Stable Banks, Are they necessary for a draft horse?

HI guys, I've noticed in a lot of photos where you keep your horse stabled overnight, outside of the UK you don't seem to build banks around the side of the stable. I was told that you have to build up the sides of a horses bed just incase he becomes cast. Now the thing is, I've never personally known this to happen to any of my horses or anyone elses at the yard where they are boarded. Is this because we 'bank' regardless, or is the 'cast' issue a myth? Would really like to hear people's thoughts on this.

Good question, and one I've really wondered about! I always build banks with shavings/sawdust/rice hulls but while I'm aware of the whole tradition of it and the idea it protects horses from getting cast, I'm not really convinced (although it might with straw bedding - lighter beddings tend to move around too much anyway).

Why I did it was to keep some fresh bedding at the edges that I could then pull down into the centre when I'd cleared out the mucky bits. I found it pretty efficient - it saved having to go back to the shed to get more bedding when I did a muck out in the morning. The stuff at the edges stays nice and clean with geldings although less so with mares (all to do with the aim LOL).

Not really. Mine is pretty much the only one in the barn not blanketed. We don't have super cold weather, but even my friends with drafts back east don't blanket them.

I have seen a horse get cast in a stable, so no it's not a myth. Banks will only work to prevent it if they are big - straw sized. So I guess that if you are using shavings, you just hope your horse doesn't do it!

Oops - I read stable blankets - not banks!

And the answer to that for me (in the US) is - never heard of such a thing. All of the horses boarded where I'm at have shavings as bedding. Never had a horse cast yet in the 12 years I've been there.

Don't understand the response? Have you thought you were looking at another post? LOL

SOLON!! but, I'm thrilled to see you back! I hope you're going to stick around for a bit!

Thanks guys. You are confirming what I was thinking. The stables where I keep my boys are huge - about 15ft wide by 25 feet long (each). The only way I could see either of my Clydesdales getting cast is if they lie down right next to the wall and turn over in the night to pull their duvets around them and plump up their pillows. They lie right in the middle of the stable and their hooves, outstretched neck does not touch the side of the stable, no matter how hard they try...Hmm, I may be able to save little bit on bedding.

When I was in Canada I was told the banks were to keep the draft from coming in and keep the box warmer. When I came to Ireland I was told it was too prevent a horse from getting cast. Even with banks I've seen horses get cast so it will not completely eliminate the risk, but it might just prevent it from happening.

As was mentioned above, I tend to put fresh bedding into the banks. I dig out the old banks and put them into the middle of the box, this keeps the old bedding circulating so that it isn't left sitting in the box.

I have seen horses get cast. It seemed to always be the same few though so don't know it was just the way those horses were put together or if their eyes were not so good or what. Either way, getting them up is the key and doing it without getting hurt yourself. We usually get behind them and pull them away from the wall from their head. Once they are a bit further away, they were able to stretch their legs up and get up on their own. More often then not, they were not hurt but they never laid like that long as somene was always around to help them up.

Long term solution for them was actually building up the sides of the stalls with and angled piece of wood and tossing shavings over that.