Bedding trials; What I have used, what I like, what I don't like, what is best for a small yard.
I have been lucky enough to have Aubiose Horse Bedding on the yard for both the boys and for a third day bed stable when needed.
We started off moving Alfie's bed over to Aubiose by integrating it into the existing bedding
Whilst moving Alfie's bed over we had Coffee's bed on various types of bedding as a comparison.
Although both horses do not have the same bedroom habits they were in the stables for the same length of time so the comparison was a fair one.
First was the Wood Pellets.
Second was the Wood Chip (two different brands).
Third was Cardboard
Previously Alfie had been on Rape Straw and Elephant Grass.
We had also tried a mix of paper and pellets and a mix of shavings and pellets.
Aubiose Horse Bedding is a hemp bedding which is 100% natural, dust spore and chemical free, supportive, cost effective and highly absorbent
We have used this bedding in the past and recently switched back to Aubiose after needing a more absorbent bedding for the dirty / wet horse.
Although the initial bales are more expensive compared to other brands we have already saved money from our 10 bale trial
We have found a good thick base to start approx 8 bales with a standard size stable is best. Although we mixed in with the old bedding and transferred over slowly we would recommend you don't mix bedding types as Aubiose works much better on its own
Aubiose can be completely deep littered or wet removed every 5-10 days depending on horse and only needs topping up when wet is removed.
We have a horse that plays hide the poop so his bed does take a little longer to muck out as the top layer of the bed needs to be thrown up to release the droppings before removal. We find it better to disrupt the base as little as you possibly can, allowing wet to soak to the bottom of the deep bed, keeping the top layer dry for the horse to lie down on
One of the boys has a nasty stable cough that is irritated by the ammonia smells but even this boy is coping well as the top layers remain dry as the wet soaks to the floor
As the bedding in our stables draws out any damp from the walls etc we found the wood pellets didn't last very long and the stable was extremely wet needing the wet removed every other day.
Now we only scrap back the floor every other week to check the wet areas. Be careful just to have a peak don't disturb main base unless necessary. Remember forking it through will keep bringing it up to top and mixing with the dry resulting in taking out more than you need to
If you see a small amount of wet stomp it down, put some clean on top and try to forget about it
When the wet bed is removed and bedding is pulled down from the banks it only takes a few days for the bed settle back to a stable / fixed base if you have a fidgety horse.
Aubiose is a great bedding for wet horses. Perfect if you like a deep bed
It is easy to keep stables clean with very little waste.
It really is the #bestbedding and great for the land when recycled back to the earth.
See the full comparison diary of the different bedding types we have been using on my You Tube Channel Here is the link to week one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLHTbDdUJHE&t=10s