bedding- should I get rubber/eva mats?

[AGAGE]

I've found that this years straw isn't very good, in as far it it doesn't absorb much at all. Ted has and will always be exceptionally messy and very wet. I have tried him on various bedding, straw, shavings and paper but find that straw is easiest, in that it allows me to muck out quicker! Deep littering doesn't work very well with the new straw either.

He currently has rubber mats down but not the solid type just the ones with small holes in intended for gate areas etc, but my dad got them cheap through work and I figured they would be better than none. I lift the mats up every day and sweep out the wee, trapped in the holes in the mats, which takes extra time, that I don't really have in the morning before work, and it's a pretty foul, smelly job! However, I'm using just as much bedding at the moment to ensure he has a dry and think bed.

Given that we are now paying £2.50/bale of straw, and needing to use so much of the stuff to provide a thick, dry and comfy bed, I thought I might invest in stable mats, but don't know whether EVA or solid rubber is better.

What mats do people find best? Also does anyone know of a good (cheap) supplier?

 

[JoJo_]

I use solid rubber matting. I bought it off Ebay but cant remember what the Ebay shop was! The best bedding I have ever used is flax and I want to put my new boy on it as he is quite wet. Its so absorbent and due to that the smell of amonia is reduced. I semi deep litter on it so its quick and easy to muck out during the week then do full muck out and leave it up for the rubber matting to dry on a weekend.

 

[HazellB]

I've got some Fieldgard matts down that are about ten or twelve years old now and some of the original green matts that are so old I can't remember their brand name! They're all solid rubber and all still as good as new. Money very, very well spent!

Mind you, we're on a mostly turned out system and none of my matts have ever been used by shod horses, so I guess even after 15 years the matts are still on light use rather than heavy, 24/7 use like some yards.

Some years my matts have been totally alone in the stables, with zero bedding, as we've used the boxes 'free range' and bedding would have blown out of the doors that were open day and night. Some years they've been used with shavings, straw or paper, but never as a very thick bed and never deep litter. Last year I used wood pellets and will do so again this year.

Fieldgard have made the best matts IMO. I have the legged ones with a few extra of the mini matts that hold them together and find it works well. Only a very diligent horse can dig them up but I have found horses dashing about with wet hooves can slip on them sometimes without bedding.

In short, even if you're offered very old matts they might just be worth looking at if the price is right!