# Bedding and hay troubles



## binbons (3 February 2018)

I am so bored of winter! 
This year is the first year I've had to stable (after three years of free access to a field shelter, which I am sorely missing  ) and to make matters worse the fields are under water so even if the beast wanted to go out she can't 

So long story short, she's having to be in her stable all the time. She is a very large girl who takes great pleasure in destroying her stable (normally by walking a big circle and turning 90% of her bed into a poo pancake). I'm going through 2-3 bags of bedding a week even though her bed only covers about 1/4 of her stable! I'm using Equinola (chopped straw) which I really like but isn't surviving being bombarded by Shire poo for hours! I was thinking about using a wood pellet base with the chopped straw on top but I'm open any suggestions that might survive a bit better 

The hay is also an issue now... when she was able to be turned out in the day she had slim pickings in regards to grass but could do a little bit of grazing. Then when she was coming in I could give her 2 hay nets and she'd manage to make them last the night. She desperately needs to lose some weight before spring but is an absolute eating machine! I was going by the 2% rule (around 12kgs of hay) but she just wolfs it down and I reckon to make it last she'd need 12kgs during the day and then another 12 at night!! She has half in her hay bar and half in the smallest holed hay net (I think its an eliminet??). I'm at a loss of how to get it to last longer without her becoming a hippo! 
Any help much appreciated  Thank you!


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## meleeka (3 February 2018)

The holes in the Elimenet arent very small I dont think. I use Martsnets and also have Tricklenets are they are much smaller. You could mix some straw with her hay, but do take care as some will colic on it.


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## Pearlsasinger (3 February 2018)

I have had Shire and Clydesdales, and a Westphalian Draft horse.  I am not at all surprised that your Shire is making a mess of her bed,  I would expect to use a bag of bedding everyday if the horse stays in all day.  I would give her a bigger bed - cover the whole of the stable floor, which will cost more to start with but will be less messy over time.  I found that big trugs of oat straw chaff kept my Draft horse full while allowing her to lose weight with rationed hay.


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## SEL (5 February 2018)

I'm using wood pellets with my Ardennes draft as he is revolting in a stable. I'm deep littering them and although the colour has gone a disgusting shade of brown, its dry enough. Two bags a week, but next winter I'm putting rubber matting down too. 

Soaked hay for the draft x who is a fatty and needs at least 2 haynets a night.


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## PapaverFollis (5 February 2018)

Try mixing sawdust through the equinola - found a mixture helped with my big, dirty mare when on box rest.  Get some boring, tasteless, chopped straw chaff (topchop zero).  Give her her hay ration and a couple of scoops of the chaff.  She won't want to eat it (probably, even my greedy thing doesn't want to eat it) but will snack on it if she's hungry so you don't have to worry so much about having hay in front of her all the time... Or you can soak hay and give her more.


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