Mud control mats, where have you been all my life?

[FFAQ]

I am so excited to have received a pallet of mud control mats yesterday. I saved up all last year and they're finally here!
I have laid about 40 already and will do the rest over the next few days.

I was going to post photos but apparently they are too large ?.

Anyway, no point to this post other than to share my excitement!

 

[TGM]

They are great! I bought 100 in June for the pony paddock and I've got another 140 coming in a couple of weeks.

 

[Surbie]

They are amazing! Total gamechanger for sorting gateways.
Wish I could afford more!

 

[huskydamage]

I really want some, But feel like its probably too late for my gateway!

 

[Iznurgle]

Which brand did you end up using?

 

[TGM]

Which brand did you end up using?

The actual Mudcontrol mats from https://www.mudcontrol.co.uk/ - have used rubber grass mats previously which sank and disintegrated fairly quickly. The Mudcontrol mats are rigid and interlock so stay on top of the mud.

 

[Antw23uk]

I hear NOTHING but GOOD things about these, they really do make life easier. Im very tempted

 

[jnb]

My mum's birthday yesterday.....what better present that 20 MudControl mats for her 31 yo horse's field shelter entrance - he feels his arthritis walking across the muddy entrance in frozen weather so I've given her 20 of mine and await their replacements - hopefully very soon (shared load due soon hopefully, I understand there are a few manpower/shipping issues at the moment but I'm patiently waiting.

 

[w1bbler]

I bought 2 pallet loads of these in September. They are amazing, my 2 spend hours standing on their patio beside! the field shelter in all weathers.

 

[Spottyappy]

I had a pallet last summer.
its not enough, and I need probably 2 more loads.
they are a game changer

 

[EventingMum]

I made a turnout pen from 3 pallets of them, it's been invaluable this winter, expensive but will hopefully last a very long time.

https://imgur.com/rOdXTFK

 

[Nicnac]

I have 140 on order and am soooo excited. Fed up of spending loads on hardcore which works out far more expensive than the mats. We are on clay and looks like we can lay straight onto the mud!

 

[kerilli]

Hi, popping up because someone mentioned this thread to me. I am happy to answer any questions about them (I'm the U.K. agent for Mudcontrol.)

It's not to late to lay them in even the most vile mud. This was done by a customer a week ago:

https://www.facebook.com/1983835051832847/posts/2846932342189776

I hope the link works.

Orders are still going out to schedule and stock is coming in every couple of days so we should catch up with the backlog soon. They literally can't make them fast enough to keep up with our sales, which is a good place to be in I guess.
They are an absolute gamechanger, no question. We have them on our heavy clay and they cope perfectly. Nothing else would!

 

[FFAQ]

I'm laying mine on heavy clay and I can see it will be fine. I have a shire and 2 cobs, and there's also a couple of quarter horses in the field, so those flimsy rubber ones were an absolute waste of money. I have already started saving for my next pallet of MudControl mats!

 

[sjdress]

Hi, popping up because someone mentioned this thread to me. I am happy to answer any questions about them (I'm the U.K. agent for Mudcontrol.)

It's not to late to lay them in even the most vile mud. This was done by a customer a week ago:

https://www.facebook.com/1983835051832847/posts/2846932342189776

I hope the link works.

Orders are still going out to schedule and stock is coming in every couple of days so we should catch up with the backlog soon. They literally can't make them fast enough to keep up with our sales, which is a good place to be in I guess.
They are an absolute gamechanger, no question. We have them on our heavy clay and they cope perfectly. Nothing else would!

i was really keen to get some but the delivery was so expensive that it put me off. Also we are down a small lane so would depends what they are delivered on and if they could get the vehicle down there!

 

[asmp]

i was really keen to get some but the delivery was so expensive that it put me off. Also we are down a small lane so would depends what they are delivered on and if they could get the vehicle down there!

I had some delivered last week to my house and they’re sitting in my garage. I knew the delivery truck wouldn’t like my muddy yard and I take a few up at a time in my car.

You need to share a pallet with someone to save on delivery costs. There is a FB page devoted it people asking for shared delivery.

 

[kerilli]

i was really keen to get some but the delivery was so expensive that it put me off. Also we are down a small lane so would depends what they are delivered on and if they could get the vehicle down there!

