Mud control mats and slipping

[BBP]

For those with mud control mats, what did you put through them and how deep a layer do you have over the top of them? Do you have an issue with horses slipping on them?

All 4 of my horses have not just slipped but have completely decked themselves on our mats, to the point where I now refuse to use them. Before I get rid of the lot of them, is there a solution to make them safe? My bunch are a playful lot at times so I can’t guarantee they wont run across them.

 

[fidleyspromise]

A friend has some and put sand down on them. Tipped bags out and then just spread it over them with a shovel so it's not a thick layer.
She's not had any issues with slipping.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our horses are unshod, they have been in place long enough for grass to be growing through and our soil is sandy. I have seen the cob fall onto them once but she actually slipped on a turn before she got to the mats. We put a layer of sand on top when we first put the mats down and in the shelter, where the mats form the floor, we use shavings.

 

[TPO]

Sharp sand and a decent layer of it has stopped slipping.

I've got them in a temp position just now so haven't put as much sand over them. The uncoordinated standardbred had a bad slip on them when he was being an eejit

 

[rabatsa]

Mine had sharp sand and grass seed. The sand has worn away to the mats but the grass stops the majority of slipping.

 

[FestiveG]

I think the type of soil you are on might have some impact. We have very sandy soil, unshod horses and no real problem

 

[Shilasdair]

They sound dangerous.
Not sure I'd want one of mine falling on hard plastic like that...besides I'd be concerned about the plastics leaching into the soil, etc.
Maybe ask the manufacturers though - they must have had a number of queries/claims about accidents?

 

[TGM]

I put either sand or soaked wood pellets on mine when they were first laid, but haven't refreshed the topping since. Mine have been fine on them without any more slippage than you would get on normal ground. I did, however, make sure that the bit of the paddock where the lunatic likes to gallop alongside the fenceline was left unmatted, just in case.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

They sound dangerous.
Not sure I'd want one of mine falling on hard plastic like that...besides I'd be concerned about the plastics leaching into the soil, etc.
Maybe ask the manufacturers though - they must have had a number of queries/claims about accidents?

If mine hadn't landed on the mats she would have landed in a layer of mud on top of rock, so wouldn't have been much, if any better, off

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If mine hadn't landed on the mats she would have landed in a layer of mud on top of rock, so wouldn't have been much, if any better, off

The manufacturer recommends a layer of sand to mitigate against slipping

 

[jnb]

If they are installed to the manufacturer's instruction (which is included with your invoice) (i.e a layer of sharp not builder's sand to stabilise and minimise slipping they are absolutely fine.

I have proved this by recently adding a new "patio" to a new shelter and due to my partner having a hip replacement and me having knee surgery plus other assorted disasters, I forgot to sand the new ones - grass has now grown through them so it's too late (till winter) to sand them, my cob has slipped slightly once or twice on the unsanded ones so now walks over them - the original sanded ones, he will happily trot over.

They are recycled hard plastic and will not leach into the ground - certainly a darn sight less than rubber grass mats which I find largely useless, anyway!

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Sand over the top as per instructions on ordering or I'm my case let the grass grow through

 

[pistolpete]

Sand or wood pellet worked for me.

 

[BBP]

We put sand through them as per instructions but there isn’t a thick layer on top or anything, and that’s what I’m starting to think they need, may as well put another arena in! In BBPs case because of how he moves he did the splits just walking across them so I can’t even use them as a walkway for him. The other 3 seem fine walking across them but all 3 slipped and went down whilst either running across the matted area, spooking and accelerating turning or stopping sharply. All 4 are unshod. We are on clay so the mats are currently not bedded in or grown through, they are just mats with sand and gravel.

 

[BBP]

They sound dangerous.
Not sure I'd want one of mine falling on hard plastic like that...besides I'd be concerned about the plastics leaching into the soil, etc.
Maybe ask the manufacturers though - they must have had a number of queries/claims about accidents?

I think I’ll do this. BBP falls over on anything so I wasn’t surprised with him and never let him loose over them, but I was pretty shocked to see the other 3 hit the deck. We followed the instructions given.

 

[BBP]

If they are installed to the manufacturer's instruction (which is included with your invoice) (i.e a layer of sharp not builder's sand to stabilise and minimise slipping they are absolutely fine.

Definitely not absolutely fine for my crew sadly. Huge investment in mats, sharp sand and some gravel and effort. Perhaps if my horses never broke out of a walk I’d have more confidence but they tend to scoot around at times.

 

[TPO]

Installation instructions are here.

From personal experience a 1t bag of sand per pallet does provide a decent cover over the slabs.

https://www.mudcontrol.co.uk/installation

 

[SEL]

Definitely not absolutely fine for my crew sadly. Huge investment in mats, sharp sand and some gravel and effort. Perhaps if my horses never broke out of a walk I’d have more confidence but they tend to scoot around at times.

