Rubber mats or not?

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KINDMARE

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We are now having new stable being built as we speak, all very exciting!
We have always had rubber matting fitted in all our stables before but in preparation for the new builds one of the stables has had the matting removed. I have to say for some bizarre reason the un matted stable seems easier to muck out??? So now I’m questioning whether to fork out for mats for the new ones - they all have concrete floors.
What does everyone else think?
 
Ooohh sounds very exciting!

Rubber mats are always an interesting thing I find - I have my retired 20 year old not on rubber mats and my 2 year old on mats - I must say when it comes to doing a full wet bed muck out I do prefer my retired 20 year old's stable as the rubber mats do seem heavy when moving them, cleaning them etc. However, I have found that my retired 20 year old is absolutely vile on mats but sparkling clean without and vice versa for my 2 year old. Ironically enough I actually brought the rubber mats for my retired lad to give him an extra layer of comfort and warmth, more so in the winter time - however I simply chuck down a few extra bales of bedding and it seems to do the trick and a lot better. My 2 year old was never on mats before he came to me, so his first experience of mats was rather hilarious to say the least - 20 minutes was spent digging through his pristine bed to snort at the mats before shuffling the bedding back over 😂

I'm always hyper aware that mats can harbour bacteria etc if not kept clean and disinfected on a regular basis and without decent drainage, it's quite easy for wee to pool underneath and make the ordeal even more gross! If I hadn't forked out so much for the mats for my retired lad, I would happily get rid of them, but seeing as my 2 year old loves the mats and has been lying down a lot more since he's had them, I'm loathed to get rid, so when the monthly full wet bed muck out happens, I go to town on the mats and scrub them till they are sparkling. Even then, I tend to go back a second time and give them a second clean to be on the safe side. I also find that with rubber mats the fork can easily get stuck and bounce back - I've almost taken my eye out when using the wrong fork!

If you are finding it easier to muck out without stable mats and aren't noticing any difference in terms of your horses lying down etc, I'd say leave them out x The floors are concrete so you can easily do a deep clean/scrub a few times a year to help keep everything sanitary and clean, plus the added bonus of not having to haul heavy matting around is always a welcome one I'd say.... x
 
I found my horse was easiest to muck out when he was in a (large) stable, bedded on straw with mats just at the front where the door and his hay was (so where he stood most of the time). He's in an average size stable again now which has mats through out and I periodically have to lift the mats and sweep pools of wee from underneath. Bleurghh!
 
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My share has rubber mats in her box which is extra large and may once have been the foaling box.
I dont muck out but I am an old woman and my balance is not wonderful. All though I know the mats are there, I am constantly tripping over the edge of one of them when I go round the mare picking out her feet.
 
I've had rubber mats for the last 30 years in all stables. Field guard ones and some Mayo mats. They are not sealed. I would never not have them. They make a noticeable difference to older horses and their comfort. They provide warmth and comfort and it means that whatever the bedding the horse is never down to concrete. Choice of mats is important and you get what you pay for.

I can clean the Mayo comfort matted stable in 1 hour on my own. That means sweep the mats, lift them outside ( I am old and they are quite manageable alone) sweep and pressure wash the floor and stable walls, pressure wash the mats and put them back down. I do this about 3 times a year.
The field guard ones are even lighter to lift.

I use a lot less bedding and I don't use a fork. I pick up the dung with a scoop and shovel and then sweep the shavings down and pick up the wet with the scoop and shovel.

All my stables had drains and concrete floors specifically laid to accommodate mats so if you are considering matting OP I would take this into account when laying the concrete floors.
 
I queried this when I got my youngster. Oldie had full matted out stable but seemed to smell worse than youngster. Pee patches in youngster’s stable dried up quicker on the concrete than on the rubber in other stable.

Basically I’ve came to the conclusion that I’m not sure mats are of much help at all. They’re blimmin hard work to move and wash down too. I’ve since moved and have bigger stables so they get mats at the back of their beds and the rest is concrete. I have a spare piece that oldie can stand on at the front while eating hay just to help his legs if needed.
 
I hate unsealed rubber mats, but 2 of our stables have flat, pristine concrete floors. This made it easy to lay the mats really tightly myself, and then seal them. I did this about 10 years ago, haven't lifted them since, and there is NO damp/smell/slip. I do use absorbant bedding - wood pellets or Aubiose.
 
I have the lightweight EVA ones in my stables, they are really easy to lift and move around. My horses are barefoot though - I'm not sure how they would stand up to shod feet. I love them, I use barely any bedding and the horses can still lie down comfortably.
 
I have all my stables matted. They equines have free access to them and a choice of bare mats, mats with shavings, mats with rape and in a corner of the barn concrete with straw.

The mats only stable will smell if someone does a wee, the mats with bedding only smell if they have been deep littered and are well ready to muck out. The straw in the barn often stinks despite regular attention.

