No bedding on rubber matting??

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goldypops

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Hi, does anyone not use anything ontop of their rubber matting??? My 2 only come in when its wet/windy or very cold and at the moment have a thinish shavings bed ontop of the matting. As its not used much or replaced much it soon seems to go dusty and rather musty so rather defeats the objective of reducing the dust inhalation by having rubber matting! Just wondered how they would get on without anything???
 
I use dust free NedzBedz...my horses will NOT wee unless there is something to absorb it and to eliminate splashing, which they LOATHE. I think it is a bit harsh to have nothing, even on the squishiest mats.
 
Would always put some sort of bedding down yes. The stable would be just stinking (as would the horse) if I didn't.
 
If I didn't have a half bed of shavings down, she would be absolutley filthy and covered in wee and poo.
She once spent a night in a different stable with a minimal paper bed the night prior to a show (she was immaculately clean) and looked like she'd spent the night in a bog by 7 the next morning! The answer to the loan of the stable before a show was 'thanks, but we'll manage' from then on. Too much mess and muck.
 
I have a small square which all mine wee and poo on and my stable nor my horse smell and they are clean and dry. alot of people dont like this though
 
i use a very small amount of shavings about a bucket full. for my ponies to use to wee on, one pony being a 2 year old it has taught her to use one place in the stable for the loo, other pony very clean just sweep out next day replace when needs.no dirty smelly ponies, its better for my ponies this way
 
We bed half to two thirds of a stable with Ecobed, (shredded cardboard) on the rubber mats & it works really well.

No dust & it takes 5 minutes to take the wet & droppings out.
 
This is one of my pet hates...I am in Americarn barn type stabling and the girl nextdoor to me uses nothing worth mentioning on her mats and every morning I am brushing HER horse's pee out of my stable...arrgh!!
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I know people who have tried this out but have reverted to putting down some shavings as the smell became intolerable! If rubber matting is used by itself it absorbs the urine and the smell of ammonia becomes really concentrated, despite regular cleaning with disinfectant. The smell is not a normal horse aroma and permeates everything around, including horses, rugs and clothes. If you are just bringing them in infrequently this probably wouldn't happen or maybe a bucketful of shavings as wowser says would be a good compromise.
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My horses only come in for a few hours to dry off if they are sweaty after riding or the VERY occasional night if the weather is really awful. We use rubber mats with bedding just across the back third of the stable. We use hemcore which seems to work fine and doesnt go dusty or musty. I think I would want to use at least a small amount of bedding to soak up the urine otherwise it would run everywhere.
 
No not ever.

I only have rubber matting fitted at the first 4 feet of my stables and a full bed behind it but never would i even consider putting nothing down if it wre a full stable.

There are so many types of bedding on the market not that this can be avoided.

I use equisorb, but there are so many others too that dont go dusty and are so absorbant.
 
One of mine only has shavings banks and nothing in the middle.... the other has a scattering of shavings across the back half..... both cope fine with this but they also happen to be the messiest boys in the world!!!
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When I first got rubber matting I only put 1/2 bale of shavings on it. A few days later my horse slipped while getting up from her bed and was lame for 5 days! The vet told me to put a full bed down on top of the mats and she has had a full bed ever since. I don't want to risk her getting hurt or cast.
 
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