Having a stable available to you whether your horse lives out or not can prove to be extremely worthwhile, especially during the dark nights associated with the winter months. It may also be of use should your horse be injured and therefore required to take a period of box rest.

Some livery yards may offer staff care during the week, with the horse owner responsible for the care of the horse at weekends, other livery yards may offer staff care in the mornings with the horse owner responsible for care of the horse in the evenings. Some livery yards may include some exercising of the horse within their part livery service. This type of livery is ideal for those horse owners whose work schedule makes it difficult for them to attend to their horse twice a day, 7 days a week. The cost may be between £40 – £90 per week, varying with duties or items that may or may not be included.

Ask what cutting the hay is. Second and third cuttings have more protein and are usually more expensive. Horses only need hay that has about 10-12% protein but second and third cuttings can be 18-24% protein. That’s a lot more protein then you need so don’t get suckered into paying more for a second or third cutting. First cuttings are usually just fine for horses.

If you are buying baled hay always inspect the middle of the bales, not just the ends, for bugs or beetles. If you see any beetles or insects in the hay don’t buy it.

The hay should be dry. If the hay is baled, check in the middle to make sure it’s dry all the way through. If the hay isn’t dry then it could get moldy fast.

Check for mold. If hay is left out in the rain or if there is heavy dew then the hay can get wet and it can start to mold. If any of the hay looks moldy or if you sneeze and wheeze when you are around it, send the hay back. Moldy hay can cause serious health problems for you and your horse.

Check the weed content. If you see a lot of weeds then do not buy the hay. Some weeds can be poisonous to horses. There should never be weeds in any type of hay.

The hay should be green and healthy looking. If the hay is dusty or looks old and faded then don’t buy it. Dust can cause respiratory problems for you and your horse and old hay has little nutritional value.

When you bring home a new horse and you are buying hay for the first time, it’s a good idea to ask other horse owners in the area where they buy hay. If other horse owners trust a local farm to deliver high quality hay then you can be pretty sure that the hay from that farm will be good quality. Don’t be afraid to ask other horse owners for recommendations when it comes to things like finding a hay supplier, a grain store, a vet, or a farrier.

Bedding materials today are excellent for maintaining such conditions. Traditional straw bedding is still available and popular, and provided it is clean and dust free, makes an excellent bed. The disadvantage of straw is the amount of waste that is generated with its use, which in turn may result in more work for you and increase in cost to dispose.

Many horse owners have turned to sawdust and wood shavings to help eliminate horse health concerns of dust and spores often present in straw and for better absorbency and reduced waste. Though saw dust does improve upon absorbency, it does not eliminate the dust problem entirely. Wood shavings on the other hand cut down further on dust, but do not absorb as much moisture and are slow to decompose in the compost pile.

Good Characteristics of Horse Bedding:

A horse bedding with a high level of absorbency allows liquid waste to be contained in small areas so less bedding becomes dirty. The smaller amounts of contaminated bedding is quicker to clean and makes the bedding less expensive by reducing the amount of bedding required, and saves on the time and effort required for mucking out.

Rubber matting is a fairly new innovation providing a warmer, softer and more comfortable stable floor for your horse than concrete, brick, dirt, or wood flooring. Rubber matting also greatly reduces the amount of bedding required. A downside is horses don’t like to lie down on bare mats. They prefer the comfort of a bedded area. So even though mats cut down on the amount of bedding needed, be kind to your horse and provide him with enough soft bedding to make him feel comfortable enough to lie down.

The most important factor to consider when choosing bedding is the health of your horse. Damp or wet bedding softens the horse’s hooves and provides a bacterial breeding ground. Bedding that does not absorb well also allows more ammonia to be released and can irritate your horse’s respiratory system, not to mention yours. Dusty or moldy bedding can also be a respiratory irritant. As a horse owner, the reality is you also have to factor in the cost and maintenance required to keep your horse’s bedding in good condition. Good mucking methods will help to reduce waste and though some bedding products are seemingly more expensive at first, are often cheaper in the long run since it results in less waste.

What are Some of the Horse Bedding Choices?

Straw. Common bedding used by many; however, it is not quite as common as it once was with many horse owners turning to processed wood shavings. Straw is not as absorbent as other commercially available bedding, but is often relatively inexpensive and decomposes quickly in your compost. Straw provides a nice soft bed for your horse.

Sawdust and Wood Shavings. Sawdust is high absorbing, but if your horse is prone to respiratory problems it should not be used. A better alternative is wood shavings. Wood shavings are easy to muck out and can be found easily at lumberyards, feed stores, and bedding suppliers. Processed wood shavings are preferred over shavings found at lumberyards. The shavings at lumberyards may have harmful debris or toxic wood chips and dust. Processed wood shavings are more expensive, but are clean and dust free and do not contain any toxics that may be harmful to your horse. Sawdust and wood shavings do not decompose well in your compost pile.

Shredded Paper and Cardboard. Very inexpensive as well as absorbent. It provides comfort for your horse; however, it compresses easily and requires a large amount to create a bed and to keep the bed maintained. Paper and cardboard bedding keeps your horse cleaner than other bedding products and does provide warmth. Disposing the bedding can be problematic and the most effective method is to burn it. Some horse owners use straw or wood shavings to supplement the paper and cardboard.

Rubber Matting. Many advantages such as being completely dust free, drains well and is warm. The initial cost to put in rubber matting can be high, but the recurring costs to maintain bedding can be very low. It is very safe for your horse. Many horse owners add a little bedding, such as straw, to make a bed comfortable enough for you horse to lie in or if the drainage under the matting is not adequate.

No matter your bedding of choice, it needs to be cleaned at least once-a-day to keep it safe and dry for your horse. You don’t want to promote a bacteria breeding ground or to allow soiled bedding to cause your horse health problems. Horse bedding that is consistently looked after does not take long to maintain each day.