FIVE STAR Advantages
Labour SavingThe heavy work of constantly cleaning stables is a thing of the past with FIVE STAR. Maintenance is reduced to daily removing of solids and occasional removal of wet spots. Complete stripping of the stable is not needed for months, and in some cases stripping becomes altogether a thing of the past.
Space SavingThe volume of FIVE STAR needed to set up a bed is significantly less than is required of shavings. Enough bedding to start 8 beds is stored on a single pallet. One bag per week (or less) is all that is needed to maintain a bed - less than one pallet per horse per year.
Minimises DustThe raw material for FIVE STAR goes through an extensive screening process. Our pellets are comprised entirely of small dense pine flakes. These flakes do not kick up when your horse moves about or when a breeze runs through the stable. The result is minimal or no dust in the FIVE STAR environment.
Eliminates Ammonia & OdourWetness is the primary culprit leading to odour. With the ability to absorb four times its weight in odour causing liquid, FIVE STAR absorbs and eliminates urine wetness and ammonia immediately. Stables have a fresh, natural pine smell when using FIVE STAR.
Reduces WasteBecause FIVE STAR is longer lasting than traditional bedding a lesser volume ends up in your waste pile. FIVE STAR separates from manure and remains in the stable when mucking out. The result is a significant reduction in waste.
100% BiodegradableUnlike large shavings which can take up to a year or more to break down to be safe to dispose of, FIVE STAR breaks down into small flakes that are safe to go straight from your stable to agricultural fields.
Cleaner, Drier, Healthier StablesThe tremendous absorbing power of FIVE STAR traps urine and ammonia on contact resulting in a drier stable. Manure is dried and easily separates from FIVE STAR when you pick, making your stable cleaner and easier to maintain. With FIVE STAR you provide a healthier environment for your horse …and foals.
Reduces GroomingFIVE STAR will not get caught in the mane or the tail and can be quickly brushed out.
FIVE STAR vs Other Bedding Options
Imported Wood PelletsFIVE STAR performs as well as or better than all of the imported brands and is cheaper than any of them. Not surprising when you consider that British Columbia is more than 8000 miles by sea from the UK! Unbranded pellets from the Far East are rarely made from pine and don't perform as well.
Bio-fuel pelletsBio-fuel wood pellets are often made from recycled wood and can contain a mixture of woods including hardwoods (if it burns, it goes in!). Where virgin wood is used, it is commonly spruce rather than more expensive pine used in FIVE STAR. All samples we have seen have a much higher dust content, take longer to expand when water is added, produce less volume of bedding, are less absorbent and are darker in colour. Also, some horse bedding pellets are simply bio-fuel pellets in a branded bag. They may be cheaper per kilo but you might be risking your horses long term health and you will find you need to use more - so they won't save you money in the short term either.
StrawStraw is only 5% as absorbent as FIVE STAR, so it provides limited absorption of wet and odours, creates waste disposal problems and because it is light often ends up along the edges of the stable with the centre of the stable floor exposed. Straw must be constantly changed, resulting in unnecessary labour and waste. Greedy horses will eat straw which can cause colic and straw is often very dusty and carries spores too. Straw pellets are no more absorbent and break down rapidly into dust.
ShavingsEven the best are only 25% as absorbent as FIVE STAR. Shavings take up a large amount of storage both at the stable and when travelling with a horse box. Shavings are ineffective in absorbing urine fast so allowing it to get to the floor and spread over a large area of the stable resulting in unnecessary mess. Shavings' inability to absorb wetness results in lingering odour. With shavings, manure tends to get lost in the bedding increasing the amount of time spent cleaning. Also, much of the bedding is removed from the stable when cleaning.
Shredded woodWood Shred bedding is made from recycled wood and it has much lower absorption than virgin wood. Manure gets buried in the bed and waste volumes are as high as with shavings.
Paper/CardboardEven in pelleted pulp form, paper has lower absorbency than FIVE STAR. Cut paper sticks to the floor when wet and when dry it blows around easily and becomes dusty. Cardboard gets very heavy and sticks to the floor when wet and is also dusty when dry.
Hemp/FlaxAnother bedding some horses find tasty, unless treated by adding a chemical scent. Lower absorbency than FIVE STAR and is more costly.
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