rubber mats and straw

[NooNoo59]

Hi I have a new cob as he is ok on straw I am using that as it's only £3 a week so much cheaper than shavings! The problem is the mats don't dry out and are now squidgy and smelly. I am thinking of removing the mats and just putting him on concrete with deep straw I muck right every day so the floor would dry. What is the downside of not having mats we never used them years ago but practically every stable on our yard has them now. The ones on mats don't seem to have less problems than the ones on mats just interested in people's opinions.

 

[Damnation]

The two girls on my yard on straw have rubber mats. They leave the beds up every morning then bring them down at night.

One of them puts a handful of shavings down where her horse pee's and I think this helps alot with absorbsion. I know people on here have also use wood pellets for the same thing to soak the pee up and help keep the floor dry/stable not smelly!

 

[xxcharlottexx]

One of the provisions to have rubber mats at my old yard was to lift and clean under them weekly (light weight mats luckily!) . They were always discussing even after a week. Moved yards and now on wood pellets.... Cleaned out last week after not lifting them since we flooded on boxing day. Hardly and mess at all! Maybe switch bedding or if your keen on straw get lightweight mats so they can be lifted easier if you want mats. Though if a straw bed is nice and thick they will be fine without!

 

[NooNoo59]

Really don't want to switch bedding unless I have to. The mats are not lightweight at all which makes them a ****** to move. Are mats essential items nowadays does the horse suffer if you don't have them ?

 

[Damnation]

Really don't want to switch bedding unless I have to. The mats are not lightweight at all which makes them a ****** to move. Are mats essential items nowadays does the horse suffer if you don't have them ?

Not at all provided you put down a deep bed!

 

[tatty_v]

My horse is on a deep straw bed with an ordinary concrete floor underneath. I do a full muck out every day but never have to take out more than a wheelbarrow of wet/mess. He seems very happy, lies down every night and never has a mark on him. So long as the bed is deep enough they're fine!

 

[NooNoo59]

Thanks never such a thing years ago and horses were always fine !

 

[sherbet]

I have my boy on straw and mats, he is deep littered for the week. Has a full muck out on a Friday and new bale put in

I spay the mats with jays very diluted whilst the bed is up, this kills anything nasty and helps with the smell

You can also spay the new straw going in if he snacks on it

 

[Magicmadge]

I have both the mats at the front where they stand at their nets no mats at the back and straw so half and half. They only wee and poo at the back on the straw so under the mats us dry . It works really well for me .

 

[splashgirl45]

I think that mats are good with shavings, or other absorbent bedding. as straw doesn't work the same why not either take out all of the mats and have a full bed or leave mats at the front with no bedding and put straw down on the rest,. I think the advantage of mats is that you can be flexible with the amount of bedding you use..

 

[L&M]

I found mats and straw didn't work and just ended up stinky! My lad now has shavings on mats and works very well.

A deep straw bed on concrete would be fine if you don't want to change to a more absorbent bedding.

 

[NooNoo59]

Ad lib straw at £3 per week is a lot cheaper than anything else!

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Never used mats. I have a lovely thick bed with big banks, muck out fully each day and as per a previous poster I only get one barrow max out of bed per/day. She's not particularly clean either! You can't beat a big straw bed IMO 🙃

 

[JustKickOn]

Shavings underneath in the area where the wee is helps with the wet patch not spreading and absorbing. You don't need much. Is there enough air circulating round the stable to help it to dry out?

 

[criso]

Had mats under straw at 2 yards - not my choice - and found that combination didn't work and I just had the wee pooling everywhere. Where I've had straw and concrete it works much better.

 

[Pocketr@cket]

I have a stable that's half and half. Mats at the front and concreate with a good bed at the back. I find the concreate drys quicker when any bed if lifted and smells less that the wee on mats.

 

[NooNoo59]

I am dreading lifting the mats!!

 

[Kacey88]

Straw and mats never worked for me. I would just use straw get rid of the mats he doesn't need them if your bed is thick enough.

 

[NooNoo59]

The mats are going I think lots of straw is the way forward. It was fine on shavings but my old boy ate the straw so really had no choice but this new boy does not seem to eat the straw even though he loves eating. I like a shavings bed but I also like to be able to muck right out every day. Life was easier years ago when we did not have all these choices!!!!

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

I have mats at the front half of the stable and concrete underneath a big flat straw bed at the back. My straw bed overlaps to fill 3/4 of the stable. I muck out and leave up in the morning and concrete is always dry when I lay the bed in the afternoon. I have found this works best for me

 

[NooNoo59]

All change as my boy had a respiratory issue not sure if caused by bedding but vet has advised changing to something less dusty. So have put him on shavings for now, lifted the mats yesterday, absolutely disgusting underneath and smelly! so now contemplating which bedding to use whether to go back to shavings or the hemp or wood pellets option!!