I've been using our new chopped straw bedding for about a month now and thought I would share my opinion with you all.
Overall I have to say I'm sold on it. Not only does it come in a bag that expands to 12 cubic feet (that pretty much covers a stall by the way), but it is easy to clean and has literally no dust. Let's be honest, we don't enjoy cleaning the walls of the barn, buckets, and dust off our horses when we could be out riding in the beautiful weather we have here. This product can help get you out of barn cleaning duty and back on riding duty.
One trait of this product that I love is that straw is easy compostable and doesn't change the pH of the soil. That means it will start to break down into the ground immediately and is safe to spread on your pastures without creating more work in the future with having to balance the soil back out. For someone who has a small farm like I do, this is a great attribute.
As with any product there are downfalls, while this one doesn't have many there are a few to be aware of. The urine spots take a bit of getting used to to be able to find, the straw does change color but only slightly. After a few days I was good to go on finding the spots. Also a common concern is that your horse will eat it. Yes, they may munch on it, but even hungry hungry hippo Mini Cooper stopped after a few bites, so don't get caught up in that concern. Your horse will love it, look up any article on straw as bedding online and you will see the unanimous result is that horses (and other animals) prefer to sleep in straw over shavings. Mini Cooper and Gracie can attest to this finding!
Weigh the pros and cons and I think you will find, like I did, that the pros outweigh the cons and you'll be satisfied. If you aren't convinced, stop in and chat with me sometime. Your horse will thank you!
