Get rid of rubber mats?

MarvelVillis

MarvelVillis

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Has anyone got rid of rubber mats in the stable and just left with the concrete underneath? He's currently bedded on straw, which I'm happy with, but the wee just seeps into the cracks of the rubber matting and sits underneath and smells, and then it's a right job to drag them outside and power wash every year. I guess I would just need to put down extra straw to make sure it's warm enough. It's got good draining and the wee should drain out without the rubber mats there. He's barefoot so I don't need to worry about any slips, but I would also make sure straw is covering the entire stable.
 
Yes, I took out most of my rubber mats, albeit I've left 6' wide strips of rubber matting from the doorway to the rear of the stables. I keep that swept clean and it means that they can stand on rubber rather than bare concrete when they stand at their stable doors. This is just a day bed, btw. She has her hay and water over the rubber, I took the photo from the doorway. This is a 16' x 12' stable, there is the same set up in the two 14' x 12' stables.

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I find that it is much easier and less smelly to muck out shavings over concrete, rather than shavings over rubber mats.

I moved the redundant rubber mats to my field shelters, which aren't bedded down. They work better there.
 
I think I would always have the mats despite the smell and work. It's difficult to get a straw bed deep enough to be warm and protective when they lie down. I've never tried this as I don't use straw, but some people put a layer of wood pellets under the straw (on top of the mats) to soak up the wee, which is more easily removed.
 
Another for a 'both' option. Ours have mats where the actual bed is so they don't stand on concrete and we need to buy and use less bedding but it's left without at the front to allow for drainage and to sweep it clean.
 
Mine are on concrete with a big straw bed. I like to lift the beds and leave them up when the horses aren’t in, as it allows the floor to dry out and reduces the smell. (Straw does stink).
I would hate to have to deal with mats and straw, I just don’t think it’s absorbent enough.
 
I don't have rubber mats for the same reason, even after just one night the wee has found its way under and bits of straw get trapped and stink.

I took all the mats out of the bed part and just have one by the door so they don't slip and I can put water buckets on it. Any wee that finds its way under just drains under it and out the door and its easy to fold back if I do need to clean under it.
I make the bed part really thick and have never had a problem and judging by the nicely flattened pony shape that's always left in the morning I think my ponies are quite happy with it.
 
I put a thin layer of shavings at the 2 points of the mats where he pees. He then has a straw bed on top. Straw is included in livery and no reduction for not using it. A bale of shavings lasts 4 weeks or so. I then sweep the shavings out each day. I also have the locking equimats and this means pee dosnt get through and no smells.
 
As above, rubber for standing on and remove the rest.

I’m rather ancient and remember rubber mats becoming an option. I always swore that my horses would have them due to the comfort factor. My old horse only started lying down when he was put onto rubber mats (back in the 90’s).

Current horse gave zero hoots about his comfy and excessively stinky mats being removed and lies down every night without fail. He’s grey so it’s very obvious when he’s had a good nights sleep. As long as it’s a good deep bed (it gets the fork test and old bed put down under new bed) then they are usually fine. I was more concerned about his breathing in the stink of his mats ?
 
I now just have rubber mats in the doorway for the same reason. Has deep bed, straw left up during day. Smells much more pleasant. If had rubber mats on a perfectly flat floor with joined seems then would have mats and straw but can't get them that perfect.
 
I hadn't shifted my mats from my old yard last winter so everyone just had bedding (aubiose) down on concrete including the pony who was on box rest for most of Feb. I found the concrete dried out and it smelt a lot less than when I had mats. My friend's son shifted them all for my on his trailer in Spring and they are currently dumped in one of the empty stables while I try and work out what to do with them - quite expensive ones.
 
I was given mats this winter and I really don't like them. Harder to brush since they're the ones with the channels in, pee gets under them, they don't fit perfectly so they shift and there are lovely little crevices that are horrible to get stuff out of. Miss the plain concrete.

Unfortunately compulsory for noise reduction since there is an apartment over the stables.
 
I deep litter the actual bed part and rubber mat the front bit so they don’t have to stand on bare concrete whilst munching their hay. The pee collects and is held at the bottom of the bedding, it is super thick and warm, and clean on top. The mats don’t collect pee under them this way.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Yes, I took out most of my rubber mats, albeit I've left 6' wide strips of rubber matting from the doorway to the rear of the stables. I keep that swept clean and it means that they can stand on rubber rather than bare concrete when they stand at their stable doors. This is just a day bed, btw. She has her hay and water over the rubber, I took the photo from the doorway. This is a 16' x 12' stable, there is the same set up in the two 14' x 12' stables.

