Tenderfoot Stall Mats present:

Bedding Basics

by Sarah Christie

As featured in March 1999 issue of Horse Illustrated

Who doesn�t appreciate climbing into a bed made with freshly washed sheets and plump, soft pillows? Luxury mattress pads with inflatable cells, water beds, Merino sheepskin mattress covers and down-filled duvets are all considered essential components to the well-appointed boudoir. And yet, we humans spend only between 1/4 and 1/3 of our adult lives in bed. Except for turnout time and exercise, our horses, on the other hand eat, sleep, drink, and "deposit" all in the same space. Yet the comfort level of that space is often given only cursory consideration. For horses that live some or all of their lives in a barn environment, comfort should be a primary concern of their owners and caretakers. The selection, application and cleaning of stall bedding is the single most important factor in the stall environment.

Bedding comes in a variety of materials. Wood shavings, straw and rice hulls are some of the most typical choices. It serves the same purpose as a mattress, providing a soft surface to sleep on and an inviting place to relax. But a properly bedded stall is more than just a luxury item. It cushions a horse�s feet and joints from concussive effects of the hard surface underneath. In a natural environment, soil, sand, turf and assorted groundcovers serve the same purpose. Most barns have stalls with concrete or rammed earth floors. Even when covered by rubber mats, a lifetime in such an environment can contribute to arthritis, ringbone, sidebone and even laminitis. Horses� legs and hooves were no more meant to stand on concrete all day than ours were. Bedding materials also absorb moisture and trap ammonia gasses formed from uric acid. If the bedding is not sufficiently deep and frequently changed, these gasses can accumulate and cause serious damage to the respiratory system, particularly in young foals. And a properly bedded stall acts as protection against abrasion that creates hock sores and rough patches on the coat. Providing clean, adequate bedding is as essential for the health of the stabled horse as fresh water, a nutritious diet and ample exercise.

But how deep should the bedding be and how is it best maintained for the domestic stall-dweller? Like any job, the key is having the right tools and materials.

The Bed You Make

Awkward, heavy pitchforks and wheelbarrows have not been exempt from the technological revolution. Lightweight plastic or fiberglass wheelbarrows and manure carts save wear and tear on your back, and likewise, molded plastic and aluminum manure forks with angled tines, side-catchers and a well-fitting handle make the job infinitely easier. Also, mechanical and electronic sifters make light of separating manure and soiled bedding from clean shavings to help you save bedding costs.

Preparing a stall for occupancy requires some ground work. The floor of a stripped stall should be clean, dry and relatively level. Excessively wet areas should be sprinkled with lime or dolomite to absorb odors and bacteria, and be allowed to dry before adding fresh bedding. Dirt-floored stalls often develop a crater in the center where urine collects, or a gully in front of the feeder or the door where horses pace or paw repeatedly. Regular maintenance should include filling and compacting these areas so they don�t create an uneven surface to stand on (causing leg strain) and contribute loose dirt to the bedding material. Some concrete floors are sloped slightly for drainage, but this should be subtle. Covering either type of surface with rubber stall mats will save on labor, reduce the volume of bedding material used and decrease the concussive effects of the ground below.

Once the floor is prepared, it is time to "make the bed". To cover a standard 12-by-12 stall with 8 to 10 inches of fresh shavings will require two commercial bags or "bales", or between 6 to 8 wheelbarrow loads. Extremely luxurious barns may bed their stalls to a depth of 12 inches or more. Horse owners on a budget can try to skimp by on 6 inches. But a thinner layer of bedding does not necessarily translate into cost savings, as this requires more frequent stripping since the shavings get soiled more quickly.

Knowing the housekeeping habits of your horse will help determine the best distribution strategy. Is your horse fastidious, always choosing one corner to relieve himself? (Geldings and stallions often exhibit this behavior, as it is an evolutionary adaptation linked to marking their territory.) If so, bed lightly where the manure gets deposited, and more deeply where he tends to urinate. This will save you from having to pick through yards of shavings searching for road apples, and moisture will be absorbed before it spreads too far.

If your horse is a slob and has no predictable discharge pattern, pile the shavings higher in the corners and lower in the middle. This will allow you to pull fresh shavings in to the center of the stall every time you clean, as the material in the center will likely be removed en masse every day.

As a rule of thumb, a horse will kick the shavings up against the walls as he moves around his stall. However, if your horse is extremely active and walks several miles a day in his stall, concentrate most of the shavings in the center. His movement will distribute the material outward toward the walls and result in a more or less even coverage as the day wears on.

These subtle patterns will become obvious to whomever does the daily stall cleaning. This does not mean that the stall should be entirely stripped of its bedding material on a weekly basis. In fact, if bedding has been supplied to an adequate depth from the start, and all manure and wet bedding has been removed on a daily basis, a stall only requires stripping every 10 to 14 days, although small amounts of additional bedding should be added everyday or so.

Manure removal two or three times a day takes only a few minutes and will greatly enhance the "shelf life" of your bedding. The less time that manure has to mix with shavings, the longer those shavings will stay clean. A "cherry picker" or plastic manure fork makes it easy to remove manure while allowing the shavings to fall back to the floor. A few extra minutes a day spent picking manure will translate into cleaner bedding for longer periods of time.

Removing wet shavings promptly is also imperative. Look for telltale dark spots on the surface of the bedding, and gently rake outward to determine the extent of the damp area. Once the area is clearly defined, use the manure rake to remove all the wet shavings. If the shavings are actually dripping as you remove them, this is a sign that the stall needs deeper bedding. Allowing urine to pool under the shavings will turn a dirt stall floor to mud, and create noxious ammonia fumes.

Once all of the damp bedding is removed, you may backfill this area with older, dry bedding from elsewhere in the stall. Because horses tend to urinate in the same place, this is the bedding you will be removing the following day. Rotating slightly soiled, older bedding into this area makes room for new bedding to be added along the edges or in the corners of the stall where it will stay clean longer. As this bedding gets used, it too will be recycled to the center before removal. In this way shavings are used with maximum efficiency, and your stall maintains a healthy depth of clean bedding.

No matter how fastidious the horse and owner, every stall will eventually require stripping. When the sub-floor is soaked, when odors persist, when the remaining dry shavings are so trampled that they have lost all of their loft, it is time to remove all material and start again from scratch. If you know this day is coming soon, refrain from adding any new shavings for a few days prior. This will help conserve materials, not to mention time and effort. The life cycle of your bedding depends on many factors; your horse�s stall habits, the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning, your choice of bedding and the material underneath it. Starting out with a properly bedded stall makes the job of maintenance easier for the owner, healthier and more comfortable for the horse. And establishing a regular routine and observing your horse�s habits and patterns will help make your horse�s stall environment the best it can be.

Reprinted with permission from the author and Horse Illustrated