# Has anyone used Flaxcore bedding?



## BlairandAzria (15 March 2013)

Made of flax stems? Any experiences of it please, im thinking of switching from shavings - so keen to know if it is as dust free as they say and how easy it is to muck out please? Thanks!


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## Casey76 (15 March 2013)

We don't have branded flax bedding here, just generic as a by-product from flax farming.

It is incredibly dusty, incredibly heavy when wet and never looks clean after the first "deposit"

However it is very easy to muck out and does compost very quickly.

I would certainly recommend doing a full muck out every day, including the wet.

Edit...Sorry ignore all of that, I'm getting my beddingx mixed up.  The above was regarding linseed not flax.

Auboise/similar is lovely to handle, though I've only ever used it with hens not horses.  Sorry fo rthe confusion!


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## mynutmeg (15 March 2013)

I use equisorb (cheaper than flaxcore) which is still flax and love it. My mare has gone from 3-4 bales of shavings a week to 1 bale of flax. Makes a really nice fluffy, warm bed. I find skip out every day and lift wet at least every other day for my mare (she is super, super wet tho).
It takes a bit of getting used to but once you're used to it it mucks out fine with a normal shavings fork.
I can't recommend it enough. Out of all the beddings I tried the only one I liked better was the hempcore but it's £12 a bag near me compared to £8 a bag for the equisorb using the same amount


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## JillA (15 March 2013)

I have been using it as Wynnstay have an offer on it at the moment. I only use it as a base under straw though - it is very fine and would take a lot to make a decent bed, even on matting. It is quite absorbent - I have an IR old mare who wees a lot and it absorbs enough so that the straw on top remains fairly dry. I like it for that kind of use, not sure whether I would want a whole bed of it though.


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## mynutmeg (15 March 2013)

The equisorb only takes maybe 3 bales to set up a decent bed I found


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## Ginger Bear (15 March 2013)

My cousin uses it for her pony - the actual Flaxcore.. its ok for a clean pony but not sure what it would be like for a messy one.. she deep litters it - just takes wet out once per week.


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## BlairandAzria (15 March 2013)

I've just had a sample through the post, I'm really not sure what it wound be like down as a bed as its so fine, but it smells really lovely and lemony!


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## Archiepoo (15 March 2013)

weve just trialed it on my yard . my YO deep litters and sprinkles fresh on top of the bed -it was ok but doesnt go as far as our usual flax.
 i have rubber matting down and  just chuck a bale of shavings on top which lasts a week  ,i take all my wet out everyday and i hated the flax ! it clumps together and it seemed that all of it was damp rather than just a small circle of pee soaked shavings . my usually clean grey horse has now got yellow legs


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## galaxy (15 March 2013)

Love it!

Used it all winter and having tried many different beddings on my incredibly wet mare I wouldn't change!  She doesn't churn it up, but she does pee for England!  Shavings never absorbed it enough no matter how deep the bed was and she was always covered in stable stains.  Since I have used Flaxcore she hasn't had 1 stable stain!    The wet sinks to the bottom and stays there.  So i peel the clean bedding off the top and then take the wet out.  So easy and really works!  I do a full muck out every day.

It's quite heavy and therefore stays stiller in the stable which I think is why it works so well.  No dust comes out of it at all.

I find it really cheap at £5.75 a bag (surprised a previou poster said it was over £8 near them!)  There is no cheaper bedding apart from wood pellets sold in my local feedstores.  I use 1.5 bales a week.  My mare is incredibly wet, if you horse was a normally wet horse  you'd prob only use one.


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## little_critter (17 March 2013)

I use it and deep litter it (take out wet once a week) It compacts into a firm, stable bed. My bed is probably only 2" deep but because it compacts down well there is no way you'd be able to hit the floor below. 
It absorbs well, it's very fine and can be a little fiddly to muck out but works well. I use 1 to 1.5 bales per week. 
I prefer the hemcore but its currently sold out. The flaxcore isn't dusty and I think it makes a nice bed. Can't comment ref stable stains as I have a black pony!


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## Landcruiser (17 March 2013)

I use it for my two. It's better for my cleaner horse who doesn't kick the droppings through it, and wees in a regular place - it stays in place and stays lovely and clean. One of mine is very messy, and I actually put a few wood shavings in his "wettest" place near the door, which makes it go further.

I found mucking out a bit tricky at first, especially my messy boy, but I invested in an "Equine Speedy Skip" and it's much quicker and easier now. 

It took me 8 bags to make a decent bed (about 12x8ft) and I use about a bag a week to top up in each stable.

It's £6.25 at my supplier, so not a particularly cheap option.


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