I've had my barefoot lot gallop flat out over them without issue. The shod newby slips so I'll cover with sand before winter I think

 

[honetpot]

I just put builders sand down on mine, the floor which is mud was uneven and it took 2tonne to fill, top and settle, for a full pack.. I do not keep them clean, as I do not want the sand to dry out. The cows tend to slip more than ponies, so I leave a bit of straw bedding on top. Compared to concrete and rubber mats, which I have a lot of, they are not as slippery, and certainly less likely to cause injury than concrete as they have some give. They didn't budge all winter, and I expected to have to relay some of them where the sand had run out, as it dried at the edges.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The issue of slipping on mud control mats comes up repeatedly.

They are not something something that I would ever spend my hard earned cash on.

Hardcore or road planings do the job here without the slipping hazard.

 

[BBP]

Ok in fairness rereading the instructions it does say you may need a lot more if you want it deep enough for playing on. The bulk bag per pallet definitely wasn’t enough for grip so looks like I need a good amount more.

 

[BBP]

The issue of slipping on mud control mats comes up repeatedly.

They are not something something that I would ever spend my hard earned cash on.

Hardcore or road planings do the job here without the slipping hazard.

That’s my other option is to extend my planning permission for a larger hard standing or track.

 

[rabatsa]

I bought a metal detector after getting some hardcore. We removed bucketfuls of metal trash from tin cans to staple gun staples, this was meant to be clean crush as well. After nearly a dozen wagon loads of the stuff I was really pleased to discover the mud control slabs.

I was dreading getting a nail or something in their feet for several years.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I bought a metal detector after getting some hardcore. We removed bucketfuls of metal trash from tin cans to staple gun staples, this was meant to be clean crush as well.

What hardcore was this? Building waste? By hardcore I mean crusher run fresh from the quarry, so no metal bits, just variously sized stones down to dust. It soon beds in.

We've got lots of it now down in various places, and have never had any contaminated loads. That must have been a nightmare.

 

[SEL]

I bought a metal detector after getting some hardcore. We removed bucketfuls of metal trash from tin cans to staple gun staples, this was meant to be clean crush as well. After nearly a dozen wagon loads of the stuff I was really pleased to discover the mud control slabs.

I was dreading getting a nail or something in their feet for several years.

They relaid our local bridlepath with hardcore like that then covered it with a layer of earth. I saw it before it was covered and wouldn't take a horse near it even now!

ETA - I'd go for some form of hardcore loafing area & tracks if it didn't involve planning, but I don't want the council around and mud mats don't need it. Mine are in gateways and outside the shelter so perhaps not in areas where slip risk is high?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

They relaid our local bridlepath with hardcore like that then covered it with a layer of earth. I saw it before it was covered and wouldn't take a horse near it even now!

ETA - I'd go for some form of hardcore loafing area & tracks if it didn't involve planning, but I don't want the council around and mud mats don't need it. Mine are in gateways and outside the shelter so perhaps not in areas where slip risk is high?

Ours are in a gateway and as an apron for and flooring in, the shelter.

 

[honetpot]

The issue of slipping on mud control mats comes up repeatedly.

They are not something something that I would ever spend my hard earned cash on.

Hardcore or road planings do the job here without the slipping hazard.

Not here. I am on clay, and spent £10k on drainage and gateways, and our front yard is hard cored about every two years, with Terram underneath. The field gateway which has a land drain beside it with a foot deep hardcore, as maintenance it had mesh and two lots of Type 1 to top up whacked, I just think if I had known after the drainage I would have better off with Mudcontrol mats.
I think the main positive about them is you can do any maintenance your self, if I want the yard redoing or a gateway, I have to get a lorry with the stone, and a something to shift and whack it down, and pay someone to do it unless, we can get a trade. I laid the mats and the 2tonne of sand myself, I am 64 and in no rush.
Having got both, hard core and planning is no safer, and once its down you're stuck with it. It also has no resale value, in fact you would have to pay someone to scrape it away, if I ever wished to concrete you can lift them up, move them and sell them.

 

[brighteyes]

Woah, lots of disdain for a product which is perfectly safe if sand-topped until greenery grows through, can be lifted and moved or left and forgotten about!

Yes I bought some, no I’m not on commission and I also directly sniffed at the product and cost when they launched here.

Road planings and hardcore are just as nasty, if not worse and are permanent, need topping up and will shift, get stuck in feet and not allow vehicles across unless huge amounts of digging out and preparation is done. The claims about the versatility MCMs are true. Mine walk sensibly over them. Unshod and sometimes Scoot-booted. Scoots don’t slip at all, interestingly.

 

[Hallo2012]

mine are under about 2 ton of mixed sand and fibre and used as turnout pens in the worst of the winter, they haven't had a full winters work yet but definitely no slipping so far.

 

[stimpy]

I bought a pallet a few years ago to use for a small track and in a gateway. I laid them on sharp sand and topped with more sand, I had a 1 tonne bag for the job. I had awful problems with slipping, affecting all my horses who were a mix of shod and unshod at that time. Watching my very elderly thoroughbred skiing on them was not at all pleasant. I pulled them all back up again and sold most of them, I kept 10 or so to use in the garden and under vehicles. They certainly worked well to provide solid footing on our bottomless clay but I found them so awful for slipping that they were dangerous. In the end I laid a proper stone surface over a membrane with drainage stone underneath which worked out the same in terms of cost.