Brilliant Bedding Saving Tip

[cazrider]

I read this in Essex Rider, and have tried it since Sunday. It is fantastic. I have gone down from a two barrow muck out to a one barrow. It works best if your horse wees in the same place every night like Sennie.

What is this fantastic tip you may ask?

The answer, believe it or not, is newspaper. I just wish I'd thought of it years ago. What they suggested in Essex Rider, and so what I've been doing, is putting a thickish layer where he wees, and covering it with shavings as normal. What happens is he wees as normal, but instead of it spreading and being absorbed by the shavings, it goes straight through the shavings and is absorbed by the newspaper. So in the morning the top is dry. This makes a much nicer place for him to lie, which is a useful side benefit. Because the pee doesn't spread so far, it uses far less shavings.

We have a lot of newspaper anyway, but if I do run out, the recycling day on my road is Tuesday morning, so I may well be seen at the paper bins with a black bag.

It does work particularly well for Sennie, a very wet horse who always pees in the same place, so if anyone has a horse like that, I'd definitely, definitely recommend it.

 

[alanalovesfinn]

good idea! i use sawdust under the shavings but i might give this a go

 

[artemis]

I will give this a try too. I have two with cushings & they pee for England.
I have heard that cat litter works well too, but have never tried it.

 

[Kay2]

What a good idea....we have rubber mats with sawdust on top but I hate not giving them a nice bed on top and since we are on an economy drive this winter they only get a scattering of sawdust.

I will definitely try this cause I hate my wee guy lying in pee.

Thank you! (dashes off to dig out the old newspapers - wait til OH is looking for them to light the fire......oooppps!)

 

[wonkeywoody]

Doesnt the paper 'stick' to the floor? Or do you put down loads of sheets so the wee doesnt go right thro the paper?

 

[gunner5125]

do you mean shredded newspaper or sheets of?

 

[Kay2]

No idea if you meant shredded or sheets of newspaper but I have now mucked out and have put down a full newspaper, not just sheets, in all his pee spots! Will see how it works tonight......

 

[cazrider]

I mean newspaper, not shredded, sheets of it. I use probably two newspapers in a muck out, about 6 or 7 sheets deep. I also have mats, and it doesn't stick to it at all. In fact it's really easy to move and dig out. He defintely soaks it and it doesn't stick.

Like you Kay2, I hate it when he ends up in effect lying in wee. This really does help.

 

[kturner]

I have deep litter on rubber mats, but full bed, I pick droppings off daily and leave wet for weekends or 2 or 3 weeks, but it is always dry on top. (Wood chips, very absorbant).

The other three owners use only a few handfulls of bedding and I always feel sorry for them sleeping in wee everynight. But my way is expensive, so.....

I am going to take all wet out tomorrow and take up two newspapers and put less on top and see what happens. At the moment it is a foot deep, but I can pile some on the sides and put 6 " on top, would that be enough to keep him dry? Usually it is one to one 1/2 foot thick.

 

[Doeylicious]

I may be incorrect on this, but I am sure it is not recommended to put untreated newspapers in any animals bed, as the inks are harmful to them...this is certainly the case for hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits etc etc. The shredded paper you buy in bags has been washed and treated to make it safe.

If your horse is prone to the odd munch on his or her bedding I would be very reluctant to use this.

 

[igloo]

I may be incorrect on this, but I am sure it is not recommended to put untreated newspapers in any animals bed, as the inks are harmful to them...this is certainly the case for hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits etc etc. The shredded paper you buy in bags has been washed and treated to make it safe.

If your horse is prone to the odd munch on his or her bedding I would be very reluctant to use this.

Oh dear, all my hamsters/guine pigs and various other rodents were bedded on newspaper

 

[Soot]

I may be incorrect on this, but I am sure it is not recommended to put untreated newspapers in any animals bed, as the inks are harmful to them...this is certainly the case for hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits etc etc. The shredded paper you buy in bags has been washed and treated to make it safe.

If your horse is prone to the odd munch on his or her bedding I would be very reluctant to use this.

These days, all ink used in UK newspapers is eprfectly safe for animals (& to wrap fish & chips) .... This has been double checked many times by various rodent lvoers around the country!!

 

[montys helper]

i shread my own newspaper for my horses bed. i will try puttin sheets of it down first but he wees so much i dont think it will help much

 

[montys helper]

These days, all ink used in UK newspapers is eprfectly safe for animals (& to wrap fish & chips) .... This has been double checked many times by various rodent lvoers around the country!!

lol i remember when my chips were wrapped in old news papers

 

[Doeylicious]

Ah ok, just going by what my guinea pig care books said!

 

[Kay2]

An update....

When I went to do feeds this morning I did a quick check of Dylan's bed.....aka the guinea pig.....lol...sorry couldn't resist!

Anyhoo....he has discovered the papers overnight which obviously was very exciting since some of them are standing to attention in triangular little peaks....silly boy...HOWEVER.....although a couple of the papers look thoroughly saturated it appears (at quick glance!) that the sawdust just has poo mixed through it and not wet!

Will need to do a thorough check later after he goes out but normally he has a good wet patch about 2ft wide by 3-4ft long....will let ya know.....

 

[Doeylicious]

Hehe can just imagine him making little newspaper art leave him some scissors and maybe he could make paper horses, like paper dolls!

 

[keds mum]

Sounds a good idea, but how do you dispose of it?

 

[LisaLovesHorses]

That was exactly my question! Newspaper is banned from being put in our muck heap as the YO uses it on their land...

 

[carn77]

Well this evening i've place 2 newspapers down on the pee spots to see if this works...i have a deep bedding but if it safes the shavings sticking to the floor will be very happy lol lol...so sad i'm actually looking forward to mucking out 2mrw to see if its worked