Frequently Asked
Questions

Yes — Bluegrass Bedding is HISA aligned and meets HISA's guidelines for stall cleanliness and equine welfare. HISA doesn't maintain a certification list for bedding products; instead, its framework sets standards for the stall environment itself — air quality, cleanliness, and horse health. Our product is built around exactly those outcomes: triple-screened, 100% pure pine bedding that eliminates the respirable dust linked to Inflammatory Airway Disease, with zero additives or foreign substances, from a manufacturer whose only product is pine equine bedding. If your track or licensing body asks about bedding standards, we're happy to walk through our process and product specifications with you.

We can speak to our product and process in detail. What we're confident in and can communicate clearly:

• 100% pure pine — no mixed wood species, no additives, no binders or dyes
• Sourced exclusively from a manufacturer that produces only pine equine bedding
• Triple-screened to eliminate respirable dust particles
• USDA 319.40-7 and 100% BioBased designations

If your facility has a specific documentation requirement for licensing or inspection, call us at 502-650-1208 and let's talk through what you need. We'd rather have that conversation directly than have you guess at paperwork.

HISA's Racetrack Safety Standards require covered facilities to maintain appropriate stall conditions that support equine health. While HISA does not mandate a specific brand, bedding must demonstrably support thoroughbred welfare — particularly regarding dust levels and respiratory health. Our triple-screened, low-dust formulation and full documentation package are specifically designed to satisfy HISA facility inspection requirements.

Most commodity shavings come from lumber mills where pine bedding is a side product — processed on shared equipment alongside other wood species and materials. That creates real risk of cross-contamination and inconsistency. Our bedding comes from a manufacturer whose entire operation is built around one product: pine equine bedding. Nothing else runs through their facility. That exclusivity means no mixed species, no shared lines, and a manufacturer with every incentive to maintain strict internal standards — because their reputation depends entirely on getting it right.

Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) is the most common respiratory condition in performance horses. Unlike heaves (RAO), IAD affects younger horses and often shows no outward symptoms — but it causes measurable reductions in VO₂ max, recovery rate, and race-day performance. Studies consistently identify respirable dust (PM2.5–PM10 range) as the primary stall-environment trigger, and bedding is the largest continuous source of that dust. Switching to triple-screened, low-dust bedding is one of the highest-impact respiratory interventions available to a trainer.

Every batch passes through three sequential mechanical screens before packaging:

1. Pass 1 — Coarse Screen: Removes large debris, bark fragments, and oversize material.
2. Pass 2 — Medium Screen: Removes mid-range particles including fine bark and cellulose fragments that become respirable when disturbed.
3. Pass 3 — Fine Screen: The critical stage — removes PM10 and smaller particles. This is the pass most bedding manufacturers skip entirely.

The result is a finished product with a particle size distribution that consistently tests below respiratory hazard thresholds.

Standard unscreened shavings carry significantly more respirable dust than our triple-screened product — even shavings marketed as "dust-extracted" typically undergo only a single screening pass that removes coarse material while leaving the fine particle fraction that does the real respiratory damage.

Straw is one of the worst choices for any performance horse. It is extremely dusty, harbors mold spores and organic particulates that directly trigger airway inflammation, is difficult to muck out cleanly because it breaks into fine pieces, and has very poor absorbency compared to pine. A horse bedded on straw spends its stall time breathing through a cloud of organic debris. It's a traditional choice, not a good one — and several serious racing and show operations have moved away from it for exactly these reasons.

Our three-pass screening process targets all particle size categories, removing the fine fraction that single-screen products miss entirely.

Most barns report visible improvement within the first two weeks. Common observations include reduced nasal discharge, less coughing on grooming and tack-up, improved coat quality, and horses that settle more calmly in the stall. For operations that track it, improved mucus scores at veterinary exam and reduced bedding costs (due to the pine pellet 4× expansion ratio) are the metrics trainers cite most often. Horses at elite performance levels — where aerobic capacity is measured in margins — tend to show the clearest measurable improvement.

