EVA vs Rubber matting - will it cope with a boxwalker?

[Arkmiido]

I'm looking at EVA mats both for thickness, softness, lightweight, small sections etc and they seem to be better value for money ie about 2/3 of the price..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330471361609&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
However one of my horses is a boxwalker (at times, not constantly) and I'm just wondering if his shod feet would trash these mats or if thy would cope? Tempted to get him a stable of traditional thick rubber matting, and the others can have the softer EVA stuff?
Any thoughts or suggestions? Or ideas where to buy cheap rubber matting online....

 

[Kmmilner]

Hi I bought my 17hh Warmblood horse that box walks EVA mats, they are great in that they are lightweightand easy to fit etc but they have spread terribly with him walking on them all the time. The surface has held up well but the actual mats are constantly expanding and in places have gone very thin where they have expanded. As they expand, even into the 1/4 inch gap round the edge that is recomended they bubble up and every 2-3 weeks we end up lifting them and cutting bits off to make them fit. I am building some new stables next year defo wont be putting EVA in them, they will get standard rubber matting.

 

[Arkmiido]

hmmm that's good to know, I suspected EVA and a rhinelander who throws himself at the walls might be a bad combo. Have you got EVA for any other horses - does it cope with 'normal' barefoot horses who mostly eat and sleep while they are in??!

 

[Louby]

Id get heavy duty normal mats for them all to be honest. Im only saying this as my wagon was lined with eva, bottom half and one kick and he had a perfect horseshoe shaped hole in it.
I got mine for my stable a few years ago fom a company on Ebay in the West Mids I think, the delivery was expensive but Im sure they were about £24 each. It does work out expensive but they last years.