View attachment 101292

I find that it is much easier and less smelly to muck out shavings over concrete, rather than shavings over rubber mats.

I moved the redundant rubber mats to my field shelters, which aren't bedded down. They work better there.
Click to expand...

This is what I’m going to do when we move tomorrow, just one at the front for him to stand on. I’d bed the whole stable down but can’t deal with haylage getting mixed in with his bed ??‍♀️
 
Btomkins said:
I deep litter the actual bed part and rubber mat the front bit so they don’t have to stand on bare concrete whilst munching their hay. The pee collects and is held at the bottom of the bedding, it is super thick and warm, and clean on top. The mats don’t collect pee under them this way.
Click to expand...

Do you find the the mat moves around or is it ‘butted up’ to the edge of the bed and stays put? I’ll be deep littering too so a firmer bed. I hate when they shift around and get bedding trapped underneath.
 
I can’t make my mind up about our mats. I like the extra cushion but my lot are so heavy they do move about slightly which drives me crackers.
 
I have rubber mats over concrete but have also used concrete on its own without rubber matting.

My matting is flush against the side of the stable for the most part, the bit under the yellow water bucket moves because its not flush against the front of the stable but the other mats are flush against the back and sides.

They never smell, even when they are pulled up when the inevitable bit of shavings gets between them and starts lifting the corner edge up and you have to pull out the excess shavings with a hoof pick.

I love my mats, had the same ones since 2005 and they are ideal. I can never understand when people say their mats smell underneath, I had them down in the one stable for 10 years and never lifted them once, when Dad and I pulled them up to move yards they never smelt even slightly.

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Or do what my friend did which was to get the mats professionally sealed in place and with a sort of under-mat drainage system in place which meant they just had to turn on a tap and the mats were cleaned from underneath and the dirty water drained away!
 
I have heavy interlocking mats which fit together very tightly over concrete. And a wet, very heavyweight cob. I bet some wee gets under them, but I use pellets under shavings in the wee spot and remove it daily. He doesn't smell, and as far as I can tell his bed doesn't either, good job as water is very tightly rationed! I know mine lies down from all the shavings on him - and the photos from other liveries who get to the yard earlier than I do. :)
 
I don’t use mats anymore after having to completely clean out a stable at a livery yard and seeing exactly what was under the mats. That was with religious taking out of wet every day and sweeping.

Now I just have concrete floors and a big thick bed, and I can lift the bed up to disinfect and dry the floor when needed.
 
I removed my mats as my horse started coughing. I’m sure the wee sitting under the mats contributed. I use Laysoft bedding which is quite dense plus I do have a mat at the front for him to stand on.
 
I used to have mats with wood pellets beds.

I recently moved pony and have gone back to straw (quite deep), with no mats.

Though I think I am going to put wood or straw pellets underneath once we switch over to them being in at night.
 
When mine were just on straw on concrete, it got wet and slippy underneath, no matter how thick the bed. Though i had a wee foal at the time and he’d run in and skid the length of the stable floor with his antics!

I switched to shaving/pellets, deep bed style, on bare concrete, with rubber mats at front where they stand - much better.

If i did it all again, and just wanted to use only straw - i’d glue down very well fitted new rubber mats, using industrial glues, and seal gaps with acid-resistant epoxy sealer, to create a seamless thick rubber floor, that could be hosed off for a full clean-out. No pee would seep through.
 
I have (had - no horse now) mats on concrete with straw. I don't think they pong any worse than just straw and concrete, and when I do lift them and power hose there really isn't all that much underneath. I'd never go back to just concrete under any bedding; cold, damp and disastrous if a horse gets cast and flails about. Rubber mats are great if you muck out thoroughly and have good drainage.
 
I use shavings and don't have mats underneath the shavings. I only have mats at the front where there is no bed. In the past I've done the same with a straw bed.
 
I only have a 2ft wide mat at the front with a really deep shavings bed on concrete right up to the mat, can't stand rubber matting that is not sealed the bedding gets stuck under them and makes it hard to muck out.
 
throwaway2022 said:
Do you find the the mat moves around or is it ‘butted up’ to the edge of the bed and stays put? I’ll be deep littering too so a firmer bed. I hate when they shift around and get bedding trapped underneath.
Click to expand...

The mats stay pretty much in place. They are tightly fitted up against each other along the front. They might move a few cms now and then but not often. I think they’re more likely to move when placed under a thin bed, as it’s where horses normally get up and down and this force is what causes them to move.
 
My matts are in so tight they dont move. Have been down in that stable about 10 years and not come up. Stable doenst smell.

If i didnt have matts that fit tight in the stable i would only have them at the front as other wise whats the point? The bed just gets under them and it creates more work.
 
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