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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Farm/Facility Management > Bedding


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Controlling Ammonia in Horse Stalls  *
One of the irritating compounds that can accumulate inside a horse barn is ammonia (NH3). High concentrations of ammonia in the air can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth and possibly increase the susceptibility of animals to respiratory infections. In animal buildings aerial ammonia arises from urine and feces, so ammonia concentrations ... Read full story
 10/17/2009
Stall Cleaning Impacts Stable Air Quality in New Study   *
A change in your approach to horse stall cleaning might result in improved air quality in the stable, report researchers from Georg-August University of Göttingen, in Germany. Researchers measured the air quality in the stable with different bedding types (wheat straw, wood shavings, and straw pellets) and mucking out regimens. The experiments were ... Read full story
 9/8/2009
AAEP 2008: Horse Environment Interaction   *
There's a lot floating around in the air in a horse's environment, and it probably isn't surprising that it can have a negative effect on his health. At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif., Melissa Millerick-May, MS, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental ... Read full story
 3/9/2009
Shortage of Wood Bedding Ongoing, Could Intensify   *
The housing market downturn is affecting more than just developers and realtors. Some horse owners have a new challenge in locating adequate, affordable bedding for their animals. Jeannie Queen of Clear Vision Equine, based in Williamstown, Mass., recently had a surprise when she went on what she thought would be a quick trip to pick up 15 bags ... Read full story
 1/9/2009
Technology Allows Large-Scale Recycling of Horse Bedding Waste  *
Most horse owners wish they could wave a magic wand and get rid of the "manure mountain" on their property. A couple of Canadian entrepreneurs have developed technology that might erase mounds of used bedding, as well as generate a little green. "Our machinery takes the shavings, manure, and urine generated from horse bedding and superheats it ... Read full story
 7/23/2008
Horse Sense Leads to New Recycling Initiative  *
Southeastern Michigan is the state's most populous region--for humans and for horses. According to a recent survey, Oakland has more horses than any other county--it is home to 6,900 of the state’s 155,000 equines. As more people and more horses share an increasingly crowded landscape, it's not surprising that conflicts arise related to odor and ... Read full story
 6/14/2008
Soiled Bedding Serves as a Vehicle for Drug Contamination   *
Cleanliness in the stall can equal cleanliness on the drug tests, especially when it comes to sport horses receiving therapeutic medications, according to results from a new project under development by French researchers. Presented at the 34th Annual Equine Research Day in Paris Feb. 28, the study complements previous research showing that treated ... Read full story
 3/8/2008
Cost of Wood Shavings Increasing as Housing Market Falls  *
A downturn in the housing industry is being blamed for a shortage of equine shavings that has resulted in sharp price increases and changes in the methods some owners use to manage their horses. "The cost of shavings has increased by 70% in the past two years," noted halter horse trainer Ted Turner of Turner Ranch in Aubrey, Texas. He said he has ... Read full story
 1/6/2008
Bedding Choices  *
Investigate which bedding choice is safe, healthful, and cost-effective for your operation. Stalls have traditionally been bedded with materials that provide cushion and absorbency. Good bedding creates a layer of insulation between the horse and a cold floor, pads the hard surface, prevents bruised knees, elbows, hocks, and hips, and keeps ... Read full story
 12/1/2007
Stall Stuff  *
The care of horse stalls is an inherently messy part of horse management. There are a variety of opinions on how to cope with this daily chore. Let's face it: urine and manure reek. Additionally, an excess of these two elements creates unsafe and unhealthful conditions for the animals in our care. Therefore the issue deserves attention. Let's dig a ... Read full story
 5/1/2007
Shredded Court Documents Give Horse Allergy Relief  *
An allergy to hay and straw dust can be a tough sentence for a horse. But a black-and-white U.K. lesson horse with the problem is breathing more easily after a local community justice center and two magistrates' courts began donating shredded scrap paper for use as his bedding. COURTESY DEPARTMENT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS Police Community ... Read full story
 8/16/2006
Bedding Shopping   *
There was a time when bedding for horse stalls received little attention or discussion, especially in the agricultural Midwest. When horses provided the power for planting and harvesting crops, almost every farm had a field of oats. The oat kernels provided nourishment for the horses and the straw provided bedding. It isn't that simple any more as ... Read full story
 2/1/2006
Book Excerpt: Housing, Bedding, and Pasture  *
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine by Bradford G. Bentz, VMD. This book is available from www.ExclusivelyEquine.com. Stabling, pasturing, bedding, and other aspects of a horse’s living environment have major implications on the potential for health problems. With the domestication of horses, we have imposed ... Read full story
