Bedding is the material laid on the floor of a horse’s stable to provide comfort, warmth, traction, and hygiene. The choice of bedding affects the horse’s health directly — particularly respiratory health, hoof condition, and leg soundness — as well as the practical workload of stable management. There is no single “best” bedding; the right choice depends on the horse’s needs, the yard’s facilities, and the cost and availability of materials.
Common Bedding Types
Straw
Straw is the traditional bedding and remains popular for its availability, warmth, and the excellent quality of the resulting muck heap (straw compost is valued by farmers). Wheat straw is the most commonly used; barley and oat straw can cause respiratory irritation and tend to be eaten enthusiastically by horses, which is undesirable in animals on restricted diets. The main disadvantage of straw is its dust content — even good-quality straw contains fungal spores that can exacerbate or trigger equine asthma and recurrent airway obstruction.
Shavings
Wood shavings are probably the most widely used bedding in modern UK yards. They provide good drainage, minimal palatability (horses rarely eat them), and moderate dust levels when sourced from a reputable supplier. Dust-extracted shavings are specifically processed to reduce the respirable dust fraction and are the appropriate choice for horses with any history of respiratory problems. The muck heap from shavings takes longer to break down than straw, which can be a consideration for yards selling or removing muck commercially.
Rubber Matting
Many modern stables use interlocking rubber mats as the primary stable floor covering, with a thin layer of shavings or paper on top. Rubber matting reduces the quantity of bedding needed, provides excellent grip and cushioning, and is easy to disinfect. The initial cost is significant — a set of mats for a standard 12×12 ft stable typically costs £400–£700 — but ongoing bedding costs are substantially lower. Horses kept on minimal bedding over rubber need careful monitoring for hoof condition and leg wear.
Paper and Cardboard
Shredded paper and cardboard are low-dust options suitable for horses with severe respiratory conditions. Paper is highly absorbent, largely dust-free, and biodegradable, though it can become heavy when wet and needs careful management to prevent the bed becoming compacted. Some horses with skin sensitivities benefit from paper bedding, as it lacks the fungal spores present in organic materials.
Hemp and Miscanthus
Hemp fibre bedding and miscanthus (a grass crop) are increasingly popular alternatives. Hemp is highly absorbent and low in dust; miscanthus is also low-dust, breaks down well, and is grown as a British crop in the south and east of England. Both are considered more environmentally sustainable than imported shavings, though they tend to be more expensive per bag.
Managing a Stable Bed
A well-managed bed is banked firmly around the edges to prevent draughts and provide cushioning when the horse rolls or lies close to the wall. The centre of the bed should be clean and dry. Daily skipping out — removing droppings — is essential regardless of bedding type, both for hygiene and to reduce the ammonia buildup that damages respiratory tissue. A full muck-out is typically done once daily, though deep-litter systems (in which the top layer is maintained while a composting base develops beneath) are used in some management systems for specific horses.
Horses that are stabled in a livery yard setting rely on the yard’s bedding policy, which should be communicated clearly to all owners and reviewed if a horse develops respiratory or skin problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep should a stable bed be?
A bed should be deep enough that when you stamp in the centre, you don’t feel the concrete through the bedding — typically 15–20 cm in the centre and more at the banks. Insufficient depth means the horse lies on a hard surface, risks capped hocks and elbows, and has nowhere to urinate without standing in wet bedding.
Which bedding is best for horses with asthma or COPD?
Dust-extracted shavings, paper, cardboard, or hemp are the preferred options for horses with respiratory conditions. Straw should be avoided entirely. Even in a well-ventilated stable, a dusty bed releases respirable particles that irritate the airways. Horses with severe conditions may also benefit from soaked or haylage-based forage to further reduce dust exposure from feeding.
What should I do with stable muck?
Options include composting on a purpose-built muck heap, removal by a local muck contractor, collection by a mushroom farmer (straw muck is particularly valued), or spreading on land with the appropriate permissions. Muck heaps must be sited to comply with environmental regulations — they cannot be positioned where run-off could enter a watercourse. Check with your local authority or Natural England for guidance specific to your area.