Consider pros and cons of bedding materials

By Marty Metzger
North Forty News

Once upon a time, the only bedtime story for horses was straw. But now bedding types are numerous and diverse with new choices offered all the time.

Horse owners will also find a wide variety of factors to influence their choices: cost, individual horse's needs, storage space, work involved, insect control, odor containment, allergies and availability. Owners should tailor choices accordingly.

Straw - Oat or wheat straw is traditionally the most ubiquitous stall lining. Due to its light weight and mat-like quality, urine and manure settle beneath it. Since it's not particularly absorbent, it must be deep to be efficient. If not mucked out daily, large amounts must be removed and replaced to keep the stall pleasant.

Straw offers no odor control and does little to discourage flies. Many horses consider it a nice between-meals snack, too. On the plus side, baled straw stacks well. Good thing, because lots is needed to bed even one stall. Bales can contain dust and mold, aggravating allergies in humans and horses. Straw composts well and is the only stall bedding waste some growers and recyclers will accept. Many breeders will switch from other materials to straw when a mare is about to foal because it's one of the safest beddings for a newborn.

Shavings - This term is interchangeably used for chips, shavings and sawdust. Species of wood used influences absorption and other positives or negatives. Cedar, for example, can cause allergic skin reactions in some horses and resists decomposition. Pine and fir smell as fresh as the great outdoors. When kiln-dried, these outperform less absorbent chips. Shavings are dusty, however, and can aggravate respiratory conditions. They also pose a fire hazard, perhaps even greater than straw. Bagged shavings cost more than loose ones but are easier and less dusty to store.

Wood pellets - This material consists of kiln-dried wood and sawdust compressed together into small, hard pellets. These low-dust pellets expand into sawdust when moist, thereby providing high absorption. Avoid brands that contain glue or chemicals, though. Pellets compost well, but stalls must be cleaned differently to avoid unnecessary waste. Only thoroughly soaked bedding should be removed, with damp material mixed back in with dry. Two bags can last up to two weeks in a stall if this process is followed.

Other types - Some, but not all, include peat moss, newspaper and rice hulls. Peat moss, which is the most absorbent bedding, lessens respiratory problems. It's great as garden compost, but its dark color makes it harder to sort out manure. Peat in quantity isn't easily available in this area.

Shredded or pelleted newspaper is dust free and fairly absorbent, clean and itself odor free; bagged and baled, both are easy to store. However, as with wood products, it is highly flammable. On the upside, horses won't eat it.

A bedding type new to Colorado offers an exciting alternative to customary forms. Rice hulls, marketed as Perma Stall Plus, come in custom-bagged, 50-pound amounts. Co-owner Annette Carey of Perma Stall Plus Mountain States said her product is initially pricier but cheaper over time due to volume required. Urine and odors are trapped below the material and only manure should be removed daily. Wet hulls need to be cleaned out every seven to 10 days. Perma Stall Plus minimizes allergies and is noncombustible and nonsmoldering.

Plum Creek Hollow is a 21-stall hunter/jumper facility in Larkspur that imports all their horses from Germany. After using Perma Stall Plus for over a month, barn manager Deanna Erpelding really likes the material, finds it to be soft and therapeutic for founder and other lamenesses. She said it doesn't cause hock sores, as did shavings, and it stays in place. Erpelding said the U.S.-made product is easy to clean. With shavings, each stall required eight to 10 bags per week; the rice hulls, only one bag/week. Urine smell is down and the enzyme content that controls it can be adjusted by the distributor. Erpelding further stated that horses might initially taste a mouthful or two but never eat it again. She said of the cost, "In the long run, we'll be saving a significant amount."

Once a horse owner has decided upon a bedding type, availability becomes an issue. In the Fort Collins/Laporte/Wellington areas, here's a partial guide to who carries what.

Cache la Poudre Feeds, 1724 N. Overland Trail, Fort Collins: straw bales, bagged pine shavings.

Jax Ranch & Home, 1000 N. US 287, Fort Collins: bagged pine shavings, recycled cardboard squares, sometimes straw.

Northern Colorado Feeder's Supply, 359 Linden, Fort Collins: bagged pine pellets, bagged paper and pine shavings, straw bales.

Poudre Pet & Feed, 622 N. College, and Poudre Feed Supply, 6204 S. College, Fort Collins: bagged pine shavings, baled newspaper, straw bales and sometimes pine pellets.

Ranch-Way Feed Mills, 546 Willow, Fort Collins: bagged wood shavings, straw bales.

The Old Feed Store, 3612 W. County Road 54G, Laporte: straw bales, bagged pine shavings.

So, now there's a whole library of bedtime stories for stabled horses. Sweet dreams!