Equine Health & Bedding Survey
2025The primary purpose of our latest survey, carried out in December 2024, is to check the extent and nature of equine health issues experienced by UK owners, and to compare the results with our previous similar surveys.
The latest Bedmax Equine Health Survey, carried out in December 2024, has once again given a stark reminder of the biggest health threats horses face in their stables, and for the first time confirms that the biggest problem for horses also affects 1 in 3 owners.
Response to the survey has been remarkable, with answers from 895 owners responsible for the care of more than 2,600 horses.
The top three key factors that owners look for in good bedding continue to be low dust, absorbency and hygiene. Respondents valued dependable supply and ease of use highly, as before, but cost came surprisingly low on the list given the current economic climate.
This year’s survey confirmed that 42% of responding owners preferred high-quality, purpose-made larger shavings. The second choice was straw, though its popularity dropped from last year to just 13%. However, straw pellets rose in preference, becoming the third most popular choice at 12%.
Bedmax founder and MD, Tim Smalley, sees these latest survey results as confirmation that owners are still putting their horses’ health first and foremost:
“Respiratory disease has always been the biggest health problem cited in every survey we have undertaken since we began making Bedmax in 2000. It’s reassuring to see that owners are looking for the lowest levels of dust in bedding to protect their horse’s respiratory health – and their own – and providing a bedding with minimum breathable dust continues to be our top priority.”
The 2025 Survey Results
Respondents
Horses Owned or Cared For
The key focus of our survey is to check the extent and nature of health issues, as opposed to injuries, horses are experiencing. We ask how long health problems are keeping horses off work, and whether owners are also experiencing respiratory problems in their stables.
The survey gives a clear picture of the type of beddings our respondents prefer, and the most
important factors in their choice of bedding. This year for the first time we asked owners if they had changed their choice of bedding last year, and if so why. And we asked owners how they prefer to buy their bedding: online or from their local suppliers.
Key Findings
- Over 50% of respondents experienced equine health problems
- Of those, 28% cited equine respiratory disease as the no.1 problem
- 33% of respondents reported human respiratory problems
- Absorbency was the no.1 buying factor, just ahead of low dust
- 35% of 553 respondents changed their bedding to save costs
- 66% of respondents prefer to support their local retailers
Response figures have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole number
Stabling
Where do you keep your horses?
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| Home | 46% | 49% | 45% |
| Livery | 54% | 51% | 55% |
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| Less than 12 | 25% | 24% | 20% |
| 12-18 | 58% | 57% | 63% |
| More than 18 | 8% | 9% | 8% |
| Less than 12 | 74% |
| 12-18 | 12% |
| More than 18 | 2% |
NOTE: As in all our previous surveys, horses inevitably spend considerably longer in their stables during the autumn and winter than they do in spring and summer. The % of horses spending more than 12 hours out of every 24 in their stables is consistent with past surveys, as is the 8% that are stabled for more than 18 hours.
Equine Health
Do you own or care for a horse that has suffered a health problem that prevented riding or needed treatment?
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| Yes | 52% | 46% | 45% |
| No | 48% | 54% | 55% |
What were those health problems? (482)
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| Respiratory problems or disease | 28% | 33% | 30% |
| Arthritis | 22% | 20% | 20% |
| Mud Fever | 18% | 8% | 13% |
| Hoof disease/infection | 15% | 17% | 11% |
| Laminitis | 13% | 17% | 21% |
| Skin allergy | (5) | 12% | 10% |
| Virus | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Other ill health answers: 36%
| 14 Ulcers | 6 Dental |
| 12 Colic | 6 Cushings |
| 8 Lameness | 5 Sarcoids |
| 8 Allergic Reaction | 5 EMS |
| 9 Abscess | 13 Ligament / Tendon Injury |
For the first time in 20 years, more owners/carers report health problems than not. Respiratory problems or disease remain the single most common equine health problem in every survey we have undertaken. This year for the first time, Arthritis has replaced hoof disease/infection as the second most common problem. But stabled horses with any of the 7 most widespread conditions benefit significantly from the use of high quality, low dust, purpose-made hygienic bedding.
