Straw. A common choice for horse bedding is straw, however, it does have its drawbacks. It is not as absorbent as other products, and the horse might nibble it, potentially developing colic due to straw’s stemmy and rough, indigestible nature. It can be difficult to muck out, unless you are experienced in handling the material. It is highly flammable.
On the positive side, straw is comfortable. It is required for foaling stalls since it won’t clog a foal’s nostrils like fine beddings (sawdust or wood shavings) can. It has low dust count. Depending on where you live, straw may also be fairly inexpensive. Make sure to store it where it cannot get wet and check often for mold. Do not use moldy straw. From an ecological standpoint, used straw bedding can be recycled via mushroom farms, or composted and reused as fertilizer.
Wood Shavings and Sawdust. Wood shavings are popular for their absorptive qualities. They are easy to muck and readily available from lumberyards, however caution must be used by the horse owner. If the mill is recycling old construction lumber, the product may have metal chips and filings in it, which are dangerous. In addition, it is difficult to know from what type of tree the shavings originate. Never use black walnut shavings as they cause laminitis. Even a small amount of black walnut can be toxic.
Also, check the moisture content of the shavings. If it is high, it won’t be as absorptive. Moisture content should be 8-10%.
Wood shavings can be purchased from bedding suppliers, which is more expensive than getting them from your local mill, however, the health benefits of purchasing this way can outweigh the cost. Bedding supply companies screen against dust and can guarantee the type of wood present. Bedding suppliers also sell wood chips, a larger cut than shavings, which is preferred by many.
As for sawdust, if your horse has or is prone to respiratory problems, sawdust will irritate his lungs and you should not use this type of bedding. For all horses, move them out of the stall when mucking sawdust so that they are not inhaling the particles. Some believe sawdust will eventually cause the heaves (a respiratory problem) in all horses and recommend against its use. On top of having a high particulate count, sawdust can increase your grooming chores as it tends to stick to horse hair. Sawdust is also heavier to load, skip and muck than straw, shavings or wood chips. For chemical reasons related to carbon and nitrogen load, wood shavings, chips and sawdust do not recycle into compost well.
Shredded Newspaper/Cardboard. Ecologically conservative and very absorbent, paper products can provide an alternative to heavier, wood bedding. For comfort, it is soft, however, it compresses easily. A good solution would be to put a layer of straw on top of the newspaper to provide cushion. The urine will flow through to the paper below where it can be absorbed and then removed.
Wood Pellet Products. Wood pellets are compressed shavings (usually pine). They are treated to remove toxic substances and dust, and they expand when wet. Some pellets even clump so it’s easy to clean. Although the cost upfront will be higher, the reduction in the amount of waste thrown out (i.e., good bedding going out with the bad) can be as much as 60%, thereby balancing out the cost. Wet the pellets when initially placed down so that they can begin to expand; they will absorb better this way.
Kenaf. A natural plant crop, kenaf is two to three times more absorptive than wood shavings and less dusty too as it does not break down when compressed. Since is absorbs better than wood, it is less labor intensive to clean as well as more cost-effective. As with all natural plant fiber bedding, make sure the horse is not regularly ingesting the material.
Corn stalks. Comfortable and potentially cheap (depending on where you live), corn stalks have no absorption properties. As with any used food product being marketed for bedding, there is the risk of the horse grazing on the bedding and becoming ill.
As you can see, the choices are numerous, even beyond the above. Read How to Select Horse Bedding to see what qualities you should look for in a bedding product and how to design your corral/stall floor for optimal health and comfort for you and your horse.
