do you think it would be sanitary to keep old blankets to use in place of straws for horses stalls and wash and dry them and reuse them as bedding? maybe 10 or more old blankets on a rubber matt per stall, and then change them for 10 more blankets after the rubber mat underneath has been sanitized or what ever they do with the mats?
2007-01-25 20:44:48 · 8 answers · asked by susan t 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Horses are not like dogs or cats, and blankets would definitely be unsuitable and inadequate for their comfort and sanitation.
Blankets would compact too easily under a horse's body weight, either when standing or lying down, so they would provide no comfort after the first few minutes.
There is always the risk that the horse will try to eat the blankets, and will either shred them to pieces or ingest a piece and choke on them. This isn't a concern with organic bedding materials such as shavings or straw.
Also, the blankets could easily get tangled around the horses legs or head, and since horses are flight animals, the horse would panic and thrash to try and free itself from the "predator" which is holding it down! This could cause serious injury to your horse and it's surroundings.
Finally, as the above person said, do you really want your horse lying in its own excrement, getting filthy and risking all sorts of skin and feet infections?
If blankets were a good idea, I'm sure someone would have started using them 500 years ago rather than straw or shavings, but they didn't. If you don't want to have to muck out a stable every day, keep your horse in a paddock. If keeping him in a stable is essential, but it is the cost of the straw that worries you, then use wood shavings. Shavings last a lot longer as they are more absorbent and there is less wastage as long as you clean out the wet/dirty patches every day.
2007-01-25 21:18:44 · answer #1 · answered by ThePONYKID 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is better to use shavings or straw (never use walnut shavings or saw dust) Blankets can cause "rug" burns that can quickly become infected if the blanket is wet when they lie down. The blankets also become extremely heavy and hard to move if a horse urinates a lot.
The sawdust shavings and straw will draw moisture away from the top layers and leave a dryer serface for horses to stand and lay on. Blankets hold the moisture.
Better to have the rubber mat alone than to put blankets on them.
Happy Horses:)
2007-01-26 02:19:54 · answer #2 · answered by RONALD F 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO
Blankets would compact under the body weight of the horse and make it get pressure sores from alying down. They would absorb the urine and stay wet and the horse would get cold and ly in it's own urine. Some horse will chew on balnkets and eat them.
The reason they use stray or shavings is you can pick out the messed areas and keep it clean easier. The urine will drain through the stuff onto the floor and down into it or be absorbed by some of the sahvings and then picked out.
Stick to straw or shavings for stall bedding.
2007-01-26 02:03:16 · answer #3 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
various horses DO eat straw, really even if that is oat straw. The straw has no nutrient cost, and it would properly be dusty, yet there are horses which honestly like the flavor, and could fill up on it in the adventure that they are bedded on it. for this reason many human beings have switched to timber shavings, sawdust, or peat moss- all of those are thoroughly unpalatable ( which signifies that they flavor poor) and no horse often will eat bedding of this kind. Horses which eat various straw are challenge to digestive issues, between different issues, because there is not any authentic cost in it. you'll evaluate a horse which eat straw to someone who bites his or her nails in some respects. Nerves can set off this habit, yet extra often than no longer, that's only a discovered habit. No, your question isn't stupid.
2016-12-03 01:49:37 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would you want to go through so much trouble? Straw is the best and the most sanitized. When they do their business on the blankets and lay down they will just be laying all over top of it.
With straw most of the waste seeps to the bottom. So what if you have to muck it out everyday. Straw is best for your horse. Dont cheat them. Its best over all.
2007-01-25 20:57:37 · answer #5 · answered by ZORA 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
why would you want to do that? No, it is not sanitary, and it could be very, very dangerous to your horse. what would happen if your horse got tangled up in them and panicked? I can tell you that it probably would not end too well. Stick with straw or shavings. I personally prefer shavings over straw because shavings are absorbent and easier to clean up.
2007-01-26 08:55:19 · answer #6 · answered by Madison M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no tha will not work horses have big bladders and blankets will not absorb it
2007-01-26 00:58:01 · answer #7 · answered by luv4horses 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