Rubber mats seem to be like marmite. Do you love or hate them?

thatsmygirl said:
can not stand a sprinkle off bedding its not encouraging a horse to lie down
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but they do lie down, very frequently. I know they all lie down as their manes have shavings in them. Horses also lie down on hard packed earth in the field where there is no thick bed. The fieldguard mats I use are not designed to have a bed on them. It would clog up the joints and make drainage through the mats ineffective so the horse would then have a wet bed rather than a dry one.
 
I love them. Our stables are concrete floored and drain well, both have big shavings beds on top of the mats. My mats extend all the way to the front wall but the bed doesn't, so it means if Jazz is nosying over his door he's not standing on the concrete. He also sometimes digs his bed and it means I don't worry about him scraping himself.
 
paddy555 said:
but they do lie down, very frequently. I know they all lie down because thei manes have shavings in them.
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Mr friend has a mare who will not lie down without a decent bed. I believe horses lie on unbedded mats because they have no choice. I'll bet if you gave yours a bed they would choose to lie on the bed. I think the experiments have been done which show that horses lie down more on a thick bed, and most on straw.


Horses also lie down on hard packed earth in the field where there is no thick bed.
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If you have a big enough and bumpy enough field, you will find that they prefer to have their belly in a dip or to lie on a slope, and will often dig a dip if there isn't one. Mine live in a barn at night in winter and I can see where they lie down by the dips they dig. I fill them in to ride, they dig them out again, the irritating beasts !!
 
dibbin said:
I love them. Our stables are concrete floored and drain well, both have big shavings beds on top of the mats. My mats extend all the way to the front wall but the bed doesn't, so it means if Jazz is nosying over his door he's not standing on the concrete. He also sometimes digs his bed and it means I don't worry about him scraping himself.
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I love them done like this, too :)
 
ycbm said:
I love them done like this, too :)
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I just have one mat by the door, no bedding on it, so they are not on concrete. I hate 'day beds' too, if it means the horse standing on concrete all day.
ycbm - my horses live out and they have dug hollows in an area where they are sheltered on three sides from the prevailing winds. Farmer husband complains but they do look comfy.
 
ycbm said:
I believe horses lie on unbedded mats because they have no choice. I'll bet if you gave yours a bed they would choose to lie on the bed. I think the experiments have been done which show that horses lie down more on a thick bed, and most on straw.

If you have a big enough and bumpy enough field, you will find that they prefer to have their belly in a dip or to lie on a slope, and will often dig a dip if there isn't one. Mine live in a barn at night in winter and I can see where they lie down by the dips they dig. I fill them in to ride, they dig them out again, the irritating beasts !!
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You see this is where everyone assumes all mats are the same! Paddy555 and I both use the Fieldguard mats and because of the design of the mats (having little legs underneath), the mats are springy and do dip when the horse lies down. I've tested the mats by lying on them myself and they are comfy to lie on!

As said in my post above though, I have seen some thin hard mats that, in my opinion, are only suitable beneath a full bed, and wonder whether that is what you are basing your opinion on.
 
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I love them, I use the Black Mat Co. ones, they never move and I never ever lift them, they drain well enough without cleaning under them. I still use a good size bed on top for overnights, I just personally don't like horses being on concrete without mats.
 
I have a field shelter, dirt/planings floor so rubber mats on top, they roll up the sides a bit but don't mind as it blocks out the draft that blows up the hill. They're more for insulation than anything else.

Full shavings bed made up apart from the front 4 feet. I deep litter in the week and full muck at the weekend. Means she has a nice cosy bed and lays down every night. It never smells and is so easy to do. Dries quickly when the bed is up too.

The other mare has mats in her stable, again with a normal bed and that's mucked out everyday as she mashes her poo. The boys have straw beds with shavings underneath on concrete but with mats at the front. Their floors take ages to dry out when the beds are up.

