Stall bedding options

Show horses are often confined to the unnatural environment of a stall rather than their natural habitat of wide open spaces. Confinement can increase in the fall and winter months in some areas as owners try to keep long, fuzzy coats at bay. It’s essential that a stalled horse is kept dry and comfortable to avoid lameness from a prolonged hard surface, or respiratory problems from accumulating waste.

Unlike the past, when straw and wood shavings were the only options, products now exist to suit every taste, budget and condition. Here are a few, and some ups and downs to consider for each.

Straw: Straw is highly absorbent, provides great padding, is economical and encourages the horse to lay down. It’s also preferred in foaling stalls, because foals won’t inhale wood chips or dust particles. Downsides include increased labor for stall maintenance, flammability and the possibility it may contain forage mites or be eaten by the horse.

Pine or aspen shavings: Pine shavings are a long-standing favorite for comfort, affordability, absorption and decreased maintenance. They also help eliminate odor and burn slowly in case of fire. The major downside can be dust. Aspen shavings are also popular and can be even less dusty, and great for reducing respiratory issues, although they’re usually a little harder to pick and maintain.

Tip: Beware of black walnut or other hardwood shavings; they’ve been reported to contribute to founder.

Kenaf: One of the newer choices on the scene is kenaf—a warm-season annual fiber crop used in bedding, padding and paper pulp. The plant is related to cotton, okra and hibiscus according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Kenaf is advertised as being 214 percent more absorbent than pine shavings, with a 200 percent longer use time. It’s also low in dust and reduces labor and ammonia. On average, one replacement bag is needed per week and the product is fairly economical (information courtesy www.threewillowsfarm.com). One possible downside, similar to straw, is ingestion by the horse.

Shredded newspaper: So far, this newer bedding is showing the advantages of little dust and maintenance, where remaining material simply needs “fluffed” if stalls are cleaned daily. It’s also soft and absorbs liquid well.

Possible downsides are printing-ink residue and clumping when wet. A close relative of shredded newspaper is the patent-pending “enviroBed” that claims not to clump or cake and to provide three times its weight in moisture absorption while competitively priced (www.envirobed.com).

Pelleted beddings: Several pelleted products are available, including Woody Pet, Equine Fresh and Eagle Valley ABM. Many of these products come in 20- to 40-pound bags and require some initial moisture via a water hose to “expand” and work properly.

Further claims include only needing one or two replacement bags per week, and being able to go months without entire stall stripping. Pellets also yield less dust, and are resistant to mold, bacteria and insects. Downsides with some products can be the expense and initial volume required, while some are comparable in price to other beddings.

Other choices on the market include peat moss, which manufacturers claim helps solve or eliminate respiratory problems, cracked hooves, hives and more (www.sunshinehorsebedding.com); Equidry, a granular natural clay product that’s extremely long-lasting, dust free, non-flammable and cost effective (www.equidry.com); and Dry Stall, a permanent, lightweight volcanic aggregate used in combination with shavings to extend shaving life (www.drystall.com).

Additional choices include sawdust, barley/oat/wheat straw, dried corn stalks or cobs and chopped hay, all of which may cause ingestion issues.

By Doreen Shumpert

Printed in the September 2007 issue of Appaloosa Journal.

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