Are Softwood Shavings Safe For Horses?

Only soft woods such as spruce, fir and pine are completely safe for the fragile respiratory tract of horses and other animals. In contrast, hard woods, such as oak and walnut, may contain toxins harmful to animals.

What shavings are safe for horses?

Opt for the kiln-dried shavings
Pine shavings or pine pellets seem to be the best and safest type of bedding to use for your horse.

Can I use pine shavings for horses?

Pine shavings are usually the most common kind of shavings used in the horse industry, as most horses don’t have skin reactions to this kind of wood. The limitation is that if too green, the sap might still be in the shavings and cause irritation to the horse. Cedar is another popular choice.

Can you use wood shavings for horses?

Wood shavings have been a popular horse bedding for many years, and are often used for horses that suffer from respiratory disease, or those that tend to eat other types of bedding.

What wood chips are best for horses?

How to Choose Wood Shavings for Your Horse

• Softwood Shavings. The most readily available wood shavings are made from pine or fir trees.
• Black Walnut Shavings. The low cost and high availability of black walnut wood shavings has increased demand for its use in horse stalls.
• Sawdust and Pellets.
• Size.
• Storage.

What wood shavings are not good for horses?

Black walnut shavings are a toxic bedding for horses. The innermost wood of the black walnut causes toxicity after oral or skin contact. Bedding containing as little as 20 percent fresh black walnut shavings made from old or new wood can cause toxicity.

What shavings cause laminitis in horses?

Laminitis occurs through exposure of horses to black walnut shavings used as bedding in stalls.

What is the most absorbent bedding for horses?

Wood pellets
Of all the different types of horse bedding, wood pellet bedding is by far the most absorbent. It will absorb four times as much moisture as straw and three times as much as shavings.

Is pine toxic to horses?

It grows brownish-red pine cones about four or five inches in length and long, thick pine needles. There are many varieties and subspecies of blackjack pines, but many are referred to as Ponderosa pines. However, they are all toxic to horses.

What is the best dust free bedding for horses?

Airlite is a first line defense against any respiratory or allergy issues such as Heaves, RAO, IAD, and EIPH. It is also the healthiest bedding for equine athletes who need clean lungs for peak performance.

What is the cheapest bedding for horses?

Straw is one of the cheapest options available to use as horse bedding, however it does come with some drawbacks: Mould can form if it is harvested or stored improperly. Ingestion can cause impaction problems.

Why is my horse eating pine shavings?

Horses or ponies on a restricted diet — usually for weight loss — are capable of eating lots of shavings. That’s because forage plays a key role in making them feel full. As a rule of thumb, most horses need to eat at least 1.5% of their weight in dry hay.

Can horses be allergic to pine shavings?

One symptom is contact dermatitis, a skin irritation. Not all shavings are made from the same type of tree, and can, therefore, cause an allergic reaction in horses.

How deep should shavings be in horse stall?

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.

Are wood chips better than gravel?

Wood chips are slightly better than gravel at keeping moisture in the soil because individual pieces mesh together to retain water. When used in perennial bed and around shrubs, wood chips can reduce the need for water by 50 percent.

Is wood chip better than bark?

Truth: Bark can cause a problem because it contains natural waxes that prevent absorption and release of water in landscapes since that is the purpose on a tree. Wood chips are better because they consist primarily of the inner wood which is designed to absorb and retain moisture.

What type of wood are horses allergic to?

Toxic Shavings for Horses

• Softwood.
• Black Walnut.
• Sawdust.
• Maple.
• Pellets.
• Cedar.

What is the best bedding for Laminitic horses?

Many vets recommend Bedmax by name as the best bedding for horses with laminitis because it provides the depth and support needed to protect the horses’ hooves, and helps to reduce the pain.

What happens if a horse eats shavings?

Ingestion of small amounts of straw or shavings is usually not harmful, but ingestion of larger amounts can cause intestinal obstruction and colic. Most horses that are fed adequately do not ingest significant amounts of shavings.

How do I know if my horse is laminitic?

What are the clinical signs of equine laminitis?

1. Lameness* affecting most commonly at least two limbs.
2. The horse leans back onto its heels to take the weight off the painful toe area.
3. The lameness is worse when the horse walks on hard ground or turns.
4. Shifting weight between feet when resting.
5. Increased digital pulses.

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

What causes laminitis continues to be an area of huge research. It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.