HORSE comfort is paramount when it comes to choosing bedding, but it is not the only factor to be considered. As is the case with many equestrian products there have been huge innovations in the variety of bedding available in recent years, leaving horse owners spoilt for choice and sometimes very confused.

Products now come with a variety of selling points, from what’s meant to be the most comfortable, eco-friendly, dust-free, absorbent… the list could go on forever. There are a number of factors worth considering and it is important to choose the bedding that’s right for you and your horse.

PADRAIG MCCARTHY

Highest placed Irish rider at this year’s Badminton Horse Trials, Padraig McCarthy told The Irish Field why he uses ground-up old pallets for bedding the majority of his yard.

McCarthy, along with his wife Lucy (nee Wiegersma). runs a competition and breeding yard in the south of England. Cost is the most important factor for the pair when it comes to choosing bedding.

Over the winter months McCarthy can have up to 30 horses stabled, these are all bedded on ground-up old pallets. The youngstock and breeding end of the yard are often bedded on deeper straw beds when they are stabled.

McCarthy explained why the ground-up old pallets suit them so well: “Firstly, they are very cost-effective and easy to muck out” – he went on to add that pallets have a high moisture content so they are relatively dust free.

The only downside he mentioned to using the ground-up pallets as bedding is that because they are brown they are not the nicest to look at.

For the likes of McCarthy’s Badminton ride Mr Chunky and some of his other top horses he uses white, dust-free shavings in the run-up to major events. McCarthy gets a large articulated lorry load of these baled shavings delivered once a year.

Cost is also a factor when it comes to stabling horses at events. McCarthy explained that most events provide a certain amount of bedding but charge extra if you want additional bedding.

To avoid any additional costs McCarthy tries to bring bales of shavings on the lorry when they are stabling overnight.

GORDON ELLIOTT

When it comes to stabling Grand National and Gold Cup winners it is important that they have the right bedding.

In Gordon Elliott’s yard every horse is stabled on shavings. For larger yards such as Elliott’s ordering shavings loose is often the most cost-effective way and it has a lot less waste than baled shavings – disposing of the packaging which baled shavings come in is one of their biggest disadvantages.

All bedding for Gordon Elliott’s yard is ordered loose from Macroom Haulage. Shavings are very absorbent with a low dust content. They also provide comfortable and warm bedding.

Unlike Padraig McCarthy, Elliott does not have to consider bringing bedding to race meetings where the horses are stabled overnight. A spokesperson for the yard explained that all racecourses provide bedding for any horses stabled. However, they would always bring their own hay and feed for the horses.

DISPOSAL

Muck heaps often take up a lot of space so it is very much worth considering your options when it comes to disposing of manure. Not all types of bedding break down at the same rate and therefore they require different forms of disposal.

Some varieties of bedding break down and are ideal for spreading on fields, while others can take up to 10 years to break down and are never suitable for spreading.

The space needed for a muck heap depends on how many stables you have and the volume of bedding being disposed of. Experts say that a horse produces its own weight in manure every three weeks.

Mucking out can be time consuming and labour intensive. Where a muck heap is located in a yard can have a big impact on the time it takes to muck-out the stables.

In many yards it makes sense to have a smaller muck heap close to the stables. This can then be cleared out more regularly or transferred to a bigger muck-heap for further decomposing depending on what bedding is being used. However, it is important to remember that allowing a muck heap build up for too long can contaminate your grass and water, and could infect horses.

The Waste Management Act (1996) means there is a legal responsibility to dispose of waste. There is an obligation on all parties involved to dispose of waste in compliance with this legislation.

Composting manure is one of the most effective and recommended means of disposing of muck heap waste.

One of the advantages to the ground-up old pallets used by Padraig McCarthy is that they decompose very quickly.

The manure decomposes within a year and is then spread on the land. Straw bedding also decomposes quickly and is suitable for spreading once it is fully decomposed.

RUBBER MATTING

Rubber matting has become increasingly popular in recent years and can be used as a form of bedding on its own, used to protect stable walls and doors, and used as a base for putting other bedding on top of.

Padraig McCarthy is an advocate of rubber matting and has it as a base in almost all of his stables. Firstly, he believes it is a lot more comfortable for the horses, preventing them from standing directly on concrete. Secondly, less bedding is needed on the stable floor because there is already a protective layer of matting in place.

For horses that are inclined to kick the stable walls and doors, reinforcing the stable with rubber matting can help make the stable safer for the horse and also help prevent excessive damage being caused to the stable.

Rubber matting is used in some of Gordon Elliott’s stables. These stables are usually used for horses who are prone to getting cast in the stable. The rubber matting helps to reduce the risk of the horse injuring themselves if they do get cast.

Rubber matting is often expensive. However, there are a range of different products on the market to suit all budgets. Professionally fitted mats are usually bonded to the floor, creating a fully sealed hygienic and non-porous floor.

If you want to avoid the cost of covering the entire stable with rubber matting it can work well to get a small piece of rubber cut to fit the floor space in front of the stable door.

If this fits the space correctly and bedding doesn’t build up under the mat it can prevent the horse from standing on concrete while looking out the door, and offers protection if the horse is inclined to kick or dig at the door.

Rubber matting without any additional bedding on top of it can be used as bedding. However, it is usually not recommended because it can get very dirty and smelly.

Gordon Elliott also uses rubber matting in all of the barn walkways, walkers and wash bays.

Factors to consider when choosing bedding

  • Do you have any horses with allergies?
  • How many horses do you have stabled?
  • How much space is available for storage?
  • What muck-heap facilities do you have?
  • What budget do you have?
  • How often can you muck-out?