I hate seeing just a sprinkle or half a bed over mats :(
 
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TGM said:
You see this is where everyone assumes all mats are the same! Paddy555 and I both use the Fieldguard mats and because of the design of the mats (having little legs underneath), the mats are springy and do dip when the horse lies down. I've tested the mats by lying on them myself and they are comfy to lie on!

As said in my post above though, I have seen some thin hard mats that, in my opinion, are only suitable beneath a full bed, and wonder whether that is what you are basing your opinion on.
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The research which I cannot find now shows that horses lay down more the more they could 'nest' their bedding, and most of all on straw.

I challenge you to put a nice thick bed on half or even one quarter of your matted stables and watch where your horses lie. If you can show me pictures of them choosing to lie on the mats and not on the beds, then I will happily agree with you that not all mats are equal, but until then I'm of the opinion that few horses would choose a mat of any kind if a bed is on offer. Just like few people would choose to sleep on a camping mat if a proper mattress was available.

Go on, surprise me :)
 
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I do half and half... I have mats in the front half, and a nice thick bed in the back half. I use wood pellets and semi-deep litter, taking out the wet once a week.
 
ycbm said:
The research which I cannot find now shows that horses lay down more the more they could 'nest' their bedding, and most of all on straw.

I challenge you to put a nice thick bed on half or even one quarter of your matted stables and watch where your horses lie. If you can show me pictures of them choosing to lie on the mats and not on the beds, then I will happily agree with you that not all mats are equal, but until then I'm of the opinion that few horses would choose a mat of any kind if a bed is on offer.

Go on, surprise me :)
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I've done just that and sometimes they lie on the mats, sometimes they lie on the bedding, and sometimes half and half. How do you feel about horses that live out all the time, do you feel that is unfair for them not to have a huge straw bed in their fields? The RIGHT KIND of springy mats mimic the kind of surface they lie down on in the field and are totally different to lie on than the hard flat mats that are best for under-bed use.
 
TGM said:
I've done just that and sometimes they lie on the mats, sometimes they lie on the bedding, and sometimes half and half. How do you feel about horses that live out all the time, do you feel that is unfair for them not to have a huge straw bed in their fields? The RIGHT KIND of springy mats mimic the kind of surface they lie down on in the field and are totally different to lie on than the hard flat mats that are best for under-bed use.
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I've already explained that horses on a field find or dig a dip for their belly to lie in and another poster confirmed that they see this too.

If you know they sometimes like to lie on a bed, why don't you offer them that choice?

Do you sleep on a camping mat?
 
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Don't like them personally, all of mine like a decent bed to lie on- when they are out they will lie on their hay in crappy weather and In drier weather they will have more permanent laying areas.
I've worked on yards that have them and hated it-they stank and I felt sorry for the horses having their legs hosed off and stuck on those beds in a draughty barn. Can't beat a good long straw bed for drying wet, muddy horses and giving them a nice bed to lie on.
 
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ycbm said:
I've already explained that horses on a field find or dig a dip for their belly to lie in and another poster confirmed that they see this too.
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And I have already explained that the mats I use dip when the horses lie on them. And I have already explained that I use a quarter bed in the stable, but they often choose not to lie on it. The stable mats I use are nothing like a camping mat and more like a firm mattress.
 
ycbm said:
The research which I cannot find now shows that horses lay down more the more they could 'nest' their bedding, and most of all on straw.

I challenge you to put a nice thick bed on half or even one quarter of your matted stables and watch where your horses lie. If you can show me pictures of them choosing to lie on the mats and not on the beds, then I will happily agree with you that not all mats are equal, but until then I'm of the opinion that few horses would choose a mat of any kind if a bed is on offer. Just like few people would choose to sleep on a camping mat if a proper mattress was available.

Go on, surprise me :)
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My only DIY livery has rubber mats and uses straw, she only puts a bale in once a week and gradually lets it run down to almost nothing, her horse only lies down on the few nights he has a proper amount, even then it is not really deep, the rest of the time he does not seem to lie down judging by him having no straw in his tail/ mane in the mornings at the end of the week, which goes with the idea that they do like to "nest" they may not be nesting animals but do like to feel safe and I think for some they must find mats potentially slippery and worry about slipping when getting back up.

