EVA matting + no bedding (field shelter etc)

[Reacher]

Hi,

Does anyone use EVA matting in their field shelter without bedding? My horse currently has rubber matting covering whole floor and bedding similar to easybed, and I leave his door open so he can amble around his yard at will. Part of the yard is a muddy grassy area. He does like to wee in his bed, though he can wee on the grassy area.

Due to the cost of bedding plus we have to manually load a borrowed muck spreader once a month, which is hard work, I have toyed with putting down some EVA matting on top of rubber across about half of the stable to make a softer sleeping area (the rubber is too hard to sleep on on its own) and doing without bedding. The other advantage I can see is making the stable less dusty.
Problems are I'm not sure how to make up "banks" around the edge.
Also would he still try and wee on the matting?

Does anyone do anything similar?

Thanks a lot

 

[juliette]

I tried to get away with minimal bedding on rubber mats in my field shelter and it was a nightmare!

Floor got wet, slippery and dangerous.

Horse did wee on it and then nothing soaked it up - then he layed in it.........................! Yes he is disgusting.

I'd find another way if I was you.

Deep littering all winter would be better than this. I have a friend who just puts straw down, minimal cleaning out, just puts a little bit more straw on as required. She used only 10 bales of straw last winter and just did one huge clear out in the summer. Sounds disgusting but it actually was a lot better than you would imagine, horses didn't smell and she never rugs. She has 2 horses on this arrangement and they just go in and out as they fancy. Tend to go in at night and out during day, but no gates or doors, just as they like.

With regard to banks, you could fit anti cast strips instead?

Sometimes when I am mucking out every day and getting through 2-3 bales of shavings a week I wonder who is the mug? Me or my friend?!