Hey folks! We adopted a 20 yr. old Quarterhorse (a former show jumper) and his sidekick, an 8 yr. old miniature Sicilian donkey just over a year ago and brought them home. The horse (Freckles) has navicular issues in both front legs and can't have a rider over 110 lbs., so that leaves my wife & I out, but riding isn't why we got these boys. They were at a horse rescue farm and we started visiting them weekly for about a year. My wife fell in love with Freckles and that's how this whole thing started. The donkey (Petey) is a piece of work. One of his big ol' ears is shorter than the other (probably from abuse, we're told) and he is the security guard of the paddock. He's not as people-friendly as Freckles, but he's getting there, slowly but surely. We had a barn built (actually, it's more like a really over-sized run-in) and it has a tack/feed room where we store their hay as well and we fenced in about 3/4 of an acre for their grazing field. The paddock area is just about 1/4 acre or so.

I had ZERO horse experience before we brought them home, but my wife had horses in her younger days when she did barrel racing. I do the heavy lifting and the AM and PM feedings (and poop patrol) - she does the grooming and nuzzling. It works out well.

I have one dilema facing me for the colder weather. Last year we had pine shavings for bedding. We switched to pine pellts for the spring/summer/fall, which worked nicely. Now I want to switch back to the bedding for winter (gives them more warmth to nestle into) but my wife doesn;t think we need to. Any suggestions?

Thanks, gang!

First WELCOME.
I myself love to help these cast aways.
I would not rule out the posibility of not riding the Navic. horse.
I had a VERY VERY good Vet tell me that all horses X-ray for Navic deterioration it is in itself impossible not to, given the bone structure and movement, and what we ask these animals to do for us.
But, that all horses diagnosed Navic have deterioration AND
The AND is your biggest factor.
I have a 15yr NZ TB gelding who was a reject, has Navic and bone spurs, who was unsound, through careful diagnosis his lameness was actually coming from his suspensory ligament. Which due to bad shoeing his foot set @ a 47* was pulling across the bottom of the Navic. Once we had his hoof angles better and all that pressure was relieved, horse is now sound.
So don't take just one persons word, dive in @ any level and ask LOTS of questions.
I never take a "well thats just the way it is" as an answer.

Now for your original bedding question.
I would use the rescue.
Assuming that you are friendly with them, they should side with you about a soft deep litter bedding.
My guys are bedded on sawdust/shaving that I get from a stair manufacturer and bedded 8-10" deep, @ least to fetlocks.
But I really like them to lay down and not touch the floor when in, saves the joints and lets me know that they are healthy and comfortable mentally.
A worried/stressed horse won't ly down.

Side note- Do you have more acerage, just not fenced.
In Pa you must have a minimum of 3 acres per animal.

I will check with the farm where we got the boys from re: the bedding. And my opinion is that if it's ME that's cleaning them, then I am the only vote that counts!

As for riding Freckles, I'll look into that as well. Thanks.

Lastly, we have just under 4 acres total acreage. About 1/3 of it is wooded and hilly, thjough. The local ordinance is 1 acre per critter, but it's not a problem. Years back. my wife had 3 horses here on about the same size area, maybe a little smaller. That was in her barrel racing days.