Paper Bedding

Paper bedding comes like shavings in plastic bale-bags and is made of shredded dustfree paper. It is very good for horses with allergies and respiratory problems, and is suitable for horses which eat their bedding — they are highly unlikely to eat this.

It is extremely absorbent but needs careful management to prevent it packing down and becoming too wet and heavy. Rubber is a relatively recent type of bedding that was originally designed for trailer and horse-box floors.

It is a thick rubber matting which fits the floor space of the stall. Used as a bedding on its own, it is very easy to clean, can be hosed and washed down, is a good nonslip floor, and is supposed to have good insulation properties.

It also reduces the size of the muck heap. Rubber flooring can be used quite efficiently with a thinner than normal layer of straw or shavings on top.
Peat is an old fashioned form of bedding that is not often used now.

It is very absorbent, and wet patches need to be removed frequently to prevent it becoming soggy; it can be quite heavy to work with, and is slow to rot in the muck heap.