Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Shavings are used for horse safety (certainly not for owner convenience because they are a lot of trouble!) -- when they pee, it is absorbed by the shavings and avoids a slippery floor.  When they poop , same thing.  Some horses get really nervous while hauling (those that are borderline scramblers), and if they pee and poop a lot when hauled (because they are nervous), the shavings sure help promote a "safe" situation for them with their footing.   

 

I also wonder about shavings providing an "excrement-friendly environment" for those fastidious horses who don't like to soil themselves?  And thereby encouraging them to feel safe to adhere to their normal schedule?  (Does this sound ridiculous?  It just makes sense to me.)

 

When loading, one of our horses barely makes it into his trailer stall before he pees.  Every time.  He's crazy about peeing in the trailer on his shavings--and honestly, if he were not to do this it would be a "red flag" indicator that something is brewing with his health.  So in his case, peeing-on-shavings is one way we know he's feeling great!
 

Beth

 

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Hideaway Farm, Jim & Beth Leggieri, Denton, TX

Athletes of Antiquity: Soaring Wings and Distance Arabians

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From: marybenstover <merryben@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Carrie E Civ USAF AFSPC 30 MDSS/SGSLF Kitley <carrie.kitley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:26:24 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] Shavings - Purpose of . . . - Carrie

I use shavings because:

 

When I get where I am going the trailer is not a total mess and smelly.

 

I can pick up the horse poop and rake the shavings all in a pile towards the front so the floor can air out. 

 

Then I spread the shavings back out (something like cleaning a stall) and the dog stays back there.

 

Also I think shavings absorb a lot of the heat from the road.  I have drop down windows so use a fly mask to protect their eyes, although I really don't think there is a lot of dust from the shavings.  Otherwise, there would be some on the horses I would think.

 

mb

 

 

 

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carrie E Civ USAF AFSPC 30 MDSS/SGSLF Kitley" <carrie.kitley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:59:34 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: RE: [RC] Shavings - Purpose of . . .  - Carrie

To be totally honest, I'm not sure what the purpose of putting shavings
in the trailer is??  I guess I can understand if you're hauling horses
on a really long trip, it would serve to absorb urine?  In our trailer,
the urine just drains out the back and onto the ground . . . .  and our
horses don't seem to care whether they stand on a rubber mat, poop, pee
or dirt.  But then again, I don't usually haul anywhere more than 4 to 5
hours away.  
Or is it to make trailer life more cushy for the horse?  I guess I just
don't see the point in it as it just seems to mean more work, expense,
more mess to clean up later, etc.
I would love to hear about the advantages of using shavings in a
trailer.  I'm not being facetious, I'm actually curious.

Carrie Kitley
30th Medical Group, Vandenberg AFB
DMLSS Database Sustainment Specialist (DSS)
CACI International Inc, www.caci.com
DSN:  276-1077
Fax: 805-606-1179



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