Equine bedding, a fundamental aspect of horse care, primarily serves to foster restful conditions that encourage horses to lie down. While it’s true that horses have the ability to rest while standing, and some seldom lie down, it’s still vital to recognize the significant health benefits derived from proper rest. Horses, by engaging in a proper resting posture i.e., lying down, enjoy an improved overall condition and extended health of their legs. The importance of high-quality, sufficient bedding surpasses mere comfort and effectively contributes to their wellbeing.
Detriments of Inadequate Horse Bedding
Offering your horse insufficient bedding doesn’t cut corners as one might hope; instead, it’s nearly as detrimental as not providing any bedding at all—a mistaken approach that can be accurately described as a false economy. The pitfalls of this neglect are numerous and more harmful than they appear at first glance.
A bed that’s spread too thinly is prone to getting quickly scraped away in spots, leaving hard, bare floor exposed. This lack of padding leads to uncomfortable, even harmful contact between the horse’s body and the barn’s cold, solid floor. Areas like the elbows, fetlock joints, and other parts are highly susceptible to injury under such circumstances.
Injuries from Insufficient Bedding
Inadequate bedding can result in a variety of ailments such as the inflammatory conditions known commonly as capped hock and capped elbow. These and other similar issues arise from the undue pressure and injury inflicted on their soft tissue areas as a result of insufficient padding. Moreover, this approach will demand considerable effort on your part, leaving you with a messy, soiled horse to groom each morning.
Without a doubt, investing in proper horse bedding will not only promote better rest for your equine friends but also protect them from potential injuries and health issues. Hence, ensuring adequate bedding should be a central facet of every horse owner’s care strategy.
Exploring Various Types of Equine Bedding
Equine bedding comes with a variety of options, each with its own sets of pros and cons. The most commonly used materials are straw (with several types available), wood shavings, sawdust, peat moss, and shredded paper. Some practices, now considered outdated, include using sand, leaves, or bracken as bedding—a technique found unsatisfactory for horses today.
Uses and Benefits of Straw Bedding
Historically, wheat straw has been considered the superior choice for horse bedding. Its durable, long, stalks form a firm bed. Today, barley straw has gained popularity due to its increased availability and has proven to be an acceptable choice as well. Thanks to modern harvesting techniques, the skin-irritating awns are largely eliminated— mitigating main concerns of past users. However, oat straw is typically overlooked for bedding as horses, finding this straw particularly delicious, may eat it instead.
Using Wood Shavings As Bedding
Wood shavings make for an alternative bedding solution, especially useful for horses prone to eating straw bedding. It can be used fresh or as deep litter bedding. The challenge here is to maintain a clean, dry bed for the horses, requiring the removal of droppings and soiled material several times a day. This helps prevent foot problems, particularly thrush. Fresh shavings are then progressively added, and the bed is raked for an even coverage—ideally about 10cm (4″) deep.
Sawdust: Another Bedding Option
Sawdust, as another bedding option, shows less satisfactory results due to its poor absorbency, and the fact that it heats up when damp. As with other forms of bedding, it requires frequent clearing of droppings and soiled material.
Advantages of Peat Moss
Peat moss makes for high-quality bedding, albeit pricier than its counterparts. A necessary depth of 20cm (8″) makes it a good form of deep litter bedding under regular maintenance to remove the droppings and soiled material. It can be somewhat challenging to spot this soiled material in peat moss. Rolling the surface after it has been levelled and raked can hinder the horse’s ability to disturb the bedding material too much.
Shredded Paper: An Allergen-free Alternative
Lastly, shredded paper serves as a satisfactory alternative for bedding. This material becomes particularly useful for horses that suffer from allergen sensitivities to molds commonly found in other forms of bedding.
Bedding Down with Straw: A Guide for Optimal Comfort
When bedding down with straw, the end goal is to create a cozy, level, and firm bed that efficiently drains moisture, protects against floor drafts, and cushions the horse from hard flooring. If these considerations are kept in mind, you’re on the right track to providing your horse with comfortable bedding.
Laying Straw for a Secure and Elastic Bed
To achieve an even bed, start by shaking out the straw fully and tossing it from the edges of the box. This distributes the straw evenly across the floor, with straws crossing in various directions. Bundling the straw in lumps or placing them parallel to each other diminishes its elasticity and encourages the horse to move the bedding, leading to bare or thin patches. A “saucer” effect can be achieved by pushing the bed up against the sides and back of the box, which will provide additional wind protection and prevent injuries from the walls. This method can also help prevent the horse from getting stuck against the walls and being unable to rise.
By the door, maintain a bare space if the floor is elevated above the outside ground level. This “doorstep” not only adds a tidy appearance but also serves as a reminder to the horse when entering or exiting the box. Complete the edges by neatly tucking in any stray edges.
