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Post by stranger on Dec 29, 2005 14:44:39 GMT 1
We hired a digger (£60 for the day) and dug a straight sided hole-about ten by twelve and about six feet deep, which we then filled in. It took a winters worth from five TBs to get to ground level. Then you can either keep going 'up' or you can earth it over with the removed earth (which we 'banked' around three sides of the hole) and let it grass over, and dig another hole.
DON'T do this close a water course.
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alison
Olympic Poster
Posts: 534
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Post by alison on Dec 29, 2005 14:53:40 GMT 1
Where i buy my feed from hires a skip, when its full along comes another. He has done this for years. I dont have a clue how much it would cost. But it is something you could maybe think about, if the landlord wouldnt mind a skip, even a mini skip.
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Post by podkinpie on Dec 29, 2005 21:34:14 GMT 1
Thanks for all the advise. would be interested in using an alternative to shavings which is more ecological. and possibly cheaper !hemcore and flaxabed have been mentioned, any others? Ive considered matting,but it seems to get very mixed reviews and could be an expensive mistake.
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kofihorse
Grand Prix Poster
Oh,such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you
Posts: 1,454
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Post by kofihorse on Dec 29, 2005 23:36:07 GMT 1
Don't think about rubber matting as a way to use less bedding,especially if you have a "messy" horse - it doesn't really make a great deal of difference and he/she will end up with a lot of it on her/his body from lying down in the mess if you don't use enough. There is one way that works for me (when I do have to stable the messy one). My matting is the kind that interlocks together (I wouldn't recommend it) and there are 6 pieces in my 12 x 12 box. What I do is remove one piece and fill the space with shavings. He is quite happy to wee on that bit only and mostly poos there as well although sometimes elsewhere. I had to look for alternative ways to keep him because my concrete stable floor has rubbish drainage and all the wee collects in puddles under the mats and is murder to hose out because I have to sweep all the water out, it takes ages.
Do you have to actually stable your horses? Would it be possible to use the stable as a field shelter or as a shelter in a yarding situation? Then you could use rubber matting for them to go in and lie down on and they would wee and poo outside. Eureka! No bedding!That's what Kofi does.
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Post by podkinpie on Dec 30, 2005 0:01:17 GMT 1
complicated business isn't it? Last year our clean pony was out in a field 24/7 and life seemed much easier and I'm sure she was happier(although my daughter wouldn't agree). Now as a companion to the newbie they both have stables. Unfortunately won't work as field shelter, but lovely idea- maybe next time.
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Post by rosiesmumof4 on Dec 30, 2005 12:02:14 GMT 1
There is a snag to the hole method - when it rots down over the next 2-3 years you then end up with an unstable dip, so must be careful the horses can't stand on it. I'm interested to know how edible hemcore is - my laminitic pony is on shavings, and folks are right about them removing nitrogen from the soil as they rot - takes ages before they are usuable in the garden, but would he eat the hemcore?, and my TB eats Shavings!!! so is on straw - would it be safe for her to be on hemcore (mind you this years straw is lovely and totally dustfree).
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