Horses are wonderfully strong animals. However, many horse owners mistakenly assume they are so strong and sturdy that they are nearly invincible. Nothing could be further from the truth. They fact is a horse needs to be looked after quite lovingly and carefully. If not, it can develop serious and sometimes fatal health problems. When it comes to important equine supplies, very few are more necessary than the right type of bedding.

In most instances, your horse is kept in a stable, barn or trailer. The animal’s bedding affects the amount of rest and sleep it will get. How would you feel about sleeping on an inferior bed every night? There are a number of different types of horse bedding and each type has its own positives and negatives. Here is a quick rundown:

Straw bedding is hands down the most common type of bedding. The reason why it is so popular is because is cheap, easy to get, natural, warm and less clumsy in comparison to the other bedding types. One problem with straw is that it is very dusty and a pain to store if it gets wet.

The next type of bedding is the paper type made from shredded magazines, newspapers and other printed materials. It is a lot cleaner than straw bedding an easy choice for horses with allergy problems. The downside is paper bedding can sometimes be a little pricey since it requires a large amount of shredded paper to create a thick-layered bed. Plus it can be extremely messy once it gets wet as you imagine paper would.

Another popular bedding is wood shavings. They are easy to find and maintenance free. Just be careful that the shavings don’t have anything sharp in them like wood chips nails, or any other dangerous objects. Over time though, wood shavings leave a great deal of residual dust which can be harmful to the horses if inhaled.

I’ve seen more and more horse owners switch to hemp bedding. Here the inner stalks of hemp plants are bunched together, watered, softened, and then laid down. They create surprisingly soft and absorbent bedding. Hemp stalk bedding is absorbent, clean and durable. Plus, its removal and disposal is easier when compared to beddings like straw and paper. It can be somewhat expensive since the hemp stalks have to be processed before they can be used as bedding.

Rubber matting is by far the best option available. The bedding uses a thick rubber mat which is then layered with sawdust, wooden shavings, etc. It provides cushioning, is reasonably absorbent, and easy to clean.