Mud control mats - are they really worth it?

What's the postage like for NI? I'd quite like to have a small area of hard standing in our winter paddock, but we often find that the cost for delivery of items from the mainland to here is extortionate.
 
KittenInTheTree said:
What's the postage like for NI? I'd quite like to have a small area of hard standing in our winter paddock, but we often find that the cost for delivery of items from the mainland to here is extortionate.
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Delivery is per pallet, and we have a Facebook group (MUDCONTROL group for Shared Pallet Deliveries) with hundreds of members, looking for local people to share a delivery, which slashes costs (divided between 2, 3 or 4 sharers). It's about £150 including VAT to deliver to you.
(We can get 140 slabs on a pallet if you can accept delivery from an 18 tonner, or 100 slabs on a pallet if you need delivery to be on a smaller lorry.)
 
I think a few people are confusing MudControl mats (the proper ones!) with grass mats which is like mistaking a top of the range Range Rover with a clapped out old Skoda 4wd!
I have only managed to put down half of the 8m2 of MudControl mats down so far but they’re unbelievably good & my cob now chooses to walk into his shelter on them rather than the hoof deep mud caused by yesterdays deluge! Can’t recommend them enough & no I don’t work for them
 
jnb said:
I think a few people are confusing MudControl mats (the proper ones!) with grass mats which is like mistaking a top of the range Range Rover with a clapped out old Skoda 4wd!
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Oi, there’s nothing wrong with a Skoda 4x4 :p!! But I agree with you, there is much understandable confusion on this thread as to which product is being referred to.

I still have some traditional grass mats which have been around for ages, and have limitations as many of us have found.

The OP is asking about a newish to the UK product which are ‘Mudcontrol INB slabs’. Eyewateringly expensive to cover a large area, but they look to do a very good job. I would have been interested in them a few years ago if they’d been available then, it would have saved me putting down a lot of the hardcore that I have.
 
windand rain said:
Will say the mud control mats I was referring to were slabs like those made of concrete I think with holes to fill will either gravel or soil and seed which gave a secure surface but they did sink and become uneven if not initially laid on a good surface
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they weren't mud control mats then, I do think it is a shame for the company that they get reviews posted for completely different products.
 
Nasicus said:
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!
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I'd look on the Shared Delivery Facebook page mentioned above - my understanding is you pay the same for delivery whether you order 1 or 100, so might be worth seeing whether anyone having a delivery locally would let you just collect four from them. I'll be ordering again at some point - whereabouts are you?
 
BBP said:
Just worked out the cost for a 10x10 area around my horse arc field shelter and it’s pretty eye watering. Those of you that have then, how have you found them? I never wanted to invest before as it was rented land but this is our own and heavy clay so trying to create enough all weather turnout for all of them between arena, hard standing, concrete yard and mud mats.
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Three winters ago we did an area with stone and fieldguard field mats on top, and they still look good, and definitely keep our 12hh pony who lives out much cleaner etc.



FIona
 
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NLPM said:
I'd look on the Shared Delivery Facebook page mentioned above - my understanding is you pay the same for delivery whether you order 1 or 100, so might be worth seeing whether anyone having a delivery locally would let you just collect four from them. I'll be ordering again at some point - whereabouts are you?
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That's an idea! And Devon, but I shall definitely check out the page!
 
I bought quite a lot of Mud Control Mats over about a year ago 😑 I put two x three stable/shelters at right angles to make a yard area, because of the rush to get it done we didn't level it that well and part of it is on a slope.
It has held up well, the mud does come up thru the holes in some parts, but my land is very wet.
Pics from last autumn to follow when I resize them
 
I've just helped someone lay some and I'm sure they will be great she is on really boggy land and they are a nightmare to lay in a bog... But so would anything be!!

I just couldn't bare to park with 1k ++ and I'm luck enough to have a hard standing.
 
Am now contemplating budgeting for these for next winter (can't afford this one as too much other stuff going on).

Are people using them just in gateways or entrances to shelters? Can they, cost aside(!) be used for a full winter trash paddock and if yes, what does one do with the land come Spring - take all the mats up? Re-seed?

Spot the mud mat newbie... :rolleyes:
 
MrsMozart said:
Am now contemplating budgeting for these for next winter (can't afford this one as too much other stuff going on).

Are people using them just in gateways or entrances to shelters? Can they, cost aside(!) be used for a full winter trash paddock and if yes, what does one do with the land come Spring - take all the mats up? Re-seed?

Spot the mud mat newbie... :rolleyes:
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I think you could definitely use them as a winter turnout paddock, if you could afford them. I was looking at a 10x10m area and it was around £3k. So now I’m wondering if I could just do a 2m wide walkway around 2 sides of my field shelter (it’s an arc butted up against hard standing so this would mean they could walk through and around back to the hard standing without getting trapped or a creating a mud bog)
 
BBP said:
I think you could definitely use them as a winter turnout paddock, if you could afford them. I was looking at a 10x10m area and it was around £3k. So now I’m wondering if I could just do a 2m wide walkway around 2 sides of my field shelter (it’s an arc butted up against hard standing so this would mean they could walk through and around back to the hard standing without getting trapped or a creating a mud bog)
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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 :)
 
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