Paving slabs infront of stables

[niagaraduval]

Is this ok ?

Infront of my stables it's just grass, which is lovely in the summer but hell in the winter.

I'm looking into other options than concreting it atm (have no one to concrete for me and a lorry isn't really possible) so am looking into paving slabs (the kind on your patio).

Would this do ? or would they break and split in time ? Are they suitable for horses ? I have never seen a yard paved always concreted..

 

[touchstone]

I've used them before, but only the very thick ex council ones and never for a shod horse, they are extremely slippery for them.

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

We have paving slabs in front of one of our stables and have put rubber matting on top of them which works nicely

 

[weebarney]

I've got slabs in front of my shelter. They do break unless you use the thick ones. Unfortunately some of these ones are also extremely heavy too. They do a good job of giving my horses somewhere dry to stand and eat.
My lot don't wear shoes but my highly strung thoroughbred fell over on them a few months back trying to go from standstill to gallop on them.

 

[RLS]

I've got slabs in front of my stables. They're quite heavy duty, with sort of raised grip strips across them. They haven't broken yet (been there years) and the horses don't slip. But I can see that ordinary paving slabs could get slippy.

 

[Adopter]

My sister has riven ones on her yard, and the stables open onto them, never caused a problem for our horses.

I have paved part of our stable yard this winter and it is great. I have used concrete slabs from a builders merchant, they delivered them on a pallet for me which was nice and convenient. These are much thicker than the ones you would buy in a diy store or garden centre, and do the job well.

 

[3OldPonies]

The floor of my mini's stable is made from heavy duty paving slabs, turned the wrong way up to prevent slipperiness. There are also a few slabs at the front of his stable and around the side of the main stables and stores, again the wrong way up to help with slipperiness. The only problems we've ever had is when the ground has been soft/flooded and they've tipped up a bit if the horses have stood on the corners. A problem quickly fixed by re-setting the offending slabs.

 

[WhisperQuietly]

My stable opens straight out on to my field, Used to be grass outside her door but I put down two large rubber mats over the winter period and this worked perfectly.

My other half has promised me (his a farmer so have access to tools / machinary at not much cost) that we are going to put hardstanding down this summer to make it nicer.. I have slabs by my tap tilted slightly to make sure that the water runs off and doesn't freeze on them making them a mini ice rink for me. Slabs are a bit easier to slip one out and replace if it does crack and with a slight tilt the water runs off nicely.

 

[diddy]

Oh this is a great idea - hadn't considered this! Could someone that has the heavy-duty/council ones tell us how you move them..? I'm guessing they're pretty darn heavy!

 

[Adopter]

Oh this is a great idea - hadn't considered this! Could someone that has the heavy-duty/council ones tell us how you move them..? I'm guessing they're pretty darn heavy!

Reclaim yard delivered them for us, they were very thick and were 3x2ft soOHhad to sort of walk them end on into place to lay them. Because these were so heavy to handle it is why last lot came from builders merchant, just as thick but square so easier to move.

 

[CeeCee]

I have them out the front of my field shelter (mine live out 24/7) they've been an absolute god send this year, mine have never slipped on them. They are quite thick and very very heavy. Just an idea you might like to consider is ebay, I got mine from a guy who had redone his patio and I bought 80 from him for about £60, we did 3 trips in the trailer due to how heavy they are, but a bargain in my eyes.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I put 100 heavy duty 3ft x 2ft paving slabs down in my L shaped stable yard, and it works very well. We'd priced up having the area concreted and simply couldn't afford it.

Like Adopter, we 'walked' them into place one at a time. I laid them myself (I'm very proud of this !) on a bed of sharp sand and checked levels carefully. I paced myself over about 3 weeks, with 10 slabs being the maximum I could reasonably deal with in one day.

They have a roughened surface, and are no more slippery than concrete. They don't 'rock' or split because I have bedded them down firmly. They can cope with light vehicle traffic eg the farriers van, and me backing the car up to deposit feed. If they were bedded on mortar, they would cope with heavier vehicles, but that would be beyond my diy skills!

I had the slabs delivered from a builders merchant along with a cubic metre of sharp sand.

 

[JCWHITE]

As you are in France, caihoux will be cheap and plentiful.
This year, we had a lorry load dropped and flattened in front of the stables.
With the wet weather you must have had in your area as well as ours, the footing was solid and stood up to all of the rain. I would be nervous of slabs moving around, trip hazards?
Checkout your local quarry,or builders cement yard, you may be surpised how cheap it is,

 

[Puzzled]

I use road plainings with rubber mats on top, work well for me.

 

[Jericho]

Have used both slabs and rubber mats (not holey grass mats but the thick solid ones for stables) and the mats are much better.