Based on wood shavings in a typical 12ft by 12ft stable and a horse which is stabled at night only, you might expect to pay somewhere around £70-£80 per month depending on where you get your bedding and numerous other factors.
Although a popular question, it’s also a difficult one for us to answer. There are too many variables.
How much horse bedding should you use?
How much bedding you need for your horse depends on many things.
- How wet and messy your horse is. The messier they are the more you are going to want to change their bedding.
- Whether you deep litter your bedding.
- How much bed you like your horse to have. Everybody varies enormously here.
- What type of bedding you choose.
- Whether you have rubber matting under your bedding.
- How big your stable is.
- Whether your horse is in the stable all day, only at night, or only occasionally.
Horse owners generally have a favourite type of bedding, whether it be shavings, large flakes, sawdust, soft chip, straw or pellets. Each of these have their advantages and disadvantages and some horses will suit some bedding types more than others.
Tips for saving money on horse bedding
The best tip we can give you is to buy in bulk. You will always save money if you buy more.
A good way to buy in bulk is to get together with some friends and buy for all of you rather than just yourself. Buy a pallet load or two and save big time!
Installing rubber matting under your bedding means your horse needs less bedding on top and this can make your bedding last longer.
Save money on bedding by using a shavings fork to do your mucking out. The bedding slips through between the tines of the fork and you have less to replace.
Deep litter bedding, when done well, can also save on your bedding costs. Carefully muck out poo and cover wet patches with fresh bedding on a daily basis and only change the whole bed every now and then.