 9/21/2005
Alternative Horse Bedding   *
Research has shown that Kenaf, a fairly new plant to North America that is a relative of cotton and okra, could be a viable product for horse bedding. Michael Yoder, MS, extension associate in the department of animal science at North Carolina State University, compared Kenaf to traditional bedding at the Equine Science Society Symposium held May 31-June ... Read full story
 8/1/2005
Bedding Benefits and Risks   *
Most horse owners take great pride in providing their horses with clean, nice-looking stalls; some of us might even throw in that extra bit of bedding for added comfort. But could we be unknowingly harming our horses more than helping them? Let's examine some facts on the various types of common bedding and how they can affect our horses' health. Armed ... Read full story
 10/1/2002
Housing Your Horse  *
In the back of your mind somewhere there lurks a Dream Barn. Go on, admit it. You've planned it down to the last luxurious detail--from the Olympic-sized riding arena (with the climate-impervious perfect footing) right down to the automatic fly spray misting system and the heated automatic waterers that never freeze up, overflow, or get jammed. There ... Read full story
 10/5/2001
From The Ground Up: Stall Flooring and Mats  *
Your horse is on his feet most of the day and night. He prefers to feel dry, with his feet at room temperature. He wants to stand on a surface that's resilient and doesn't smell bad. Listen to your horse, and you will want to promote his health from the ground up. Confining the animal in a stall 23 hours a day puts him in constant contact with the ... Read full story
 10/4/2001
Breeding Facilities  *
Any way you look at it, building a barn is a major undertaking. Doing it right the first time, to avoid headaches later, is the smart approach. In addition to the usual considerations of location, aesthetics, cost, and convenience, if you’re building a facility to house breeding stock (broodmares, foals, yearlings, and/or stallions), there are other ... Read full story
 10/3/2001
Hemp A Hit In Ontario  *
Proponents say that hemp can be used for everything from making clothing, to rope, to paper…even automotive parts. Now, a Delaware, Ontario-based company called Hempline Inc. has added bedding for horses to that extensive list. They claim their HempChips bedding, manufactured from the core of the hemp stalk, has excellent absorbency (superior to both ... Read full story
 10/2/2001
Secrets Of Rubber Mats  *
Where would we be without rubber? Make all the jokes you want; rubber's indispensable stuff, especially in the barn. The tire on your wheelbarrow, the handle grip on your longe whip, your two-year-old's first snaffle bit, that flexible curry comb, the feed tubs and buckets in your stalls--chances are, they're made of rubber. But one of the most popular ... Read full story
 9/13/2001
Come On Down: Stall Flooring  *
Manufacturers Of Permeable Stall Floorings It's 20 degrees even in the barn, and there you are mucking stalls again. Or rather, you're excavating stalls -- your slob of a gelding has managed to create a stinking, sodden crater in the center of his stall floor. As you wipe the sweat from your brow and haul the fourth disgusting wheelbarrow of urine-soaked ... Read full story
 9/12/2001
Which Bedding is Best?  *
Every horseperson has his or her preference when it comes to stall bedding. Some like the smell of sweet cedar shavings, some the traditional look of a deep straw bed, others the absorbency and softness of peat moss. But which bedding really is best for your horse? In a simple study conducted at the Equine Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, five ... Read full story
 1/1/2001
Beware The Bacteria: Salmonella  *
We tend to hear about Salmonella, a bacteria, in relation to lectures on kitchen hygiene; it's one of the main reasons why we're warned to wash our hands vigorously after handling raw chicken. But you might recall being forbidden to have a pet turtle as a kid because of the risk of it carrying Salmonella. Truth is, not only might that turtle or chicken ... Read full story
 11/1/2000
Better Breathing  *
When you walk down the center aisle of your barn, does the ceiling drip condensation on your head? Does the smell of ammonia make your nostrils twitch and your eyes water--even when the stalls are freshly cleaned? Worst of all, was that a hollow, chronic cough you heard? From more than one of your barn's equine residents? All of these are signs that ... Read full story
 1/1/2000
Thrush Prevention  *
Thrush is a very common word for those of us who have been spent any amount of time around horses. It is one of the more common diseases of the equine hoof. But does everyone know what thrush is? How do you prevent it, or how do you treat it once it has set up shop within your horse's hooves? Michael A. Ball, DVM Thrush is characterized ... Read full story
 11/1/1997
Bedding for Horses  *
Like humans, horses prefer to dwell in comfort. When at rest, the horse seeks a soothing environment--protected from the elements and predators, easy on his feet, and soft against his body. The domesticated horse must live in the enclosure that you provide. If you choose to house your horse in a building, you face the challenge of furnishing him with ... Read full story
 10/1/1996




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