# Curious..... What bedding is everyone's favourite



## woody2211 (25 September 2013)

Hi just wondering what every one thinks is the best bedding. 
More interested in shavings. As have very wet mare. But OH wont muck out if its straw haha. Used to use easi bed, but was wondering if any one else had any better experiences? 

Thanks
X


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## Micky (25 September 2013)

I used to use straw but it really stank as my lad used to be very wet too...so moved onto shavings, the cheapest here, elite dream or smart horse, personally prefer the ones with slightly bigger flakes but dont like the massive flake ones plus they are too expensive!  Get through half a bale every week...and no smell


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## Spot_On (26 September 2013)

Bedmax shavings, bedsoft chopped straw or wood pellets.


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## Cragrat (26 September 2013)

Wood pellets, 

Or, if I had properly draining stables, good old fashioned deep straw bed


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## Nicnac (26 September 2013)

Hunters shavings. Buy a pallet at beginning of winter and get a discount.


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## Crazy Friesian (27 September 2013)

I used to love shavings, but having 6 horses with various "bedroom manners"... I have tried most options in the last few years. (I hate straw btw)

Comfy bed was ok but which ever way I tried, (deep litter, semi deep litter, full muck out...) it ended up too costly and killed my back with the weight of the wheelbarrow. 

I have also tried: a mix of comfy bed and shavings, 
                          Straw pellets
                          Wood pellets
                          Straw pellets / wood pellets mixed with comfy bed or shavings
                          Bliss (only 1 horse- hated it)

Currently have the guys (inc v active youngster) on Hempcore. Not at full depth yet as they are still out at night. I am mucking the beds out fully once a week and skipping out the rest of the week. ALL of the beds look great, lovely and clean. Easy to work with AND the wheelie doesn't weigh a ton. It breaks down easily and quickly so the muck heap doesn't get too big. 

The other half can muck it out easily, it doesnt smell (other than citronella) and it is working out quite cheap. I might just be staying with this one!


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## Diver dawn (27 September 2013)

Anyone on pellets?? I switched over to shavings last winter from straw thought I was in heaven- it was brill. Now doing research on pellets.... Can anyone advise? I hear Aquamax or LWP are good but that Aquamax more expensive but both are less work than shavings once down.


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## pottamus (27 September 2013)

I use bliss eucalyptus as it is low in dust and better for my lad who has problems with dust from hay and bedding. It rots down quick on the muck heap too.


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## warmbloodcrazy (27 September 2013)

I am an old school lover of straw.. nothing like a nice big deep straw bed for them to bed down into but other than that my mums horse is on sawdust and i don't mind that either!


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## swm1hb (27 September 2013)

We use shredded rape straw. We used to use Bliss but have recently swapped to simbed http://simbed.co.uk/whatis/whatis.htm which is very similar and £2 a bag cheaper. We live close enough to go and fetch it in the horsebox. I think is an appealing bedding, it looks nice and is reasonably easy to maintain. We tend to used deep litter over rubber matting. The only downside is that some horses will eat it if hungry unless you go for a eucalyptus or citronella additive.


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## Squeak (27 September 2013)

A vote for straw pellets.  SO easy, cheap and fast.  I wouldn't be on anythign else now.


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## debserofe (27 September 2013)

I have three horses, one of which is a mare, and after years of using different types of bedding - straw only, straw with sawdust, sawdust and shavings - now use wood pellets and would never go back!  I didnt like them at first as they didnt look as pretty as either a straw or shaings bed but  I can now do all three stables (16 x 16), do haynets, water and make up feeds in under an hour - it makes for a much smaller muck heap as well as you dont take out half the bed with the poo and the dry pellets actually turn to sawdust when initially wet so you only take out the wet when it becomes saturated - usually once a week but, very concentrated so easy to remove and nowhere near as smelly as either straw or shavings!!  I use Verdoo wood pellets and buy them by the pallet.  They come in 15kg bags, which are slightly heavier than some of the other wood pellet suppliers but the bags are lighter than a bale of shavings - once water has been added, they fluff up really well.  I don't pour the water in the bag (as suggested on the bag) but empty a few bags in a space in the stable and then spray with water from the hose, wait half an hour and then add more water if needed.  Where the horses pee the most, I put down some non-watered pellets and cover.  It may not look as pretty as a shavings bed but it makes a much denser bed without the faffing!  My horses lie down everynight and I don't get stable stains on my rugs anymore, they are not lying on wet shavings/straw!!


