what type of horse bedding?

Question

my horse is due to foal in sept and is going to foal in stable as we live in scotland the weather will be rotten at that time? she currnetly has bed of shavings however I dont want to foal her on this as it will stick to foal and can cause infection however she just eats straw and is allergic to it. can anyone recommend any other bedding availble in uk. many thanks

ps for the person who was enquiring about scotland feel free to email me on [e-mail] an i can answer any questions you have and give some info

Answer 1

if the mare is allergic to straw then you obviously cant use that for bedding even though it would be best for the colt. What kind of shavings are you using? is it the the very fine saw dust kind or the big chips? I would think that if you use the big chips they wont stick to the foal after it is dry and should be as good as straw if you keep them as clean and as dry as possible.

Answer 2

Yes, shredded paper is great, it may stick to the foal initially a bit, but is clean and soft and shouldn't cause any real problems. I know straw is the traditional foaling bed, you could always explain to a merchant and get some good quality oat straw, which shouldn't harm your mare (do you know if she is allergic to that too?) - but she will need lots of calories after the birth so you would need to ensure loads of good forage and feed as well. You might be surprised by the weather though, we seem to be setting a lot of "Indian summers" (late on, sept, oct) lately and it may still be ok to foal outdoors, then when the foal is cleaned up she should be ok on shavings if you keep them really clean. Good luck whatever you decide, it will be a lovely time!

Answer 3

Nedz bed it's the best and you can get it in oringinal or pro. Pro is very good and is advertised with a mare and foal on the front cover of the brochure. It claims that it is excellent for foaling.

This is the link to it, http://www.nedz.co.uk/nedzpro.htm
I use it and think its great. you can deep litter it or take it out everyday. I suggest the pro type as the original is more like chopped straw.

hope this helps you and its great.

it says you start a bed off with 4 - 6 bales but thats rubbish i put 2 in and this was fine, maybe 3 for foaling. The are around £4.50 a bale and are same size as shavings.

Answer 4

I also have a mare like this and absolutely cannot have her eating straw. So we use grass hay to line her stall during pre foaling and foaling. If she eats it its no big deal and its safe for her to foal on. Not as easy to clean but its such a short amount of time that shes bedded with grass hay that its not a big deal

Answer 5

We use the compressed pine pellet bedding. It breaks down into a dust free powder that really does not stick to anything. We have had 15 foals be born on this and have never had any problems with it, plus it absorbs moisture great and will keep the stall fresher.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Don't know what's available in the UK but I believe that straw bedding is best for foaling. Best of luck and enjoyment with your new foal

Sorry missed the "eats straw and is allergic to it" (duh) There are different types of straw : wheat, oat and rye. Perhaps one of the other types would eliminate the allergy end of it. If she unlimited access to good hay she will be less likely to eat her bedding. You could also use a grass hay for bedding and pine pellets mentioned below also sound like an option

Answer 7

Well a bit of sawdust and a flake of hay on the ground should do, don't over do it or it goes to waste, all u really need is a bit to collect the wet stuff and soak it up , use rubber matting unner that,it has always made the job easier.

Answer 8

I use that pine pellet bedding also. I like it, works great. I was wondering how is it living in Scotland?? My husbands parents are from there, & I was looking at houses.... How is it?? Do you like it there?? I want to go visit there soo bad!!! Can you tell me some things about living there???

Answer 9

including to the others, you additionally can save horses on hemp (its rather of a novelty) i've got talked to those who reliable horses interior the middle East and use sand yet you could no longer feed hay on it, for obtrusive colic motives.

Answer 10

compressed bedding. Easy to clean and the horse won't eat it.