Top 8 Horse Bedding Materials in Canada (2025): An Expert, Stable-Tested Guide to Absorbency, Dust Control, Cost and Sustainability

Positioned as a best-in-class option for wood shavings stable bedding, these premium pine shavings are processed for consistent flake size, low dust and high absorbency, delivering longer stall life and better ammonia control. They carry a higher price point than the mass-market offerings but justify it with reduced bedding turnover and cleaner stalls when compared to budget brands like Otter Co-op or large-flake options such as Peavey Mart.

UFA Premium Straw Bales are positioned as a higher-end bedding option from a farmer-focused co‑op, emphasizing low dust, uniform bale density and horse-friendly straw length for stable use. Versus commodity straw products, UFA targets operations willing to pay a premium for cleaner, more consistent bales that can reduce bedding consumption and stall maintenance time. Its technical advantage is tighter quality control through cooperative sourcing, which can offset higher per-bale cost through labor and welfare savings.

StallMaster Premium Pellets are a premium European-style bedding focused on durability, low dust and effective odor control, often lasting longer between full changes than economy pellets. Compared with the American mass-market options here, StallMaster commands a higher price but can reduce labor and waste disposal costs over time, making it a technical and financial contender for owners prioritizing long-term performance and barn air quality.

Eco-Bedding Odor Control Paper Bedding distinguishes itself with a recycled-fiber blend plus natural odor-control additives, positioning it as best-in-class for environmentally minded buyers who need improved odor management without synthetic fragrances. It occupies a mid-point between premium soft products and industrial bales—typically more affordable than Carefresh for larger volumes while offering better odor performance than basic pellets like Yesterday's News, appealing to mid-size operations balancing cost and air-quality needs.

Hemp-E-Bed from Canadian Bedding Corp is an engineered hemp bedding product with tightly controlled bale density and low dust emissions, designed for farms that need predictable handling and composting behavior. It competes closely with HempAlta on price and with Aubiose on consistency, often winning on national distribution and turnkey supply contracts in Canada. From a technical/financial perspective, Hemp-E-Bed offers a dependable middle ground: strong logistics and consistent performance at a mid-market cost.

Shaw Resources Equestrian Sand is the market leader for purpose-built equestrian mixes, engineered for optimal drainage, cushion and minimal dust, which justifies a premium price for arenas and high-performance stables. Compared with Hutcheson’s arena-grade product it tends to be more specialized and performance-oriented, while outperforming masonry or landscape sands in longevity and ride quality. Financially it often commands higher upfront cost but can lower lifetime maintenance and replacement expenses for demanding uses.

Peat Moss Plus Coir Bedding by Canadian Sphagnum is positioned as the best-in-class option for peat-and-coir stable bedding thanks to high-grade sphagnum peat blended with finely processed coir that delivers superior absorbency and very low dust. Compared with the other mixes in this list, it offers the best balance of cost-per-bale and technical performance—stronger moisture locking than EcoStall and a lower introductory price than Northern Bedding while maintaining a finer, more uniform texture than ProHorse.