Mixing New and Old Bedding
When combining old and new bedding, mix both materials thoroughly before creating the bed. A thick bed goes a long way, promoting horse comfort, reducing wastage, and making morning cleaning an easier task.
Addressing Horses Eating Straw Bedding
One issue with straw bedding is the possibility of the horse consuming it. Varied remedies have been suggested, ranging from providing more hay to tying the horse up as if in a stall. From experience, sprinkling the bed with Jeyes or another horse-safe disinfectant has generally shown to be an effective deterrent. The amount used will depend on the specific animal, and it is essential to monitor them for adjustments. However, for those that consider the application of disinfectant as a tasty addition, spraying the bed with fly-spray can provide a more successful alternative solution.
Bedding Down with Shavings, Sawdust, Peat Moss, and Shredded Paper: A Focus on Cleanliness
Bedding down with alternatives like shavings, sawdust, peat moss, and shredded paper requires special attention. The key to maintaining these types of bedding is regularity and cleanliness. Unlike straw bedding which can be entirely removed for a portion of the day, these material choices are permanently laid down—necessitating frequent maintenance.
Preventing Drain Blockages
The initial step when bedding down with these materials is to secure the entrances to the drains, which ensures they don’t get blocked. Drain blockages can lead to damp, unsanitary conditions that are unhealthy for the horse and challenging to rectify.
Maintaining the Bedding
Bedding made of shavings, sawdust, peat moss, and shredded paper needs constant attention. These materials stay down always, just as a regular bed would. As a result, the droppings require even more frequent removal than they typically might with straw bedding. Wet patches must also be addressed regularly to ensure that no damp areas ensue.
Each damp area should promptly be replaced with fresh material. Maintaining a clean and dry bed contributes to a healthy environment for your horse and prevents irritating health problems such as hoof thrush.
Prioritizing Clean Feet
Finally, when using these types of bedding materials, cleanliness of the horse’s feet must be rigorously maintained. Any remnants of the bedding materials clinging to the horse’s feet can result in discomfort or even facilitate infections. Regular feet cleaning is vital and should ideally be done daily to prevent common foot problems.
Equine Allergies: The Role of Mold and Fungi Spores in Stable Environments
Allergies to mold and fungi spores found in stable environments significantly impact equine health. Sources of these spores include hay and bedding, which contribute to equine respiratory issues like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Many horses develop COPD, and it’s essential to minimize spores and stable dust to reduce the incidence of this problem.
Bedding’s Impact on Spore Levels
Straw, even of high quality, contains a substantial number of fungal spores. When the straw is of inferior quality (fusty) or utilized in deep litter bedding, spore levels may skyrocket. In comparison, fresh paper, shavings, sawdust, and peat bedding materials typically have lower spore levels. However, in deep litter situations, they may have similar spore counts to straw.
The Importance of Stable Ventilation
Proper ventilation in the stable helps maintain dust and spore levels at an acceptable range. Insufficient airflow can lead to high spore concentrations and increased allergy risk, even with good quality straw. Spore levels are at their peak when bedding is being shaken up—it’s crucial to do this while the horse is absent from the stable, allowing at least 20 minutes for the dust to settle before the horse returns.
A Regimen for Minimizing Spores
An effective spore minimization regimen is indispensable for horses suffering from COPD. This regimen can include soaking hay or substituting it with a different fiber source, using fresh shavings or paper bedding, and ensuring proper stable ventilation. Even if horses do not exhibit COPD symptoms, maintaining low spore levels in the stable is a prudent precaution to prevent the development of respiratory issues in the future.
The Process of Mucking-out: Cleaning Horse Stables
“Mucking-out” is the term used to describe the crucial daily task of cleaning horse stables. While alternatives like peat moss and other litter materials need special care, this section focuses on straw bedding. Separating clean straw from wet, dirty bedding and droppings requires practice but is crucial for maintaining a sanitary environment.
How to Muck-out with Straw Bedding
Using a stable fork, the clean straw should first be removed and placed in a convenient corner. Next, slightly soiled straw, still suitable for reuse, should be shaken out and added to the clean pile. Finally, the remaining dirty straw and droppings should be swept up, loaded onto a wheelbarrow, and transported to a manure heap located at an appropriate distance from the stable.
Maintaining the Manure Heap
A well-constructed manure heap aids in the decomposition process, taking up less space and reducing fly populations, as the heat generated by decomposing manure kills developing flies. Treating the outer, less rotted material with an insecticidal spray during the summer helps further minimize flies. A brick enclosure works well for manure storage, ensuring the heap remains contained and neat.
Stable Cleaning and Disinfection
To maintain a clean stable environment, regularly wash the stable floor with plenty of water and disinfectant, paying special attention to corners and drainages. It’s essential to air out the stables completely by keeping windows and doors open when horses are not inside. During the summer, using a high-quality spray helps control flies and other insects, creating a healthy and pleasant environment for both horses and their caretakers.
