| There are many types of bedding common to horse | | | | Ease of Cleaning |
| farms across North America. At each barn you will | | | | A lot of this is personal preference. There are people |
| see owners that swear by their bedding type, and | | | | who swear by shavings, while others swear by straw. |
| assert that it is far better than anything else. But, how | | | | Shavings are generally lighter to handle, and it is easy |
| can you tell which bedding really is best? | | | | to remove wet spots and droppings from them. Straw |
| When choosing what to use as bedding, there are | | | | tends to be heavier and can get very soggy. Straw |
| several factors to consider. These include the material, | | | | also tends to harbor more odor than shavings. Peat |
| its availability, cost, ease of cleaning, disposal and the | | | | moss is very hard to clean, is heavy, weighing a ton |
| existing flooring. Because every barn is different, every | | | | when wet, and tends to pack. Processed wood and |
| barn owner makes a different decision when it comes | | | | paper are very easy to clean, but can be more work |
| to the best bedding. | | | | to replenish. Often they need to be soaked in water |
| Material | | | | for several hours before spreading, adding to the time |
| The most common types of bedding are shavings and | | | | required for rebedding stalls. |
| straw. Shavings come in every grade from sawdust | | | | Disposal |
| to large, thick flakes. While sawdust is more absorbent, | | | | Straw is the easiest bedding to dispose of, especially if |
| it is dusty and not as good for the lungs. Large flake | | | | you are in an area where you do not have a lot of |
| shavings are a lot more expensive, but are a healthier | | | | property. Often mushroom producers will send out a |
| alternative. Straw is the leftover stalks of various | | | | truck to pick up your straw bedding, thus removing it |
| grains, usually oats, barley or wheat.. Some straw can | | | | from your farm and taking care of the problem. Straw |
| be coarse or even prickly, while other types are soft | | | | decomposes well, and can be used or sold as garden |
| and absorbent. Some horses like to eat straw. | | | | manure. Shavings are usually more difficult. Some |
| Less common bedding choices include peat moss, | | | | types of shavings are fairly acidic, and may take a |
| processed wood and processed newspaper. All three | | | | while to decompose. Most mushroom men do not like |
| are more expensive, but have some advantages. Peat | | | | to use shavings for their produce. Peat moss |
| moss is very heavy, but is super absorbent and | | | | decomposes quickly, as does processed wood and |
| hypoallergenic. Processed wood and newspaper is | | | | paper. |
| also very absorbent and hypoallergenic, and also don't | | | | Flooring |
| tend to stain the coat. They tend to be very easy to | | | | While the flooring you have may not affect the type |
| clean, and often are quick to compost. | | | | of bedding you use, it does affect how much of that |
| Cost | | | | bedding you will need. Concrete and asphalt floors are |
| Whether we like it or not, cost is always a factor | | | | very hard and require deep bedding. Dirt floors are |
| when selecting bedding. It can be hard to justify | | | | better, and require a bit less bedding, but you still should |
| spending a lot of money just to toss it out the next | | | | bed deeply. Rubber mats are a wonderful flooring |
| day. Sawdust is generally the least expensive, usually | | | | choice, and greatly reduce the amount of bedding you |
| delivered in bulk. Straw is next on the list, but can be a | | | | require. There are even some types of mats that are |
| bit harder to work with. Bagged shavings are fairly | | | | thick enough to require virtually no bedding at all. |
| expensive, but are a popular choice as they tend to be | | | | Whatever bedding you choose, it is essential to clean |
| easy to manage and are nice and fluffy. Peat moss | | | | your stalls daily, removing all urine and manure. Keeping |
| and processed wood or paper are the most | | | | your barn clean helps keep your horses healthy, and |
| expensive, but you also use a lot less of them. Set up | | | | keeps the odor under control. |
| costs are high, but long-term they can save money. | | | | |