Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
from manure-contaminated ground, he continually reinfects himself. Parasite larvae can do
great internal damage to a horse as they migrate through the tissues. De-worming horses
every 2 months decreases the number and viability of parasite eggs shed, but daily removal
and proper management of manure are the best ways to break the parasite life cycle.
Bedding
Bedding should be clean, dust-free, nontoxic, absorbent, not slippery when wet, soft
enough to encourage a horse to lie down without developing fetlock and hock sores, easy
for you to handle, available, economical, and something that a horse won't eat. Thinking
ahead of time about what type of bedding you will use will probably affect your choice of
stall flooring and vice versa. Availability greatly affects price. In the bedding chart, price
estimates are general. You may find wood shavings more economical in timber areas and
straw bedding less expensive in farming areas.
The bedding with the highest water-absorbing capacity is not necessarily the best bet.
Extremely absorbent bedding sops up too much urine, and the horse stands or lies in the
soggy mess, and bedding with very little absorbency allows too much moisture to pass
through to the flooring. In most cases the ideal bedding has an absorbency of between 2.0
and 3.0 and is free from dust, mold, and injurious substances.
Traditional bedding, in order of absorbency
Softwood products, such as pine sawdust, shavings, and chips, are commonly used for
bedding. They are absorbent and give the barn a fresh smell; however, wood bedding takes
longer to compost than straw.
Sawdust
made up of large particles is produced when logs
are sawed into lumber. Sawdust from smaller saws, such as those in cabinet shops, may be
too fine and dusty for bedding.
