For horses that spend more than 80% of their time on their feet in their stables, the quality of the bedding can have a major impact on the health and integrity of their hooves.
Key Bedding Factors
Support
A good bedding must provide the right support under the hoof, and especially under the frog.
Stability
Bedding that moves too easily will quickly leave an uneven covering and bare patches on the stable floor.
Particle Size
The size of the bedding ‘particles’ is critical to hoof maintenance. Particle size affects the quality and durability of the bed’s performance in terms of stability, compaction, absorbency, support, resilience and durability.
Moisture Content
Too damp, and the bedding will contribute to soft hoof walls and associated problems. Too dry, and the bedding will absorb moisture from the hoof, creating dry, brittle and cracking hooves.
Absorbency
Bedding that absorbs urine at the surface may contribute to hoof problems caused by long-term contact with ammonia and other urine-derived bacteria and fungi.
Compaction
Highly absorbent forms of bedding with small particles are more prone to compact when they absorb moisture, which can create hard, uneven lumps.
Bedmax Hoofcare
We developed our shavings to provide a bedding that addressed all these factors. So every bag of Bedmax contains a mixture of large, medium and smaller shavings that create the optimum hoof- friendly bed:
- Optimum moisture content
- Robust & aerated
- Supportive & cushioning
- Secure & stable
- Draining & absorbent
