What Is Bedding For Horses?

Straw is the most traditional bedding and has been used for centuries. There are three main types of straw available – wheat, barley and oat. Some horses will consume straw bedding, meaning that it is not an appropriate choice for all stables.

What kind of bedding do horses need?

Common Types of Bedding
Probably the most popular products used for horse bedding are wood products such as wood shavings, wood pellets, wood chips and sawdust, though there are many other products available that are also used for bedding horse stalls.

Why do horses need bedding?

It helps to cushion your horse against the firmer floor. This is particularly important for horses who spend long periods of time in their stalls. Your horse is more likely to lie down on a soft surface, and a proper layer of bedding can encourage your horse to get the rest that he needs.

Should horses have bedding?

Coverage. Vets and equine professionals agree that horses in stables need a good covering of at least 15 to 20 cms (6 to 8 inches) of bedding across the whole stable floor. This depth of bedding should be provided on all stable floors, including rubber matting.

Can you use hay as bedding for horses?

Never use old hay, as it may give off dust that could result in respiratory damage. Hay is one of the more expensive beddings. It is quite absorbent and once soiled, begins to decompose quickly producing an odor. Wood Shavings‐ Have proven to be satisfactory bedding providing comfort and ample absorbency.

How often do you change horse bedding?

On the other hand, the more frequently soiled bedding is collected, the longer the stall will remain clean, therefore requiring less-frequent bedding replacement. In general, 15 to 20 bags per month per stall are required.

What is the best surface for horses?

Sawdust, shavings, and bedding are all better options for indoor horse areas rather than outdoor ones. The benefit of wood products designed as horse bedding is that you know they are safe for keeping horses on and work tremendously well to absorb moisture and neutralize urine odors.

How much does bedding cost for a horse?

Horse bedding costs can vary based on region, type, and the amount you purchase. A bag of wood pellets or pine shavings costs roughly $5, and if you buy about four bags per week, then the cost can be $20 for each week and approximately $1000 per year.

What do horses do during the night?

Instead of falling into a deep sleep every night, horses typically spend their nights alternating between rest and activity. They might take a short snooze standing up, graze for a while, and then stretch out on their side to get a few minutes of deep sleep.

What is the best floor for horse stalls?

Horse Stable Flooring Materials and Drainage

• Topsoil.
• Clay.
• Sand.
• Road Base Mix.
• Wood.
• Grid Mats.

What do horses need every day?

Horses are able to consume about 1.5 to 2% of their body weight in dry feed (feed that is 90% dry matter) each day. As a rule of thumb, allow 1.5 to 2 kg of feed per 100 kg of the horse’s body weight. However, it is safer to use 1.7% of body weight (or 1.7 kg per 100 kg of body weight) to calculate a feed budget.

Why horses should not be kept alone?

Living as part of a herd has many advantages for horses such as ‘safety in numbers’. A horse living alone in the wild would be much more likely to be caught by a predator therefore horses feel safer when they have other horses around them. Horses take it in turns to watch over each other while they sleep.

Do horses need to be in stable at night?

Horses need stables during the night to protect them from bad weather such as rain and snow. All horses need some protection from the weather and a professionally built stable can offer just that. Bring your horse in from outside and let him enjoy the warmth and comfort of a well-built stable.

Can horses just live on grass and hay?

Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

Should horses eat hay off the ground?

If the ground is grassy and relatively dry, consider feeding hay on the ground to mimic the way a horse naturally grazes. However, if your soil is sandy or gravelly, elevate hay off the ground when feeding via a hay net or manger, as horses can ingest sand or gravel which can lead to impaction colic.

Do horses prefer hay or grass?

While most horses do well and thrive on a grass hay diet, other horses with different needs and medical conditions are better suited to being fed a diet of grass/alfalfa mix, or an exclusively all alfalfa.
Feeding Grass vs Alfalfa Hay.

Do horses need to be turned out every day?

Research has shown that horses require at least 8 to 10 hours of turnout per day, on good quality pasture, to achieve the minimum dry matter intake of 1% of their body weight. The recommended dry matter intake for an average horse is 1.25% to 2% of their body weight daily.

Is it better to turn horses out at night or during the day?

Turnout at night helps horses avoid the bugs and humidity of summer. Consider herd dynamics. If every horse in your herd has been turned out at night before and they are all friends, they will probably adapt easily to the new schedule.

When should you not wash a horse?

It is okay to wash a horse with cold water during the summer. However, horses can get sick if washed with cold water during winter. So you should either avoid giving them baths during winter or only use warm water and then dry them off properly afterward.

Where do horses not like to be touched?

How Do Horses Like to be Touched? Horses prefer to be rubbed and stroked over being tickled or slapped, and they often don’t want rubbing on sensitive areas like the flank, girth, belly, nose, ears, and legs.

Where should you not touch a horse?

Be sure to stay away from the sensitive areas of the horse like the eyes, ears, muzzle, and belly of the horse. While some horses might be OK with you petting these areas, many are sensitive and won’t like to be touched there.