What are y'alls opinions on cedar and pine shavings? I've used pine shavings for nine years and never had a problem with them, but I recently found cedar shavings and was wondering if anyone has used them with/without success.
~*Naira*~

I get mine from a stair manufacturer, so the type of wood changes. Although it is mostly made up of pine.
In my area cedar is expensive, although I do bed my dog boxes and rabbit hutch with it.
It seems to absorb the same and it makes them smell good.
I would just watch for them trying to eat it.

We get a mix also. I really like the smell of the cedar shavings however!

Just a caution that some horses can founder on cedar shavings and some are allergic to the cedar.

"Some" being the operative.

I used to buy bulk shavings, but Walnut is an even bigger no-no in terms of foundering a horse, so I quit that and buy only bagged pine shavings from the store. Still no guarantee but it does up the safety odds by a large margin

when I used to work at an equestrian center we used pine shavings. some of the horses would try to eat the cedar shavings. a friend of mine who only had 3 horses used straw for the bedding, and he used wheat straw cause the horses would not try to eat it.

I no longer use any type of shavings, but back when I did I would put a fine pine on the bottom to help absorb the urine and then bed with a larger pine/cedar mixture for the top. I would use more cedar in the summer when the flys were worse it seem to cut down on them. I noticed that my horses in a cedar/pine mix had far less fly's in their stalls verses the horse in the same barn bedded on just pine. Although I now absolutely love not messing with shavings at all. Sand is the way to go for me.

Why sand? just curious I know its abobsorbant

The Reason for sand is it is easy to clean the urine soaks down and you just pick up the manure. Also Shavings get pushed out to the edges of the stalls and then the horses are back on hard ground and get the hock sores etc. The sand stays in place and supports the horses where they need it and doesn't pack down. My horses were on shavings and they all had the hock sores from laying down and the shavings getting moved out of the way. Since they have been on the sand they have completely healed up. Also if you have a horse with feet problems or arthritis it supports them where they need it.... Probably the biggest reason is savings. I add to the stalls maybe once a year, compared to shavings that I would be replacing and adding to daily.

Some people worry about sand colic but as I live in the desert my horses are already on PSYILLIUM daily (they get it daily because they are on dry lots), so them being bedded on sand doesn't make a difference, and I have never had a problem with sand colic. They love the sand also they lay down and sleep more than they use to. I have a walker that has arthritis is his back leg and before he was on the sand he would get up stiff in the morning and now that he is on it he wakes up fine without problems.

In the summers they love it when I wet down the top layer of the sand, it keeps the air around them cool and keeps their feet cool which is important in the summer.

I guess I should use the slogan:

"Save Trees use Sand"
Honestly I just think it is a better product and very cost effective.

I'm thinking of getting sand for my stalls, does it leave the strong urine odor like shavings?
I use to use milled shavings from the furniture company. Then I switched to shavings for when the Tan Foals.
I'm finding myself digging to china in her stall when I clean. She has a dirt floor, or use to it's all packed shavings now.

right now, all our horses are in dirt paddocks that connect to lean-tos so we dont use any type of bedding...we are looking for some fill-dirt however to try and level the paddocks out and then maybe layer the lean-tos with sand.....when i used to show at the fair, we would always bed our horses in pine shavings....cedar does smell wonderful and it helps keep the flies down but all my horses try to eat it so we used the pine........

Please reconsider using sand. I've read and heard that over time there becomes a buildup of sand in the stomach leading to colic. I don't claim to be an expert -- I just read a lot. One source discussing the negative effects of using sand was in the book "Stablekeeping" by Cherry Hill. I have also heard and read similar things concerning sand from many other sources. I could see using sand underneath (way underneath) larger pebble-sized rock that the horse can't inhale.

I use sand in my stalls and I live in AZ so my horses are on dry lots also. We have to worry about the horses getting sand colic just off of the ground. But if you are worried than feed psyillium. Psyillium is a natural fiber and the only one proved to work (others claim but have never had studies to prove it) I have had one of my horses go to colic surgery for a twisted gut and while they where in there they always dump the gut (Flush everything out) There was no sand found in my horse and he lives on a dirt lot lives in a sand stall and eats off the ground, and is fed Psyillium on a regular basis. Special Tan, You do not smell the urine like with shaving. I have a horse that goes potty in the same spot, so about once a year I clean out that particular corner and add new sand, but the good thing is that side of the stall gets sun so it helps dry things out also. Sand is not such an evil if you take the right percautions, and sand is way more beneficial for the horse over all. hope this helps.

That's really interesting about the Psyillium. How much do you feed your horses on Psyillium?
Thanks!

You follow the directions on the container. There are many different brands out there my favorite is Equus. As it smells like black licorice and my horses love the taste will eat it right out of my hand so I don't have to mix it in feed.