The choice of bedding material is an important aspect of horse-barn management. Bedding can increase dust levels that can pose respiratory problems in both horses and their handlers.
In addition, bedding choice will have an impact on the cost of housing horses, the labour involved with stall cleaning, manure storage capacity and, ultimately, nutrient management.
The compostability of various materials will affect storage times. Aesthetically, bedding type is important because material that clings to a horse's coat can make a horse appear dirty.
Recent research has brought attention to horse preferences when bedding material is considered. Usually, bedding choices tend to reflect availability, price, and ease of handling, but the horse’s health and comfort should be of paramount in importance in the choice of bedding..
In a German study, warmblood horses were bedded on wood shavings, loose straw, or straw pellets. Behaviors such as eating hay, lying down, and nosing through bedding were recorded for each horse during its time in the stall, which totaled about 15 hours each day.
Results showed that all horses spent more time lying down when they were bedded on loose straw. They also spent more time sifting through the straw or otherwise investigating it than with other types of bedding.
The researchers noted that stalled horses face hours of boredom, and a bedding material that invites investigation and lying down might reduce the number of behaviors such as cribbing and weaving that may develop when horses are stabled for long periods.
Straw bedding has several drawbacks, however. One is the dust and mold spores that may be present. When horses lie down in straw bedding, they tend to inhale more airborne particles because their noses are closer to the straw than when they are standing.
Horses that are sensitive to these particles may develop breathing problems that can be avoided by using a material that is free of dust and mold.
Labor considerations and a happy barn staff are essential when considering choice of bedding, but the health of the horse should be the primary consideration.
It is, after all, the horses that will be using the bedding, not humans. In studies, horses have preferred straw and shavings equally, not preferring one over the other. Studies also have found that horses prefer bedding over a hard surface, meaning that any bedding substrate is better than none.
The dustiness of the bedding will impact on the horse. Dusty bedding can contribute to "heaves," a respiratory condition in horses, and it can also negatively affect the health of barn staff. With shavings, the degree of dustiness depends on the particle size, e.g., sawdust versus planing.
Rubber mats are popular with some horse owners because they make the surface soft for the horse, help minimize dust, and are considered to be easy to clean.
Obviously, there is a lot to take into account when selecting a bedding material for your horses. Consider each aspect and how it will impact on the management of your facility. Select the bedding that fits best with your needs.