It looks like the barn owner is NOT going to buy any bedding for the winter. Currently, the horses are on soft sand in their stalls, and so, are comfortable (no hock sores), but when the ground cools down, my arthritic horse will be uncomfortable. I can, of course, go buy bagged shavings, but those large curly shavings are a PAIN to pick poop in. I've been thinking about the pelletized shavings, does anyone have experience with these? Here is a link
http://www.guardianhorsebedding.com/pine ... In the past, I have used curlies or my favorite, heavy saw dust (actually very, very small chips, not really dust), but the dust is not available except by the semi-load. I've even offered to chip in the cost of my portion of the purchase of the semi-load, but he isn't building a bin, so that's not happening, even with my help. grrrrrrrr
These are the best invention ever. We use Equine Fresh at my barn . It is about $ 6 a bag, and we fill our 14X14 stalls with 5 bags a month. I personally strip my stall once a month because the bedding gets dirty and very low. Expect to lose a bit of shavings with each scoop, and expect "poop crumbs" because you try to shake all of the bedding out. The urine clumps together and is very easy to remove. These work wonderfully with a clean eater that poops in one area. That kind of horse will have a stall that lasts for months without needing to be stripped.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I would personally go with these over any type of bedding. They are the easiest to pick through by far, they are easy to make, they are incredibly absorbent, and they are comfortable. I'm not sure if they are the most economical per bag, but they can be a great choice for someone that doesn't want to throw half of their shavings away when they pick a stall. Most Tractor Supplies carry some brand of pellets. The Equine Fresh stays golden the longest. (The bedding turns progressively browner as the month wears on and more particles of urine and feces are left in the stall.)
They do take a little work to get good bedding, though. You can either open all your bags, wet them down, turn them, wet them again, and turn them while waiting 20 minutes after each wetting. You can put the pellets in a wheelbarrow and wet them that way while turning, or you can wet them in the bag. I have found that I like the bag technique best. When I spread all of the pellets on the floor I get the rest of the bedding too wet and I have too many pellets leftover. (They can be slippery little buggers when on mats.) When I use the wheelbarrow I can't get to the bottom layer and I get the top too wet. So I use the bags. I cut an " ; X "in the long side (while it's laying in the stall), add water to the sides, corners, and middle twice, and let them sit for 20 minutes. I come back and pour them out slowly, adding water to the places with pellets. Let that sit another 20 minutes, then spread around the stall. Tada! You now have amazing pine "dust." Word of caution: I would ont use this for a horse with respiratory problems. It can get quite dusty when in a dry or hot environment. It also tries to choke you with its dustiness in the summer.
I've never tried the pellets, but have seen other people on here who are very happy with them. I've been tempted to try them in one of my stalls just to see how it works.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I get the sawdust type shavings in bags. They're sold as "premium" shavings. It's by American Wood Fibers around here - I'm not sure how large of an area they sell to. Next time you go to your feed store , ask to see the various types of bedding material they sell, and you might find what you're looking for with a different name.
They look really good and cost effective - it's a pain in the butt for me - one of my horses can only have paper because he's allergic to everything else and papers a ***** to clean! My other horses are all on straw with shavings underneath and my little shetland (he's ancient and has arthritas) is totally warm comfy and cozy on that.
My barn uses half curly shavings and half Equine Pine pellets and they work very well. I never knew about them until now and I was missing out. Even though its only half, mucking is much quicker. It makes cleaning pee up easier too! Unfortunately my barn doesn't add water, but oh well. xP I plan on using them if I ever bring my boy home.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I definitely think its a good idea!
I got tired of wasting money of the ole pine shavings. After speaking to a friend of mine that has over 20 horses in her barn and her telling me that it cuts the time down that it takes her to clean the barn and less waste I was all about that. Although the initial start up of them is a little pricey in the end you will love them.
I started out in my 12 x 12 stalls putting in 6 bags and every week to 10 days I would add a new bag. The horses love them. The barn seems to not have the odor that you get with shavings wither and the pellets absorb water so much better ...
