Migavie
Member
Hi, I’m considering buying these but finding the idea of no bedding a bit strange. Has any used them and would you recommend?
Fieldguard complete horse bedding mats?
- Thread starter Migavie
- Start date
HappyHollyDays
Slave to a house cat, 4 yard cats and 2 ponies
If they are to go in a field shelter then a thin layer of shavings or pellets to soak up the wee that is fine but if they are for a stable and the horse is going to be stabled all night then not in a million years would I use them without a decent size thick bed for the horse to lay down on. I wouldn’t like to have my mattress taken away and be made to sleep on the bed slats.
paddy555
Well-Known Member
I put my first lot of field guard mats down in 1993, I have several stables matted this way and I still have the original mats that have been in use daily since 1993 so they have lasted pretty well.
Recently I had to mat a stable in an emergency and the only mats available immediately were the mayo comfort mattress. Never again.
The thin layer of shavings is nothing to do with soaking up wee it is to cover the dung with a light layer of shavings in order to make it easier and cleaner to pick up. I use about a supermarket shopping basket to cover the whole stable. The joins in the mats are where the wee goes. Too many shavings and you block the drainage joins up so they become pointless.
They would be terrible in a field shelter. They need to go on a concrete floor. We went to look at some before buying them and they were awful. I walked away but OH pointed out why they were failing and that was the drainage. He re did our stable floors to have a slight slope on the concrete to a drain in each stable which then went into a drainage system outside of the stables. That is why they stay dry. The mats are locked pretty tight and whilst there is always some smell with matting or with a deep litter bed we found far less ammonia in the air with the fieldguard mats than with the previously deep littered shavings beds or with the mayo mats. I trim horses in the stables so my eyes are pretty low to the ground and they don't get bothered by ammonia. It smells pretty sweet down there.
They are easy to pick up to take out to clean unlike some of the 6 x 4 mats.
They are nice to lie down on, soft but supporting. They feel nothing like bed slats. I could quite happily go to sleep on them. They are also warm. We bought our original lot for a 30yo with stiffness issues.. They made a lot of difference to him.
Our horses lie down on them nightly. The mats are clean so the rugs remain clean. The whole stable can be swept out very quickly and so is always clean. It is far easier to keep the stables dry with the fieldguards than ordinary mats. Even with bedding on ordinary mats you still get a wet soggy large patch.
people try and compare ordinary mats with fieldguard mats. One sort are designed for bedding and the others are not.
If mine ever wear out which doesn't seem likely I would replace them with FGs.
Recently I had to mat a stable in an emergency and the only mats available immediately were the mayo comfort mattress. Never again.
The thin layer of shavings is nothing to do with soaking up wee it is to cover the dung with a light layer of shavings in order to make it easier and cleaner to pick up. I use about a supermarket shopping basket to cover the whole stable. The joins in the mats are where the wee goes. Too many shavings and you block the drainage joins up so they become pointless.
They would be terrible in a field shelter. They need to go on a concrete floor. We went to look at some before buying them and they were awful. I walked away but OH pointed out why they were failing and that was the drainage. He re did our stable floors to have a slight slope on the concrete to a drain in each stable which then went into a drainage system outside of the stables. That is why they stay dry. The mats are locked pretty tight and whilst there is always some smell with matting or with a deep litter bed we found far less ammonia in the air with the fieldguard mats than with the previously deep littered shavings beds or with the mayo mats. I trim horses in the stables so my eyes are pretty low to the ground and they don't get bothered by ammonia. It smells pretty sweet down there.
They are easy to pick up to take out to clean unlike some of the 6 x 4 mats.
They are nice to lie down on, soft but supporting. They feel nothing like bed slats.
I could quite happily go to sleep on them. They are also warm. We bought our original lot for a 30yo with stiffness issues.. They made a lot of difference to him.Our horses lie down on them nightly. The mats are clean so the rugs remain clean. The whole stable can be swept out very quickly and so is always clean. It is far easier to keep the stables dry with the fieldguards than ordinary mats. Even with bedding on ordinary mats you still get a wet soggy large patch.
people try and compare ordinary mats with fieldguard mats. One sort are designed for bedding and the others are not.
If mine ever wear out which doesn't seem likely I would replace them with FGs.
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poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I just had to look them up, so I think they look fairly good in theory... but my first worry would be that my horses won’t wee unless there is a bad down because of the splash. It’s all very well saying it soaks away in seconds but I still don’t think my own horses would wee and I wouldn’t want them either trying to hold it or getting stressed about it.
Secondly you’d still want a fairly well drained stable- wouldn’t you?
Again fab it drains under in seconds but what then? It just sits underneath ?
Not sure about that really
Secondly you’d still want a fairly well drained stable- wouldn’t you?
Again fab it drains under in seconds but what then? It just sits underneath ?
Not sure about that really
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Just read P555 about the drainage.
Perfect if you can redo your floors, I’d still worry about the horse being willing to wee though.
Perfect if you can redo your floors, I’d still worry about the horse being willing to wee though.
paddy555
Well-Known Member
. Some of ours save it up all day and come in to wee. Nothing like your own loo!!!
I have one FG matted stable allocated solely as a pee area for one horse and he does it in there with no problem.
OP, in normal times I would suggest you just ring FG and ask them for a couple of names of local people who will let you see their mats. That is the normal thing to do. Not sure however in these difficult times.
Migavie
Member
Thanks for the replies.They are really helpful. My stable floors do slope downwards towards the door and there is a drainage space beside the door . From the website it suggests that would be sufficient. I do wonder about my 25 year old being prepared to wee. I might ask FG for some names of local users and at least speak to them on the phone.