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## 9tails (27 September 2013)

You'd have to prise my pallet of wood pellets from my cold dead fingers.  5 minute muck outs are my idea of heaven.


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## Maisy (27 September 2013)

...me too....I love the look of deep shavings beds....but with 3 of them it takes me all day to keep them clean!! On the wood pellets, it takes me about 5 minutes.....to do all 3!!


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## Doris68 (27 September 2013)

Favourite bedding - deep, deep bed of barley straw with huge banks!!  However, I now use Bliss chopped rape straw.  My mare is incredibly wet and messy and this bedding works so well as I don't have to do a full muck out every day, just skip out poos and clear any hug pee piles.  I top up with a bale once a week.  I still miss those lovely straw beds though......


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## spaceflower (27 September 2013)

I mentioned on another post a few days ago about rape straw. I've tried both shavings (snowflake) and straw and shavings far better, quicker, lighter and generally easier to clean. However price of snowflake was getting a bit silly, so end of last winter had a go with rape straw and I'm converted. It's somewhere between easibed and shavings. I use 2 to make a fresh bed then with daily picking of poo and wet might use 1 bale a week to top up. It's nice and easy to sift and as it's a bit heavier than shavings, it stays put. My local supplier delivers a bulk load for £6.50 a bale.


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## Diver dawn (28 September 2013)

pottamus said:



			I use bliss eucalyptus as it is low in dust and better for my lad who has problems with dust from hay and bedding. It rots down quick on the muck heap too.
		
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Thanks for the steer, had a look at their website-it looks good.


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## Diver dawn (28 September 2013)

debserofe said:



			I have three horses, one of which is a mare, and after years of using different types of bedding - straw only, straw with sawdust, sawdust and shavings - now use wood pellets and would never go back!  I didnt like them at first as they didnt look as pretty as either a straw or shaings bed but  I can now do all three stables (16 x 16), do haynets, water and make up feeds in under an hour - it makes for a much smaller muck heap as well as you dont take out half the bed with the poo and the dry pellets actually turn to sawdust when initially wet so you only take out the wet when it becomes saturated - usually once a week but, very concentrated so easy to remove and nowhere near as smelly as either straw or shavings!!  I use Verdoo wood pellets and buy them by the pallet.  They come in 15kg bags, which are slightly heavier than some of the other wood pellet suppliers but the bags are lighter than a bale of shavings - once water has been added, they fluff up really well.  I don't pour the water in the bag (as suggested on the bag) but empty a few bags in a space in the stable and then spray with water from the hose, wait half an hour and then add more water if needed.  Where the horses pee the most, I put down some non-watered pellets and cover.  It may not look as pretty as a shavings bed but it makes a much denser bed without the faffing!  My horses lie down everynight and I don't get stable stains on my rugs anymore, they are not lying on wet shavings/straw!!
		
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Wow..... Thanks.... Sounds like a perfect solution.... Have you tried any other pellets? Was wondering whether there Is there much difference between brands in terms of how they perform.


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## Diver dawn (28 September 2013)

Thanks to all for responding to my post... Really helpful. Does anyone use liverpool wood pellets?


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## Janee (28 September 2013)

We are just thinking of moving from shavings onto wood pellets, e mailed LWP and they have sent us a couple of bags to trial, so far seem very good.  We are about to order a pallet cos I think we need to get ready for winter, they will come in over night, so beds will have to be ready soon just in case winter starts early!


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## RobinHood (28 September 2013)

I've used bedmax and wood pellets in the past but they are both horribly dusty. Now I'd only use shredded cardboard, either squares or strips.


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## NativePonyLover (29 September 2013)

I use straw, personally. Just started using chopped straw pellets as a thin base layer to help soak up the wet - works well for Pete!


