Rubber Matting and Shavings - some or none?

[DappleDown]

Thinking back to when rubber mats first became available for stables, they were often sold as 'requiring no additional bedding'.

Does anyone not add additional bedding over their rubber mats (specifically shavings)? We do, but not as deep a bed as our pre mat days.

What's the norm where you are?

 

[milliepops]

On my yard we have a mixture between no bed and a full bed.

Mine have a fairly thin pellet bed at the back of the stable, on full EVA matting. I don't think either of mine would wee indoors if they didn't have a bed.

 

[Merlod]

Normal beds which pass the fork test on solid rubber matting, for me matting is insulation and a protection from concrete and not a "bed" in itself.

 

[ihatework]

I don't think I could bring myself to have rubber mats with no, or very minimal bedding. At the very least I'd want sufficient to absorb all the wee otherwise it's just a bit rank.
But then I'm a full bed type of gal

 

[Steerpike]

I go for the in between, I don't have a full but not a skimpy bed on rubber matting if that makes sense!

 

[Carrots&Mints]

I used to have full rubber matting under any bedding I used, be it straw or shavings, and I would also have a full bed. I read online that studies show that the horse would be more inclined to lie down on a proper bed and therefore allowing them to achieve full REM sleep, which is obviously better for their welfare.

I currently have half a stable floor of rubber matting due to my daft welsh cob dragging half the shavings underneath the matting. But I also have a full thick bed of shavings and sufficient bankings. Again, ensuring the horse is more comfortable to lie down and achieve the REM sleep.

 

[paddy555]

Thinking back to when rubber mats first became available for stables, they were often sold as 'requiring no additional bedding'.

Does anyone not add additional bedding over their rubber mats (specifically shavings)? We do, but not as deep a bed as our pre mat days.

What's the norm where you are?

I think some of the earlier mats were fieldguard ones which are designed to be used without bedding. It blocks up the drainage as the mats are designed for liquids to be trapped underneath and the tops to remain dry. I have these and use just a sprinkling of shavings .

If I was using plain 6 x 4ft rubber mats I would use shavings and put down a bed to absorb the liquid.

mine lie down just a much as on any other sort of bed. They also wee on it. Half of them very helpfully wee in the field before they come in and then we have the other half who save it up all day to come in and deliberately wee on their nice clean beds.

 

[JillA]

If you have no bedding horses will normally be reluctant to pee, because the ammonia when it splashes on their legs can sting. That's why some horses often hold back until they get in to a bedded stable

 

[splashgirl45]

i have a good bed of shavings over 3/4 of the stable and the front 1/4 is where she has her hay and feed and water bucket. i tried with less bed but it didnt soak up the wee and her rugs were minging and i was continually washing them...

 

[wiglet]

I bought rubber mats years ago when they first became the 'must have' item. All the manufacturers were stating how they can be used without bedding or just with a strip of shavings at the back for you horse to pee on. So that's what I did. It was vile. It was smelly. My horses were very reluctant to lie down. I put up with it for a couple of months before relenting and putting full beds on top of the mats back down.

I'm now on full livery but I made sure the owners used full beds on top of their mats before I came to the yard!

 

[eggs]

Many years ago when rubber mats first became popular I didn't put any bedding down as per the marketing blurb. The horses did lie down and it was very easy to muck out as it was just a case of sweeping all the droppings up and putting them into the skip and then throwing a bucket of water down and sweeping it out of the door. However for many years now I have put a full bed down on top of the mats.

 

[JJS]

When I used to have rubber mats, I always put a full bed down. They were slippy as anything when even a little bit of water splashed out of their buckets onto them, so I dread to think how they would have been without any bedding to soak up their wee!

 

[Fiona]

I wouldn't have no bedding at all, but one of our mares was a box walker, so she had a thin bed of pellets on back half.

Our other mare (the clean one) has a thick bed on the back half of her stable with big banks for her to wee into. She poos on the mats.

And my new connie wees wherever he stands , and loves lying down, so he has pretty much a full bed except for a strip at the front of the box.

Fiona

 

[DaisyMoo]

Normal beds which pass the fork test on solid rubber matting, for me matting is insulation and a protection from concrete and not a "bed" in itself.

Absolutely this. We keep horses in unnatural environments so should make it as comfortable as possible not as cheap and stingy as possible. Mine is on matting and a 6 to 8inch deep bed. Muck our daily and one bag shavings in a week. I find I use less having more in to start with. I think many years ago when matting was unknown and e pensive it was just a marketing ploy saying no bedding required to get people to buy it

 

[paddy555]

Absolutely this. We keep horses in unnatural environments so should make it as comfortable as possible not as cheap and stingy as possible. Mine is on matting and a 6 to 8inch deep bed.

whilst mats may not be a natural environment neither is an 8 inch deep shavings bed. In it's natural environment a horse would lie down on a hard unbedded surface.
Using little bedding is not cheap and stingy. What is cheap and stingy is not dealing with the question of drainage before laying the mats and then using little bedding. Drainage has not been mentioned but it is very important and makes the difference between success or wet beds, mucky horses and mucky rugs.