I'd like to say straight of the bat that this post is in no way, shape, or form endorsed by Bedmax. I'm not a horse owner. I simply found the talk really interesting, as welfare is something I am quite keen on. Whilst this blog may seem quite pro-Bedmax, I have never encountered some of the bedding types before and my knowledge is a little limited as a consequence. If you disagree with something I say, I'd love to hear your opinion and the reasons for it. Please don't hesitate to get in touch!
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| Image courtesy of bedmaxshavings.com |
Ventilation is an important point to consider when selecting/building a stables. Horses breathe in a lot more air than we do, so 'stale' air is going to be a lot worse for a horse that is kept in 24/7. By stale air, I mean when you're breathing in the same air constantly, like if you sit in a room with the windows and door shut for an extended period of time. When you leave that room, the freshness of the air on the other side of the door is going to hit you. Aside from improving the quality of air in a stable block, ventilation also helps with the removal of moisture and odours.
We've all experienced it. That one horse which always has a wet bed, which when mucking out causes our eyes to water just a little and our nostril hairs to burn. Ammonia is enough to make you want to leave the stables. And we can. But the horse can't. This is why it's important to thoroughly muck out your horse every day, so that wet bedding can be removed. Ventilation will only go so far into removing the ammonia from the air, but natural air flow is not going to get rid of the build up under rubber mats (if you use those) or from a wet bed left too long.
I can't honestly say that I've mucked out a straw bed (not that I remember anyway - I did volunteer at a stables as a child, but all I really remember from that experience is poo picking the fields), so perhaps I am a little biased in my preference to shavings but I just prefer the ease with which one can usually detect the wet bedding. Straw does change colour, but I don't feel it's to the same extent and it's also harder to sift through. Shavings make it quite easy to throw the dry to the side and remove the wet, unless you have a dirty horse. In this case, the bedding may all be one colour and it can be a bit of a pickle and you have to rely on the weight at the end of the shavings fork.
Bedmax shavings seem to me like a brilliant invention. Not only does the urine and wet naturally sift down to the bottom layer, like with other shavings bedding, but it is specifically designed for this to always happen. Large flakes make up the top layer, and smaller flakes make up the bottom and the bed will always want to settle this way. It's like when you bake and need to use the rubbing in method. If you shake the bowl, the larger clumps will rise to the top while the bread crumb like mixture will settle at the bottom. There is a recommended minimum bedding size for this to be most effective, but even so even with a run down bed it should still work reasonably well.
The main thing I really like about Bedmax is that they remove all the dust from the product, and then use that dust to make another product (Hot max). The fact that it's a green company only sweetens the deal as far as I am concerned. I've never been one to suffer from hay fever, but even I find that spreading out a new bale of shavings a chore simply because it does make me want to cough. As mentioned before, we can leave that stable but the horse that is kept in is constantly breathing all that dust in so a dust free product can never go amiss when animal welfare is concerned, especially when said animal has such a large olfactory system - I've done the dissection, and the nasal cavity is very impressive.
There are other reasons to consider using a deeper bed too. With a thick bed, the horse's hooves will be protected. Wet bed can weaken their hooves and cause problems - think of what happens to your leather boots if you spend a regular amount of time mucking out a wet bed - so Bedmax's researched formula of ensuring the urine seeping down to the bottom of the bedding is certainly an added bonus in keeping your horse happy and healthy. It is also easy to trace the batch source with Bedmax, so if there ever is an issue it can be sorted almost immediately. If you use straw bedding, there's no guarantee that you're going to get the same quality each time and you probably won't even be able to track down the origin of the plant anyway.
During the talk, we also discussed other types of bedding such as wooden pellets and a flax/hemp mixture. For me these bedding types seem like a lot of work - a specific ration is needed, and the fact you have to keep it watered seem to me a like a lot of hassle. A couple of people I know do swear by wooden pellets though, so it could just be the fact that I've never interacted with it that I'm so sceptical. The main reason why I wanted to talk about wood pellets though is because there is a way of buying it at a cheaper price, and that is by going to your local supermarket and buying the cat-litter equivalent. You may look like a crazy cat person but hey, our industry is expensive enough. Am I right?
Before the talk from Bedmax, I'd never really considered bedding to have such an impact on welfare. A survey by the company showed that I'm not really alone in this; most people prioritise cost the most and value the least. It definitely makes you reconsider what's really best for your horse, and whether or not a change should be made.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you used Bedmax? What did you think?
Until next time~
I remember mucking out straw beds when I used to help out at a riding stables as a child. It wouldn't be my preferred choice for bedding nowadays. We tend to use rubber matting underneath dust extracted wood shavings such as Bedmax or hemp bedding, which both work well for our horses' needs. Much more absorbent, easier to manage and better for the respiratory system.
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