Mud control mats - are they really worth it?

[kerilli]

How does one go about ordering like, 4 at a time? I'd like to try them in a few spots, but certainly can't afford a full pallets worth!

We will send out samples, 2 packs of 2 slabs weighs 28kg though (not cheap to post!) so we can't do it for nothing. Please get on contact via the Facebook page or the Www.mudcontrol.co.uk website and we will sort it out for you

 

[HappyHollyDays]

That sounds like a good plan.

Thank you for the picture Lindylouanne - do the horses lie down on them okay? Probably a daft question, but we have a couple of retired, including one old lady, and they do like to have a laze

Yes they do lay down on them. To give you an idea of usage the horses are on them all day in the winter during daylight hours and in the summer all morning before being turned out onto grass paddocks. Once the horses go onto grass full time they aren't used but that's only about 2 months of the year so plenty of use. I know they are expensive but given how long they last they are a sound investment and the beauty is you can add to them. You can also make the paddocks any shape or size with the use of electric fencing, the poles just slot into the holes in the mats.

Please note I have no link to either company but having seen them first hand I'm just incredibly impressed with the concept.

 

[MrsMozart]

Yes they do lay down on them. To give you an idea of usage the horses are on them all day in the winter during daylight hours and in the summer all morning before being turned out onto grass paddocks. Once the horses go onto grass full time they aren't used but that's only about 2 months of the year so plenty of use. I know they are expensive but given how long they last they are a sound investment and the beauty is you can add to them. You can also make the paddocks any shape or size with the use of electric fencing, the poles just slot into the holes in the mats.

Please note I have no link to either company but having seen them first hand I'm just incredibly impressed with the concept.

Thank you. They do sound incredibly useful. Got me thinking how we can use the land and them. New to the field so don't know what it'll hold up to as yet.

 

[kerilli]

That sounds like a good plan.

Thank you for the picture Lindylouanne - do the horses lie down on them okay? Probably a daft question, but we have a couple of retired, including one old lady, and they do like to have a laze

The Mudcontrol slabs are rock hard, as hard as concrete, so need either rubber or EVA stable mats on top, or lots of bedding (a pain to muck out with it going down the holes though!) or over topping with lots of sand for a lying-down area.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I measured yesterday and will need fifty for the area I want to cover. I debated making it wider than that so that it could also be used to stand for the farrier without bringing in, but I can't see our poor farrier wanting to trudge half a mile from the yard to the field, and I would feel guilty even asking him, especially in the depths of winter! So I've decided to focus on just having a nice dry walkway through the boggy section.

 

[kerilli]

I measured yesterday and will need fifty for the area I want to cover. I debated making it wider than that so that it could also be used to stand for the farrier without bringing in, but I can't see our poor farrier wanting to trudge half a mile from the yard to the field, and I would feel guilty even asking him, especially in the depths of winter! So I've decided to focus on just having a nice dry walkway through the boggy section.

Do you mean 50 slabs or 50 square metres? 50 slabs is £345 including VAT + delivery, and definitely worth trying to share the delivery to divide the delivery cost. The Facebook group for shared pallet deliveries is worth a look.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Do you mean 50 slabs or 50 square metres? 50 slabs is £345 including VAT + delivery, and definitely worth trying to share the delivery to divide the delivery cost. The Facebook group for shared pallet deliveries is worth a look.

Fifty slabs, yes.

 

[Zibby]

hi, I have some of the mudcontrol slabs - just one slight cautionary note that our horses found these *very* slippery to walk over, so might be best to put down some sand/fine gravel just to take off that initial slipperiness.

Other than they they have really gone down well and are providing a much better surface on the really squelchy gate areas than the rubber grass mats. The grass mats have been fine where there is at least a reasonable grass covering when you put them down as it provides some protection from the hooves sinking in.

 

[ester]

shod or unshod zibby?

 

[Zibby]

One shod all round, the other fronts only but both slipped.

 

[ester]

thanks we have one of each but the shod one is more of a liability in life generally

 

[MrsMozart]

Probably a daft question, but is there a maximum mud depth that they'll work with / stop working?

I'm very interested and am working out how many we want versus what we need - it'll be a cost thing so will have to add to them over time.

 

[Zibby]

Can't comment on max depth. Qur gateway was about fetlock deep, but as we are on clay soil, the top layer gets wet very quickly but it takes a lot of consistent rain for it to really sink through and get very deep. The slabs are approx 10cms deep themselves.

 

[kerilli]

hi, I have some of the mudcontrol slabs - just one slight cautionary note that our horses found these *very* slippery to walk over, so might be best to put down some sand/fine gravel just to take off that initial slipperiness.

Other than they they have really gone down well and are providing a much better surface on the really squelchy gate areas than the rubber grass mats. The grass mats have been fine where there is at least a reasonable grass covering when you put them down as it provides some protection from the hooves sinking in.

The manufacturer's recommendation for use of the slabs for animals is to add sand on top and we strongly endorse this. Some horses don't find them at all slippery, others do. Sand on top helps a lot, definitely.

 

[kerilli]

Probably a daft question, but is there a maximum mud depth that they'll work with / stop working?

I'm very interested and am working out how many we want versus what we need - it'll be a cost thing so will have to add to them over time.

They won't sink, they all interlink and support one another, and they will allow the mud/soil underneath to stabilise. If it's very sloppy then mud/slop will come up through the holes, Of course, and need scraping off, as will mud carried onto the slabs.
So they can be laid on deep mud, and will cope.

 

[MrsMozart]

They won't sink, they all interlink and support one another, and they will allow the mud/soil underneath to stabilise. If it's very sloppy then mud/slop will come up through the holes, Of course, and need scraping off, as will mud carried onto the slabs.
So they can be laid on deep mud, and will cope.

Thank you kindly I thought they'd cope with it, just wondered yesterday as I waded through just-over-short-welly-top primordial gunge.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The manufacturer's recommendation for use of the slabs for animals is to add sand on top and we strongly endorse this. Some horses don't find them at all slippery, others do. Sand on top helps a lot, definitely.

Does adding sand completely stop horses from slipping on the slabs?

 

[kerilli]

Does adding sand completely stop horses from slipping on the slabs?

 

[kerilli]

It depends on the horse tbh. Many are fine with no sand. Or you can just add a bit. Or add lots, like this :

This video is of some of my horses on the slabs after a hard frost (when the gravel yard was lethally slippery but the slabs were alright).

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks for posting the videos. Interesting.

 

[kerilli]

Thanks for posting the videos. Interesting.

Loads more on the YouTube channel, worth a look hopefully. Thanks.

 

[TPO]

Off Topic: is the chestnut in your video Jinny?

 

[kerilli]

Off Topic: is the chestnut in your video Jinny?

Yep, big fuzzy orange wobbly pet, bless her.

 

[TPO]

Yep, big fuzzy orange wobbly pet, bless her.

Aww glad you've still got her and that shes doing well after everything

P.S I received the invoice and I'll phone you tomorrow to pay for the slabs. Thank you

 

[kerilli]

Aww glad you've still got her and that shes doing well after everything

P.S I received the invoice and I'll phone you tomorrow to pay for the slabs. Thank you

Aww thanks. She's an absolute sweetheart, a very nice pet, since that's all she can be. But she's not exactly straight (as you can see!) hence me trying to keep her sensible with my voice, didn't want her trying to whizz round the corner by me!
Look forward to speaking tomorrow