Dixychick,

Actually it doesn't. I have found that it gives them support and cushion where they need it. They also love it, yes they role in it and get dusty, but for here there is so much dirt anyway it doesn't make much of a difference. We always put horses that have feet issues (founder, navicular) on at least 6-8 inches of sand. I have found that with my horses their hock sores have healed up and with my inlaws horse his capped elbow has gone down and looks normal again. I really like the sand and it doesn't spread out like shavings do, nor does it pack down. You don't have to buy the real expensive play sand, I get what is called reject sand, it is a little bigger but a lot cheaper. It is what my vet has used at her place.


I knew of a horse in the care of my vet that was severly rotated in both front feet and spent most of her time laying down in a deeply beded stall with shavings. On her hip bones she had huge bed sores that were almost 3 inches deep. The owners wanted everything tried to save her. So the last resort was major surgery preformed on her feet and the horse moved to my vets house and was put on 8 inches of sand in a 12 X 16 stall. In the month that she was there all of her bed sores had completely healed and some had hair regrowth. Unfortunatley we were unable to save her.