How long did the health problem keep your horse off work / on box rest? (399)
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| 1-4 weeks | 58% | 64% | 42% |
| 1-2 months | 19% | 18% | 26% |
| 2-3 months | 9% | 6% | 15% |
| More than 3 months | 13% | 13% | 18% |
NEW: Human Health
| Yes | 33% |
| No | 67% |
While health problems keep the majority of horses off work or under treatment for less than 1 month, 113 horses were affected for up to 3 months, and 51 more were off for longer. For the first time we asked owners if they themselves had respiratory problems that made it difficult or impossible to work with dusty bedding. A very significant 1 in 3 reported that a low dust bedding was as critical to their own health as to their horses’.
Bedding Choices
What type of bedding do you currently use? (852)
| 2025 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| Purpose-made Shavings | 42% | 53% | 48% |
| Straw | 13% | 9% | 10% |
| Straw Pellets | 12% | 8% | 4% |
| Small By-product Shavings | 5.5% | 6% | 9% |
| Wood Pellets | 5% | 3% | 8% |
Other answers: 23%
| Mixed/layers shavings/straw/pellets | 42 |
| Chopped straw (various) | 28 |
| Different types for different horses | 21 |
What are your most important factors when choosing bedding for your horse? (852)
| Priority Order | 2025 | 2023 | 2021 |
| Absorbency | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Low Dust | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Hygiene | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dependable Supply | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Cost | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ease of Disposal | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Brand Reputation | 8 | 8 | 8 |
The choice of bedding type continues to show a preference for purpose-made shavings (356), but the 12% (100) choosing straw pellets is a significant increase on our previous survey results. In the Other responses, 42 answers cited using a mix or layers of different bedding, many with shavings or straw on top of straw or wood pellets.
For the first time Absorbency appears at the top of the list of buyers’ preferences, narrowly replacing Low Dust as the priority in all our previous surveys. All other factors remain in the same order of priority.
NEW
| Cost Saving | 35% |
| Availability | 21% |
| Dust Levels | 18% |
| Quality Problems | 7% |
Other answers: 23%
| No Change | 32% |
| Absorbency | 14% |
NEW
We make our Bedmax shavings predominantly from Scots Pine, which has unique, natural antibacterial properties that kill harmful bacteria in the stable. Can you tell us how important you think this is as a factor in your choice of bedding? (884)
| Very Important | 70% |
| Moderately Important | 28% |
| Not Important | 2% |
In contrast to the priorities in choosing bedding, of the 553 respondents who reported changing their bedding over the past year, 35% cited cost saving as their main reason.
Our use of Scots Pine to make our Bedmax, Littlemax and Stockmax shavings is a unique benefit that may not be widely understood. The fact that 70% of the 884 respondents to this question regard this benefit as very important may contribute to the ranking of Hygiene as the 2nd most important factor when owners are choosing the best bedding.
NEW: Buying Bedding
| Currently buy online | 6% |
| Bought online previously | 15% |
| Prefer to buy online | 5% |
| Prefer to support retailers | 66% |
Other answers: 14%
| No / Never | 46 |
| Buy direct / bulk from yard | 23 |
| Buy from farmer | 8 |
| Wood pellets / chip | 30 | Shavings | 22 |
| Straw pellets | 14 | Chopped Straw | 5 |
| Brand | |||||
| Bedmax | 9 | Blue Ribbon | 4 | Auboise | 1 |
| Concord | 5 | Aquamax | 3 | Rolling Hills | 1 |
| Snowflake | 5 | White Horse | 3 | Eventus | 1 |
| United | 5 | Allspan | 2 | Raviera | 1 |
| Strawmax | 4 | Firepower | 2 | Sorbeo | 1 |
| Blue Frog | 4 | Agripellets | 2 |
As the growth of online sales continues in all markets, it is encouraging for Bedmax and for equestrian retailers that the overwhelming majority of respondents to this question prefer to continue to support their local suppliers.
Bedmax has always distributed our bedding and other products through a national network of wholesalers and retailers. The Survey results indicate that this is the route a majority of our end-users would prefer us to continue to take in the future.
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