What Kind Of Shaving Do You Use For Horses?

Wood flake shavings. Pick pine, oak, cedar, or cypress. Pine is readily available, oak and cypress are regional. Cypress shavings sometimes cause skin and leg irritations. Cedar is great, but oily and some horses have lung irritations from it.

What kind of shavings are best for horses?

Wood shavings are a very popular choice since they are soft, highly absorbent and easy to clean out of the stall. The most popular type of wood used in shavings comes from pine and can vary in size from large, fluffy shavings to smaller, finer size shavings.

How do you shave horse hair?

After prepping the horse, start at the shoulder where the horse can see you. Turn on the clippers and make sure the horse is comfortable with the noise and feel of the clippers. Patience is key—you have a long way to go. Clip against the grain of the hair using light pressure, and let the blade cut the hair.

Can you use a razor on a horse?

I’ve used them to trim muzzle, bridle path, jawline and even the legs! Plan on using a new razor each time, as they start to pull hair when dull. Do not underestimate these! These shavers are so easy to use but do not underestimate that little blade!

What kind of straw do you use for horse bedding?

Wheat straw is the most common type used. It makes a warm, comfortable bed that is easy to handle as well as allowing free drainage. Wheat straw is usually readily available although it does tend to be the dustiest straw. Barley straw is often the least expensive but is not always the most suitable for horses.

What is better straw or shavings?

Absorbency- Shavings are much more absorbent than straw. Depending on your stable base, and how often your horse urinates, you should take into consideration how absorbant you need your bedding. It is important to maintain a straw bed free from manure, as ammonia can greatly affect the horse’s lungs.

Can you use pine shavings for horses?

The type of bedding you select is dependent on many factors, such as availability, cost, comfort, and safety. From wood-based bedding to rice hulls, the options are numerous. However, of all the available choices for horse bedding, pine wood shavings are often deemed the best option.

How often should you change your horse’s shavings?

Soiled bedding should be removed from stalls daily and replaced with fresh bedding. Soiled bedding may equal 2 to 3 times the volume of manure, depending on management practices. Each stalled horse may require the removal of 60 to 70 pounds of waste per day.

How many bags of shavings does a horse need?

Once the stall is converted to Guardian Horse Bedding, you should not have to add additional bedding for about two weeks. Thereafter, a typical horse will require one bag of bedding every 5-7 days.

How do you groom a horse for beginners?

How to groom a horse, step by step

1. Tie up your horse.
2. Clean your horse’s hoofs.
3. Curry your horse.
4. Brush away dirt and debris.
5. Use a body brush to add shine.
6. Pay attention to sensitive areas.
7. Comb through the mane and tail.

What brush do you use first when grooming a horse?

curry comb
When it comes to brushing your horse, the first tool you’ll want to use is a curry comb. The curry comb breaks up mud patches and helps bring underlying dirt to the surface of your horse’s coat. A curry comb is also great for getting all of your horse’s scratches!

How much should you shave your horse?

On average, customers apply 6 inches of shavings on the floor of the stalls to ensure a good level of comfort for the horse and an excellent absorption rate. However, if the stalls are equipped with rubber mats, less bedding thinkness is required.

How do you make a shaving bed for a horse?

A shavings, or paper, bed should be at least 4inches (10cm) deep.
How to establish a shavings or paper bed:

1. Lay the correct amount of shavings, or paper bedding down.
2. Build the bankings, and level the bed.
3. Check the depth of the bed is correct with the pitch fork. (See checking correct depth of bed).

Why shave the front of a horse?

The primary reason horse owners choose to clip their horses is to help the horse regulate their body temperature. In the fall months, horses begin to grow a thick winter coat. This thick coat serves an important role in keeping them warm throughout the winter.

Should you shave a horse’s whiskers?

While it is not technically HARMFUL to trim whiskers, doing so does reduce the animal’s ability to use these specialized tools as nature intended. Basically, whiskers are tactile or touch sensors that help animals tell where they are, where danger is, and where food and water are.

What is the best bedding for a messy horse?

Shavings are an absorbency bedding so are the best choice for deep littering systems, for laminitic horses who need a lot of soft support and for horses with respiratory problems as most shavings tend to be dust-free.

Which is warmer straw or shavings?

There are different practical aspects to each bedding option. Straw bedding provides more warmth and comfort for the horse, especially in the winter months, but it falls short as far as an easy clean up is concerned.

How many bales of shaving does it take to fill a stable?

Initially six to eight bales are required for a 12ft x 12ft stable depending on the depth of bed required on rubber matting. Additional bales will be needed if rubber stable mats are not used. Open a bale at a time and with a shavings fork, spread the Softchip evenly on the stable floor to the required depth.

Which is cheaper shavings or straw?

Straw has been used as bedding for horses and farm animals for many years. It’s warm, allows urine and other liquids to drain away, provides a comfortable bed, and is almost always cheaper than wood shavings and other beddings.

How do you keep a horse stall dry?

How to Keep Stalls and Barns Dry in the Northwest

1. Wood Shavings Work Great.
2. Clean Up Daily.
3. Time Their Bathroom Breaks.
4. Keep Them in After the Rain.
5. Dig Out the Mud and Replace the Soil.
6. Try an Additive.
7. Mud Control Ideas at Coastal.

Can straw cause colic in horses?

If horses eat a large volume of straw, this lignin fiber accumulates in the digestive system and it can plug (impact) the digestive system. This results in severe colic and even death if not properly treated.