[dmalbone]

Ok, who's used it? This is all totally new to me, but taking away my COPD horse's hay isn't doing the trick so I thought I would consider the bedding. Do you literally shred your own or do you buy a prepackaged one? I saw this site http://papershavings.com/ and was intrigued. Does anyone know anything about this specific one? Are there any other brands like this?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

We tried it for a few weeks. One of the boarders works at a large facility that shreds and bags office paper. We started by adding it to regular shavings.

It isn't terribly absorbent and it blew everywhere when just the slightest breeze would enter the barn (like when someone would open the door). It would also break down and get all over the horses tails, etc.

We didn't like it and gave it the boot.

[cagey22]

We used it years ago, for the same reasons. But it wasn't fun at all to use paper bedding.

Like TrotTrotPumpkin says, it blows everywhere and makes a huge mess all over the yard. But what I remember most clearly, was that it was quite absorbant, and would be really heavy to muck out as the moisture would spread. This meant we used more of it too.

We used bagged paper shavings, which was basically shredded newspaper.

Not a fan, it didn't last too long for us either and we resorted to a much more open and airy stall, for the mare.

[dmalbone]

We used bagged paper shavings, which was basically shredded newspaper.

Were these the prepackaged "shavings" or the longer shredded pieces or actually shredded by someone? Blowing around is a big concern of mine and I'm sure it would do it with either, but I'm just trying to figure out who uses what. He'll have a dutch door that will be open to outside (under an overhang with a step over/board/shaving stopper thing) but with how light they are I'm not thinking that will help much.

[LauraKY]

Have you thought about something like ComfortStall, then you just have to use enough bedding to absorb the urine. I'm thinking less is better in this case.

We tried the HuntClub bedding which is shredded cardboard. It was a big, mucky mess and blew all over. I was given a pallet load to try, used 3 bags and gave the rest away.

It smelled awful when wet, even in the winter!

Never again.

[dmalbone]

We tried the HuntClub bedding which is shredded cardboard. It was a big, mucky mess and blew all over. I was given a pallet load to try, used 3 bags and gave the rest away.

It smelled awful when wet, even in the winter!

Never again.

Isn't shredded cardboard different than shredded paper? No?

[Gloria]

We use it from time to time. Have not decided whether we like it or not. Like others say, it blow everywhere. It is also not absorbent, unless you do deep bedding and allow the urine to sit there for awhile for the paper to absorb it. It also compacts hard and lose its cushioning fairly fast.

The upside is though, it is not as dusty as shaving and some pellete so we use it when we cannot get the pelleted bedding we like. And one bag creates tons of volume.

Oh shredded cardboard is different from the one you posts. We used cardboard one, HORRIBLE. will never use it again.

[cagey22]

Were these the prepackaged "shavings" or the longer shredded pieces or actually shredded by someone?.

They were the prepackaged long pieces, not small like shavings.

I suspect that the shavings stopper thing won't completely eradicate the problem of them flying all over. But it was usually on the way to the muck heap, that the paper would find a way to fly off the wheelbarrow. And then it flies off the muck heap too. This was one horse being bedded in newspaper, out of 10 - the rest using straw and shavings.

We ended up cutting a hole in the back of the stable, so the mare had dutch doors on 2 opposite sides of the stable. This meant a lot more air flow, and the back could be left open to allow her in and out of the paddock too. But at least when she did have to stay in, their was great cross ventilation.

[merrygoround]

I just looove the way it sticks to the bottom of your boots and trails around after you.

You may find pellets will work for you rather than shavings.

[dmalbone]

I just looove the way it sticks to the bottom of your boots and trails around after you.

You may find pellets will work for you rather than shavings.

I'm open to trying the pellets, but the dust is what seems to bother him the most.

[Gloria]

I'm open to trying the pellets, but the dust is what seems to bother him the most.

You might want to try pellets at the bottom and paper bedding on the top. That cuts down quite a bit of dust. Or you can try what we are doing now... pelletes at the bottom and straw on top. Straw is even cleaner than paper bedding.

[jetsmom]

We tried it and hated it. As people have said, it isn't very absorbent and blows everywhere. Doesn't seem very "Cushy". Horses seemed to not lay down as much.

[dmalbone]

You might want to try pellets at the bottom and paper bedding on the top. That cuts down quite a bit of dust. Or you can try what we are doing now... pelletes at the bottom and straw on top. Straw is even cleaner than paper bedding.

Straw is actually not a great bedding for copd horses. Who knows... I guess trying the paper shavings once won't hurt. I guess I was just falling for their claims that the paper shavings are "2 times more absorbent than straw and 4 times more than shavings" or something like that. Who knows. I'm just so tired of this darn copd.

[dmalbone]

We tried it and hated it. As people have said, it isn't very absorbent and blows everywhere. Doesn't seem very "Cushy". Horses seemed to not lay down as much.

Is it not cushy because it packs? Just trying to understand it! It must just be deceiving because it looks so comfy I could fall asleep in it!
http://papershavings.com/new_resurce...0110004008.jpg

http://papershavings.com/new_resurce...0110004012.jpg

[Gloria]

Straw is actually not a great bedding for copd horses. Who knows... I guess trying the paper shavings once won't hurt. I guess I was just falling for their claims that the paper shavings are "2 times more absorbent than straw and 4 times more than shavings" or something like that. Who knows. I'm just so tired of this darn copd.

Oh darn straw is out then.. Paper shaving is more absorbant than straw and the big flaks wood shaving, but is not anywhere close to saw dust. and yes it pack super fast so when you initially lay it down, you have a nice fluffy bed which quickly packs and become hard. That is why when we cannot get straw, we use saw dust at the bottom to absorb urine and provide cushion and paper shaving at the top to cut down dust. Some pellete bedding (not all) remain its cushioning effect so when the paper gets packed hard, there is still some cushiong provided by the saw dust below.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

We tried office paper.

It wasn't soft at all. Even though it was fluffy looking it just compressed all the way to the hard mat. But like I said, the biggest reason we got rid of it was the mess it made.

Good luck!!

[Nes]

Why don't you look into peat moss bedding?

It does have several detractors (very heavy when wet) but it won't blow around and will break down much faster then the paper.

You'd want to use it in a deep-bed system, but you'll have every gardener in your area clambering to take it away for you .

[dmalbone]

Ok, so I have a stupid question. As far as the paper shavings packing... so it packs completely overnight? Maybe it's the way we've bedded, but I usually completely rake the bedding we use whether it's sawdust or shavings completely to the mats every time I clean. I guess I'm having a hard time imagining it packing so hard overnight and not fluffing up next time you clean it. Not arguing... I guess I just don't understand it! Even it you rake it does it not fluff back up? Or does it just get to hard overnight?

[Gloria]

Yes. It packs overnight where the horse has slept on or where he has walked/stood on. And yes, you can fluff it up when you clean the next day but it will pack again... as soon as your horse lay down to sleep... Good saw dust/wood shaving/straw remain its resilience and cushion even after the horse has slept on it.

[merrygoround]

Using a layer of pellets covered by a layer of either straw or shredded paper is guaranteed to get you a single layer of a mess.

Pellets can be lightly sprinkled to keep down dust, but aren't usually too dusty, unless you have a horse who never dampens his stall. If so, send him to me