Rubber Matting Advice

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MillionDollar

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Right I'm thinking of kitting out my stables with rubber matting, but my stables are on level concrete so I am worried that the urine will get under them and then smell?!?! As it won't drain. So is it worth it?

Or I just buy 2 for each to go at the front of the stables so they are not standing on concrete, as thats may main aim anyway.

I deep litter on straw BTW but may change to flax bedding in the future.

Opinions/ help please!
 
You really do need a slope for rubber matting to work effectively. When I had my stable yards built in England, I had all of the concrete sloping away from the door with drains at the back of every stable. This worked perfectly with the lightweight EVA rubber matting.

I think the only thing that you could use in your stables, if the concrete has been laid flat, is to use Fieldguard, or some other matting which has legs. The problem that would come with that is that the wee would all lie underneath the matting and you would have a really nasty job cleaning it out once in a while.
 
I have rubber matting in my stable, the concrete isn't great as it is slightly uneven, causing a few puddles and there is one fairly large (1 1/2 inches) gap between 2 of the mats which is a pain because dirty bedding (eazibed) gets caught there. I find I have to pull them up and sweep out the gaps every 2/3 days, its not difficult once you get into a routine with it.
If my stable works with rubber matting (I have it on the whole stable as he has arthritis) I'm sure yours will, its a real investment and it works for me, its so much warmer during the winter as well. Why are you thinking of getting it?
 
If it's not a daft question why did you not have the concrete laid with a slight 'fall' or were you building onto a floor that was already laid?

Whichever, rubber mats will still work with a flat floor but they need to be the smooth underside type so that there is no room for the liquid to collect and use a more absorbent bedding to soak most of it up. You could also get a small hole say 2" square drilled in the back wall of each stable so's they can be hosed and swept out every couple of weeks.
 
My 2 (1 sane veteran gelding, only in for 7 hours during the day and 1 nutty mare with a bladder the size of Loch Ness in 17 hours overnight) manage quite happily on economy rubber mats just at the front of the stable and deep litter shavings at the back. The mats have pimples on the top side and channels on the underside. It all seems to work very well and no smell and nice warm beds that they both lay down in quite happily. I do have to take a barrowful of wet out from the front of the mare's stable every day as, like I said, she can pee at Olympic level! I;m very happy with it though and the mats were £34 each. 3 per stable does the job. Concrete floors not may have a very slight slop but it doesn't seem to matter.
 
Thanks for the advice, I had a think last night and decided it would be better just to have 2 mats at the front. I don't think they would benefit me with how I deep litter anyway.

No we had the concrete laid, problem with sloping it is is that the stables would have all had to be custom made (e.g. the back posts would have to be longer than the front or vice versa) as the way they fit means the floor has to be level.
 
My stabled is being kitted out with rubber matting on Sunday. The block is not well draining at all - however none of them smell (they all have matting except mine).

The matting is a relatively expensive, interlocking type, so very little urine gets underneath them. Mats are taken out once a year for the stables to be power hosed, and really there is very, very little 'wet' underneath them.

I did put down some very cheap mats in my stable previously - disaster.

So if you're going to to it pay that bit extra to get the better type of mat that locks together.
 
Quattro (Quatro?) Flooring sell rubber mats that can be sealed in. My friend took them up when she moved yards and didn't want to use them at her current yard so I borrrowed them, ordered some more sealant and hubby helped me seal them back in. They are excellent and stop the worry of stuff underneath and you don;t have to lift them to air them etc, would highly recommend.
 
If you are deep littering straw then I wouldn't bother with mats.

If you are using flax then I would, I would either use prof fitted heavy rubber mats and have them sealed, or would use interlocking ones like equimats
 
Thanks again all. B_and_J yes thats what I thought totally agree. Will stick to my plan of 2 mats at front
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I have rubber mats on a flat floored stable. I use a full (ish) straw bed on them and do a full muck out everyday.

The mats are cheapo ones of ebay, which are not sealed, but are a sung fit- cut to fit. My box doesn't smell. I would happily do this again.

I have had expensive mats before, and I wouldn't bother with them again
smile.gif
 
We solved the problem this way ...........
Hose the stable floor - see where the water collects - then drill a hole to let it out.
Cover the floor with mats, but use the lightweight ones that are easy to handle. Then you can easily lift them to clean underneath.
I have tried two at the front, and they moved. They are better at the back for some reason!
 
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