Everything Horse magazine December 2013 | Page 34

And so to bed…

There are few people that look forward to mucking out in the winter but, for many, it’s just one of those jobs that has to be done. The good news is that by choosing the right bedding to fit your needs, you could save yourself time, money AND it could be better for your horse too! Here, Aquamax talk us through how to pick the right bedding for you.

When choosing which bedding is best suited for your needs, there are lots of different angles to explore, indeed, that’s why there are so many different types of bedding on the market. The properties that are important differ from person to person, from horse to horse, and while some elements, like storage, won’t cross the mind of many, to others it’s a key feature.

So, let’s start with where you’re going to keep the bedding. Some products, like straw, need to be kept undercover or else your lovely golden bales will become mouldy heaps very quickly! Straw is fairly bulky by its very nature, and most people use a couple of bales a week, per horse. It’s never ideal to run out of bedding (especially with the weather predicted for this winter), so you need to decide how much you need to have in stock and, therefore, how much covered

space you need. In an ideal world, all bedding would be stored inside, but you might be surprised to hear that not all bedding needs to be. Aquamax is a great example of this, but you’ll find that many products are supplied in plastic bags that are waterproof and won’t get wet. Think about the size of the bales too. A bale of straw takes up much more space than a bag of pellets.

Cost is important, but don’t be fooled by the price per bag or bale. It sounds obvious, but if you need three bags of a cheap product and just one of a premium product, the chances are that the premium one will be cheaper! Do your research and find out how much the average person uses per week and how much this costs them based on the RRP. This might not be a deal breaker, but if you’re looking to save a few pounds, sometimes cheap can be expensive! Also think about the cost after use - the disposal. Some bedding systems require only the droppings to be removed each day, and some bedding rots down quickly to form compost. If you’re throwing away a lot of bedding a day, are you going to have to pay someone to remove your muck heap? Consider buying in bulk- not only can this save you money, but you’ll be all set up for winter. You can always consider clubbing together and buying with someone else on the yard too.

Are you looking for something absorbent? It sounds silly, but some beddings are much more absorbent than others on the market. If you have a horse that isn’t too wet, absorbency might not be top of your list, but if you have a horse that’s wet, it should

be. Standing in ‘wet’ is far from pleasant, but it can be addressed. Look for products that are absorbent and have a good surface area as this will increase the speed at which the liquid is absorbed. A good way to test this is to get a few samples in and set up an experiment…you’ll be surprised at

the difference!

‘Time is money’, but with reduced daylight hours, time spent mucking out is also time you can’t be with your horse. Some bedding is really fast to muck out because of the way the bedding works. If you use matting, you’ll probably find that your mucking out takes next to no time, and deep littering is known to be time saving too (well, that is until you need to remove the whole bed!).

There’s no mystery as to why horses seem to suffer with respiratory issues in the winter months. We bring them inside, we feed hay that could be dusty, we confine them to an area that doesn’t have the ventilation of a field and we use bedding that might also compromise their

respiratory system. Add to this the ammonia that’s in urine and you get the full picture. There are things you can do to help a horse with respiratory issues including turnout each day, not mucking out when he’s on the stable yard, soaking/steaming hay, using a respiratory supplement and opting for dust free or virtually dust free bedding. What’s also important is the ammonia as this could have a detrimental impact on the horse’s respiratory system…and it’s pretty unpleasant from an owner’s point of view too! What’s good is that when it comes to bedding, ammonia can be halted by choosing the right one. Pine wood contains natural agents that remove the smell of ammonia from urine without the need for any floor freshener or disinfectant. Aquamax is made from pure pine whitewood, and some other bedding products are too, so keep an eye out. As for the dust element, choose something that’s dust extracted during manufacture if your horse has an issue and, if you’re using a pellet or crumble, make sure the bed is adequately dampened before use. One of the great things about a bedding like Aquamax is that it’s always drying out, which is a great way to prevent a soggy bed that could compromise the horse’s hooves. If it gets too dry, just water it with a hosepipe- it’s as simple as that!

Mucking out isn’t the most exciting task, but choosing the right bedding can save you time, money, stress and could also be beneficial to your horse’s health and your sanity.

Aquamax is a wood crumble bedding made from cracked pine whitewood pellets with a large surface area. They are around nine times more absorbent than shavings, take up minimal storage space, naturally remove the smell of ammonia, are virtually dust free AND they can live outside. Most people use just one bag per week, even less when used with matting and we’ll even deliver them to your door. Better still, if you order a pallet, we’ll throw in a free gift!

For more information, visit www.aquamax.co.uk or ring 01285 648240.

Save time and money on bedding this winter- Aquamax