Alternative Bedding Options
Look at alternative beddings options to help further with reducing bedding use on your horse place. Research shows that alternative beddings such as wood pellets, peat moss, or shredded newspaper are more absorbent and contain less dust, mold, or foreign objects than traditional shavings. These beddings also compost better, faster, and more completely, so if you plan to compost, you'll wind up with a nicer finished product. Reducing bedding also lessens our impact on the environment by cutting down on the amount of wood (or other) products consumed.
Look for readily available sources for alternative bedding that are cost-effective, absorbent, and compost well. Be very careful to choose a product that is healthy for your horses-you may need to consult your veterinarian if it is a non-traditional product. There are many interesting products on the market, including shredded newspaper (which has been proven to be an excellent bedding), shredded cardboard, shredded phone books, rice hulls, and wheat byproducts.
An additional benefit to some alternative beddings may be in space savings. Pelleted beddings generally come bagged, but you can also purchase them in bulk. With the addition of a waterproof tarp or cover, you may be able to store them outside in a very small area. Horse health benefits with some of these beddings may include that they are very low in dust, which may be a concern if either you or your horse have respiratory issues.
So the advantage to you as a horse owner is big; reducing bedding means less stall waste by volume, less hassle for dealing with the stall waste, less cost for you on bedding, less storage area needed for bedding, less time spent on stall cleaning chores, and improved horse health.
