Pelleted Bedding vs. Traditional Wood Shavings: Why We Choose Pure Pine Pellets

Why Pelleted Bedding Stands Out

Pelleted bedding, made from compressed pine sawdust, offers unbeatable absorbency and efficiency. When moistened, pellets expand into a soft, sawdust-like material that absorbs up to three times its weight in liquid—far surpassing traditional shavings in performance. Because they form clumps when wet, cleaning is quicker and more precise, with less wasted bedding and less odor to contend with.

Pellets are compact and easy to store, taking up far less space than bulky shavings. One 40-pound bag often lasts as long as 1–2 bales of shavings, potentially cutting consumption and stall waste by up to 50%.

✅ Why We Only Use Pine (and Nothing Else)

Not all wood is created equal. We stick with 100% kiln-dried pine, which has undergone high-heat pasteurization to eliminate oils, terpenes, and allergens that can be problematic in treated or non-softwoods—and especially black walnut, which is toxic and linked to laminitis.

High-quality pine bedding offers consistent texture, low dust, and lower respiratory risk compared to other woods like cedar or hardwood variants.

🌎 Environmental Impact: Pellets vs. Shavings

From a sustainability standpoint, pelleted bedding offers a much greener footprint than traditional wood shavings:

• Faster decomposition: Pellets, once broken down, are essentially finely ground sawdust and begin composting almost immediately. They break down much faster in manure piles, reducing the time needed for compost to become usable.

• Lower volume of waste: Because of their high absorbency and efficient usage, you end up removing less clean bedding and generating significantly less bulk waste per stall.

• Shavings take much longer to decompose—often up to two years depending on the wood type and environmental conditions. This creates large, slow-decaying manure piles and increases disposal costs or land use.

• Reduced transport and packaging: Pellet bags are compact, easy to stack, and require fewer trips and less plastic per volume compared to bales of shavings.

Using pellets not only supports our horses’ health and comfort—it also supports more responsible and sustainable stable management.

🧼 Our Best Practices: Soaking, Stripping, Depth & Refresh

Here’s how we do it right:

1. Soak in the bag: We add approximately 1 gallon of water per 40 lb bag, letting them hydrate within the sealed bag before spreading—this speeds expansion and maintains low dust levels.

2. Depth tailored per horse: After hydrating, we fluff the bedding to a tailored thickness—typically 4–6 inches, depending on the individual horse’s moisture needs and comfort.

3. Monthly full changeover: We completely change the bedding once a month, with interim additions to maintain cushion and dryness.

4. Daily care: Soiled bedding is removed every day, with pellets added as needed to keep the biofilter layer effective and clean.

🚫 Why Shavings Don’t Work for Us

• They don’t clump and are less absorbent, requiring more frequent full clean-outs.

• Even “low‑dust” shavings vary in flake size and quality; dust can trigger respiratory or skin issues in sensitive horses.

• Certain wood types carry serious health risks, and many take years to fully break down in compost piles.

⸻

🏆 In Summary

We choose pure pine pelleted bedding because it offers:

• Superior absorbency and odor control

• Reduced labor and material waste

• Faster composting and less environmental impact

• Safer, cleaner stalls tailored to each horse

Our process—soaking in the bag, precise depth management, monthly replacement, and daily maintenance—ensures every stall stays dry, hygienic, and environmentally responsible.

If you have questions or want to visit to see our process in action, feel free to reach out!

Watch video of expanding pelleted bedding

References

1. Guardian Horse Bedding. Pellet Bedding Benefits. Retrieved from: https://www.guardianhorsebedding.com/the-benefits-of-using-horse-pellet-bedding

2. Mad Barn. What’s the Best Bedding for Horses? Retrieved from: https://madbarn.com/best-bedding-for-horses

3. Energy Pellets of America. How to Use Animal Bedding Pellets. Retrieved from: https://www.energypelletsamerica.com/how-to-use-animal-bedding-pellets

4. Equus Magazine. Bedding Compared: The Pros and Cons of Common Stall Materials. Retrieved from: https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/bedding-compared

5. Klassen Wood Co. Types of Animal Bedding and Their Benefits. Retrieved from: https://www.klassenwoodco.com/blog/types-of-animal-bedding-and-their-benefits

6. Adenbrook Farms. Bedding Pellets vs Shavings: The Pros and The Cons. Retrieved from: https://adenbrook.com/bedding-bedding-pellets-vs-shavings-the-pros-and-the-cons

7. NCBI / PubMed Central. Health Risks Associated with Certain Types of Stall Bedding. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11899278

8. Wikipedia. Animal Bedding. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedding_(animals)