I have mats but still bed down fully although not quite as deeply as I used to, I don't like seeing a thin scattering of bedding and my farrier said horses kept like this tend to have worse feet than those kept on a decent bed as they are standing in muck constantly, although if the horse is tidy it will not be such a problem.
 
be positive said:
I have mats but still bed down fully although not quite as deeply as I used to, I don't like seeing a thin scattering of bedding and my farrier said horses kept like this tend to have worse feet than those kept on a decent bed as they are standing in muck constantly, although if the horse is tidy it will not be such a problem.
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If horses are having foot problems then it is likely due to bad drainage - I agree that if drainage is bad then you do need a full bed on top. You get the same amount of droppings in a bed whether it is shavings, straw or mats and the horses will stand in it whatever. My hubby is a farrier and believe me he wouldn't want our horses kept on mats with minimal beds if he thought it would affect their feet! It is not necessarily the bedding choice that is the problem, it is the management of the bedding. I've seen horses develop serious foot problems in straw beds, albeit badly managed ones.
 
TGM said:
If horses are having foot problems then it is likely due to bad drainage - I agree that if drainage is bad then you do need a full bed on top. You get the same amount of droppings in a bed whether it is shavings, straw or mats and the horses will stand in it whatever. My hubby is a farrier and believe me he wouldn't want our horses kept on mats with minimal beds if he thought it would affect their feet! It is not necessarily the bedding choice that is the problem, it is the management of the bedding. I've seen horses develop serious foot problems in straw beds, albeit badly managed ones.
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I agree it is down to management but it seems to be becoming commonplace to just use a sprinkling of bedding whatever the mats are, yours sound very good but most are not suitable or used on poorly draining floors, it is not good for their feet to be on any badly managed bedding but will be worse if there is nothing to soak up the wet, by having a decent amount of bed it reduces the risk to an extent.
It was a comment made recently by my farrier that he is seeing more horses kept this way and that their feet tend to be smellier and of poorer quality than ideal.
 
be positive said:
I agree it is down to management but it seems to be becoming commonplace to just use a sprinkling of bedding whatever the mats are, yours sound very good but most are not suitable or used on poorly draining floors, it is not good for their feet to be on any badly managed bedding but will be worse if there is nothing to soak up the wet, by having a decent amount of bed it reduces the risk to an extent.
It was a comment made recently by my farrier that he is seeing more horses kept this way and that their feet tend to be smellier and of poorer quality than ideal.
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I agree hence my first post in this thread which concluded "So it depends on the mats, and the set-up and the way they are used!"
 
I use rubber mats but not to save bedding, more as a precaution against capped hocks etc and because they are warmer than a concrete floor. Mine are like children's playground mats, they are 2-3" thick, porous, and have little legs underneath. They never smell and I only lift one very occasionally, usually because Haylage has trodden into the join. There is never any wet under them as the wood pellets soak everything up.
I wouldn't be without mats now, the horses love them and will stand on the bare mats rather than messing up their bed all the time. I couldn't be doing with the thin non porous sort though, having to keep lifting them out would do my head in.
 
ycbm said:
I've already explained that horses on a field find or dig a dip for their belly to lie in and another poster confirmed that they see this too.

If you know they sometimes like to lie on a bed, why don't you offer them that choice?

Do you sleep on a camping mat?
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I have never had a horse (out of around 18 that I have owned for their entire lives) that I have ever seen dig a dip for their belly to lie in. Never. Why would I offer then the choice to lie on a bed when they are perfectly happy lying on fieldguard mats? it would be pointless. The fieldguard mats have caused no problems whatsoever. I would be very unhappy to use straw due to the dust factor, deep litter shavings etc I find to be far less hygienic and far more smelly. I have 6 currently on field guard mats and no foot problems whatsoever. I do however keep the stable clean.

