How to Choose Wood Shavings for Your Horse

Wood shavings are a byproduct of wood work.

Wood shavings are a popular choice of stall bedding for horses. Wood shavings are highly absorbent, typically have a pleasant odor and are normally relatively inexpensive if purchased in bulk. The type of shavings that are best for your particular horses may be determined by several aspects of your horses' personalities and natural tendencies.

Instructions

1. Determine whether any of the horses in your barn that will be using the bedding have any type of breathing or respiratory problems. These will typically be the horses that cough or wheeze a lot in dusty or dry conditions. The best way to diagnose this is to have your veterinarian thoroughly evaluate the horse.

2. Determine if any of the horses in the barn have any kind of skin conditions. Skin allergies and conditions can be aggravated by chemicals and toxins on the shavings. Be especially aware of any horses that have a habit of eating their bedding, because you will need to be especially careful what you use in their stalls.

3. Calculate how many bags or loads of shavings you will need to use each week. Most standard sized horse stalls will take four or five wheel-barrow sized loads of shavings to fill them and require an additional load or two during each week to replace the shavings the horses use.

   Note: shaving use will vary by how much time your horse stays in the stall. The less the horse is in the stall, the fewer shavings it will use.

4. Buy shavings in bulk if you do not have any horses with allergies or skin issues, you will probably not have any issues with using a loose, low-quality wood shaving as bedding. If you have a local sawmill, chances are you will be able to purchase truckloads of loose shavings at a low cost.

   Buying in bulk works best for larger barns with a significant number of horses and stalls. Remember, you will need to have a barn or shed to store the shavings in.

5. Buy specially designed, bagged horse shavings. If your horse has allergies, skin problems or a tendency to eat the shavings, you do not want to risk aggravating any conditions or causing health problems. Bagged shavings are significantly more expensive than buying shavings in bulk, but they can be guaranteed free of dust and toxins because they were specifically made with horse use in mind.

Tips & Warnings

• Shaving quality will vary by source and brand. Always read the packaging or speak with the supplier if you have specific questions or concerns.

References

• Equi-Therapy: Choosing the Right Bedding for your Horse or Pony
• Front Range Frenzy: Horse Bedding