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## AliceCrail (29 September 2013)

I have just switched to wood pellets and I LOVE them! I have two horses that are in every night, one is very tidy but being a mare, really wet, and the other is a vile, dirty beast who likes pee and poo constantly and then wander round the box churning it all up. 
I found some pellets from a local fuel company, they cost me £3.99 a bag delivered (LWP are about £3 a bag bought in bulk I believe and very similar)
I can now muck both horses out, hay, water, scrub buckets and sweep yard in half an hour without rushing or cutting corners. 
Oh, and my trousers still mostly smell of washing powder when I'm finished!


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## Lickety-Split (3 October 2013)

I am an avid supporter of Eco ComfyBed - it's one of the cheapest per kilo types of bedding on the market and it's easy to use and very economical, saves me bags of time each morning!


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## Achinghips (8 October 2013)

I wouldn't really call wood pellets a bed as such, they just are there to absorb the pee on top of rubber matting. I love a deep fluffy bed so prefer shavings, but they aren't very absorbent and they blow everywhere  ..... Hate straw, heavy and smelly.

I've never found a bed I like ......


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## Maesfen (9 October 2013)

I've been on LWP wood pellets for 4 years now and wouldn't change back at all unless I only had one horse and then it would be either thick baley straw or Sundown Yellow which is very easy to use and smells lovely.  http://www.broadfeed.co.uk/sundown-yellow-rapestraw-20kg.php


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## LovesCobs (9 October 2013)

Woodpellets 
Tried 3 makes and settled on five star, they were by far the best to use especially with a very wet mare, I used 2 bags a week instead of 4


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## Bright_Spark (9 October 2013)

I love a good deep straw bed and so does my mare, so she's on that (thankfully she is very tidy in her stable). My gelding on the other hand is a nightmare so he is on shavings - so much easier to skip out his mashed-into-the-bed poo!

I have been thinking about trying straw pellets this winter, but it's justifying the cost of a pallet to OH - it would work out cheaper in the long run, but he had heart failure at the initial outlay!


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## One More (9 October 2013)

Definitely straw is my favourite, however for ones that don't get on with straw I use BedSoft Bio, which is great!


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## Joyous70 (9 October 2013)

those of you on wood/straw pellets, how do you find them with very wet horses, mine likes to stand in the doorway and make her mess there, and proceeds to mash it all into the bedding, if i don't bring the bedding almost to the door she makes a mess directly onto the concrete YUK! (not sure if its a youngster thing or a mare thing)


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## maximoo (9 October 2013)

Straw for me but also like shavings just what price I can get them for


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## LovesCobs (9 October 2013)

Joyous70 said:



			those of you on wood/straw pellets, how do you find them with very wet horses, mine likes to stand in the doorway and make her mess there, and proceeds to mash it all into the bedding, if i don't bring the bedding almost to the door she makes a mess directly onto the concrete YUK! (not sure if its a youngster thing or a mare thing)
		
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I had a mare like this, I put the bedding right to the door and also deep bedded her with wood pellets. She's the one I went from 4 to 2 bags a week with. I only took out the very wet patch daily and pulled some bed over it. My stables have a row of brick so I had a lip at the front to take the bedding to


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## Megibo (10 October 2013)

liverpool wood pellets, love love love


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## Janah (10 October 2013)

Bliss, bliss, bliss!  Absorbent, kills smells, light to muck out, breaks down on muck heap quickly and also used for chickens!

Ideally love deep straw bed but not so good for horse.


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## Alter ego (10 October 2013)

Miscanthus Pellets every time for me!

Far more absorbent than straw or wood pellet bedding

Less likely to cause skin irritation

Easy to muck out

I get mine from PelletBeds.com


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## Roasted Chestnuts (10 October 2013)

I use shredded paper (long stuff) I get from my work free of charge  I get about four massive big binbags full per day sometimes more and I find it absorbent, easy to muck out (similar to straw) and no smell  My older gelding can be a dirty bu&&er at times and with this hes fine and also no dust


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## Joyous70 (14 October 2013)

Lovescobs said:



			I had a mare like this, I put the bedding right to the door and also deep bedded her with wood pellets. She's the one I went from 4 to 2 bags a week with. I only took out the very wet patch daily and pulled some bed over it. My stables have a row of brick so I had a lip at the front to take the bedding to
		
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Thanks thats really good to know as i have just ordered 20 x 15kg bags of pellets to try and see how she gets on.  She was in for just a few hours yesterday, 11am-5pm and i still had to take out a whole barrow of mess.


