Wood pellets are becoming more popular as a horse bedding and it is easy to see why. Readily available as they are already in the fuel market, easy to store, dust free and absorbent, wood pellets make excellent horse bedding. Made from virgin sustainable woodland, wood pellets do not have any additives that may cause a reaction or irritation and are an eco-friendly choice for customers.
Although initially wood pellets look hard and uncomfortable, manufacturers recommend that it is pre-soaked before use. This may be a change from the usual management techniques but by sprinkling plenty of water on a new bed of pellets customers will ‘activate’ it, creating a fluffy bed that is less likely to be walked around. The water added at the start actually allows the bedding to absorb far more moisture, ensuring mucking out is quick and easy.
Like shavings, wood pellets are supplied in bags or tightly wrapped in plastic, ensuring they are completely weatherproof and therefore easy to store. However, wood pellets are far lighter than shavings and as they expand, less bedding is required for the initial bed. As wet areas clump and droppings are easy to remove, fewer bales are required overall, making wood pellets a highly economical option.
With straw and shavings muckheaps can quickly build up and are difficult to manage. Wood pellets are one of the fastest bedding materials to rot down, providing a useful and untreated compost suitable for most farmland or gardens. With excellent environmental credentials, low prices, easy transport and storage and good results when used as animal bedding, wood pellets are an excellent product to stock. All sales should be accompanied with good management advice on damping down and daily care, to make sure the customer can make the best of wood pellets’ advantages.
