layer of shavings underneath to soak up the urine. Helps that the straw is free from my dad who does crop farming.

I've tried to do all shavings, but I feel like the stall is dirty when the shavings get discolored. I'm so picky about clean stalls...just my own OCD when it comes to stalls!

That's what I do now, too. Love it! Straw is really very very easy. Takes me 5 mins. to muck and have a spotless, fluffy stall

 

[Mominis]

Glad to see this topic. I always use shavings and I'm not a big straw fan at all, except for foaling, which we don't do anymore. But, I was having a conversation with a sport horse friend of mine and she was telling me that she likes the pelleted shavings under regular shavings. She was telling me that for maximum absorbtion and warmth, that you couldn't beat the combination. I haven't yet tried the pelleted stuff yet. But I may give it a try this winter. Any thoughts?

 

[ohmt]

For warmth, straw and leftover hay is definitely the warmest. That's what we use up here in VERY chilly North Dakota. Shavings may be easier to clean up, but nothing beats a warm and cozy straw/hay bed!

 

[OhHorsePee]

We use the pelleted bedding. The only problem we have had was when we had the severe cold. I like to have some already puffed out and ready before hand.

 

[Marty]

Hi Wing! I'd like to suggest to you first that you consider insullating your shed. Was the best thing we ever did in our barn and run-in that I also can close up like yours. Insullation is pretty dang cheap to buy, shove it up in a day's time with a staple gun, and put some OSB on top of it and nail it in. Don't know where you are but here right now OSB board can be purchased for $5.50 a sheet. Has saved my bacon.

As for bedding. First thing you need to be sure your shed is high and dry and no chance at all of it getting muddy inside in the exsisting floor. Now is the time to fix it, ditch around it or whatever you have to do, and add fill dirt or chat inside, whatever you need for the floor. Any chance after that of it still becoming damp I'd cover the floor first with pelleted bedding and be very generous with it. Then add my shavings. I don't like straw because it is hard to dispose of, they'll eat it and its got a lot of sugar content. I'd rather bed with hay than with straw if it came down to that. At least if they ate the hay during the storms, they would be keeping warm.

Good luck to ya!

 

[Equuisize]

Joy, we are in the Pacific NW so 'normally' we don't get any serious

winter weather for any extended time.

We have matted stalls and use stall dry on their wet spots so

any ammonia odor will be snuffed out. Pellets are added to their pee spots.

Any previous nights shavings, left over, are put in the pee spot and additional

added to it to make them a nice lofty spot. My horses do not like

any splashing onto their legs so we make that nice deep spot for them.

Then as we call it 'putting down their clean sheets' at night as the rest of

the stall is bedded with more clean shavings. If it's been rainy they like to roll

in the clean shavings, I am assuming to absorb some of the dampness of their coats.

They are all very tidy, thank goodness, and cleanup is a breeze.

 

[wingnut]

As always, excellent input from everyone!! You guys are the best

The hay waste last year turned into bedding more often then not. I believe the hard keeper is the biggest waster because I know she picks through her hay the most. The others don't do it nearly as much as she does. Between her pickiness and her weight issues, I'm seriously considering getting a small amount of alfalfa hay just for her. When the weather isn't so bad they all have to be stalled, we separate her during feeding time to ensure only she gets her special high calorie bucket of feed. It wouldn't be hard to be sure she's the only one getting that alfalfa hay.

We've used sawmill shavings for the last 18 months. I understand that there is more risk of dust but we've had really good luck with the sawmill we've bought ours from and the dust has been minimal. A whole larger trailer's worth of shavings cost us $20 and we're still using from the pile that we bought *last* September.

Anyway, lots of good information and lots of things to consider as we move forward. Marty, we were able to keep things dry last year but I think things have "settled" a bit and then of course those darn varmits have dug quite the tunnel system. We've had some intense rain here this week (east coast, mid-atlantic, north central Maryland is where I am) and for the first time in 18 months, the stall floors were squishy last night. My husband has mentioned the idea of insulating before, so I agree that's something to look into!

I think hubby and I will hash out some plans and pick a Saturday in October to dedicate to getting things ready.

 

[disneyhorse]

My guy lives in a box stall. A very large one, but fortunately he is very clean and that helps save on bedding. It is rubber mats on concrete.

I lay down a sprinkling of Sweet PDZ powder (basically barn lime) to help with any ammonia. Then I put down a layer of pelleted wood bedding. I find this is the most absorbent for the price. Even though the bags usually recommend either wetting them down or stirring the urine spots in with the dry spots, I simply remove the wettest section (he pees in one spot only, which makes it super easy) each day. I do not wet the pellets down, I leave them intact. On top of the pelleted bedding I put a comfy layer of shavings. My horse likes to sleep on fluffy shavings, so that is what he gets. It also allows the dustier pelleted bedding to stay at the bottom.

I don't really like straw, it's too hard to pick through and you end up stripping out more than you need, so to me this outweighs the price benefits. I find that most horses eat it, too, which I don't like.

Andrea