Keeping Down the Cost of Bedding
Horse owners are facing a sharp rise in the cost of bedding for the second winter running due to widespread shortages of both straw and shavings.
That’s according to Becky Ball Managing Director of eazitools Equestrian, a manufacturer of innovative stable and field tools, which have been specially designed to minimise wastage and make caring for horses as easy as possible.
“The last two summers have been very dry, resulting in poor straw yields plus more farmers have now taken to ploughing straw back into their land to reduce the need for fertilisers, the price of which has also rocketed,” says Becky, adding: “On top of this the 2007 construction industry crash has resulted in a shortage of shavings and therefore steep price rises, which only looks likely to worsen until activity in the industry returns to the levels seen prior to the recession.”
A spokesperson for the British Hay & Straw Merchants Association said: “Straw prices are currently up to 20% higher than they were last year. One reason for this is that more straw is now being exported to Europe to cope with extra demand there. Last year’s cold winter also meant animals were kept inside for longer than normal and therefore used up more supplies.”
According to The British Horse Society a 12ft x 12ft stable requires approximately five bales of straw or eight bales of shavings to initially bed down, then three bales of straw a week or eight bales of shavings each week to top up.*
“Adequate, suitable bedding material is necessary in order to provide warmth for your horse, enable him to lie down in comfort, prevent injury and also to help reduce the risk of him becoming cast,” says Becky, adding: “We’re not suggesting that horse-owners reduce the amount of bedding they’re using as this could be detrimental to the health of their animals, but there are changes they can make and habits they put in place in order to keep their costs down this winter.
For example simply changing their mucking out technique, reviewing their tools or bulk buying bedding with other horse-owners on the same yard could make a big difference to their bills.”
Eazitool’s Tips for Keeping Down the Cost of Bedding:
1. Consider buying your straw by weight rather than per bale. It can often work out cheaper this way.
2. Clubbing together with other owners in your yard could help you take advantage of discount rates on bulk or wholesale orders.
3. Consider investing in rubber matting. The initial cost is high but the amount of bedding used from then on is reduced. Rubber matting can also help prevent stable injuries.
4. Review the tools you are currently using for mucking-out. Many tools now on the market have been specifically designed to sift debris and minimise wastage.
5. It sounds obvious, but try to use bedding as sparingly as possible. In terms of the amount of layering you need, consider the hardness of the floor surface and the time of year; as a general rule if the stable seems cold it’s best to add more bedding; if warmer you may be able to get away with less than you are currently using. Remember however that horses should avoid standing on bare concrete floors for long periods of time and, as such, the whole stable floor should always be covered.
6. Review your current mucking out habits. Rather than doing a full muck out of your stable daily consider ‘deep littering’ instead where any droppings and obvious wet bedding are removed and shavings or straw sprinkled on top of bedding every few days. Not only does this save time and money but it also provides a warm, compact bed for your horse. Remember however that mucking-out is an essential job and it can have serious ramifications for your horse’s health if they are left on a wet, dirty bed.
7. Check your storage facilities. Keep bedding as dry as possible and ideally indoors to reduce any waste.
8. Site water buckets or troughs at the front of the stable to prevent leaks.
9. Make sure you are providing good quality hay in plentiful supply for your horse in order to prevent him eating straw.
10. Consider keeping your horse outdoors for longer periods. This could save on both feed and bedding and many horses enjoy being turned out and will develop a thicker coat accordingly. However, there will always be times when your horse will need a stable, i.e. in severe weather or if he is ill.
