To use Shavings or not to use Shavings...what are the alternatives

[fjordmom]

Another vote for pellets (and I do have one horse with allergies/dust sensitives so I’m OCD fussy on that count.) I’ve been using them for about 6 years. Very easy with my own guys who are pretty neat.

Start with 3 bags in 12X12 stall, hose down lightly (or do the cut X in the bag thing). They don’t need to be/ shouldn’t be soaking wet. The horses moving around will break them down to a finer sawdust. My horses are out all day until dark and then in at night, so time varies seasonally. I only need to replenish roughly 1 bag a week at most (or in summer maybe 2 or 3 bags a month total/stall.)

Pick out manure piles and totally remove wet spot each AM. (My boys are good about consistently using the same area for wet spots, so not spread all over.) As bedding gets broken down, I sweep/fork the driest bedding into the areas where the wet spots will be and add fresh around the edges of the stall. Like someone else said, I do sweep bedding back away from the door and front side somewhat. If the bedding gets dusty (and at certain times of year it will, that’s my only “complaint” with it) I empty the water bucket - sort of swish, you know, so you don’t dump a big puddle all in one spot - into the stall after horses are turned out and just fork the bedding around until evenly moist. Or I may just spritz it lightly when filling water buckets. I leave the wet spot areas dry though. Total stall cleaning never takes more than 10-15 minutes on the worst days and usually less. I may wet it twice a week, depends on humidity, wind, and other weather factors. But it’s easy and you’ve also just solved the problem of dumping a water bucket before refilling with fresh.

It does take a little while to figure out the best routine and even that will change with the seasons but its well worth it. Hang in there and give them a good try. I will never go back to anything else unless pellets go to $20+ a bag.

The horses are perfectly comfy too I think. Pony is one that loves to roll and get a deep snooze every night. The other morning he was still down, content as can be, when I came into the barn a bit earlier than usual. Wasn’t even in a hurry to get up for breakfast (and he is all pony when it comes to food!) I can easily brush the little bits of bedding off him every morning before our ride and it’s obvious he has gotten in a good back-scratch roll and all.

[UlysMom]

So…I have been trying an experiment with new bedding the past month. I’ve been using coconut husk fiber exclusively to test it’s effectiveness as stall bedding. Using the Coconut Cowboy brand. It’s pricey. But I was told it would last for a few months, you don’t remove the wet spots (just fluff and the bedding dries out quickly without an odor), and it wouldn’t blow away in our crazy Santa Ana winds. Thought if it lasted as long as they said, it would definitely be worth the price.

My horse lives in a large pipe corral, with rubber mats lining half his stall. The bedding has been on half of his mats.

So far I have been pleased with the product. If the bedding is turned every day, it does stay dry and fluffy. Unfortunately, I’m in a boarding situation, and while the primary stable hand understands to turn the bedding and not throw out wet product, his helpers don’t always follow that. So, I have lost some pricey product due to their cleaning efficiency. But, in general, 2 bags have lasted for about 5-6 weeks now (and should for at least another 6), my horse actually stays really clean and shiny sleeping in this as there is no dust whatsoever, and I really like the spongy consistency (think peat moss). If you don’t turn and mix the bedding, you will get soggy wet spots that smell of ammonia. But, and I know this sounds weird, once you mix and let the wet dry out, the smell goes away. I truly didn’t believe it when the girls at the feed store told me that. But they were right.

Anyway, I haven’t seen much posted in here about coconut fiber bedding, so thought I would share my experiment so far.

[One_Two_Three]

[QUOTE=UlysMom;7848120]
So…I have been trying an experiment with new bedding the past month. I’ve been using coconut husk fiber exclusively to test it’s effectiveness as stall bedding. Using the Coconut Cowboy brand. It’s pricey. But I was told it would last for a few months, you don’t remove the wet spots (just fluff and the bedding dries out quickly without an odor), and it wouldn’t blow away in our crazy Santa Ana winds. Thought if it lasted as long as they said, it would definitely be worth the price.

My horse lives in a large pipe corral, with rubber mats lining half his stall. The bedding has been on half of his mats.

So far I have been pleased with the product. If the bedding is turned every day, it does stay dry and fluffy. Unfortunately, I’m in a boarding situation, and while the primary stable hand understands to turn the bedding and not throw out wet product, his helpers don’t always follow that. So, I have lost some pricey product due to their cleaning efficiency. But, in general, 2 bags have lasted for about 5-6 weeks now (and should for at least another 6), my horse actually stays really clean and shiny sleeping in this as there is no dust whatsoever, and I really like the spongy consistency (think peat moss). If you don’t turn and mix the bedding, you will get soggy wet spots that smell of ammonia. But, and I know this sounds weird, once you mix and let the wet dry out, the smell goes away. I truly didn’t believe it when the girls at the feed store told me that. But they were right.

Anyway, I haven’t seen much posted in here about coconut fiber bedding, so thought I would share my experiment so far.[/QUOTE]

I’ve never heard of or seen it before! Maybe it’s a regional thing?