10 reasons to use our bedding straw for your horses

Horses have been lying on straw for generations, as it's a natural by-product of farming which has been part of British farming life for centuries. Some horse owners, however, have moved away from straw to alternative materials, like shavings; some because they find straw bulky and messy to store and muck out; others because their horses eat it or it causes allergies.

However, we believe that our chopped, milled and double dedusted bedding straw, which is unique on the market in Wales, provides solutions to many of these issues.

Here we take a look at its benefits.

       1. It’s economical 

Gower Granary’s straw is milled and chopped, so when you fork it through when mucking out, you throw away less bedding than you would with normal straw, which makes it more economical. In fact, research published in the Journal of Applied Animal Research* which compares chopped bedding straw with sawdust, shavings and normal straw, shows that chopped bedding straw performs best on both cost and durability. *(Prinsenk, Turk, Pazek and Janzekovic, 2017.)

2. It’s easy to manage and minimises wastage

Cleaning stables properly is time consuming, but with our chopped bedding straw, the soiled straw is easily separated from the clean straw, making it an easier and quicker job, and because less straw is thrown away, the bedding goes further and the size of the muck heap is smaller. Also, as we compress it into the bag, it expands to about three times its size when emptied, which means a little goes a long way.

3. It assists with breathing 

Thanks to our high-tech double de-dusting process, which removes most of the dust and spores from the straw, the stable becomes essentially dust-free, which means you minimise respiratory issues and create a healthier environment for both you and your horse. 

4. It encourages equine sleep

Anecdotal evidence from users of milled bedding straw in Canada suggest that horses sleep more when bedded in milled straw, presumably because they find it comfortable, which, of course, is good for their wellbeing and optimum performance.

5. Horses don’t generally eat it

Due perhaps to the fact that the straw is milled, horses who would normally eat long cut straw, soon get bored and leave our product alone.

6. It’s highly absorbent and reduces odours

The milling process which we use to break the straw down means the bedding is highly absorbent, unpleasant horsey stable odours are masked, and it can be used in any kind of stable, regardless of drainage.

7. It’s easy to transport

When attending events, our bedding straw is ideal as it can be easily transported and moved around and helps keep the horses comfortable when away from home.

8. It’s environmentally friendly 

Shavings are well known to cause nitrogen lock-up in the soil, and take a long time to break down, whereas chopped bedding straw is a natural by-product of farming which can be easily recycled back into the soil, acting as a great fertiliser.

9. Its quality is consistent 

Thanks to our expertise at harvesting straw, which has been developed over many generations of farming, we ensure that it is baled on farm with minimal moisture content, which stops mould spores from growing, and ensures a consistent product every time.

10. Don’t believe us? 

Hear some of the wonderful comments we've received from our new customers in our first six months of trading!