Cow mats for stables

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Herts05

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As per title, has anyone used these instead of horse rubber matting in their stable.

What are the pros and cons and, in particular, are they non slip?
 
some of the stables at my yard had them. They were ok so long as the horse wasn't too heavy as they just weren't up to holding the weight of the bigger horses and tended to wear away. They were a little slippery as well so not the best thing to use unless you have a perfectly square stable where they will stay put in place. In the rectangular shaped boxes they tended to move about, though this was also the stables with the bigger horses in.
 
We've had stablemats in our stables for the past 12 years with no injuries or problems. We dont even use anybedding - they are warm for the horse to lie on, and they get turned into the outdoor every morning for a wee and a play. We've not had any injuries at all that i can recall. However, we do chuck a bucket of water on them morning and night then squeegee them down so poo juice doesnt make them slippy (still 10x quicker than straw). We’ve kept between 8 and 14 horses during that period.
 
AS I'm married to a dairy farmer I have the cow variety in both my stables, I also used to work for a company who sold them. The ones we sold were made from exactly the same materials for horses and cattle , the horse one were slightly thicker (30mm as oppose to 25mm if I remember correctly). Just as with lots of other things, the price is upped for the equine market:rolleyes: and I've had everything from a shetland to a 17hh IDx on mine with no problems :)
 
Thanks for all the replies to date. Am a little worried that they might be slippery, although I would still put bedding down. I'm assuming that as long as the wet is soaked up by the bedding then they would be no more risk of slipping than on rubber matting?

Also I am looking at the 22mm thickness as this seems to be the one recommended for horses
 
I have had my cow mats for 7 years, as good as new. Mine are not slippy and are thicker and softer than the horse mats. I have had up to a 17hh on them with no problems.
 
I love my EVA cow mats. They do expand a bit when you first put them down but once they settle you are sorted. They are far warmer and softer than the usual hard rubber horse mats :D
 
GeeUp&Go said:
We've had stablemats in our stables for the past 12 years with no injuries or problems. We dont even use anybedding - they are warm for the horse to lie on, and they get turned into the outdoor every morning for a wee and a play. We've not had any injuries at all that i can recall. However, we do chuck a bucket of water on them morning and night then squeegee them down so poo juice doesnt make them slippy (still 10x quicker than straw). We’ve kept between 8 and 14 horses during that period.
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So you have no bedding at all??

How are they warm? Dont your horses get urine burn from wee splashing up their legs if they are peeing onto a hard surface??
 
Herts05 said:
As per title, has anyone used these instead of horse rubber matting in their stable.

What are the pros and cons and, in particular, are they non slip?
Click to expand...

We found they were no good for shod feed, didn't last very long. If you want something softer than the pimple horse rubber matting, you could try equimats, they do those green ones that lock together which are quite expensive, but years ago I had some black ones that were the cheaper version that didn't lock together, I've been at my yard nearly 12 years and I got them not longer after moving there, they are still going strong, might be worth contacting the company to see if they have a cheaper version
 
I've found a place that offers a no quibble 10 year guarantee on their mats, so I'm going to get the 34mm ones from Mayomats. Thanks for everyone's feedback, very helpful
 
I've got one stable of cow mats and one of equimats - both are excellent.

My cow mats are nearing 12 years old, and are still perfectly useable. Mine have been marked by shoes with road nails in, but these are surface marks, and don't affect the use of the mats.
 
I think theyre fine aslong as the stables arent draughty (we designed our own stables). No probs with wee burns etc. Most mornings theyre let in the arena for a play together, so wee then. Its only my big 17.2 softy pants that we try and keep out of the stables (mainly so he can keep walking in the arena overnight (covered) as we dont want him to get stiff - hes 16). We have 20yo ponies that have had no bedding for 12+ yrs with no probs
 
Herts05 said:
As per title, has anyone used these instead of horse rubber matting in their stable.

What are the pros and cons and, in particular, are they non slip?
Click to expand...

Ive got them, but would not buy them again to be honest. If you have a lighter horse without shoes you will be ok, but mine have flattened at the edges, and my horse had shredded them getting up from lying down - she does had road nail though. They are really light so you need them to fit snug, and you will still need bedding to soak up wee & poo juice!
 
GeeUp&Go said:
No probs with wee burns etc. Most mornings theyre let in the arena for a play together, so wee then.
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Sounds to me like they hold it in all night - great for their uninary tract.

Rubber matting and no bedding is my pet hate - warm or not.

They generally don't want to pee on it (see above :rolleyes:) and don't want to sleep on it if they have peed. Don't blame them either.:(

I have matting in my stables but they still get a full bed :)
 
forestfantasy said:
Sounds to me like they hold it in all night - great for their uninary tract.

Rubber matting and no bedding is my pet hate - warm or not.

They generally don't want to pee on it (see above :rolleyes:) and don't want to sleep on it if they have peed. Don't blame them either.:(

I have matting in my stables but they still get a full bed :)
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I agree, no bedding = disgustingly stinky stable and rugs and horse. can't stand it. It has to be an absorbency bedding not a drainage bed too imho (unless you have the porous rubber with grid underneath that can be rinsed daily, which would be great).
i put half beds in my stables, they can lie on the bedding or the (clean, dry) matting, but there's plenty of bedding to soak up the wee. my stables NEVER smell, i'm really fussy, they have to be clean enough for me to sleep in every night! ammonia is nasty nasty nasty stuff.
It's all very well to say that horses in the wild don't make nests yadda yadda, but also, horses in the wild keep moving, so they won't lie down where they've pooed and wee'd!
 
I have EVA cow mats from e-bay - they are lightweight, easy to lift and clean, and soft and comfortable. I put a full thickness shavings bed in my horses's stable, but just to the back half - the front is bare. He is 16.3hh CD x TB so hardly lightweight, and fully shod. You can see hoofprints and the odd scrape or gouge, but in 2 years of use they still function fine. They don't move at all, as I have got them snuggly fitting and packed the perimeter expansion gaps required with shavings.

I use a lighter sprinkle of shavings in my pony's stable, as she is very messy and I have to take them all out, however deep thye are! For this the mats are invaluable as I know that even if she moves about leaving bare patches, she won't bash herself on concrete. Also because she is so wet (cushings), I can slip the front mat out easily and hose the (sealed) floor down, then plonk the mat back in - clean and non smelly floor!
 
I have eva cow mats from Mole Valley Farmers, been down for 10 years, they're brilliant. Thick, warm, light and easy to take out by yourself to wash out the stables. The stables have been used by all the heavies, Shire stallion included, without any problems.
 
There is no such thing as 'cow mats' vs 'horse mats' but there are loads of different makes of mats, some better than others. I have fitted mayo mats and have just been to a farm that has some that are 25 years old.
Find a good cow mat would be my advice, they come out of the same factory as good horse mats but are cheaper;)
 
EVA Mayo Mats/Cow Gomfort mats are fine for horses. I've had mine for almost 20 years and they are still perfectly fine. All my stables are done with them - and slippery??? Not at all. Far less than those solid things, anyway.

Get the horse Comfort ones if you really want to go mad... ;)
 
I have used EVA mats, no wear after four years, mostly unshod, my boy hates a splish splash and will hold on for quite a few hours [squirms], so in winter, I always have an area with a few inches of wood chip, he uses this or on to a bit of old hay. The mats could be slippy if wet and so I would always use enough bedding to form proper walls and also a light covering over mats. I hate stinky beds.
They don't move on a flat floor and can be lifted every week/month in winter for washing, I sprinkle a light covering of sawdust on floor under the mats. The walls retain the mats, so no need to cover whole floor.
 
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