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## LovesCobs (14 October 2013)

Joyous70 said:



			Thanks thats really good to know as i have just ordered 20 x 15kg bags of pellets to try and see how she gets on.  She was in for just a few hours yesterday, 11am-5pm and i still had to take out a whole barrow of mess.
		
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there are a few ways of doing pellets and I tried most before I settled on which one worked for each horse.
With my very wet mare I left the wet in at first and let it build up a good base underneath. I even pulled back the dry and spread the wet round (stamping on it) to create an all over base (if she wees in one or 2 main places) then I only took the wet out if it was soggy (just a small patch. that's the very wet patch I mean, not damp bedding.
I also tried adding extra bags on and activating them with water or just dry. With five star I found dry was best. with LWP I wet it slightly.
If you search wood pellet beds on here there are some really good threads with photos and peoples different ways of doing it. try them all if you struggle with one.
I was taking out 1 barrow for 3 (1 horse 2 ponies) and 1/2 a barrow for my wet/messy mare and then a bit more once a week before I added new bedding. they were in at night and out most days.
Hope it works well for you, I wouldn't go back!


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## Joyous70 (15 October 2013)

Lovescobs said:



			there are a few ways of doing pellets and I tried most before I settled on which one worked for each horse.
With my very wet mare I left the wet in at first and let it build up a good base underneath. I even pulled back the dry and spread the wet round (stamping on it) to create an all over base (if she wees in one or 2 main places) then I only took the wet out if it was soggy (just a small patch. that's the very wet patch I mean, not damp bedding.
I also tried adding extra bags on and activating them with water or just dry. With five star I found dry was best. with LWP I wet it slightly.
If you search wood pellet beds on here there are some really good threads with photos and peoples different ways of doing it. try them all if you struggle with one.
I was taking out 1 barrow for 3 (1 horse 2 ponies) and 1/2 a barrow for my wet/messy mare and then a bit more once a week before I added new bedding. they were in at night and out most days.
Hope it works well for you, I wouldn't go back!
		
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I have read that people tend to do their pellet beds different ways, i will try a few out with her and see what works, she's not in at night yet, but will be at some point.

It might be a really daft question, but are the very wet patches obvious, like they are with shavings? i don't want to end up taking out bedding that will be suitable as a base for where she wets


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## LovesCobs (15 October 2013)

For me a very wet patch is so soggy it's mushy and almost sloppy. Damp and changed colour isn't, I'd pull dry pellets over that. At the weekend I take some of the base (wet but not soggy) out but only after the bed is established and has an overall base. That worked for my very wet and messy mare. Mine aren't in yet so I can't take a photo and show u


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## Joyous70 (15 October 2013)

Lovescobs said:



			For me a very wet patch is so soggy it's mushy and almost sloppy. Damp and changed colour isn't, I'd pull dry pellets over that. At the weekend I take some of the base (wet but not soggy) out but only after the bed is established and has an overall base. That worked for my very wet and messy mare. Mine aren't in yet so I can't take a photo and show u 

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Thanks again, im hoping my pellets will arrive this week, so i can lay the bed at the weekend, at least now i know what im looking for with my wet patch, i don't want to be taking out good bedding or damp bedding, that could be moved to where she wets the most.


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## LovesCobs (15 October 2013)

quote: at least now i know what im looking for with my wet patch,

this made me giggle childishly


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## Joyous70 (15 October 2013)

Lovescobs said:



			quote: at least now i know what im looking for with my wet patch,

this made me giggle childishly  

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at least ive made some one smile today


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## 9tails (15 October 2013)

Agree with Lovescobs, though I rarely take any wet out.   The only time I find I need to take some out is if the horse has been in 24 hours, so last winter I took out a heck of a lot more than I'd ever done.  If the horse is out during the day, I swirl around the wet and it dries during the day.


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## Replay (16 October 2013)

I like Sundown - www.sundownproducts.co.uk - and as a bonus you get the smell of eucalytus!


