# Tracey timber animal bedding/surface



## Thornhillstables (26 June 2013)

Looking for any advice on this product or any previous experiences for use as surface or as bedding material

Any comments appreciated


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## EventingMum (26 June 2013)

I have used both and wouldn't again. 

The bedding was dusty and despite assurances that it would be screened we had nails and some very sharp bits in it and it looked dark and dirty. The big skips were a nightmare to put the covers on particularly in high winds or when it was raining and the volume of bedding in each load was really inconsistent. 

The school surface was also problematic and had a lot of glass through it. They sent six men to rake through it and remove what they could but even at that a lot kept coming to the surface afterwards. We then went to Jenkinsons and replaced the surface; they offered indoor and outdoor surfaces in two grades - the premium grade is made from virgin wood and had no contamination. We've been very pleased with it, at the end of the day it is a wood fibre surface and can't compete with more expensive surfaces but the price reflected this (Jenkinsons was more expensive than Tracey Timber but well worth the difference). Ours is inside and I think the fact that we control the watering of it helps it's longevity compared with outdoor use where it can't be protected from excessive rain etc and breaks down fairly quickly .


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## Thornhillstables (26 June 2013)

Thanks so much you are the second person to say this to me so don't think it is isolated incident.


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## absolutelyoakey (26 June 2013)

I used their surface recently for my new turnout area and have found 4 nails so far. Customer service was also appalling.


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## Thornhillstables (26 June 2013)

absolutelyoakey said:



			I used their surface recently for my new turnout area and have found 4 nails so far. Customer service was also appalling.
		
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Oh no!


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## Flora (27 June 2013)

Very interesting to read this!! Im opening up a small livery yard near Houston and was looking for a surface for my indoor school.  Traceys are cheaper than Jenkinsons but after reading this, I think I know who Im buying my surface from!!


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## RLS (27 June 2013)

I used their wood fines for deep litter bedding, and had no problems with it. In fact, I thought it drained well (one horse is very messy/ wet in her stable!). But, as I didn't have enough room to store the large container, I had to buy it by the bag (large builder bag size) and this worked out quite expensive, I thought. So, not sure if I will use it again this winter.


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## DunLover (27 June 2013)

This product nearly KILLED my horse in winter 2012. I would strongly urge anyone who intends on using it anywhere near animals to think again.

I was using it as bedding for my mare and one day she came out of her box crippled lame.
After two vet visits they discovered a nail (like the type you would find in cheap furniture)had penetrated her frog, gone deep inside her foot and caused a massive infection inside her hoof. 

The nail was removed from her hoof and after multiple visits from my vet, painkillers, antibiotics, hot tubbing, poulticing, 3 MONTHS complete box rest and alot of tears and praying from myself - she was extremly lucky to survive.

I then had a further 3 months of trying to bring my traumatised and very stressed mare back to work, back to fitness, and can only now start to even consider competing again. 

During my mares box rest, further NAILS, SCREWS and GLASS were found in the Tracey Timber skip!!!
Tracy Timber are fully aware of what they put me through and what their product did to my horse, yet they continue to market it as a safe horse bedding and surface??!!! Makes me sick.


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## brucea (27 June 2013)

That's shocking really. You should be able to make a claim against them.


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## tikino (27 June 2013)

dont touch it with a barge pole dangerous stuff


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## Tiffany (27 June 2013)

Deleted


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## blackandwhite (28 June 2013)

My yard uses Jenkinsons and we had exactly the same problem. I can't comment on their customer service but we certainly had nails and glass and huge bits of metal and large shards of mirror!!! I won't use the stuff any more despite yo getting in the "premium" quality stuff because they're still picking metal out it.


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## EventingMum (28 June 2013)

blackandwhite said:



			My yard uses Jenkinsons and we had exactly the same problem. I can't comment on their customer service but we certainly had nails and glass and huge bits of metal and large shards of mirror!!! I won't use the stuff any more despite yo getting in the "premium" quality stuff because they're still picking metal out it.
		
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I surprised at this, as I said we used the Jenkinsons premium surface as it was fine, no contamination at all on the first load or a top up. It was also a completely different colour to Tracey Timber's surface which was very dark but I assumed that was because it was recycled whereas Jenkinsons was virgin wood.  As far as bedding is concerned I have found baled sawdust to be clean and economic, I changed to it from wood and straw pellets and found it more absorbent and surprisingly not dusty.


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## alfiesmum (5 July 2013)

i remember a friend used them for their arena, they had major hassles. in the end the company uplifted the arena surface and refunded in full! glass throughout!! she always warns people about them, and it took a while to get it sorted!


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## Fluffy pony (10 July 2013)

Another side to this is that (according to my farrier), it has a bad effect on the horses' feet if they're standing in it for any period of time.  His view is that it retains moisture and makes the hooves deteriorate.


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