As you are commenting on this make of mats (which as has been pointed out are very different from the hard mats) how many years of experience do you have of bedding horses down on them on which to base your views?

I have spent many nights sleeping on them myself when horses have been ill, youngsters have moved in etc. I am afraid that if they are comfortable enough for me to sleep on I consider them suitable for the horses!!

I haven't seen the current fieldguard advert but when I bought mine, over 20 years ago, I was told by fieldguard to use only a sprinkling of shavings which would attach to dung and make it easier to keep the mats clean.

I have never found horses to be nesting animals. They like security etc before they lie down. My dog nests, she digs her bed around to form a nest. I have never seen a horse do that. I had both straw and shavings (deep litter and ordinary) for around 15 years before mats. The fieldguard mats are far superior to those beds.

The argument that they lie down on mats because they are forced to, it is the only thing available, could be as easily applied to any bed. If they are shut in a stable they lie down on whatever is there as there is no choice.
 
Do whatever you are comfortable with Paddy555, but if your mats are soft enough for you to be comfortable sleeping on them, then I wouldn't want a horse balancing on such a shifting and unstable surface for long. On the Fieldguard site, there is a photo of a horse standing with its toes dug into them.

If you are happy, fine. I wouldn't be buying them if my horses lived in stables. If I catch my timing right this evening I'll be able to watch mine digging dips for themselves on my new birthday present -barncam. Best TV show ever :)
 
ycbm said:
Do whatever you are comfortable with Paddy555, but if your mats are soft enough for you to be comfortable sleeping on them, then I wouldn't want a horse balancing on such a shifting and unstable surface for long.
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if they are hard you don't like them, if they are soft you think they are unstable. No pleasing you!! Methinks you like to argue for the sake of it !! You seem to be reliant at looking at pictures and your comments are based without experience of the product so to my mind are uninformed. If someone came on and told me they had several years of experience of the mats and outlined the problems it had caused their horses that would be a different matter.
 
paddy555 said:
if they are hard you don't like them, if they are soft you think they are unstable. No pleasing you!! Methinks you like to argue for the sake of it !! You seem to be reliant at looking at pictures and your comments are based without experience of the product so to my mind are uninformed. If someone came on and told me they had several years of experience of the mats and outlined the problems it had caused their horses that would be a different matter.
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No problem. You like them. I don't. It's not a big deal.
 
Had them... Chucked them.. Not for me unfortunately.
I still give my boy a good bed with or without and the smell underneath them if they haven't fitted properly....Oh no. Much prefer concrete!
 
I've never seen a horse dig a hollow for their belly, but I have seen them dig the ground a bit to test how soft it is....so that they can roll and plaster themselves in mud!
If they dug holes for their bellies my fields would be covered in massive craters.
 
cobgoblin said:
I've never seen a horse dig a hollow for their belly, but I have seen them dig the ground a bit to test how soft it is....so that they can roll and plaster themselves in mud!
If they dug holes for their bellies my fields would be covered in massive craters.
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Mine has three on the flat. I call them bedroom one, two and three :). Mostly, they find a natural dip or lie on a steep slope. In the barn, they are there every morning.
 
Have used rubber mats for about 15 years. Love them. The thing is to have decent base under them and have them fitted correctly. I don't use them as an excuse not to do a proper bed. I hate straw, stinky stuff, that never absorbs as well as hemp, flax or shavings. So for me they are ideal, I have a full bed on top and the extra bonus knowing there is no risk of the horse coming in contact with concrete, plus they provide extra warmth. Mucking out is easy, and only a small muck heap to have taken away. I lift and sweep etc every spring, but my floor is always dry underneath.
 
I had them for 2 days and sold them as soon as I could. I hate tiny beds on mats so used a normal bed of straw and the floor undeneath is uneven so the wee just pulled underneath so I had to pull them out to sweep it out my hands stunk. Never again unless it was a sloping stable and they were tightly sealed I hated them
 
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