We offer three triple-screened pine bedding products:

• Pine Pellets (40 lb bags): Compressed pine pellets that expand 4× when wet. Extremely absorbent, lower volume needed per stall, easy stall pick. Preferred for barns with rubber mats. Most cost-effective per stall per month.
• Micro Flake Shavings (3.5 cu ft bags): Fine-texture shavings for horses that prefer a softer bed. Ideal for sensitive horses or those recovering from injury.
• Macro Flake Shavings (8.0 cu ft bags): Larger flake for deep-bedding systems or horses that prefer more cushion. Excellent drainage and airflow. Popular with deep litter operations.

Honestly — it depends, and anyone who gives you a firm number without knowing your operation is guessing. The real variables are:

• How long horses are in the stall. A horse that's outside or on the track most of the day uses far less than one stalled 20+ hours.
• Deep bedding vs. conservative bedding. Some barn managers prefer a thick, cushioned bed and top up frequently. Others run leaner and pick more carefully. Both work — it's a management preference.
• The individual horse. Some horses are hard on bedding; others are tidy. You'll know yours.

When you reach out for a quote, tell us your stall count, how long horses are typically in, and your bedding style — we'll help you think through a reasonable starting order and adjust from there.

Yes — 100% pure pine, zero additives. No glues, binders, dyes, deodorizers, or chemical treatments of any kind. This matters for racing operations because horses housed on chemically treated bedding can absorb trace substances that show up in post-race swabs. Our bedding comes from a manufacturer that produces nothing but pine equine bedding — no other products, no shared lines — which is the most straightforward guarantee of a clean, pure product we can offer.

USDA 319.40-7 is the federal classification for unprocessed wood and wood products meeting phytosanitary (plant health) movement standards. This designation confirms our product has been processed to meet USDA requirements for interstate transport — relevant for racetracks operating across state lines that maintain biosecurity protocols for incoming materials.

Most racing operations order by calling us directly at 502-650-1208 or submitting a quote request online. Because freight cost varies significantly by location and load size, we calculate your delivered price before confirming the order. Once your freight rate is confirmed, we send a secure payment link — no checks or wire transfers required. Turnaround from quote to delivery is typically 5–10 business days for truckload orders.

Yes — we deliver to racetracks, training centers, and private farms across the United States. Freight is quoted based on your location, load size, and current carrier rates. We'll calculate it and include it in your quote so there are no surprises. If you're a track or large training center ordering on a regular schedule, reach out and we'll work out a recurring arrangement that keeps your barn stocked without having to re-quote every time.

Full load minimums:

• Pine Pellets — Full Semi Load: 20 pallets (55 bags each = 1,100 bags / 44,000 lbs)
• Shavings — Full Truckload: 28 pallets (45 bags each)

We also accommodate partial loads (1–19 pallets) via LTL freight. Smaller orders can be picked up from our Goshen, KY location. Contact us for current LTL rates to your region.

Yes — and we encourage it. Recurring delivery schedules allow us to plan production and freight in advance, which means better availability and more consistent lead times for your operation. Many of our track clients order 1–2 times per month on a fixed schedule. Reach out and we'll set up a recurring arrangement with your preferred delivery window.

Less complicated than most people think. For a full semi or truckload, the two common setups are:

• Dock and forklift: Ideal if you have a loading dock. Fastest unload, works great for large operations.
• Tractor or forklift in the yard: Very common at farms and training centers. The driver backs up to your area, you pull pallets off the back with a tractor or forklift. Straightforward and works well in open areas.

Many of our customers do it with nothing more than a pallet jack and a tractor — it really isn't that difficult and it's how a lot of farms receive full loads every day. Just let us know your setup when you request a quote and we'll make sure the carrier and trailer type match what you've got. If you have any access restrictions (low clearance, weight limits on your driveway, etc.) note those too and we'll sort it out.

Our advertised per-pallet pricing includes freight on a full truckload order:

For orders smaller than a full truck, a delivery fee may apply depending on your location and order size. Every situation is a little different, so reach out and we'll give you a straight answer on what delivered pricing looks like for your operation. Email us at info@bluegrassbedding.com and we'll get back to you quickly.

We accept all major forms of payment. Once your order is confirmed, we'll send you a payment link to use — quick and straightforward, no account setup required.

Yes. For track-wide supply contracts or multi-barn operations committing to regular volume, we work on negotiated pricing. Call us at 502-650-1208 or include details in your quote request. We've structured supply agreements for facilities stabling 50–500+ horses that include locked pricing, guaranteed availability windows, and documentation packages for annual HISA facility reviews.