Advertising promotion Bedmax Shavings: which bedding is right for you?


Which bedding is right for you?


Let’s start by changing the question here. What you really want to know is which bedding is right for your horse. Since we started making BEDMAX shavings in 2000 we’ve surveyed tens of thousands of owners in the UK, and virtually every single one of them has told us that when it comes to choosing the right equine bedding, their horses’ health and wellbeing is their absolute and overriding priority.


The problem is that keeping your horse healthy and happy in the stable isn’t easy. In our latest equine health survey, carried out in May this year, we asked nearly 1,000 owners if their horses had suffered any health problems during the preceding six winter months that had been serious enough to require veterinary treatment and/or box rest. Nearly 40% of these owners said yes.


These results exactly matched our own 2017 BEDMAX equine health survey and the Blue Cross survey last year. What our two surveys also confirmed is that over 80% of the owners who responded keep their horses in their stables for periods of 12 hours or longer out of every 24 hours during winter.


Beating the big stable health threats


The longer horses spend in the stable, the greater the threats to their health and wellbeing and


the biggest threats come from the stable environment itself. In our surveys, 50% of all the health problems reported were respiratory and hoof disease. The suffering that thousands of horses endure and the cost to owners of treatment and loss of use, can be prevented or mitigated by choosing the right bedding and managing it properly.


“Respiratory disease is by far the most widespread and serious equine health threat (as opposed to


injury) in the UK, and the biggest cause is likely to be dust in bedding...”


Respiratory disease is by far the most widespread and serious equine health threat (as opposed to injury) in the UK, and the biggest cause is likely to be dust in bedding. Leading veterinary experts suggest that this is even more widespread than our survey results tell us. In many horses, respiratory disease is ‘accumulative’, starting without visible symptoms and worsening over several years until the signs become obvious. That’s why it’s


so much more prevalent in older horses.


So the most important benefit all horse owners should be looking for in choosing a bedding to safeguard their horses’ health and wellbeing in the stable is that it is genuinely dust free.


Keeping the stable hygienic is the next big challenge, and the right bedding can play a big part in reducing bacterial infections that can attack your horses’ feet and legs.


Horses in stables for long periods need a resilient bedding that will give their hooves plenty of support, especially under the frog, and also support their weight comfortably when they lie down. Horses need an average of 60 minutes of REM sleep every 24 hours. They can achieve this in several shorter periods but they can only get this essential deep sleep lying down.


So the best bedding for your horse must be dust free, hygienic, dry on the surface at least, supportive and comfortable. It should protect your horse’s joints from damage


when lying down or rolling. It should help you keep the stable as clean as possible, and limit the presence of ammonia and the serious damage it can do to your horse’s lungs and hooves.


Choose value and save on cost


Keeping a horse is expensive, and keeping your horse on a purpose-made, dust free, hygienic bedding is not the cheapest option. But even if an owner risks their horse’s health and wellbeing by buying cheap bedding (including straw) the initial saving may well be far outweighed by the cost of treating a health problem caused by poor bedding. A vet’s visit and treatment for even a mild respiratory problem is likely to set you back hundreds of pounds.


But as we began by saying, nearly every responsible owner would be horrified to think that their choice of bedding was putting their horses’ health and wellbeing at risk.


That’s why we began researching how to make an ideal bedding back in 1998. In 2000 we began making a bedding that we still believe helps you address all the stable health threats more effectively than any other bedding on the market. We also wanted it to be as easy to use, long-lasting, natural and environmentally friendly as possible. But above all we make BEDMAX and LITTLEMAX for horses - and for owners who put their horses’ health and wellbeing first.


You can find out much more about beating the stable health risks with BEDMAX at: wwwbedmaxshavings.com


10 OCTOBER 2018 | For advertising telephone 01380 734373


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