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## susi (16 October 2013)

ive just changed from straw to bedmax. its soooo much easier to use. my gelding was actually terrified of it at first (he was a rescue and was badly abused before we had him)

he is really wet and then enjoys tipping his buckets over every night. its a great game 

i like bedmax but having 2 horses and 2 goats on it who r all filthy beggers :frown3: im looking for a cheaper option. i hate pellets in everyway shape and form im afraid. i even prefer straw to that!!

susi x


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## Maesfen (16 October 2013)

9tails said:



			Agree with Lovescobs, though I rarely take any wet out.   The only time I find I need to take some out is if the horse has been in 24 hours, so last winter I took out a heck of a lot more than I'd ever done.  If the horse is out during the day, I swirl around the wet and it dries during the day.
		
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Glad it wasn't just me that does this!



Replay said:



			I like Sundown - www.sundownproducts.co.uk - and as a bonus you get the smell of eucalytus!
		
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If I only had one or two, that's what I would use, I love it.


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## Queenbee (20 October 2013)

Straw is my new favourite bedding, the last two winters I've used wood pellets, then shavings for the summer.  I was toying with the idea of pellets again but some companies have been dodgy with delivery etc so I decided to stay on shavings, however I could only get hold of large flake which I'm not that hot on so five weeks ago I asked yo to order me in a large bale of straw.  Ben used to go through 1 bale of shavings or two bags of pellets a week so the cost was approximately £8 a week.    I've been using the same bale of straw for five weeks now and am not even half way through they are really compact bales, good straw and they cost £23 each which should last me about 8-10 weeks!!! Huge, huge saving compared to £64-£80 for the other two bedding types for the same amount of time!!!


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## spaceflower (20 October 2013)

My tb has been coming in for the past 2 weeks as the weather has been so grim, and I've got him on chopped oil seed rape straw and it's brilliant! 2 weeks and I've used 1.5 bales, which is included starting with a brand new bale! So easy to muck out, I take out the wet daily, which is just a small patch in the middle.

It's heavier than shavings so doesn't blow everywhere, but the flake is quite small so really really easy to sift.

Loving it!


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## starryeyed (20 October 2013)

My favourite bedding is cardboard, so comfortable & makes a lovely bed - completely dust free too. The only reason we stopped using it was because they upped the prices a lot and we had to go for an alternative.

Two of ours are on shavings (Bedmax), messy mare is on a megazorb base with big fluffy straw bed & banks which works out best for her as she cost us a fortune in bedding - the straw alone stank but with megazorb underneath it doesn't, which is great!


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## MaccLad81 (20 October 2013)

I bulk buy wood pellet horse bedding for our livery in 15kg bags on a pallet, as shavings were too smelly and not really cost effective.  After trying LWP I settled on Five Star Professional brand and now order 5 pallets a month from Eden Products www.edenhorsebedding.co.uk

Also, we used to have concrete floors, but now have rubber matting.  With concrete floors we needed an initial lay of about 10 bags for our 12 foot stable, followed by 3 to 4 bags when mucking out (the idea being that you only disturb the wet areas and leave the rest of the bedding in place).  However, we have now invested in rubber matting and only needed 7 bags for the initial lay with approximately 2 bags when mucking out - much cheaper, and quicker.


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## JennBags (20 October 2013)

Lickety-Split said:



			I am an avid supporter of Eco ComfyBed - it's one of the cheapest per kilo types of bedding on the market and it's easy to use and very economical, saves me bags of time each morning!
		
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This for me too ^^^^

I tried wood pellets & hated them, also found I was having to put about 5 bales a week in! With ComfyBed I put in a bale every 4 days or so, and it's quick.  This morning I mucked out a friends horse who is on shavings, her horse is much cleaner than mine but took me twice as long.


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## mynutmeg (20 October 2013)

I use auboise - small peices of hemp. My mare is clean but wet! At the moment I have her and Milo (her foally) in every night - they are drinking about 120 litres a night between them! I'm using about 1.5 - 2 bales a week of the auboise. If it's just Roo I used to use 3-4 bales of shavings a week and only use 1 a week of hemp. It's not cheap per bale (£10.30 near me) but because I only use one a week it's much cheaper than anything else. Smallish pieces so easy to muck out, makes a nice bed and is pretty much dust free.


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