Equestrian Life Magazine September Issue 220 | Page 77

Bedding for Health
There are unique health
benefits that horses and owners
gain by using shavings made
from pine.
BEDMAX has been making
shavings predominantly from
pine ever since the company
launched its pioneering, purposemade bedding in the United
Kingdom in 2000.
The anti-bacterial power of pine
is particularly important as more
and more owners turn to wood
shavings or other wood productbased bedding for their horses, as
BEDMAX Managing Director Tim
Smalley explains:
“We decided to use pine because
our research justified the health
advantages BEDMAX provided

to horses in the stable. Pine
has been used medicinally and
as an antiseptic for centuries
in cultures all over the world,
but it wasn’t until recently that
its anti-bacterial effects were
scientifically proved. Now we
have scientific evidence that pine
really does kill off a wide range of
harmful bacteria and fungi, and
this is a factor that horse owners
should be aware of when they’re
choosing bedding.”
Scientific tests have shown that
different types of softwood vary
enormously in their anti-bacterial
‘performance’. They show that
pine works much faster and more
effectively than larch or spruce,
the two types of wood most used
for horse bedding.

•

•

In two comparative tests using
pine, larch and spruce, carried
out by a group of scientists in
Germany in 2002 and 2005,
pine proved to be the most
powerful and efficient killer
of two of the most prevalent
harmful bacteria: Escherichia
coli (E.Coli) and Enterococcus
faecium.
In the case of E.Coli in
particular, pine killed the
harmful bacteria much faster
and more completely than
spruce or larch, and completely
prevented regeneration, unlike
the other two softwoods.

DUST FREE
P I N E S H AV I N G S

By Appointment to
Her Majesty The Queen
Manufacturer of Horse Bedding
Bedmax Limited Northumberland

Although BEDMAX has been
using pine for 12 years, the
company has been prompted to
raise the profile of pine by some
remarkable recent experience in
the use of its pine shavings by
sheep farmers at lambing time.
Tim gives further details: “Over
the past two years a growing
number of sheep farmers have
been using BEDMAX pine
shavings in their lambing pens,
and many of them report that
this is reducing their lamb
deaths by a large proportion
as well as saving money on
expensive antibiotics.”

•

Quarter Horses!
Dressage Deluxe
This gorgeous Thermatex
Quarter Sheet from online
retailer Dressage Deluxe is
ideal for keeping those winter
chills at bay at home or at
competitions.
Styled in an advanced high
performance quilted wicking
fabric, this sheet combines a
unique wool and acrylic blend
with a polypropylene insulating
layer. Designed to help keep your
horse’s quarters warm without
interfering with your leg aids or
adding unnecessary bulk, it also
features sturdy Velcro fixings for

easy attachment/detachment to
saddle.
Warm without the weight and
machine washable, this sheet is
a great addition to your horse’s
winter wardrobe.
Available in a variety of colours in
two sizes from stock (without the
Deluxe embroidery except where
stated).
RRP: £75.00
Sizes: 4ft 6 & 4ft 9
www.dressagedeluxe.co.uk
Free Phone: [phone]

The principal cause of death is
E.Coli infection, which causes
conditions such as scour or
diarrhoea.

•

Among farmers using BEDMAX,
many report that they are
virtually eliminating E.Coli
infections and reducing lamb
deaths.

He continues: “We think
this is a significant practical
demonstration of the hygienic
properties of pine shavings.
We set out in 2000 to produce
a bedding that was as healthy
and as hygienic as possible
for horses. We believed then
that using pine added an extra
benefit to all the other benefits
we designed into our shavings,
and science has confirmed
that belief. Using pine does
not make our shavings more
expensive, but it does add an
hygienic advantage for owners
and their horses. It’s another
BEDMAX plus that makes our
shavings even better for horses
and even better value for
owners.”
In the UK, pine predominately
grows in the East and the South
of the country while spruce tends
to be found in the wetter western
side.
Further details about BEDMAX Shavings
can be found at www.bedmaxshavings.
com.
You can also follow us on Twitter at @
BedmaxShavings.

It’s all
about
the
horses
Purpose made
Natural
Hygienic
Economical

bedmax
shavings.com

www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk

EL-SEPT13-S5.indd 77

77

22/08/2013 19:55:03