Horses and humans have different thoughts on what makes a comfortable bed. If a horse had a choice for a spot to take a nap, he would probably choose a soft area in a grassy meadow, or an open arena of dirt. Both of these places have comfort and good support for the horses’ feet.
“Fluffy and dry” is usually the first thing people think of when purchasing bedding. Although, there are a few down sides to “fluffy and dry,” it can lead to extra dust, causing health problems for the horse and owner.
Health, cleanliness, comfort, and availability are huge factors when buying bedding. If a horse is stalled for most of the time it is definitely good to consider these factors, because it is important for them to have a dry comfortable area to lay down to rest. Horses who may only stay in a stall while feeding time or bad weather might not need such a high quality bedding, simply because they are outside majority of the time.
There are two main categories of bedding; sustainable and disposable. Sustainable bedding can be used for a longer period of time, while adding more when it is needed. Disposable bedding is exactly what it sounds like, disposing after use. Most bedding products fall into the disposable category.
When finding the right bedding it should provide comfort, foot support, secure footing, encouragement to lie down to rest, clean air and absorbency. All of these factors keep horses in good health. If a horse is not comfortable, the horse could stress out and become sick, he will also not be encouraged to lie down to rest. Foot support is also very important, because it can affect a horses health overall health dealing with any injuries. Secure footing provides grip for the horses, which would help them stay injury free. Finding bedding with a good absorbency without being dusty can be a difficult thing. Many types of bedding don’t have a problem with absorbency but a problem with the dust. When horses breathe in dust, it can cause respiratory problems. Another problem is when bedding doesn’t have any dust; it tends to have a low absorbency. Bedding with a low absorbency can lead to hoof problems; it also will not be very encouraging for them to lie down to rest.
Disposable bedding is typically easier to find and much cheaper. Wood shavings for example are very cheap, and can be purchased by the bag or by a truckload. Shavings can work out great, but they have their downsides also. Wood shavings can have toxins in them, containing oils than can bother horses and humans possibly causing allergies. Shavings also produce a lot of dust, but have a high absorbency.
When purchasing shavings its is extremely important to by them without black walnut. Black walnut is an extremely toxic wood that will cause serious health problems in horses. Even the smallest percentages can do big damage.
Another disposable bedding that is popular is straw. Straw is the best bedding when expecting a foal. Straw is warm, cushioning, with very little dust. On the downside, straw is not absorbent at all and may be hard to dispose of after use.
Sustainable bedding tends to be pricier, but “you get what you pay for.” Peat moss is excellent bedding for horses; however, it can only be bought in certain areas. Peat moss can be purchase by the bag or truckload and is easy to dispose of. Peat moss can be spread in gardens and pastures for quick decomposing.
There is also another good choice for sustainable bedding, palletized. Palletized horse bedding is also more expensive, but creates very little dust while having a high absorbency. Palletized bedding also meets the expectations for comfort, foot support and secure footing.
The owners make the beds, and the horses have no say in it whatsoever. Having the most comfortable bedding can really pay off by keeping the horse healthy, but most importantly happy.