None of the equines lies down on the straw area, they prefer outside when dry or in the bedded stables otherwise. They do seem to prefer to stand in the bare mat stable rather than on the concrete to snooze standing up.
 
No mats, deep littered for me.

Yes you need more bedding to start and yes you have to dig it all out at some point but I never found it smelt bad, the mate next door on mats stank. The deep litter means they have a firm base and are never on the concrete too. I have a deep hatred of mats but it may be more of a sensitivity thing as I hate the feeling of getting a fork stuck in them 😂 I mucked out youngsters on mats for years and they were messy!
 
I have mats, not sealed. I've had lightweight ones and solid rubber ones.

I find they are no issue as long as they have enough bedding on top. The bedding absorbs the wee, so wee doesn't get under the mats. They only smell when doing a once a week full muck out: the other days I just skip out and set fair.

I detest stables with mats where there is minimal bedding. The horses themselves end up smelling. not just the mats. I once went to a training yard where the beds were mats with a 'sprinkle' of shavings, and the lot was swept and hosed daily. Not only did the stables smell, my horse did too, and the rug she had needed binning after a couple of weeks there!
 
I had no idea sealed mats were a thing, but they sound wonderful.

I don't like the normal clunky mats you chuck down. They are absolute hell to move around and they get so rancid underneath. I would rather have bare concrete.
 
I have had both sorts of mats, the thick heavy solid rubber which is stuck down, and EVA, and I prefer the EVA, because they are light and they have good insulation. I have never had a problem with the smell but if I put straw down they always have pellets in the pee spots. I only bed down where they lie and pee unless for some reason I deep litter. I lift them perhaps on a year.
I would never have the glued down rubber, they are expensive and you haven't got the flexibility of moving them if you want to move or sell them. I sold a lt of my EVA last year, I sold my internal stables, and I almost got what I paid for them.
 
Landcruiser said:
I have the lightweight EVA ones in my stables, they are really easy to lift and move around. My horses are barefoot though - I'm not sure how they would stand up to shod feet. I love them, I use barely any bedding and the horses can still lie down comfortably.
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This, I have EVA and unshod horses. They have half a traditional rubber mat by the door as I had one to use up.

I find them really easy to lift and jet wash when needed, if they’re in overnight I have a layer of wood pellets for the wet under the shavings. I have a large aluminium snow shovel that makes mucking out the wet very quick and easy.
 
I didn't have a mat but found my horse would dig to the bottom of a thick shavings bed when lying down - ended up with a capped hock!
No mats is so much easier to muck out and keep clean!
 
Red-1 said:
I detest stables with mats where there is minimal bedding. The horses themselves end up smelling. not just the mats. I once went to a training yard where the beds were mats with a 'sprinkle' of shavings, and the lot was swept and hosed daily. Not only did the stables smell, my horse did too, and the rug she had needed binning after a couple of weeks there!
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for the most part that is what I have but it is the fieldguard ones and, after 30 years of them, would have out of preference. The system is designed for the liquid to go through the joints and they stay dry.
I use a sprinkling of shavings, any more would clog up the drainage joints.

At any time I could lay down on the bed and would get little in the way of ammonia, far less than in the deep littered shavings I had before.

However I can totallyl recognise your description. I went to look at some before buying. Fieldguard obviously never checked out this was a good example of their mats.
It stank, rugs mucky, totally awful. No way I said as I walked away. Great said OH, lovely mats.
Then he pointed out what was wrong was lack of drainage. The water just sat under the mats and stank

We graded our stable floors, put drains in and total perfection. I would never have them without properly setting them up. Done properly they are beyond perfect.

Not suggesting anyone have this sort but just putting the other side that even with only a sprinkle of shavings they can work very well. All horses lie down and none (unrugged ATM) have any stains on them in the morning. I only know they have laid down from the shavings on them

savings in shavings made them well worthwhile, smaller muck heap to get rid of. Mucking out is about 3 mins a stable. Just sweep and scoop and small shovel. After mucking out bed is completely clean.
 
I'd say none, IF the stables have a nice conctrete floor and you are aboe to provide a proper bed not just a little square at the back! I may put one at the door as long as the wet didnt get unfderneath.
I do have rubber but its well fitted and on dirt floor so the wet seems to drain away rather than sit there.
I would kill for nice conctrete floors though 😆

My pet hate is mats that are not properly fitted and small beds (especially straw!), everything stinks and its just vile.
 
Mine have rubber mats just at the front and then bedding the rest of the way with a deep enough bed on the concrete - I leave a good layer of soaked straw pellets at the bottom of the bed and allow it to ‘set’ so they are never down to the concrete. Mine are heavy and actually made from old conveyor belts but they are movable so I can jet wash under them.
 
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