Foaling season is an exciting time for everyone involved – from breeders to owners waiting to hear news of a promising prospect. And it’s a critical time for the foal’s lifelong health and well-being.
The quality and characteristics of a horse’s environment are essential at foaling time. Selecting the right bedding is one of the most important components of stall preparation.
While straw and wood shavings have traditionally been used in foaling stalls, many breeders now turn to Airlite Cardboard Bedding. Made of pre-consumer cardboard, this modern bedding solution offers superior absorbency, reduced dust, and improved hygiene.
The Importance of Proper Bedding During Foaling Season
Foals are born with developing immune and respiratory systems, making them particularly sensitive to dust, bacteria, and moisture.
The best bedding for foals and mares helps ensure:
- A dry, non-slippery surface during and after birth
- Minimal exposure to dust and allergens
- Better stall hygiene
- Increased comfort for both mare and foal
Airlite Cardboard Bedding addresses all these needs.
Superior Absorbency for Foaling Stalls
Managing fluids produced during the birth process is a major challenge. Bedding absorb large amounts of liquid quickly to maintain a safe surface.
Airlite Cardboard Bedding is extremely absorbent—up to five times more absorbent than traditional wood shavings. This helps keep the stall floor dry during and after delivery. Healthy foals usually try to stand up shortly after arriving in the world. Cardboard bedding reduces the risk of slipping as foals learn to find their feet and their balance and take their first steps.
Dust-Free for Delicate Respiratory Systems
Newborn foals have delicate respiratory systems that can easily be irritated by airborne dust. Traditional bedding materials like straw and wood shavings often release fine particles that affect air quality inside the stall. Most foals spend half their early days sleeping – usually on their sides. This puts their nostrils right into or on top of their bedding, giving dust particles a super highway into their delicate respiratory tracts.
Airlite’s cardboard pieces are dust extracted to support respiratory health for horses of all ages. This makes it ideal for bedding for foals and mares, particularly in enclosed barns where air circulation is limited.
Award-winning sporthorse breeder Kate Dressel first tried traditional wood shavings at her Black Watch Stables program in Georgia. It gets so hot and humid there in the summer that she invested in air conditioning for the stable. Kate was shocked to see dust– largely from the wood shavings – clog the air conditioning filter in only a few days. She next tried straw, but the only locally available straw was “terribly dirty.”
That’s when she found Airlite Cardboard Bedding, which has been a huge help with dust and with ensuring a clean environment for her newborns.
Thanks to its pre-consumer origins, Airlite is also free of contaminants. It does not have chemicals, inks or other contaminants found in paper or cardboard that’s been through the consumer waste stream.
By reducing dust exposure, cardboard bedding supports healthier lungs for both broodmares and newborn foals during the early days of life. Horses’ lung capacity is set at birth. So, the healthier they start, the healthier they stay.
Improved Stall Hygiene for Broodmares
Cleanliness is especially important during foaling season because the newborn foal’s umbilical cord is a potential entry point for bacteria. Damp bedding can harbor microbes that increase infection risk.
Airlite bedding helps maintain better stall hygiene by:
- Absorbing moisture quickly
- Helping control ammonia from urine
- Keeping the bedding surface drier for longer
Comfortable Support for Resting Mares and Foals
Heavily pregnant mares spend a significant amount of time resting before foaling, and newborn foals spend much of their early life lying down.
Soft, supportive bedding for foals and mares helps prevent pressure points and allows animals to rest comfortably. Cardboard bedding creates a deep, cushioned surface that remains soft even after absorbing moisture.
Reduced Stall Waste and Easier Cleaning
Stable management becomes especially demanding during foaling season, when stalls must be monitored and cleaned frequently.
Airlite Cardboard Bedding helps reduce daily stall waste because it absorbs moisture efficiently without breaking down quickly. This means less bedding is removed during routine cleaning compared to wood shavings. For busy breeders managing multiple mares, this can reduce labor while still maintaining excellent stall conditions.
It Starts in the Foaling Stall!
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine finds Airlite Cardboard Bedding especially helpful for broodmares in the midst of high-risk pregnancies. “It’s very absorbent, and there’s no dust like there is with shavings,” explains Auburn’s Aime K Johnson, DVM, DACT. “It really soaks up all the fluids and urine.”
Even for veteran broodmares expected to have easy deliveries, successful foaling starts with preparation. Providing a clean, dry, and comfortable stall environment is one of the best ways to support both the mare and her newborn foal. By offering excellent absorbency, minimal dust and improved hygiene, Airlite Cardboard Bedding is fast becoming savvy breeders’ bedding of choice.
