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QUESTION:

Hi!

I have a question maybe you can answer for me. I need to know what kind of sawdust horses can NOT have in their stalls. I was told that black walnut and maple can not be used because it makes their hair fall out. Also is there a certain wood that can't be used in their stalls? I'm redoing part of my barn and I now have a horse that needs to stay in the stall all the time. She only has mats for padding right now, but she loves to lie down I would like to put savings down so she can do this. My wrestling coach offered me shavings, but nether one of us knows what can and can't be used. Thank you for your time and if you could E-mail me back about my question that would be really helpful.

Thanks again,

-- M. H.

ANSWER:

You're correct about wanting to avoid Black Walnut -- it can actually cause your horse to go lame. I don't know that there's a problem with Maple wood, although eating wilted Red Maple leaves can make a horse very sick. Up here, the bedding of choice seems to be White or Red Pine shavings. I notice that you used the word "sawdust" -- I'd stay away from that for fear of causing breathing problems, but clean shavings don't seem to cause a problem. There are a few other options, including oat or rice straw -- depending on where you live. If your coach's shavings are from pine trees, go for it!

God bless!

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