AS a wet autumn moves into a wet winter and a poor harvest sends straw prices soaring, horse owners in Cumbria might be relieved to hear that there’s a new purpose made straw bedding available from their local retailer that solves the current problems of shortages and cost.

STRAWMAX straw pellets have been developed by the UK’s leading manufacturer of equine bedding to sit alongside their range of BEDMAX and LITTLEMAX pine shavings for horses.

They’re available only in the North of England and Scotland at the moment, and they’re already attracting very favourable reviews from the growing number of owners who are trying them.

“I gave STRAWMAX a go as I have three absolutely filthy horses and I usually get two barrows a morning out of each! I have used STRAWMAX pellets as a base underneath my shavings I’m amazed! Today I got one barrow out of all three horses! Definitely recommended!” Maria W

Straw pellets are a new departure for a company that has made its name as a maker of top-quality shavings for 20 years, but the commitment to quality, integrity and innovation behind STRAWMAX is exactly the same, says BEDMAX MD Tim Smalley.

“Although shavings are very popular today, there are a lot of owners who still use traditional straw and a growing number who use wood pellets. So we have developed STRAWMAX to combine and maximise the benefits of both straw and pellets, and to help owners overcome the kind of variability in the quality, availability and cost of straw we’re seeing this autumn.”

STRAWMAX is made at its own dedicated production facility from contracted, locally harvested high-quality wheat straw. It’s chopped, dried at sterilising temperatures, dust extracted and pelletised to create a completely consistent, high quality bedding available in convenient 15kg bags.

Key benefits for Horses:

STRAWMAX straw pellets are designed first and foremost to help owners create an exceptionally healthy and hygienic stable environment for their horses:

• Soft and break down easily

• Fluff up to a deep supportive volume

• Virtually no airborne dust in the stable

• Exceptional moisture absorbency

• Highly effective odour suppression

Although they can be laid dry in the stable, pre-watering is very much recommended to ‘activate’ the pellets’ extraordinary capacity to absorb moisture and fluff up to at least three times dry volume.

The bed can then easily and immediately absorb urine in very restricted patches that makes mucking out extremely easy, quick and cost effective, reducing the amount of bedding consigned to the muck heap to a minimum.

Key benefits for Owners

And that’s where STRAWMAX becomes particularly helpful for time-pressed, value-conscious owners – particularly those like Maria (above) dealing with her three very wet and messy horses:

• Labour-saving & easy to use

• Unbeatable absorbency minimises waste

• Very big on economy

• Very small on the muckheap

• Creates nitrogen-rich compost fast

Especially for owners who prefer straw, STRAWMAX really is just that – the natural qualities of a traditional bedding ‘re-engineered’ to maximise its benefits and eliminate its downsides. Perhaps most importantly right now, you can find STRAWMAX pellets at retail outlets throughout Cumbria and the North West, you can depend on your supply, and you won’t be horrified by the price.