SHELLS AND SHIVES

PROS: economical where available CONS: not absorbent; can be hard to find

Even experienced horsekeepers may be unfamiliar with these more unusual, but perfectly acceptable, bedding materials. For instance, hulls, shells or “husks” from nuts and grains can make for a suitable horse bedding, assuming you can find them in a large enough quantity.

“Peanut hulls are used as bedding in some southern regions and seem to work,” says Nielsen. “Rice hulls are an option in some areas.

Rice hulls tend to stay dry because the moisture goes down through; they don’t absorb much. Availability is the biggest factor with these materials.” Ground hulls are often used as feed for other livestock, so looking for such a supplier would be a good place to start your search if you wanted to try them.

Also in the “other” category is flax. Popular in Canada and Europe, flax beddings have a limited but growing following in this country. Flax is a food and fiber crop grown primarily in cooler parts of the world. A byproduct of flax fiber processing is the “shive,” the woody core of the stalk. It has several industrial uses, including loose fill insulation and absorbency products. As a horse bedding, Coleman says, “people seem to like it because it is fairly absorbent and a small amount does a good job. It can be purchased in bags and is easy to transport.” Availability can be an issue, however, and some horse owners report it can be a bit slippery when first laid down.

Astabled horse spends the better part of his day in direct contact with his bedding. It’s worth the time, then, to periodically reassess what you’re using. Chances are your bedding it still suitable, but you’ll never know for sure until you take the time to consider other options.