Assessment of Bedding Material Choices and Their Regional Distribution in Equine Enterprises in Türkiye

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the types of bedding materials used in equine enterprises in Türkiye and to identify the factors influencing these preferences. Bedding management is a critical component of stable management, contributing to equine welfare, improving indoor air quality and reducing the accumulation of harmful gases. Horses are long-lived animals with high athletic performance, making the protection of their respiratory health particularly important. The absorbency capacity, dust level and microbial characteristics of the bedding material directly affect both animal and worker health. In addition, bedding selection and manure management play an important role in the environmental sustainability of equine enterprises. The research covered a total of 56 equine enterprises selected from different geographical regions of Türkiye. Since there is no hippodrome in the Black Sea Region, this region was excluded from the study in terms of hippodrome; eight enterprises from each of the remaining seven geographical regions were included.

Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face or telephone interviews. Bedding preferences were classified according to region, and descriptive statistics were calculated.

Results: Among the enterprises examined, 37.5% used straw only, 17.8% used wood shavings only, 37.5% used a combination of straw and wood shavings, while 3.6% preferred their own manure and 3.6% used soil as bedding material. The findings indicate that bedding preferences in Türkiye predominantly focus on plant-based materials. The combined use of straw and wood shavings appears to be preferred in terms of both cost and comfort, and regional differences was limited.

Conclusions: In conclusion, bedding selections were determined to be shaped primarily by economic conditions and material availability rather than by geographical factors.