As a result of Dustry’s spore allergy he is stabled on cardboard bedding. I have experimented with paper bedding in the past but when it gets wet it is very heavy and when it is dry it’s very light and fly-away and escapes from the stable on a regular basis and blows around the yard – Ggggrrrr!.
I discovered that a company near to me manufactured cardboard bedding so I ordered a pallet to give it a go. The Green Bedding Company sell shredded cardboard bedding, which is virtually dust free. The bedding comes in bags which are a similar size to a bag of Alfa-A and in a regular 12×12 stable you need about 4-5 bags to set up a bed. Shredded cardboard is better than chopped cardboard (in squares) because it behaves similar to straw. The longer strands can be forked up into banks and it knits together to make a stable bed that won’t slide around the box.
The spore and dust free nature of the bedding is why I initially chose it but it is also very warm and absorbent. Dustry is a very predictable horse to muck out and typically does all his droppings in one place and lays at the back of the box facing the right hand side most nights. Thanks to the bedding and his neatness it is very quick and easy to muck out.
Best of all it’s a recycled product so every time I empty a new bag into his box I can feel a little smug about helping the environment. If you are thinking about changing to a healthier more environmentally friendly bedding with less spores and dust then I would definitely recommend giving cardboard a go.