Delivery depends on the postcode, and we're charged per pallet space, with up to a tonne on a pallet. Deliveries are usually on an 18 tonner (up to 140 slabs per pallet), or a 7.5t or 12t lorry if requested (for up to 100 slabs per pallet.)
If you want a smaller amount than a full pallet, then the pallet sharing option works really well and saves loads, it's definitely worth a look in the Facebook Group for that. I invoice everyone separately and divide the delivery cost either equally or proportionally (whichever the sharers choose) and it works really well.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

Hi, popping up because someone mentioned this thread to me. I am happy to answer any questions about them (I'm the U.K. agent for Mudcontrol.)

It's not to late to lay them in even the most vile mud. This was done by a customer a week ago:

https://www.facebook.com/1983835051832847/posts/2846932342189776

I hope the link works.

Orders are still going out to schedule and stock is coming in every couple of days so we should catch up with the backlog soon. They literally can't make them fast enough to keep up with our sales, which is a good place to be in I guess.
They are an absolute gamechanger, no question. We have them on our heavy clay and they cope perfectly. Nothing else would!

Really interested in these as we are on clay and its a nightmare. How heavy are they? How do people get them into the field and into position

 

[asmp]

Really interested in these as we are on clay and its a nightmare. How heavy are they? How do people get them into the field and into position

Quite heavy but I put 5 in my wheel barrow at a time and took them out to the field. They’re pretty easy to put down (there’s videos on it).

 

[sjdress]

Delivery depends on the postcode, and we're charged per pallet space, with up to a tonne on a pallet. Deliveries are usually on an 18 tonner (up to 140 slabs per pallet), or a 7.5t or 12t lorry if requested (for up to 100 slabs per pallet.)
If you want a smaller amount than a full pallet, then the pallet sharing option works really well and saves loads, it's definitely worth a look in the Facebook Group for that. I invoice everyone separately and divide the delivery cost either equally or proportionally (whichever the sharers choose) and it works really well.

i tried that but no one came forward!

 

[kerilli]

Really interested in these as we are on clay and its a nightmare. How heavy are they? How do people get them into the field and into position

they weigh 7kg (a stone) each. In a wheelbarrow or an ATV, or one in each hand and plod along with them (that's how I do it if i can't get anything else to where I need them. We have customers who are pensioners who have laid them, and other customers who have got their kids to lay them. It's more effort laying them on a quagmire than when the ground is firm, but it's still doable.

 

[kerilli]

i tried that but no one came forward!

The Shared Pallet Delivery Group has 3.7 thousand members so it's worth trying again.

 

[EASTIE17]

I have laid two pallets in a corner of field to create a turnout paddock, will fence it off with post and rail but before that am going to put a surface on it.
Has anyone done that, and if so what have you put down?
Mudcontrol recommend equestrian sand, I have spoke to two suppliers of sand and they have said no, they would recommend woodchip instead. I can give the reasons why if anyone's interested.
So experiences with these and a surface on top as a turnout? Thanks

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I bought 2 pallet loads of these in September. They are amazing, my 2 spend hours standing on their patio beside! the field shelter in all weathers.

We bought 2 pallets last Autumn and our horses do exactly the same as yours. We ended up putting some mats down on wet mud and they have moved a bit, so we'll be relaying them when the horses move onto summer grazing.

 

[TPO]

Woodchip generally isn't a recommended surface for horses. It can be slippy and I'd imagine it would be even slippier over the mud control slabs.

I bought tonne bags of sand from a builders merchant and havent hand any issues. I bought whatever type is recommended on the mud slab website

 

[EASTIE17]

Thanks. Any concerns with sand colic? I guess feeding from haynets or a trough would help but they are inevitably going to eat some off the ground
I've been told poo picking is difficult with sand also as they inevitably walk on it and mix it up, not like in a school where you usually get to it before it gets walked in.

 

[TPO]

If you look on the mud control facebook page you'll see examples of turnout areas.

I think @EventingMum has made one so can maybe advise.

Otherwise @kerilli is very responsive on the mudslab fb page too

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We put sand on our mats jus before we introduced the horses to them. They were hilarious walking up to the edges and then running away. The sand has pretty much disappeared. Our horses don't wear shoes and they don't seem to slip. They are usually pretty sensible and drop to a walk when they get to the mats. We have mats in the shelter and it isn't particularly hard to muck out.