Posted: 4th May 2023 | Back to news feed
Strawmax straw pellets are winning over a growing number of horse owners looking for a healthy, hygienic bedding that saves them time, money and waste. But straw pellets are relatively new to the equine bedding market, so here are some brief answers to commonly asked questions which might help you decide if this is a bedding for you and your horse…
GET THE BEST OF BOTH BEDDING BENEFITS
By using Strawmax straw pellets as a base layer under our shavings
We’re getting an increasing amount of very positive feedback from owners who are combining the benefits of Bedmax shavings and our new Strawmax straw pellets.
What these canny owners are finding is that by putting down a base layer of Strawmax pellets and covering them with a layer of shavings, they are reducing the amount of both types of bedding they need to keep the stable dry, hygienic, healthy and comfortable.
Strawmax pellets offer a level of absorbency that experts have suggested is greater than any other bedding material. That means that urine is absorbed in relatively small ‘patches’ of the bed where it can easily be isolated and mucked out without wasting anything like as much clean bedding as other types.
A top layer of Bedmax or Littlemax shavings allows urine to drain down to the straw pellet base layer, leaving the shavings free of moisture. This keeps the shavings in good condition for longer, requiring less replacement, and the shavings also offer all the unbeatable Bedmax benefits of minimal dust, pine hygiene and extra support for horses lying down and rolling.
Because it lasts longer than other types of bedding, Strawmax is particularly economical to use either on its own or as a base layer, and owners who are using it in both ways tell us their level of waste is so small their muckheaps are shrinking before their very eyes.
So we’re very happy to recommend Strawmax as a base layer under any good quality shavings. It seems to offer the best of both worlds to owners and their horses.
WILL MY HORSES EAT STRAW PELLET BEDDING?
If they’re hungry they might try, but watering is the key
In the past, when most horses were bedded on loose straw, eating the bedding was a problem for owners who were trying their best to control their horses’ diet.
Many horses will eat edible bedding, and greedy horses can gain a lot of weight. So what happens when you put Strawmax straw pellets on the floor of your horse’s stable?
In our experience, if horses are hungry they will try them. After all, Strawmax is made of pure, unadulterated, high quality straw. But so far owners using Strawmax are reporting that very few horses will eat them, and even those that do quickly find that crushed pellets become considerably less appetising.
A much more important deterrent is moisture. We actually recommend that the best way to use Strawmax is to soak the pellets in water in the stable. This very quickly ‘fluff’ the pellets up to about 3 times their dry volume, forming a much deeper and more supportive bed.
The capacity of straw pellets to absorb water is so great that watering them first does not reduce their effectiveness in soaking up urine at all, and we definitely recommend this as the solution to stop your horses from eating their bedding.
Going back to the point about the content of Strawmax straw pellets, they really are made from good quality fully traceable wheat straw, pure and simple. With absolutely no additives whatsoever, the straw is chopped, dust extracted and then pressurised into pellets.
So if your horse does fancy a straw pellet snack, they’re safe and easily digestible and eating Strawmax will do horses no harm at all. What’s more, like all our beddings, our Strawmax production process has been audited to give you the BETA NOPS Bedding assurance that every aspect of production is rigorously managed to prevent the risk of contamination by a naturally occurring prohibited substance (NOPS) that could cause you to fail a doping test.
BRINGING YOUR HORSE INSIDE DURING THE SUIMMER?
Strawmax is the ideal long-term bedding, especially for messy horses
Many owners continue to bring their horses in during the day and in the evenings throughout the summer. From our recent surveys, responses to our question about how long horses spend in their stables suggest that in summer, at least 40% spend 12 hours or more out of every 24 inside even on balmy summer nights.
The benefits that Strawmax pellets offers make it a particularly good choice for horses moving in and out of their stables like this, for 2 reasons:
1. Low maintenance. Strawmax is super absorbent, so it concentrates urine in restricted patches that can be mucked out quickly and easily with very little waste.
2. Affordability. Low wastage means a Strawmax bed will require minimal replacement during the summer months. This makes it a highly effective semi-permanent bed that should also keep your bedding costs to a minimum.
These two advantages also make Strawmax a great choice for very wet and/or messy horses, not just in summer but throughout the year.
Yes, a wet and messy horse will get through more bedding, but we come back to the absorbency of Strawmax straw pellets. Research testing the various types of popular beddings on all the important measures of their effectives for horses suggests that straw pellets like Strawmax are more absorbent than anything else currently available.
You can find out more and locate your nearest supplier on the Strawmax website at: www.strawmax.co.uk
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