OCALA, FLORIDA – Renowned dressage rider and trainer Mette Larsen is testing the claims about industrial hemp bedding and its welfare impact on horses. Mette had been thinking about using hemp in her barn for almost 3 years before finally deciding to try it for her 19 horses in Ocala, Florida.

“What caught my curiosity was the health benefits. I’m all about what’s better for my horses. Whatever makes them just a little bit better- physically, mentally or emotionally- is going to help me tremendously in my training. I think a lot of people feel that way.”

Hemp has a sponge effect that keeps the surface dry for horses to lay on. It is becoming popular for its high absorbency, low dust, and other natural qualities. “For years I’ve been saying I really want all our horses to be on hemp bedding. I kept hearing all the benefits, and I’d do a little research here and there… And I kept getting drawn back…. I wanted to see. How do I make hemp worth it?

Suppliers of industrial hemp claim that it can cost less than conventional shavings in the long run if the bedding is managed properly. Mette is particularly eager to test this claim. “I’m going to be in the trenches mucking stalls again to figure out how to make this work, because it smells good, it looks good, it should financially work out even- or better- if done right.”

“When I look at stalls, I look at the cost of shavings, dumpster, staff, time, & health. That’s how I’m going to look at everything from a cost perspective, shavings versus hemp”.

“When you do shavings, you have shavings in- shavings out. Dumpster in, dumpster out, and whatever staff time and wheelbarrows back and forth. With hemp it is the manure, and then, on occasion, the urine.”

Mette’s 19 horses are now bedded entirely on premium Aubiose hemp bedding imported by Chanvra from Europe. Her team is meticulously recording their time and usage of the product while following the best practices imported from Europe.

They are now 45 days into the trial and still collecting data. This is an ongoing learning experience and Mette & Chanvra will continue to post updates. One pleasant surprise Mette noticed: “Our fly population is 1/ 20th of what it was three weeks ago, and for Florida, that’s huge. The only thing that changed is that we went to hemp.”

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